At the Botermarkt, near the town hall, you can find Peegie. He was originally a dwarf named Petrus and tried to sell his shoe polish to everyone who passed by. In the two books of Willem Denys, he was the main character but above all he was an icon for “de nieuwmarkt”. The Nieuwmark is not an actual place, but the area between two streets near the church of St Michiel. The "Nieuwmarkters" came from Roeselare and were known for selling everything to everyone and moving aroung by horse and carts. The group separated themselves from the rest of the population and formed their own ghetto. Nowadays, people still speak about the "de Nieuwmarkt" even though many of their characteristics have become unrecognizable.
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