According to archaeological discoveries, people were already living around 1500 B.C. where Kortrijk would later grow. But there was no real colony before the Roman period.
* First century A.D.: the Gallo-Roman colony called Cortoriacum came to the light. It was settled on the borders of the Lys river and was situated on the crossroads of Tongeren-Kassel and Tournai-Oudenburg. Cortoriacum is a latin form of an old celtic name.
* Before the 7th century: The Roman Kortrijk has survived the Frankish attacks. The town was still under the reign of Merovigian sovereigns as a sort of administrative centre (municipium).
* 7th century: According to a legend, St-Elooi would have founded a chapel where St-Maarten's church stands today. This chapel was supposedly destroyed in the 9th century.
* 823-877: King Charles the Bald offered a piece of ground (30 ha) to St-Amand's abbey. 6 years later, Kortrijk was mentionned as an important place of the later Flanders.
* 879-892: The Normans abandoned Ghent to establish their winter headquarters in Kortrijk. The town was apparently already fortified at that time. In order to protect the citizens, a wooden castle was built. During the 10th century, this wooden castle was replaced by a real stronghold with one of the Broel towers as tower.
* In the 11th century: Kortrijk was the head of a castle domain and developed itself to textile industry centre. In 1190, Philippe of Alsace gave the town its first approval. During the 13th century, a defensive wall was built around the town which will be upgraded during the 14th and 15th century. In between Kortijk had become a flourishing flax and damask industry.
* 1270-80: strengthening of the town under Walter Van Nevele
* 1280: In the second half of the 13th century, the earl of Flanders offered a piece of land to the beguines who had already been active in the town for 10 years. The beguigne convent was supposedly built around that period. Unfortunately the town was not saved by wars and destruction. The French came regularly to keep the town under pressure. But on the 11th of july 1302, the French cavalery was severely defeated during the battle of the golden spurs (translation from: "Gulden sporen" or "éperons d'or") at the Groeninge battle field (click here for more details) just before the town gates. In any case, this victory of the infantry against the cavalry brought some very important changes, new social and political aspects. Those changes had as a consequence, 500 years later, the independance of the country.
After the decline of the textile industry, Kortrijk became the centre of flax cultivation and industry around the Lys river also called the "golden river" because its water was perfect for the flax processing.
* After 1302: The war was still going on. It was at last ended with the Athis-sur-Orges treaty (1305), and confirmed by the agreements of Poitiers (1307), Paris (1309) and Pontoise (1312)
* Before 1307: The town apparently built its covered market on the Square. It was build by weavers to sell their goods.
* 1313: the castle of Kortrijk was again under French occupation.
* 1323: Flemish cities revolted again the earl Louis de Nievres. The count seek refuge in Kortrijk behind the fortifications. In order to protect the town from troops from Brugge, the count ordered to burn a town district. Unfortunately the wind blew the flames inside the town and a part of the town was burnt.
* 1337: Kortrijk was under the authority of Ghent led by Jacob van Artevelde who supported England. THe was against the earl who supported France. Begin of the hundred's year war. Kortrijk and Ghent supported England.
* 1340: French attack, Kortrijk had about 1000 soldiers from Ghent in the town
* 1366: Philippe d'Artois, Bishop of Tournai, gave his approval to build a refuge with a praying place in St-Elooi's house which already existed. This refuge was built for pilgrims and wanderers. The chapel was built later. The chapel and the refuge stood where St-Elooi's church stands today.
* 1380: Ghent revolted against the earl, Kortrijk supported Ghent. Kortrijk became a military centre.
* 1382: Philip van Artevelde conqueered some Flemish earldoms and came in Kortrijk to change the laws just as he was the earl. French troops attacked the town because they were against Ghent. Kortrijk paid this severely. On november 27th 1382, the town was destroyed during the Westrozebeke battle
* 1386: reconstruction of the town
* 1401: Construction of the second Broel tower (ingelburchtower) and the bridge between the towers. The Broel towers have had different function since their creation. Ex: powder warehouse, museum (today)
* 1417-20: After its destruction in 1382, the town hall was rebuilt bigger than the first one and in Brabant gothic style.
