Anderlecht

Anderlecht (Template:IPA; Template:IPA) is one of the 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium. Located in the south-western part of the region, it is bordered by the City of Brussels, Forest, Molenbeek-Saint-Jean, and Saint-Gilles, as well as the Flemish municipalities of Dilbeek and Sint-Pieters-Leeuw. In common with all of Brussels' municipalities, it is legally bilingual (French–Dutch).

There are several historically and architecturally distinct districts within Anderlecht. Template:As of, the municipality had a population of 126,581 inhabitants.<ref name="IBSA">Template:Cite web</ref> The total area is Template:Convert, which gives a population density of Template:Convert.<ref name="IBSA" /> Its upper area is greener and less densely populated.

History

Origins and medieval times

The first traces of human activity on the right bank of the Senne date from the Stone Age and Bronze Age. The remnants of a Roman villa and of a Frankish necropolis were also found on the territory of Anderlecht.Template:Sfn The first mention of the name Anderlecht, however, dates only from 1047 under the forms Anrelech, then Andrelet (1111), Andreler (1148), and Anderlech (1186). At that time, this community was already home to a chapter of canonsTemplate:Sfn and to two feudal manors, those of the powerful lords of Aa and of Anderlecht.Template:Sfn

File:Saint Guido Church (14).jpg

Collegiate Church of St. Peter and St. Guido

In 1356, the Count of Flanders, Louis II, fought against Brussels on the territory of Anderlecht, in the so-called Battle of Scheut, supposedly over a monetary matter.<ref>Jean Baptiste Nicolas Coomans, Jeanne Goetghebuer : chronique brabançonne du XIVe siècle (in French), Brussels, Coomans, 1854, p.57</ref> Although he defeated his sister-in-law, the Duchess of Brabant, Joanna, and briefly took her title, she regained it the following year with the help of the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles IV. In 1393, Joanna's charter made Anderlecht a part of Brussels. It is also around this time that the church of Saint Guy was rebuilt in Brabantine Gothic style above an earlier Romanesque crypt.

15th–18th centuries

The village of Anderlecht became a beacon of culture in the 15th and 16th centuries. In 1521, the Dutch humanist writer and theologian Erasmus of Rotterdam stayed in the canons' house for a few months. Charles, Duke of Aumale and Grand Veneur of France also had a residence there.

The 17th and 18th centuries were marked by the wars between the Low Countries and France. During the Nine Years' War, it is from the high ground of Scheut, in the northern part of Anderlecht, that the bombardment of Brussels of 1695 took place. Together with the resulting fire, it was the most destructive event in the entire history of Brussels.Template:Sfn On 13 November 1792, right after the Battle of Jemappes, General Dumouriez and the French Revolutionary army routed the Austrians there once again.<ref>Pierre-François (1821). Précis ou histoire a brégée des guerres de la Révolution française (in French), p. 13</ref><ref>Antoine de Jomini, Histoire critique et militaire des guerres de la Révolution: Campagne de 1792 (in French), t. 2, Paris, 1820, p. 238–239.</ref> Among the consequences were the disbanding of the canons and Anderlecht being proclaimed an independent municipality by the French.

File:KartuisScheut.png

The Carthusian Monastery depicted in Chorographia Sacra Brabantiae (1727). On the horizon are Anderlecht and Scheut.

By the end of the 18th century, Anderlecht including its dependencies, which extended to Brussels' city walls, counted around 2,000 inhabitants. In Scheut, on the site of the Carthusian Monastery, stood a chapel called Our Lady of Scheut, whose pleasant location, in the middle of a grove, made this place very popular at the time.<ref name="Fransen">Bart Fransen, Restanten van een meesterwerk : de bouwsculptuur van de kapel van Scheut, in: Millennium, Tijdschrift voor middeleeuwse studies (in Dutch), 2009, no. 1–2, p. 112–128</ref>

19th century and later

The 19th century saw a remarkable population growth, mainly because of the proximity to a rapidly expanding Brussels. The Template:Lang/Template:Lang was laid out in 1828, through the former property of the Carthusians. The population multiplied by ten between 1830 and 1890 and doubled again between 1890 and 1910. Along the Template:Lang/Template:Lang and the Brussels–Charleroi Canal, a series of industrial and working-class districts connected the centre of Anderlecht to Cureghem.

