Olen, Belgium

Olen (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈoːlə(n)]) is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Antwerp. The municipality comprises three towns, situated on a south–north axis:

• South of the motorway E313 and the Albert Canal is Olen proper, also called Olen-Centrum (Saint-Martins parish).
• Between the Albert Canal and Olen-station (railroad from Antwerp to Neerpelt and Hasselt) is the town of Boekel, also called Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-Olen (parish) or Achter-Olen (Behind-Olen).
• North of the railroad is the town of St.-Jozef-Olen (parish), also called Olen-Fabriek (Olen-Factory, a refinery along the old canal Herentals-Bocholt that was at its origin).

Olen
Municipality
Flag Coat of arms
Location of Olen
Olen Location in Belgium Location of Olen in the province of Antwerp
Coordinates: 51°09′N 04°51′E
Country	Belgium
Community	Flemish Community
Region	Flemish Region
Province	Antwerp
Arrondissement	Turnhout
Government
• Mayor	Seppe Bouquillon (CD&V)
• Governing party/ies	CD&V, sp.a, Groen
Area
• Total	23.12 km2 (8.93 sq mi)
Population  (2020-01-01)[1]
• Total	12,560
• Density	540/km2 (1,400/sq mi)
Postal codes	2250
NIS code	13029
Area codes	014, 04
Website	www.olen.be

In 2021, Olen had a total population of 12,600.^[2] The total area is 23.10 km².

History of Uranium mining

In the 1920s and 1930s the Union Minière du Haut Katanga company, operating in the then Belgian colony of Congo, had a virtual monopoly of the world uranium market (holding most of the deposits known at the time). The uranium mined in Congo was mostly transported to the UMHK refinery for uranium ore which was located in Olen.^[3][4]

Some 1200 tonnes of uranium stored at the Olen refinery were captured by the Germans during the invasion and occupation of Belgium in 1940, and only recovered by US troops at the end of World War 2.

Notable Person

• Walter van den Broeck (b. Olen 28 March 1941), writer