Editing Koekelberg

{{Short description|Municipality of the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2021}}
{{Infobox Belgium municipality
|name            = Koekelberg
|picture         = Maison communale Koekelberg.jpg
|picture-legend  = Koekelberg's Municipal Hall seen from the {{lang|fr|Place Henri Vanhuffel|italic=no}}/{{lang|nl|Henri Vanhuffelplein|italic=no}}
|map             = Koekelberg Brussels-Capital Belgium Map.svg
|map-legend      = Koekelberg municipality in the Brussels-Capital Region
|arms            = Coat of arms of Koekelberg.svg
|flag            = Flag of Koekelberg.svg
|flag_link       = Symbols of Brussels#Municipalities
|arms_link       = Symbols of Brussels#Municipalities
|region          = {{BE-REG-BRU}}
|community       = {{BE-FR}}<br>{{BE-NL}}
|province        =
|arrondissement  = [[Arrondissement of Brussels-Capital|Brussels-Capital]]
|nis             = 21011
|pyramid-date    =
|0-19            =
|20-64           =
|65              =
|foreigners      =
|foreigners-date =
|mayor           = Ahmed Laaouej ([[Socialist Party (Belgium)|PS]])
|majority        = [[Socialist Party (Belgium)|PS]], [[Ecolo]]-[[Groen (political party)|Groen]], Alternative Humaniste
|postal-codes    = 1081
|telephone-area  = 02
|web             = [http://www.koekelberg.be/ www.koekelberg.be]
|coordinates     = {{coord|50|52|N|04|20|E|region:BE|display=inline,title}}
}}

'''Koekelberg''' ({{IPA|fr|kukœlbɛʁ(ɡ)|lang|Brussels_Communes_Audio_Wikipedia_-_Koekelberg.wav}};{{efn|The name ''Koekelberg'' comes from [[Dutch language|Dutch]], so its French pronunciation does not (exactly) match the [[French orthography]]. See also [[Schaerbeek]].}} {{IPA|nl|ˈkukəlˌbɛr(ə)x|lang|Nl-Koekelberg.ogg}}) is one of the [[List of municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region|19 municipalities]] of the [[Brussels-Capital Region]], Belgium. Located in the north-western part of the region, it is bordered by [[Berchem-Sainte-Agathe]], [[Ganshoren]], [[Jette]], and [[Molenbeek-Saint-Jean]]. In common with all of Brussels' municipalities, it is legally [[Multilingualism|bilingual]] (French–Dutch).

{{As of|2024|1|1}}, the municipality had a population of 22,648 inhabitants, the smallest in the region.<ref name="IBSA">{{Cite web |title=Koekelberg {{!}} IBSA |url=https://ibsa.brussels/chiffres/chiffres-cles-par-commune/koekelberg |access-date=2025-01-10 |website=ibsa.brussels}}</ref> The total area is {{convert|1.18|km2|abbr=on}}, which gives a [[population density]] of {{convert|19162|PD/km2|abbr=on}}.<ref name="IBSA" />

The municipality is dominated by the [[Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Brussels|National Basilica of the Sacred Heart]] (or Koekelberg Basilica), one of the largest [[Catholic Church|Catholic]] churches in the world.{{sfn|Stéphany|2006|p=63}} Its main transportation hub are the interconnected [[Simonis and Elisabeth stations|Simonis and Elisabeth metro stations]], served by the [[Brussels Intercommunal Transport Company]] (STIB/MIVB) system.

==Main sights==
Koekelberg has a rich cultural and architectural heritage.<ref>{{cite web|title=Koekelberg – Inventaire du patrimoine architectural|url=https://monument.heritage.brussels/fr/cities/1081|access-date=2021-10-06|website=monument.heritage.brussels|language=fr}}</ref> Some of the main points of interest include:
* The Municipal Hall of Koekelberg, located on the {{lang|fr|Place Henri Vanhuffel|italic=no}}/{{lang|nl|Henri Vanhuffelplein|italic=no}}. Built in 1882, it was fitted with a geometric [[Art Deco]] facade designed by the architect Henri-Aimé Jacobs in 1938.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Maison communale – Inventaire du patrimoine architectural |url=https://monument.heritage.brussels/fr/buildings/35723 |access-date=2023-06-04 |website=monument.heritage.brussels |language=fr}}</ref>
* The [[Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Brussels|National Basilica of the Sacred Heart]] (or Koekelberg Basilica), a [[minor basilica]] and [[parish church]], as well as one of the [[List of largest church buildings|largest churches by area in the world]].{{sfn|Stéphany|2006|p=63}} Completed only in 1969, and combining Art Deco with [[Neo-Byzantine architecture|neo-Byzantine]] elements, its [[cupola]] provides a [[Panorama|panoramic view]] of Brussels and its outskirts.{{sfn|Stéphany|2006|p=61}}<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Basilica of Koekelberg : Panaroma |url=http://www.basilicakoekelberg.be/documents/panorama.xml?lang=en |access-date=2024-02-15 |website=www.basilicakoekelberg.be}}</ref>
* The Lefever House, an early 20th-century (1913) [[Art Nouveau]] [[Townhouse|town house]] built by the architect Fernand Lefever, which has been listed as a [[Heritage registers in Belgium|protected monument]] since 2006.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Maison personnelle de l'architecte Fernand Lefever – Inventaire du patrimoine architectural |url=https://monument.heritage.brussels/fr/Koekelberg/Avenue_du_Pantheon/59/35671 |access-date=2023-06-04 |website=monument.heritage.brussels |language=fr}}</ref>
* Finally, the municipality maintains several green areas, including [[Elisabeth Park]] and Victoria Park.