Remarkable new urban developments and garden cities such as La Roue/Het Rad, Moortebeek and Template:Lang/Template:Lang were built at the beginning of the 20th century to house the influx of newcomers. Following World War II, some remaining green parts of the municipality also made way for large-scale urban renewal following the modernist Athens Charter and Park system, such as the housing projects Scherdemael, Peterbos and Marius Renard in the upper town, and Aurore near the canal.

In recent years, Anderlecht has gained international attention thanks to its very successful football club.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Geography

Location

File:Anderlecht Brussels-Capital Belgium Map.svg

Location of Anderlecht within Brussels

Anderlecht is located in the north-central part of Belgium, about Template:Convert from the Belgian coast and about Template:Convert from Belgium's southern tip. It is located in the heartland of the Brabantian Plateau, about Template:Convert south of Antwerp (Flanders), and Template:Convert north of Charleroi (Wallonia). It is the westernmost municipality in the Brussels-Capital Region and is an important crossing point for the Brussels–Charleroi Canal, which cuts the municipality in two from the west. With an area of Template:Convert, it is also the third largest municipality in the region after the City of Brussels and Uccle. It is bordered by the City of Brussels, Forest, Molenbeek-Saint-Jean, and Saint-Gilles, as well as the Flemish municipalities of Dilbeek and Sint-Pieters-Leeuw.

Climate

Anderlecht, in common with the rest of Brussels, experiences an oceanic climate (Köppen: Cfb) with warm summers and cool winters.<ref name="Brussels,+Brussels+Capital,+Belgium&units=|title=Brussels, Belgium Climate Classification Köppen (Weatherbase)">Template:Cite web</ref> Proximity to coastal areas influences the area's climate by sending marine air masses from the Atlantic Ocean. Nearby wetlands also ensure a maritime temperate climate. On average (based on measurements in the period 1981–2010), there are approximately 135 days of rain per year in the region. Snowfall is infrequent, averaging 24 days per year. It also often experiences violent thunderstorms in summer months.

The Royal Meteorological Institute of Belgium (IRM/KMI) is located in Uccle, in the south of Brussels. The meteorological records which are carried out there are similar to those which could be carried out in Anderlecht.

Districts

File:Anderlecht OSM.png

Map of Anderlecht

The territory of Anderlecht is very heterogeneous and is characterised by a mixture of larger districts including smaller residential and (formerly) industrial neighbourhoods. The area along the canal is currently experiencing a large revitalisation programme, as part of the Template:Lang of the Brussels-Capital Region.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Historical centre

File:Anderlecht, Dapperheidsplein.jpg

A view of the Place de la Vaillance / Dapperheidsplein with the Church of St. Guido in the background

The historical centre of Anderlecht is the municipality's central district. Formerly known as Rinck,Template:Sfn it is divided into several sectors:

• The Template:Lang/Template:Lang district, also called the Template:Lang/Template:Lang district, is the meeting point for those who hail to the heart of Anderlecht. It is also where the Place de la Vaillance/Dapperheidsplein (Anderlecht's central square), the Church of St. Guido, the Template:Lang/Template:Lang, as well as Anderlecht's main schools are located. The Template:Lang/Template:Lang is the municipality's main shopping street. It is centred on the Template:Lang/Template:Lang and some neighbouring streets.
• The smaller Aumale district in its northern part mainly comprises the Template:Lang/Template:Lang and its surrounding streets. It includes the Erasmus House (a museum devoted to the Dutch humanist writer and theologian Erasmus of Rotterdam), the old beguinage (a late medieval lay convent, now a museum dedicated to religious community life), as well as the Bibliothèque de l'Espace Maurice Carême French-language public library.

