Editing Grimbergen

{{for|the beer|Grimbergen (beer)}}
{{More citations needed|date=October 2013}}
{{Infobox Belgium municipality
|name             = Grimbergen
|picture          = Abdijkerk Grimbergen vanaf Lintbos.jpg
|picture-legend   = 
|map              = Grimbergen Flemish-Brabant Belgium Map.svg
|map-legend       = Location of Grimbergen in Flemish Brabant
|arms             = Blason Grimbergen.svg
|flag             = Flag of Grimbergen.svg
|arrondissement   = [[Halle-Vilvoorde administrative Arrondissement|Halle-Vilvoorde]]
|nis              = 23025
|pyramid-date=
|0-19=
|20-64=
|65=
|foreigners=
|foreigners-date=
|mayor            = Bart Laeremans (Vernieuwing)
|majority         = [[Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats|OpenVLD]], [[New Flemish Alliance|N-VA]], Vernieuwing
|postal-codes     = 1850-1853
|telephone-area   = 02
|web              = [http://www.grimbergen.be/ www.grimbergen.be]
|coordinates      = {{coord|50|56|N|04|23|E|region:BE|display=inline,title}}
}}

'''Grimbergen''' ({{IPA|nl|ˈɣrɪmbɛrɣə(n)}}) is a [[Municipalities in Belgium|municipality]] in the [[Provinces of Belgium|province]] of [[Flemish Brabant]], in the [[Flemish region]] of [[Belgium]], {{convert|10|km|abbr=on}} north of the capital [[Brussels]]. The municipality comprises the towns of [[Beigem]], Grimbergen, [[Humbeek]], and [[Strombeek-Bever]]. In 2017, Grimbergen had a total population of 37,030. The total area is {{convert|38.61|km2|abbr=on}}, which gives a [[population density]] of {{convert|959|PD/km2|abbr=on}}, this is not much for a Region.

Grimbergen is in the [[Dutch language]] [[Dutch in Belgium|area of Belgium]]. The [[Belgian French|French-speaking minority]] is represented by four members on the 30-seat local council. Grimbergen is mostly known for its [[Grimbergen Abbey|Norbertine abbey]] and the [[Grimbergen (beer)|beer]] once brewed there. Grimbergen's proximity to Brussels makes it a residential town for commuting.

==History==

===Roman Empire and Middle Ages===
In [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] times, several important roads passed near the territory of present Grimbergen. A fort was built in the 8th century at the strategic point where the road crossed the river [[Zenne]]. The local lord soon acquired a large piece of territory in this area, extending to the rivers [[Scheldt]], [[Rupel]], and [[Dender]].

[[Image:Grimbergen abdijkerk.jpg|thumb|left|Grimbergen abbey church|180px]]
In the 12th century, the name of the hamlet was ''Grentberghis, '' which came from the [[Old Dutch]] ''Grientbergen,'' meaning mounds of coarse sand. A community of [[Augustinians|Augustinian]] monks had already tried to settle here a century earlier during the reign of [[Godfrey III, Duke of Lower Lorraine]], but it was only in the early 12th century that their religious community prospered. Under the leadership of [[Norbert of Xanten]], the [[Premonstratensian|Norbertine]] monks built the [[Grimbergen Abbey]] here in 1128, founding a [[beer]] brewery. A few years later, the animosity between the powerful Grimbergen family and their then infant overlord [[Godfrey III of Leuven]] precipitated the Wars of Grimbergen. The unrest caused the destruction of the local castle by the [[Duke of Brabant]], the move of the ruling Grimbergen lord to nearby [[Ninove]], and the parceling of his territory. The city's coat of arms dates from that period.

At the beginning of the 14th century, half of the territory became part of the estate of the [[House of Nassau]]. Like everywhere else in Flanders, the [[French Wars of Religion|Wars of Religion]] of the end of the 16th century caused widespread destruction. In 1752, [[Anne, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange]], who had received the land from her consort [[William IV, Prince of Orange]]-Nassau, ceded the barony to the [[House of Glymes|Prince of Berghes]], who owned the other half, thereby reuniting the original land of Grimbergen as a single, but short-lived, princedom.

===After the French Revolution===
The feudal regime and the power of the lords came to an abrupt end under the French Regime in 1794. The clerical powers of the abbey were abrogated a couple of years later, until a few years after the [[Belgian Revolution]] of 1830.

Up until then, the town's character was mostly rural and agricultural. In the middle of the 19th century, the new road linking [[Vilvoorde]] to [[Aalst, Belgium|Aalst]] and the [[Brussels–Scheldt Maritime Canal|Brussels-Willebroek canal]] started attracting industrial concerns. The [[vicinal tramway]] arrived in 1887, and a [[Grimbergen Airfield|local airfield]] was built after [[World War I]].

