- published: 10 Oct 2015
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Damme is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders, six kilometres northeast of Brugge (Bruges). The municipality comprises the city of Damme proper and the villages of Hoeke, Lapscheure, Moerkerke, Oostkerke, Sijsele, Vivenkapelle, and Sint-Rita. On 1 January 2006, the municipality had a population of 10,899. The total area is 89.52 km², giving a population density of 122 inhabitants per km².
In the 13th century, Damme was the port for Bruges, to which it was linked by the river Reie. The river has now been canalised into the long, straight, treelined and picturesque Damse Vaart, which continues across the Dutch border to Sluis. The line of the town's star-shaped fortifications can still be traced by lines of tall poplar trees and in places by a moat. It was the site of the Battle of Damme, fought on 30 and 31 May 1213.
Well-known Damme inhabitants include Jacob van Maerlant, a medieval poet and the town clerk of Damme until his death in around 1300, and Karel Verleye, co-founder of the Bruges College of Europe, who died in Damme in 2002.
Ellen ten Damme (born October 7, 1967 in Warnsveld, Gelderland) is a Dutch actress and singer.
She was born in Warnsveld, and was raised in the village Roden.
She made her film debut in 1991 with The Tears of Maria Machita directed by Paul Ruven. She also starred in the lawyer drama Called to the Bar. Further movies roles included All Rigid and No Trains No Planes.
She released four albums of which 3 are in English. Her last album is in Dutch. Kill Your Darlings (1995) I Am Here (2001) Impossible Girl (2007) and Durf jij (2011)
Her latest single Verder, verder! (2012) suggests also her next album will be in Dutch.
Except for her own studio work, she also contributed to movie soundtracks such as Casper: A Spirited Beginning and Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie)
Dutch avantgarde filmmaker Cyrus Frisch directed her music video Stay.