Overpelt

Overpelt is a place and former municipality in the Belgian province of Limburg . Since January 1, 2019, Overpelt has been part of the Pelt merged municipality as a sub- municipality . In 2018, the municipality had 15,478 inhabitants. Geographically, the sandy Overpelt is part of the Kempen . Traces of prehistoric civilization have been found in Overpelt, including so-called urn fields . Together with lower Neerpelt , it was densely populated from the early Middle Ages. Until 1259, Over- and Neerpelt were designated together with the name Pelt . In the late Middle Ages and beyond, Overpelt, together with Neerpelt, Kaulille and Kleine-Brogel, forms the office of Pelt , an administrative area in the County of Loon until 1366, then in the independent Prince Diocese of Liege until the French Revolution. Overpelt had four herd places Village-Hasselt, Lindel , Hoeven - Heesakker and Hover Stop -Haspershoven, each possessed a certain autonomy.

Today, the hamlets of Lindelhoeven and Haspershoven have emerged from this, while Dorp-Hasselt has grown into the current Overpelt center. The village had three late farms , belonging respectively to the Abbey of Floreffe , the Abbey of Sint-Truiden and the Abbey of Averbode. The Abbey of Floreffe in particular owned large areas from 1140, which were cultivated and on which three hooves were founded: Grote Hoeve, Kleine Hoeve and Panhoeve. The Abbey had three water mills Kleine Molen , Wedelse Molen and Bemvoortse Molen , a chapel, fish ponds and a brewery.