==Sights==
Grimbergen is home to the following sights:
[[Image:Grimbergse beiaard.JPG|thumb|right|Grimbergen carillon]]
[[File:Kasteeldomein het Prinsenhof, Grimbergen.jpg|thumb|right|The "Prinsenkasteel"]]
*The majestic church of the [[Grimbergen Abbey]], dedicated to [[Saint Servatius]], [[patron saint]] of the city, was rebuilt several times since its foundation in 1128. The current construction dates from 1660 and ranks among the most harmonious [[Baroque]] buildings in Belgium.  The tower houses a 49-bell [[carillon]].  The houses lining the central square in front of the church have also been rebuilt in the original style of the 18th century. In 1999, the church of Grimbergen was given the title of [[basilica]].
*The Grimbergen beer museum is located next door and gives its visitors an opportunity to taste the famous local brew.
*The oldest astronomical public observatory in the country [http://www.mira.be] is located in the former farm dependencies of the abbey.
*Grimbergen is particularly rich in [[castle]]s, counting four of them on its territory, including the beautiful 17th century [[Renaissance Architecture|Renaissance-style]] ''Guldendal'', and the ruins of the lords of Grimbergen's old [[keep]] now named the ''Prinsenkasteel''.  It also counts several farms dating from the 17th century as well as two medieval water mills.
*''Volkssterrenwacht Mira''. It is the oldest planetarium in Belgium founded in 1967.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.toerismevlaamsbrabant.be/producten/bezoeken/bezienswaardigheden/volkssterrenwacht-mira/ |title=Volkssterrenwacht Mira|website=Toerisme Vlaams Brabant|access-date=22 October 2020|language=nl}}</ref> The original planetarium was located in the Abbey of Grimbergen, however in 2000 an extension was added.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nemokennislink.nl/organisaties/volkssterrenwacht-mira/ |title=Volkssterrenwacht Mira |website=Nemo Kennislink|access-date=22 October 2020|language=nl}}</ref>

== Demographics ==
{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible"
! rowspan="3" |Group of origin
! colspan="2" |Year
|-
! colspan="2" |2023<ref>{{Cite web |title=Origin {{!}} Statbel |url=https://statbel.fgov.be/en/themes/population/structure-population/origin#figures |access-date=2023-07-03 |website=statbel.fgov.be}}</ref>
|-
!Number
!%
|-
|
|
|
|-
!Belgians with Belgian background
|'''22,068'''
!56.06%
|-
!Belgians with foreign background
|'''12,067'''
!'''30.65%'''
|-
|Neighboring country
|991
|2.52%
|-
|EU27 (excluding neighboring country)
|1,932
|4.91%
|-
|Outside EU 27
|9,144
|23.23%
|-
!Non-Belgians
|'''5,233'''
!13.29%
|-
|Neighboring country
|711
|1.81%
|-
|EU27 (excluding neighboring country)
|2,663
|6.76%
|-
|Outside EU 27
|1,859
|4.72%
|-
|
|
|
|-
!Total
|39,368
!100%
|}

==Events and sports==
*The main annual event is the ''Sint-Servaasommegang'', loosely translated as [[procession]] of Saint Servatius.  It dates from 1280 and takes place on the Saint's birthday, May 13, or on the first following Sunday.
*A well-attended [[kermesse (festival)|kermesse]] takes place on the first Sunday of September.
*A [[nativity scene]] is organized in the abbey church around Christmas.
*The main [[football club]] used to be K.F.C. Strombeek, but is now named [[F.C. Molenbeek Brussels Strombeek]] and located in neighboring [[Sint-Jans-Molenbeek]].
*Since 2015 Grimbergen has its own [[field hockey]] club named Merode Hockey Grimbergen. After only three years they got enough funding together to build a state of the art hockey field. Starting from January 2019 the club will be playing their own field at the Populierendallaan 111.

==Notable people==
*[[August De Winter]] (1925–2005), politician
*[[Hugo Broos]] (born 1952), former football player and coach
*[[Alison Van Uytvanck]] (born 1994), tennis player
*[[Pieter Timmers]], (born, 1988), swimmer 

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*[http://www.grimbergen.be Official Website] (in [[Dutch language|Dutch]], with some tourist information in [[English language|English]])
*[http://www.mot.be Official Website of the Museum for Old Techniques] (in Dutch/French/English)
*[http://www.werbeka.com/schloss/prinske.htm The Prince's Fort in Grimbergen - Werbeka Netshop] (in English)
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20061114134550/http://www.grimbergs.net/ Alternate website] (in Dutch)
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20051123001450/http://beiaard.grimbergs.net/ Carillon] (mostly in Dutch)

{{Geographic location
|Centre = Grimbergen
|N  = [[Kapelle-op-den-Bos]]
|NE = [[Zemst]]
|E  = [[Vilvoorde]]
|S  = [[City of Brussels|Brussels]] ([[Brussels-Capital Region|BRU]])
|SW = [[Wemmel]]
|W  = [[Meise]]
}}
{{Municipalities in Flemish Brabant}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Municipalities of Flemish Brabant]]