Cureghem/Kuregem

Located in the north-east of Anderlecht,<ref name="cureghem">Template:Cite web</ref> Cureghem/Kuregem is one of the municipality's largest and most populated districts. It developed during the Industrial Revolution along the Brussels–Charleroi Canal and is currently in a fragile social and economic situation due to the decline of its economy and the poor quality of some of its housing. Between 1836 and 1991, the district housed the Royal School of Veterinary Medicine, now moved to Liège but often still referred to as Cureghem.<ref name="vet">Template:Cite web</ref> The old campus, listed as protected heritage,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> is currently undergoing a large rehabilitation process.<ref name="cureghem" /> Three listed buildings—the former Atlas Brewery,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> the old power station, and the former Moulart Mill<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>—are testaments to the old industrial activities next to the waterway. The Municipal Hall of Anderlecht is located on the Template:Lang/Template:Lang, in the heart of this district.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="cureghem" /> In its lower part, bordering the City of Brussels, are the Square de l'Aviation/Luchtvaartsquare<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and the Template:Lang/Template:Lang.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Meir

File:Anderlecht2019 26.jpg

Astrid Park

Located to the south of the historical centre of Anderlecht, this district is centred on the Meir Roundabout and Astrid Park, where the football club R.S.C. Anderlecht plays its home matches in the Constant Vanden Stock Stadium. Decided shortly before the First World War, the development of this residential neighbourhood took place mainly between the two world wars. Aimed at the middle class, it forms an extremely coherent and well-preserved architectural ensemble where the Art Deco style predominates.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Veeweyde/Veeweide

Template:Lang/Template:Lang is centrally located in the upper part of Anderlecht, south of the Meir district. It includes the Busselenberg (a residential area centred around the park of the same name), the smaller Musicians' district (a residential area between the Template:Lang/Template:Lang and the Template:Lang/Template:Lang), as well as the Aurore housing estate on the banks of the canal.

La Roue/Het Rad

File:Saint Joseph Church (1).jpg

Church of St. Joseph in La Roue/Het Rad

Located in the south of Anderlecht, La Roue/Het Rad ("The Wheel") is one of the municipality's largest districts and one of Brussels' main garden cities. Built in the 1920s, with its modest and picturesque houses, it offers a great vision of an early 20th-century working-class neighbourhood. It is also home to one of the largest agribusiness industry campuses in Belgium: the Food and Chemical Industries Education and Research Center (CERIA/COOVI),<ref name="CERIA">Template:Cite web</ref> as well as popular department stores.

Scheut

Located in the north of Anderlecht, Scheut is bounded by the border with the municipality of Molenbeek-Saint-Jean to the north, the historical centre of Anderlecht to the south, the Birmingham district to the east, the Scheutveld district to the west and the semi-natural site of the Scheutbos to the north-west. It is in this district, on the Template:Lang/Template:Lang, that lay the foundations of the Scheutveld College, on 28 April 1863, by the Catholic priest Theophile Verbist. The congregation of Scheut Missionaries went on to evangelise China, Mongolia, the Philippines, as well as the Congo Free State/Belgian Congo (modern-day Democratic Republic of the Congo).Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

Main sights

Anderlecht has a rich cultural and architectural heritage.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Some of the main points of interest include:

