Saint-Omer

Sister cities

• Detmold
• Deal
• Żagań
• Ypres

History

Saint-Omer first appeared in the writings during the 7th century under the name of Sithiu (Sithieu or Sitdiu), around the Saint-Bertin abbey founded on the initiative of Audomar (Odemaars or Omer). Omer, bishop of Thérouanne, in the 7th century established the Abbey of Saint Bertin, from which that of Notre-Dame was an offshoot. Rivalry and dissension, which lasted till the French Revolution, soon sprang up between the two monasteries, becoming especially virulent when in 1559 St Omer became a bishopric and Notre-Dame was raised to the rank of cathedral. In the 9th century, the village that grew up round the monasteries took the name of St Omer. The Vikings laid the place to waste about 860 and 880. Ten years later the town and monastery had built fortified walls and were safe from their attack. Situated on the borders of territories frequently disputed by French, Flemish, English and Spaniards, St Omer for most of its history continued to be subject to sieges and military invasions. In 932 Arnulf of Flanders conquered the County of Artois and Saint-Omer (Sint-Omaars in Dutch) became part of the County of Flanders for the next three centuries. In 1071 Philip I and the teenage Count Arnulf III of Flanders were defeated at St Omer by Arnulf's uncle and former protector, Robert the Frisian, who subsequently became the Count of Flanders until his death in 1093. Along with its textile industry, St-Omer thrived in the 12th and 13th century. In 1127 the town received a communal charter from the count, William Clito, becoming the first town in West Flanders with city rights. Later on the city lost its leading position in the textile industry to Bruges. After the mysterious death of Count Baldwin I, the County of Flanders was weakened. In 1212 Philip II of France captured…

Most-observed species

• Eurasian Blackbird

  Turdus merula Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  1,650
• Eurasian Coot

  Fulica atra Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  1,440
• Common Chaffinch

  Fringilla coelebs Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  1,327
• European Robin

  Erithacus rubecula (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,194
• Great Tit

  Parus major Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  1,145
• House Sparrow

  Passer domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,133
• Eurasian Blue Tit

  Cyanistes caeruleus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,084
• Great Crested Grebe

  Podiceps cristatus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,055

Most recent

• M 3.7 — 2015-05-22
  3 km SSE of Ramsgate, United Kingdom
• M 3.5 — 2009-03-03
  1 km ENE of Hawkinge, United Kingdom
• M 2.7 — 2008-11-26
  France
• M 4.6 — 2007-04-28
  1 km WNW of Lympne, United Kingdom
• M 4.1 — 2007-01-23
  57 km ENE of Broadstairs, United Kingdom
• M 3.1 — 2005-02-27
  1 km NW of Libercourt, France