Celtic and medieval origins
Genk probably originated as a Celtic village, and was converted to Christianity in the 10th century. The remains of a little wooden church dating from that period were found in the area. The first mention of Genk as Geneche can be found in a document dating from 1108, ceding the territory to the Abbey of Rolduc. Politically, Genk belonged to the County of Loon until it was annexed by the Prince-Bishopric of Li�ge in 1365.
19th century
During a century of on-going industrialisation further south in Belgium, Limburg modernised only slowly: Genk remained unimportant and small, growing slowly to a population of 2,000 around 1900. The peaceful village was the home of landscape painters and writers such as Neel Doff.
20th century development
In 1901, Andr� Dumont found a large quantity of coal in the nearby village of As. Soon after, the �Black Gold� was also found in Genk. After World War I, the village started to attract a large quantity of both Belgian and foreign immigrants, and quickly became the biggest city in Limburg after Hasselt, peaking to a population of 70 000. However, in 1966 the coal mine of Zwartberg closed down, and Genk had to develop new industries, mainly along the Albert Canal and highways. By the end of the 1980s, the two remaining coal mines at Winterslag and Waterschei were also closed.
Automotive industry
The Genk Body & Assembly factory of Ford Motor Company is the largest and most important employer in Genk today, employing some 5,000 people and building the Mondeo sedan and hatchback, the Galaxy (second generation, from 2006 and onwards) MPV/minivan, and the S-MAX sub-MPV.
The factory will close in 2014.
Genk today
Genk is now the industrial centre of Limburg, offering over 45,000 jobs, making it economically the third most significant city in Flanders, and harbouring a population of about 85 nationalities