• The Municipal Hall of Anderlecht, located on the Template:Lang/Template:Lang, designed in neo-Flemish Renaissance style by the architect Template:Ill, which was opened in 1879.<ref name="patrimoine">Template:Cite web</ref>
• The Collegiate Church of St. Peter and St. Guido, located in the municipality's historical centre, on the northern side of the Place de la Vaillance/Dapperheidsplein, its main square. Its Romanesque crypt dates from the 10th century and is one of the oldest in Belgium. It contains a very old tombstone considered to be the grave of the 11th-century Saint Guy. Most of the church, however, dates from around 1350 and later, with most of the currently visible architecture representing the Ogee style (15th–16th centuries). Construction of the tower started in 1517 but ceased with the square part up to the balcony, and was not completed until 1898.<ref name="DeSeyn">Eug. De Seyn, "Geschied- en aardrijkskundig woordenboek der Belgische gemeenten" (Historic and Geographic Dictionary of Belgian communes), A. Bieleveld, Brussels 1933-1934.</ref>
• The Erasmus House, built between 1460 and 1515, with its medicinal and philosophical gardens, which can be visited nearby. Right next to the church, the old beguinage is home to a local history museum. Both institutions are now managed jointly as the Erasmus House and Beguinage Museums.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• The Synagogue of Anderlecht, an Orthodox synagogue designed in Art Deco style by the architect Template:Ill and completed in 1933.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• The National Memorial to the Jewish Martyrs of Belgium, a monument commemorating the 24,600 Belgian Jewish martyrs of World War II, designed by the architects André Godart and Odon Dupire, and completed in 1970. It is located in the centre of the Template:Lang/Template:Lang, which was created for the occasion.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• The National Museum of the Resistance, which traces the history of the Belgian Resistance and German occupation of Belgium during World War II.
• The Museum of China – Scheut, which houses documents and pieces brought back to Europe by the congregation of Scheut Missionaries, including a 15th-century bronze Buddha.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• The Maurice Carême Museum, in the Template:Lang where the Belgian poet lived and wrote.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• The Luizenmolen in Neerpede, a replica of an old windmill which once stood on the site.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• The Cureghem Cellars (French: Template:Lang, Dutch: Template:Lang), a subterranean complex of handmade brick caves with vaults, pillars, and arches, originally the site of a cattle market covered by a forged iron roof in the 1890s.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The cellars were simply a foundation for the upper structure until the 1930s, when the city council decided to make better use of them. It proved more profitable to grow mushrooms in the dark and damp underground spaces for local consumption. It fell into disuse as a cattle market but, in 1984, the hall was officially listed as a Belgian monument. Due to its characteristic architecture and unique layout, it was refurbished and transformed by a private company, Abattoir SA. Since 1992, it has served as an event site. One of these was the anatomic exposition Body Worlds (Template:Langx) by Gunther Von Hagens, which ran in the cellars between 2008 and 2009 and attracted over 500,000 visitors.
• The Cantillon Brewery, a gueuze museum established in an actual working brewery.
• The Museum of Medicine, located on the Erasme/Erasmus campus of the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• The Jean-Claude Van Damme statue located on the Template:Lang/Template:Lang, near the Westland Shopping Center.

• Erasmus House
  Erasmus House
• Beguinage of Anderlecht
  Beguinage of Anderlecht
• Moortebeek garden city
  Moortebeek garden city
• Template:Lang / Template:Lang
  Template:Lang / Template:Lang
• Template:Lang of Anderlecht
  Template:Lang of Anderlecht

Demographics

Historical population

Historically, the population of Anderlecht was quite low. The municipality counted around 2,000 inhabitants at the beginning of the 19th century. However, following the Industrial Revolution, the population underwent a remarkable growth, peaking at 103,796 in 1970. From then, it began to decrease slightly to a low of 87,812 in 2000, before increasing again rapidly in recent years.<ref>Sources: INS: 1806 to 1981= census; 1990 and later = population on 1 January</ref>

Template:As of, the population was 126,581.<ref name="IBSA" /> The area is Template:Convert, making the density Template:Convert.<ref name="IBSA" />

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• Sources: INS: 1806 to 1980 = census; 1990 and later = population on 1 January