* 1430: a new castle was built
* 1440: Kortrijk had about 5.317 inhabitants
* 1449-1450: There were conflicts during the replacement of the magistrates in Ghent. The city chose its own magistrates but didn't find any support from other Flemish cities.
* 1452: Ghent attacked the garrison of Kortrijk.
* End 15th century: Kortrijk was a very fortificated town with a castle and fortification walls.
* 1530: Kortrijk had 6.920 inhabitants
* 1571: Kortrijk had 10.540 inhabitants
* From march 1578 to february 1580: Calvinist republic (protestants). This period did a lot of harm to the town. Ex: Onze-Lieve-Vrouw church and St-Maarten's church were plundered and damaged.
* 1581: After the return of the "malcontents" on februari 27th 1580, King Philip II (of Spain, catholic) forgave the city. The damaged buildings were repaired
* 1589: Brugge's gate was built
* 16th century: The 16th century brought as well advantages as disavantages to the city. During a peaceful first half of century, the textile industry knew an incredible development. The strong development of the industry and the commerce was expressed by the construction of nice buildings. Money flew in the city which made it become a shining and luxuous city.
* 1647: French occupation, the city fortification is dramatically strengthened. The French built also a citadel.
* 1675: the ponds were a part of the Middle-Ages moatsystem between the old city and Overbeke. The pond became unnecessary. On september 1675, King Louis XIV gave the Middle-Ages walls and moats to governor Pertuis. The walls and the moatsystem were in a disastrous state. They were destroyed and houses were built on it.
* between 1675-1740: great influence of the Louis XIV style on façades in Kortrijk
* 1684: after the capitulation agreement between France and Spain (August 15th 1684, Regensburg treaty), the city had to be partly destroyed. The strategic buildings were destroyed.
* 1690: reconstruction of the fortifications and the citadel
* 1698: the city had 9.865 inhabitants
* 1761: Jozef Van Dale founded a school (not a private school) for young people in Budastreet.
* 1794: after a new attack of the French troops, new fortifications were built.
* 1798: the city had 14.027 inhabitants
* 1817: a lot of public buildings were built during the Dutch occupation.
* 1814-1845: Sister Anna Planckaert founded in 1814 a little womencommunity and a school for poor girls from the Onze-Lieve-Vrouw parish. In 1845, she founded the first elementary school of the town.
* 1827: construction of a new gate: Bissegem's gate became Willem's gate. It was the last town gate built, it was an important construction
* 1830: Belgium's independance was won, Kortrijk had 19.036 inhabitants.
* 1839: the railway Ghent-Kortrijk was officially established. The station was situated outside the town centre between the gate of Lille and the gate of Tournai.
* 1911: First street lighting
* 1940-45: before bombings the town had 11.102 houses. 1.625 houses and 225 other buildings were destroyed. The public buildings which were destroyed were: the covered marketplace, the chapel of the cemetery, the station, the library. In addition to this, the sewers, the streets, the telephone, the electritown and gas installations were severely damaged.
* 1963: first pedestrian shopping streets of Belgium in Kortrijk
* 1967: A congress place is built out of the center near the E17 motorway and Tournai street. Each year, international expositions are held there. Actual size: 30000 square meters
* 1970: On the academy plain, a new music academy was built. The Flemish radio & television (BRT) building (section: West-Flanders) was also built there.
* 1972: Since 1965, Kortrijk is a part the expansion of Leuven's university. On may 5th 1972, the philosophy and literature faculty was opened.
* 1983: On march 9th, the Broel towers were at last classified as protected monuments. These t owers are considered as the symbol of the town. Kortrijk has about 35 classified buildings.
* 1989: The local authority wanted to restore some buildings. For some buildings, it was obviously necessary such as: Onze-Lieve-Vrouw church, the belfry , ... The town didn't use State grants, it used its own resources.
