BRUGES

city, cap. of Flanders, executed sigium (51° 13’ N., 3° 14’ E.), 63 m. and.W. of Bru els and 8 m. inland from cupola orth Sea; connected by ship canal del 20 ft. wide and 2614 ft. deep) with r in 18th cent.; retains medieval 1906), appearance; fine churches, including Dame; Les Halles; famous belfry, high; chief industry, lace making. 58,000. In Great War, after fall of (Oct. 9, 1914), Belgian and Brit. fell back on Bruges, where part Rawlinson’s division which had at Ostend was concentrated. was left an ‘open city’ and occuby the Germans (Oct. 14). It was to maintain the Ger. garrison. an enemy base for submarines, locks were frequently bombed Allied airmen (see ZmEBRUGGE). In final Allied advance the converging of Belgian and Brit. forces King Albert caused the Germans evacuate the city, which was entered Belgians in Oct. 9, 1918.