It was here that the sovereigns of Flanders would address the people and that weavers and wool workers fought each other in May 1345. A statue stands on the square in honour of a victim of this strife, Jacob Van Artevelde. There are fine buildings, such as the imposing mixed-style "Ons Huis-Bond Moyson" (1902) to the north or the turreted Het Toreken (1458), which belonged to the tanners' guild, on the far side of the square.