View source for Hechtel-Eksel

{{Infobox Belgium municipality
|name             = Hechtel-Eksel
|picture          = Stermolen, Eksel met molenhuisje.JPG
|picture-legend   = 
|map              = Hechtel-Eksel Limburg Belgium Map.svg
|map-legend       = Location of Hechtel-Eksel in Limburg
|arms             = Blason ville be Hechtel-Eksel.svg
|flag             = Hechtel-Eksel vlag.svg
|province         = [[Limburg (Belgium)|Limburg]]
|arrondissement   = [[Arrondissement of Maaseik|Maaseik]]
|nis              = 72038
|mayor            = Jan Daelemans (HE)
|majority         = HE lijst burgemeester
|postal-codes     = 3940-3941
|telephone-area   = 011
|web              = [http://www.hechtel-eksel.be/ www.hechtel-eksel.be]
|coordinates      = {{coord|51|07|N|05|22|E|region:BE|display=inline,title}}
}}
'''Hechtel-Eksel''' ({{IPA|nl|ˈɦɛxtəl ˈɛksəl}}) is a [[Municipalities of Belgium|municipality]] located in the [[Belgium|Belgian]] province of [[Limburg (Belgium)|Limburg]]. On 1 January 2018 it had a total population of 12,290 an area of 76.70&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> giving a [[population density]] of 150 inhabitants per km<sup>2</sup>.

The municipality was created in January 1977 as a merger of the two former municipalities Hechtel and Eksel.

==Events==
Hechtel was home to the "[[KBC Night of Athletics]]", a yearly international [[athletics (sport)|athletics]] meeting, and the annual International Airshow at [[Aeroclub Sanicole VZW|Sanicole Airport]], taking place in September.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://arrs.run/HP_HeusdenOT.htm|title= Nacht van de Atletiek (Night of Athletics)|website=[[arrs.run]]}}</ref>

{{anchor|Battle of Hechtel}}

==Battle of Hechtel==
For seven days during [[World War II]], from 6 to 12 September 1944, the town of Hechtel became the front line between German and British troops in what is known as the battle of Hechtel.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Bussels |first=Joseph |year=1972 |title= De Slag om Hechtel: Bevrijdingsgevechten 6 – 12 September 1944 |trans-title=The Battle of Hechtel: Liberation Battles 6 – 12 September 1944 |language=nl |location=Hechtel |publisher=Selbstverl |oclc=164617953 }}</ref>  German troops consisted of the 2nd [[1st Fallschirm-Panzer Division Hermann Göring|Hermann Göring Tank Regiment]]. The 1st battalion was in Hechtel, with the 2nd placed 2km to the east in [[Wijchmaal]].<ref name="Paterson-2021">{{Cite book|last=Paterson |first=Lawrence |year=2021 |title=Fallschirm-Panzer-Division 'Hermann Göring’: A History of the Luftwaffe's Only Armoured Division, 1933–1945 |location=[[Barnsley]], South Yorkshire, England |publisher=Greenhill Books |pages=194–195 |isbn=978-1-78438-611-5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vrVmEAAAQBAJ&pg=PT194 }}</ref>  British forces were from the 1st and 2nd Battalion [[Welsh Guards]], [[Irish Guards]], [[Scots Guards]] 'X'-Company, [[Grenadier Guards]] and other supporting units.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Retallack |first=John |year=1981 |title=The Welsh Guards |location=London |publisher=F. Warne |pages=110–112 |isbn=978-0-7232-2746-5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=huHNAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA110 }}</ref>

During the battle, 62 British and 127 German soldiers were killed with another 250 captured.<ref>[https://www.tracesofwar.com/sights/129667/Memorial-The-Battle-Of-Hechtel.htm Memorial The Battle Of Hechtel at Traces of war.com]</ref>  Thirty-five civilians also lost their lives with most being executed by German troops. The town centre was heavily damaged.

The battle ended on 12 September when the Irish Guards flanked the Germans, took a strategic bridge isolating the German forces.<ref name="Paterson-2021" />

A German [[Jagdpanther]] tank destroyer knocked out during this battle in on display at the [[Imperial War Museum Duxford]] - although its exact provenance is uncertain, it is claimed to be one knocked out by [[Hugh Griffiths, Baron Griffiths|Hugh Griffiths]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/70000322 |title=Sd Kfz 173 Jagdpanther (Tank Destoyer [sic]) |publisher=Imperial War Museum  |work=Imperial War Museum Collections|access-date=17 February 2012}}</ref> and was previously at the [[Imperial War Museum|Imperial War Museum London]].  The battle is commemorated every year on the 2nd Sunday of September.<ref>[https://www.welshguardscharity.co.uk/news-post/liberation-hechtel-commemorations-2020 The annual Liberation of Hechtel commemorations]</ref>

Hechtel was the site of the death of the famous Anglican priest [[Hugh Lister]], who served as a combatant officer in the [[Welsh Guards]].

==References==
{{Reflist}}
2 “Hugh Lister (1901–44): Priest, Labor Leader, Combatant Officer.” ''Anglican and Episcopal History'' 70 (2001): 353–74.

==External links==
* {{Commons category-inline}}
*[http://maps.google.be/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=51.142687,5.390768&spn=0.051264,0.129948&z=14 Map of Hechtel-Eksel]
*[http://www.hechtel-eksel.be Official website] - Available only in [[Dutch language|Dutch]]
*[http://airshow.sanicole.com/index.php Sanicole Airshow official website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080615015809/http://airshow.sanicole.com/index.php |date=2008-06-15 }}

{{Geographic location
|Centre = Hechtel-Eksel
|N  = [[Lommel]], [[Pelt (municipality)|Pelt]]
|E  = [[Peer, Belgium|Peer]]
|SE = [[Houthalen-Helchteren]]
|SW = [[Beringen, Belgium|Beringen]]
|W  = [[Balen]] ([[Antwerp (province)|VAN]])<br/>[[Leopoldsburg]]
}}
{{Municipalities in Limburg}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Municipalities of Limburg (Belgium)]]


{{LimburgBE-geo-stub}}