<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
File:Belgique - Bruxelles - Maison Lefever - 01.jpg|Lefever House (1913)
File:Bruxelles - Basilique Nationale du Sacré-Cœur à Koekelberg (5).jpg|[[Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Brussels|National Basilica of the Sacred Heart]]
File:DSP. Parc Élisabeth. Koekelberg.JPG|[[Elisabeth Park]]
</gallery>

==Politics==
The current city council was elected in the [[2018 Belgian local elections|October 2018 elections]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bru2018.brussels/fr/results/municipalities/6071/index.html|title=Résultats officiels des élections communales 2018|access-date=17 July 2021|language=French}}</ref> The current mayor of Koekelberg is [[Ahmed Laaouej]], a member of [[Socialist Party (Belgium)|PS]], who is in coalition on the municipal council with [[Ecolo]] - [[Groen (political party)|Groen]] and Alternative Humaniste.

==Economy==
Koekelberg is the birthplace of the modern [[column still]]. In 1820, Jean‐Baptiste Cellier‐Blumenthal moved to Koekelberg and did the first experiments with his column still. The Belgians began distilling with his design soon after as they wanted to innovate in their distilleries.{{Citation needed|date=January 2025}} It is also home to the first whisky produced in Brussels.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Un whisky 100% 'Made in Bruxelles' en cours de distillation à Koekelberg |url=https://www.rtbf.be/article/un-whisky-100-made-in-bruxelles-en-cours-de-distillation-a-koekelberg-11153419 |access-date=2025-01-19 |website=RTBF |language=fr}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Rensonnet |first=Julien |date=2025-01-19 |title=Dans trois ans, Bruxelles boira son premier whisky : "si tu sais brasser une bonne bière, alors tu sais distiller un whisky" |url=https://www.dhnet.be/regions/bruxelles/2023/03/09/dans-trois-ans-bruxelles-boira-son-premier-whisky-si-tu-sais-brasser-une-bonne-biere-alors-tu-sais-distiller-un-whisky-7RRTZFNDGVFSXGOAEQOB2OYFGM/ |access-date=2025-01-19 |website=DHnet |language=fr}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Eerste Brusselse whisky rijpt in Koekelberg: "Over drie jaar zal je kunnen proeven" |url=https://myprivacy.dpgmedia.be/consent?siteKey=Uqxf9TXhjmaG4pbQ&callbackUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hln.be%2Fprivacy-gate%2Faccept-tcf2%3FredirectUri%3D%252Fbrussel%252Feerste-brusselse-whisky-rijpt-in-koekelberg-over-drie-jaar-zal-je-kunnen-proeven%7Ea4fe3de0%252F%253Freferrer%253Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.google.com%252F |access-date=2025-01-19 |website=HLN |language=nl}}</ref>

==Footnotes==
{{notelist}}

==References==

===Citations===
{{reflist}}

===Bibliography===
* {{cite book|last=Stéphany|first=Pierre|title=La Belgique en cent coups d'oeil|publisher=Lanno Publishers|location=Tielt|year=2006|chapter=Bruxelles. La basilique de Koekelberg|isbn=2-87386-445-1|language=French|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w-FlzjlvYI4C&pg=PA62}}

==External links==
{{portal|Belgium}}
* {{commons category-inline}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20040927004508/http://www.koekelberg.irisnet.be/ Official site] (in [[French language|French]] and [[Dutch language|Dutch]])

{{Geographic location
|Centre = Koekelberg
|N = [[Ganshoren]], [[Jette]]
|E = [[Sint-Jans-Molenbeek]]
|S = [[Sint-Jans-Molenbeek]]
|W = [[Sint-Agatha-Berchem]]
}}
{{Brussels|state2=expanded}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Koekelberg| ]]
[[Category:Municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region]]
[[Category:Populated places in Belgium]]