Peer, Belgium

The Armand Preud'homme Museum was a museum in Peer, Belgium, that was dedicated to the Belgian composer Armand Preud'homme (1904-1986). From 1990 to 2018 the museum formed a combination with the Heemkundig Museum (local museum) upstairs, called the Dulle Griet Museum.Preud'homme was born in this house, when his father was a teacher and head of the municipal boys school. The land of the house and the school was acquired by the municipality on 3 April 1859. It was developed by the provincial underarchitect Herman Jaminé and built from 1860 to 1861.Preud'homme was an organist and composed hundreds of songs and operettas on themes like connectivity of people and the nostalgia for his birth region. His most popular operetta was Op de purp'ren hei and his most popular song Kempenland; the latter one was popular during the occupation of the Second World War as march music for paramilitary groups.The museum was founded by Jaak Geuns and was largely run by volunteers. It showed belongings of the musician, like his grand piano, news paper articles, photographs, and sheet music of his most famous songs and operettas.The number of groups visiting the museum went down from eight hundred per year at the beginning to just a couple in 2018. In this year the municipality of Peer decided to close both museums. On this site it planned apartments and a service center.

Kleine Brogel Air Base (ICAO: EBBL) is a Belgian Air Component military airfield located 0.8 nautical miles (1.5 km; 0.92 mi) east of Kleine-Brogel, in the municipality of Peer, Belgium. It is home to the Belgian 10th Tactical Wing, which operates F-16 Fighting Falcons. As part of nuclear sharing it is also the home of the United States Air Force's 701st Munitions Support Squadron. As of 2023, Kleine Brogel is one of six active air bases in five European countries with B61 nuclear bombs in underground WS3 Weapon Storage and Security System inside aircraft shelters. It is also the site of a popular Belgium air show, which has been hosted periodically by the Belgian Air Force. The air show has many new and also historical aircraft on display for the public. An aviation museum for Klein Brogel with many historical items was established in 2010 in the area, featuring some of the historical aircraft that operated from the base.

The Arrondissement of Maaseik (Dutch: Arrondissement Maaseik; French: Arrondissement de Maaseik) is one of the three administrative arrondissements in the Province of Limburg, Belgium. It is not a judicial arrondissement. The municipalities of Bocholt, Bree, Kinrooi, Meeuwen-Gruitrode, Dilsen-Stokkem and Maaseik, are part of the Judicial Arrondissement of Tongeren, while the rest of its municipalities are part of the Judicial Arrondissement of Hasselt.

Wijchmaal is a village in the province of Limburg, Belgium, which since 1977 has been a subdivision of the municipality of Peer. It is located on the low Kempen plateau and has predominantly sandy soil. The village has medieval fishponds that once belonged to the Agnetendal convent in Peer, and an arboretum that originated in 1907 as an experimental plantation to grow wood that would make good pit props. Historically a relatively poor and sparsely populated agricultural settlement, in the later 20th century it became a commuter village for people employed in Eindhoven and Genk.

Meeuwen-Gruitrode (Dutch pronunciation: [ˌmeːu.ə(ŋ)ˈɣrœytˌroːdə]; Limburgish: Miëve-Roj, [ˈmiəvəˈʀɔj]) is a former municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg. In 2021, Meeuwen-Gruitrode had a total population of 13,117. The total area is 91.31 km². The municipality consisted of the following sub-municipalities: Meeuwen, Gruitrode, Ellikom, Neerglabbeek, and Wijshagen. It also includes the hamlets of Muisven, Ophoven, Zoetebeek, Koestraat, and Plokrooi. Effective 1 January 2019, Opglabbeek and Meeuwen-Gruitrode were merged into the new municipality of Oudsbergen.

Overpelt (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈoːvərˌpɛlt], literally Upper Pelt) is a town in the municipality of Pelt and a former municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg. In 2018, the municipality of Overpelt had a total population of 15,478.The municipality consisted of the following population centres: centre, Holheide, Overpelt-Fabriek, and Lindelhoeven. Three hospitals are in Overpelt. In 2005, the St. Mary hospital opened as a merger of hospitals in Lommel and Neerpelt. In addition there is the MS-clinic and a center for disabled, Sainte-Ode. Effective 1 January 2019, Neerpelt and Overpelt were merged into the new municipality of Pelt.

Pelt (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈpɛlt] ) is a municipality in the Belgian province of Limburg. It arose on 1 January 2019 from the merging of the municipalities of Neerpelt and Overpelt.After Neerpelt and Overpelt had previously agreed in principle to a merger, the new name of the municipality was announced on 4 November 2017 after a local referendum on the question. Out of the three possibilities Dommelpelt, Pelt or Pelten more than 74 percent of the votes eventually went to Pelt. The name goes back to the Romans, who called the sandy area Palethe, meaning boggy land. The municipal councils definitively approved the merger on 18 December 2017. Neerpelt and Overpelt thus ceased to exist on 31 December 2018. A day later, on 1 January 2019, Pelt officially became a new municipality in Limburg.The merged municipality has an area of 83.63 km2 and counts more than 32,000 inhabitants.

Hechtel-Eksel (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈɦɛxtəl ˈɛksəl]) is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg. On 1 January 2018 it had a total population of 12,290 an area of 76.70 km² giving a population density of 150 inhabitants per km². The municipality was created in January 1977 as a merger of the two former municipalities Hechtel and Eksel.

Neerpelt (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈneːrˌpɛlt] , literally Lower Pelt) is a town in Pelt and a former municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg. In 2018, the municipality had a total population of 17,174. The total area is 42.78 km2.Effective 1 January 2019, Neerpelt and Overpelt were merged into the new municipality of Pelt.

The Limburg Zoo, also known as Zwartberg Zoo, was a zoo in the Belgian parish of Zwartberg in the municipality of Genk. The zoo was private property of the Wouters family and did not receive any subsidy or sponsorship. The zoo was known for its large number of animals, which resulted from the internal breeding programme and the acquisition of abused and dumped animals from bankrupt zoos and circuses. The large number of animals, the poor state of the animal enclosures, and actions by animal rights organisations drew media attention to the zoo. In 1997 the Wouters family decided to close it; the animals were relocated to other zoos.

Houthalen-Helchteren (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈɦʌutˌɦaːlə(n) ˈɦɛl(ə)xtərə(n)]; Limburgish: Hôtele-Helichtre) is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg. Houthalen-Helchteren consists of Houthalen-centrum, Houthalen-Oost, Helchteren, Sonnis, Laak, Meulenberg and Lillo. On 1 January 2020 Houthalen-Helchteren had a total population of around 30.000. The total area is 78.27 km² which gives a population density of 389 inhabitants per km².

Oudsbergen (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈʌutsˌbɛrɣə(n)]; Limburgish: Audsberge [ˈawtsbæʀ(ə)ɣə]) is a municipality in the Belgian province of Limburg that arose on 1 January 2019 from the merging of the municipalities of Opglabbeek and Meeuwen-Gruitrode. The merged municipality has an area of 116.24 km2 and a population of 23,520 people in 2021.