Foreign population

Migrant communities in Anderlecht with over 1,000 people as of 1 January 2020:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Template:Flag	7,405
Template:Flag	4,924
Template:Flag	2,985
Template:Flag	2,743
Template:Flag	2,727
Template:Flag	2,628
Template:Flag	2,549
Template:Flag	1,717

Group of origin	Year
	2023<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
	Number	%
Belgians with Belgian background	22,685	18.14%
Belgians with foreign background	59,274	47.39%
Neighbouring country	2,231
EU27 (excluding neighbouring country)	5,661
Outside EU 27	51,382	41.08%
Non-Belgians	43,106	34.47%
Neighbouring country	3,371
EU27 (excluding neighbouring country)	18,387
Outside EU 27	21,348	17.07%
Total	125,065	100%

Politics

The current city council was elected in the October 2018 elections.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The current mayor of Anderlecht is Fabrice Cumps, a member of PS, who alongside the other parties on their list, sp.a and cdH, is in coalition on the municipal council with Ecolo - Groen, DéFI and Forward.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Anderlecht local election – 14 October 2018

File:Anderlecht2018.svg
Party
		Votes	%	Swing (pp)	Elected 2018	Template:Abbr
Template:Party name with colour - sp.a - cdH	14,023	29.73	Template:Decrease7.04	Template:Composition bar	Template:Decrease5
Template:Party name with colour - Open Vld - IC	10,628	22.53	Template:Decrease3.61	Template:Composition bar	Template:Decrease2
Template:Party name with colour - Groen	7,320	15.52	Template:Increase4.17	Template:Composition bar	Template:Increase3
Template:Party name with colour	6,891	14.61	Template:Increase12.92	Template:Composition bar	Template:Increase7
Template:Party name with colour	3,581	7.59	Template:Decrease0.26	Template:Composition bar	Template:Steady
Template:Party name with colour	1,950	4.13	Template:Increase0.94	Template:Composition bar	Template:Decrease1
Template:Party name with colour	1,006	2.13	Template:Decrease1.53	Template:Composition bar	Template:Decrease1
Template:Party name with colour Plus	716	1.52	New	Template:Composition bar	-
	Others	1,059	2.25	New	Template:Composition bar	-

Events

The annual Anderlecht fair, originally a cattle fair, was authorised by William II of the Netherlands in 1825. Since then, it has taken the form of a series of celebrations, which still include animal shows but also a large market, a floral show, and the recreation of a religious procession in honour of Saint Guy.

Economy

File:Abattoirs de Cureghem.JPG

Entrance and great hall of the Abattoirs of Anderlecht (main slaughterhouse in Brussels)

The Template:Ill, located at 24, Template:Lang/Template:Lang in Cureghem, is the main slaughterhouse in Brussels, employing some 1,500 people. In addition to its main activities, the great hall serves as a covered market for food and flea markets.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In recent years, several major international companies have set up their headquarters in Anderlecht, notably the Delhaize Group, which operates many supermarket chains, from 40, Marie Curie Square,<ref>"Contacts Template:Webarchive." Delhaize Group. Retrieved on 16 May 2012. "Square Marie Curie 40 1070 Brussels - Belgium"</ref> Coca-Cola Benelux at 1424, Template:Lang/Template:Lang,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> as well as the Belgian chocolate company Leonidas at 41, Template:Lang/Template:Lang.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Healthcare

Several hospitals and clinics are located in Anderlecht:

• Erasmus Hospital
• Jules Bordet Institute
• Joseph Bracops Hospital<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• St. Anne St. Remigius Clinic<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Sports

File:Lotto park 2022.jpg

R.S.C. Anderlecht fans at the Constant Vanden Stock Stadium

Football

Anderlecht is the home of the football club RSC Anderlecht, the most successful Belgian football team in European competition as well as in the Belgian First Division with 34 titles.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The club's home stadium is the Constant Vanden Stock Stadium, located within Astrid Park. The team colours are white and purple.

