Mortsel

Mortsel (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈmɔrtsəl]) is a municipality and city^[2] close to the city of Antwerp located in the Belgian province of Antwerp. The municipality only comprises the city of Mortsel proper. In 2024, Mortsel had a total population of 26,588 people which makes most densely populated municipality in Flanders with 3416 inhabitants per km².^[3] The total area is 7.78 km².^[4]

Mortsel
City and municipality
Aerial view of Mortsel
Flag Coat of arms
Location of Mortsel
Mortsel Location in Belgium Location of Mortsel in the province of Antwerp
Coordinates: 51°10′N 04°28′E
Country	Belgium
Community	Flemish Community
Region	Flemish Region
Province	Antwerp
Arrondissement	Antwerp
Government
• Mayor	Erik Broeckx (N-VA)
• Governing party/ies	N-VA, Vooruit-I love Mortsel, CD&V
Area
• Total	7.78 km2 (3.00 sq mi)
Population  (2022-01-01)[1]
• Total	26,181
• Density	3,400/km2 (8,700/sq mi)
Postal codes	2640
NIS code	11029
Area codes	03
Website	www.mortsel.be

Identification of victims of the misguided bombardement in 1943

Geography

The city consists of the areas Mortsel-Dorp, Oude-God and Luithagen. Mortsel is bordered by Antwerp (districts Wilrijk, Berchem and Deurne), Borsbeek, Boechout, Hove, and Edegem.

History

Mortsel was the scene for one of the major collateral damage tragedies of World War II. On 5 April 1943, the Minerva car factory, then used to repair Luftwaffe planes, was the target of a bombing raid by the USAAF. Most bombs missed the target and hit a residential area instead, resulting in the deaths of 936 civilians, including 209 children, exceeding the civilian death toll of the Guernica raid which modern estimates put at 400.^[5]

The last V2 launched against Antwerp also fell in Mortsel, killing 27 people, on 27 March 1945.

Economy

The headquarters of Agfa-Gevaert are situated in Mortsel.

Notable people

• Alex Agnew, stand-up comedian
• Luc Brewaeys, (born in Mortsel in 1959), composer, conductor, pianist and recording producer
• Daniel Dardha, chess player
• Bart De Wever, politician
• Timo Descamps, actor
• Koen Lenaerts, President of the European Court of Justice
• Clem Schouwenaars (b. Mortsel, 1932–1993), writer
• Tamino, musician
• Luc Tuymans, painter
• Johan Van Overtveldt (born in Mortsel in 1955), Belgian journalist and politician of the New Flemish Alliance
• Jos Vandeloo, writer

See also the Category:People from Mortsel.