After I posted that brief history surrounding the stropke, I was given a much more accurate and detailed version by Goofball in the comments section. However, I know I rarely go back and read the other comments after I’ve commented on a blog, so I’m reposting her explanation, pretty much word for word, stuff in red is added by me, right here for those of you who may have missed it.

The citizens were not hung by Charles V. But in 1539 the city lost the privilege to have walls (pretty important in those times); hence no more traces of city walls in Ghent unlike most other cities! Check it out if you walk around. Sint Baaf’s Abbey was also supposed to be destroyed.

Secondly a group of important rich citizens had to go through the humiliation of walking barefooted through the city in a white shirt with the rope around their neck, held by the person behind them. They were not hung though. Afterwards the citizens of Ghent were nicknamed “stroppendragers” (=those who wear a hangman’s rope). They started to use this name with pride and the hangman’s rope became their symbol.

During the Gentse Feesten (the best city festival in the world….3rd week of July, Ghent is the place to be!!!!!!)yay, you bet I’ll be blogging alot about the Gentse Feesten…from what I gather it’s sort of like a week long Homecoming or St. Patty’s Day type atmosphere, they always have this parade. The ’stroppendragers’ parade is a fairly parade starting at the fortress ‘t Gravensteen with a dozen citizens marching barefooted in a white gown and a hangman’s rope around their neck…accompagnied with a solemn drumroll.

During the festival , a lot of citizens will be wearing a “stropke” themselves.

So there you have it folks, the story of the stropke, straight from Goofball’s keyboard.