Parks and green spaces

Template:Further Green spaces in the municipality include:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

• Astrid Park
• Template:Lang/Template:Lang, in Scheut
• Scherdemael Park
• Peterbos Park
• Joseph Lemaire Park
• Jean Vives Park
• Template:Lang/Template:Lang, in Neerpede
• Template:Lang/Template:Lang, in Cureghem
• The Vogelzang or Vogelenzang, a natural protected area

Famous inhabitants

File:Portrait of Erasmus of Rotterdam by Hans Holbein d. J. in Kunstmuseum Basel.jpg

Erasmus painted by Hans Holbein the Younger (1523)

• Saint Guy (Template:Circa 950–1012), known as the Poor Man of Anderlecht, patron saint of Anderlecht<ref>Guy of Anderlecht at saints.sqpn.com. Retrieved 26.March 2013</ref>
• Adrian VI (1459–1523), pope, theologian, rector at the University of Leuven, canon at the chapter of Anderlecht, lived there.
• Template:Ill (1900–1966), politician and mayor of Anderlecht
• Jacques Brel (1929–1978), singer-songwriter and actor. He lived from 1942 to 1951 at 7, Template:Lang/Template:Lang, and worked from 1946 to 1953 in the family cardboard box factory Vanneste & Brel (now SCA Packaging) at 18, Template:Lang/Template:Lang. A nearby metro station is named after him.
• Maurice Carême (1899–1978), poet
• Fernand Dineur (1904–1956), cartoonist
• Template:Ill, also known as Zidrou (born 1962), comic book artist
• Desiderius Erasmus (1466–1536), humanist and theologian
• Template:Ill (1939–2006), actor, stage manager and professor of the Théâtre royal des Galeries
• Template:Ill (1921–2014), architect
• Désiré Keteleer (1920–1970), cyclist
• Filip Peeters (born 1962), Flemish actor
• Germaine Schneider (1903–1945), Belgian-Swiss member of the Resistance during World War II
• Henri Seroka (born 1949), singer and composer
• Henri Simonet (1931–1996), politician and mayor of Anderlecht
• Jacques Simonet (1963–2007), politician, mayor of Anderlecht, and Minister-President of the Brussels-Capital Region
• Template:Ill (1899–1981), architect
• Philippe Thys (1889–1971), cyclist and three-time champion of the Tour de France
• Tonia (Arlette Antoine Dominicus) (born 1947), singer, represented Belgium at the 11th Eurovision Song Contest in 1966
• Toots Thielemans (1922–2016), jazz musician, lived there.
• William Vance (1935–2018), comic book artist
• Constant Vanden Stock (1914–2008), entrepreneur, footballer, functionary, and coach of the Belgium national team
• Virgile Vandeput (born 1994), Belgian-born alpine skier who competes for Israel
• Régine Zylberberg, better known as Régine (1929–2022), chanson singer, actress, clothing designer and nightclub entrepreneur

Born in Anderlecht:

• Princess Elisabeth (born 2001), Duchess of Brabant, the eldest child of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde; heiress
• Princes Gabriel and Emmanuel and Princess Eléonore; 2nd, 3rd and 4th in line to the throne of Belgium
• Yannick Mertens (born 1987), professional tennis player

International relations

Twin towns and sister cities

Anderlecht is twinned with:<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref>

• Template:Flagicon Boulogne-Billancourt, France
• Template:Flagicon Berlin-Neukölln, Germany
• Template:Flagicon London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, United Kingdom
• Template:Flagicon Zaandam, Netherlands
• Template:Flagicon Marino, Italy

In addition, Anderlecht has signed a friendship agreement with:<ref name=":0" />

• Template:Flagicon Sainte-Maxime, France

References

Bibliography

• Template:Cite book
• Template:Cite book
• Template:Cite book
• Template:Cite book

External links

• Template:Commons category-inline
• Official website Template:In lang