Send Gift Baskets to Geel, Belgium

Iron Age settlements have been found in the area, but the name Geel (formerly spelled Gheel) comes from a Germanic root meaning “yellow” and dates from the early Middle Ages. A hamlet already existed in the mid-13th century, when, according to oral tradition, a certain Petrus Camerancis, canon of Cambrai, wrote about an Irish woman and her tutor set in Geel the Vitae Dymphnae et S Gereberni presbytery (English: Life of Dymphna and St. Gereberni priest). Numerous pilgrims flocked to the area in search of the saint, resulting in substantial population growth: 2,136 people in 1374.

A large part of the territory around Geel was given to Grimbergen Abbey in the 12th century. Throughout medieval times, it passed from one noble family to another. Their communities were ruled by noble lords or dames who owed feudal allegiance to the Dukes of Brabant. Geel had some form of municipal government as early as the first half of the 13th century. The history of Geel follows that of Brabant throughout the Middle Ages and the 18th century. The city’s economy was based on breeding sheep for the textile industry, combined with the cultivation of flax for linen manufacture and trade. The city hall was built at the beginning of the 15th century from a cloth hall. Geel’s economy and its churches were extensively damaged during the Eighty Years’ War. In the early 19th century, the textile industry recovered, but agriculture now supported the economy most, specifically rye, oat, barley, and buckwheat. The Latin School in Geel attracted students from far and wide to prepare them for entry into the Catholic University of Leuven at that time.

Verbroedering Geel is a former football club based in Geel.