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Lokeren was an important industrial centre dominated by textiles, spinning and weaving linen, hemp and jute. Close to the main square is the church of Saint Lawrence which achieved its present form after a fire in 1719. After this disaster, the builders enlarged the church and finished it with a 65 m tower crowned by a ‘peperbus” The church is Baroque but embellished with some Gothic features.

The tower has a carillon of 49 bells one of which weighs 4 tons. The carillon was inaugurated by King Baudoin a year after the floods caused by the overflowing of the Durme. There was an exhibition of carillon in the tower in 2006.

There is a permanent museum in the ancient baptistery of the church containing superb chalices, missals, procession statues and chasubles which could interest a visitor. Notice also the insets in the baptistery doors and the richly sculpted rococo pulpit by Theodoor Verhaegen of Mechelen. This depicts the 12 year old Jesus with the Jewish law givers. There is also an altar and stained glass windows dedicated to Saint Lawrence and, more importantly, that saint’s shrine created by Josef Hennekens of Antwerp.

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