The triangular village square is centuries old, originally it was a watering place for sheep. Since Lommel acquired market rights from the dukes of Brabant in the 14th century, this square evolved into a real market or trading place.
Protected landscape
Since 1974, the village square with its lime trees has been a protected landscape. Currently, the square serves as a venue for all kinds of festivities of the city. During many small and large events people meet and enjoy music, top sports, street theater or just a fresh pint on the terraces.
Teuten Statue
A growing population, wars and crop failures in the 15th and 16th centuries: reasons enough for adventurous Lommel merchants to try their luck far beyond the borders. These teutes, as we call them, traveled with their merchandise on their backs to Holland, Germany, France, ... and some even as far away as Denmark. Besides selling goods such as textiles, pottery, copper goods and even human hair, they also offered various services such as repairing copper cauldrons or castrating male animals.
The teutes were distinguished from other merchants and hawkers by their strict organization into companies and the granting of credit to their customers, a practice that led to the height of the teute trade in the 17th and 18th centuries. At the end of the 19th century, the modern world was knocking at the door. Urbanization, all kinds of regulations and the emerging industry made their trade more difficult, and at the beginning of the 20th century the last of the teuts called it a day.
The Teuten statue, made by Hieronymus Reijniers and placed on the market square in 1983, is a permanent reminder of the Teuten's former presence. The Teuten statue can be found between Huis Aerts and the village square.
