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Rekkem is a section of the Belgian city of Menin, in the province of West Flanders. Until 1977, it was an independent municipality. She was called Retchème in Picard. In 1173, the village was still called Rekkem, similar to Reclinghem in Artois and to Rijkegem (Tirlemont), which were founded by the Viking Rikiwulf in 876. Geography Rekkem is frontier with France and at the limit to the Walloon Region. She is bordered by localities of Menin, Lauwe, Aalbeke, Mouscron (part of the municipality), Neuville-en-Ferrain and Halluin. The centre of Rekkem is located to the north of the territory while the village of Paradijs is located more to the south. Languages The last complete linguistic census of 1947 indicated the presence over one quarter of the population using French like “Language exclusively or the most frequently spoken”. Tranports The centre of the village is crossed by the N366 (Moeskroenstraat) that connects the centre of Menin and Mouscron. The Lauwestraat and the Priester Coulonstraat, connected to the National, are the link between Rekkem with Lauwe. The Dronckaertsraat (the former road between Courtrai and Lille) and the motorway A14/E17 pass between the centre of Rekkem and the village of Paradijs. History In 1963, during the definitive fixation of the linguistic frontier, the village of the Risquons-Tout (0,39 km² - approximately 500 inhabitants) was transferred of the commune of Rekkem to the city of Mouscron. Culture It’s in Rekkem that was located the Flaming-Dutch association’s head office, Ons Erfdeel, as well as the redactions of magazines Ons Erfdell, Septentrio, The Low Countries and the Franse Nederlanden – Les Pays-Bas Français. Jozef Deleu, writer and founder of Ons Erfdeel, lives in Rekkem. Curiosities The Saint-Nicolas church. The parish church of Rekkem, the Saint-Nicolas church (Sint-Niklaaskerk) was built in the XII century. It’s a classified monument since 1939.