Municipality of the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium
This article is about the town. For the football club, seeR.S.C. Anderlecht.
You can helpexpand this article with text translated fromthe corresponding article in French. (August 2016)Click [show] for important translation instructions.
Machine translation, likeDeepL orGoogle Translate, is a useful starting point for translations, but translators must revise errors as necessary and confirm that the translation is accurate, rather than simply copy-pasting machine-translated text into the English Wikipedia.
Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low-quality. If possible, verify the text with references provided in the foreign-language article.
Youmust providecopyright attribution in theedit summary accompanying your translation by providing aninterlanguage link to the source of your translation. A model attribution edit summary isContent in this edit is translated from the existing French Wikipedia article at [[:fr:Anderlecht]]; see its history for attribution.
You may also add the template{{Translated|fr|Anderlecht}} to thetalk page.
There are several historically and architecturally distinct districts within Anderlecht. As of 1 January 2024[update], the municipality had a population of 126,581 inhabitants.[2] The total area is 17.91 km2 (6.92 sq mi), which gives apopulation density of 7,066/km2 (18,300/sq mi).[2] Its upper area is greener and less densely populated.
The first traces of human activity on the right bank of theSenne date from theStone Age andBronze Age. The remnants of aRomanvilla and of aFrankishnecropolis were also found on the territory of Anderlecht.[3] The first mention of the nameAnderlecht, however, dates only from 1047 under the formsAnrelech, thenAndrelet (1111),Andreler (1148), andAnderlech (1186). At that time, this community was already home to achapter ofcanons[4] and to two feudalmanors, those of the powerfullords of Aa and of Anderlecht.[5]
The 17th and 18th centuries were marked by the wars between theLow Countries and France. During theNine Years' War, it is from the high ground ofScheut, in the northern part of Anderlecht, that thebombardment of Brussels of 1695 took place. Together with the resulting fire, it was the most destructive event in the entire history of Brussels.[7] On 13 November 1792, right after theBattle of Jemappes,General Dumouriez and theFrench Revolutionary army routed theAustrians there once again.[8][9] Among the consequences were the disbanding of the canons and Anderlecht being proclaimed an independent municipality by the French.
The Carthusian Monastery depicted inChorographia Sacra Brabantiae (1727). On the horizon are Anderlecht andScheut.
By the end of the 18th century, Anderlecht including its dependencies, which extended toBrussels' 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.[10]
The 19th century saw a remarkable population growth, mainly because of the proximity to a rapidly expanding Brussels. TheChaussée de Ninove/Ninoofsesteenweg 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 theChaussée de Mons/Bergensesteenweg and theBrussels–Charleroi Canal, a series of industrial andworking-class districts connected the centre of Anderlecht to Cureghem.
Remarkable new urban developments andgarden cities such asLa Roue/Het Rad, Moortebeek andBon Air/Goede Lucht were built at the beginning of the 20th century to house the influx of newcomers. FollowingWorld War II, some remaining green parts of the municipality also made way for large-scaleurban renewal following the modernistAthens Charter andPark system, such as the housing projects Scherdemael, Peterbos and Marius Renard in the upper town, and Aurore near the canal.
Anderlecht is located in the north-central part of Belgium, about 110 kilometres (68 mi) from the Belgian coast and about 180 km (110 mi) from Belgium's southern tip. It is located in the heartland of the Brabantian Plateau, about 45 km (28 mi) south ofAntwerp (Flanders), and 50 km (31 mi) north ofCharleroi (Wallonia). It is the westernmost municipality in theBrussels-Capital Region and is an important crossing point for theBrussels–Charleroi Canal, which cuts the municipality in two from the west. With an area of 17.91 km2 (6.92 sq mi), it is also the third largest municipality in the region after theCity of Brussels andUccle. It is bordered by the City of Brussels,Forest,Molenbeek-Saint-Jean, andSaint-Gilles, as well as the Flemish municipalities ofDilbeek andSint-Pieters-Leeuw.
Anderlecht, in common with the rest of Brussels, experiences anoceanic climate (Köppen:Cfb) with warm summers and cool winters.[11] Proximity to coastal areas influences the area's climate by sending marine air masses from theAtlantic Ocean. Nearby wetlands also ensure a maritime temperate climate. On average (based on measurements in the period 1991–2020), there are approximately 130 days of rain per year in the region. It also often experiences violent thunderstorms in summer months.
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 thePlan Canal of theBrussels-Capital Region.[13]
The historical centre of Anderlecht is the municipality's central district. Formerly known asRinck,[14] it is divided into several sectors:
TheSaint-Guidon/Sint Guido district, also called theVaillance/Dapperheid district, is the meeting point for those who hail to the heart of Anderlecht. It is also where thePlace de la Vaillance/Dapperheidsplein (Anderlecht's central square), theChurch of St. Guido, thePlace de Linde/De Lindeplein, as well as Anderlecht's main schools are located. TheRue Wayez/Wayezstraat is the municipality's main shopping street. It is centred on thePlace of the Resistance/Verzetsplein and some neighbouring streets.
The smaller Aumale district in its northern part mainly comprises theRue d'Aumale/Aumalestraat and its surrounding streets. It includes theErasmus House (a museum devoted to the Dutchhumanist writer andtheologianErasmus of Rotterdam), theold beguinage (alate medieval layconvent, now a museum dedicated to religious community life), as well as theBibliothèque de l'Espace Maurice Carême French-language public library.
Located in the north-east of Anderlecht,[15]Cureghem/Kuregem is one of the municipality's largest and most populated districts. It developed during theIndustrial Revolution along theBrussels–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 theRoyal School of Veterinary Medicine, now moved toLiège but often still referred to asCureghem.[16] The old campus, listed asprotected heritage,[17] is currently undergoing a large rehabilitation process.[15] Three listed buildings—the former Atlas Brewery,[18] the old power station, and the former Moulart Mill[19]—are testaments to the old industrial activities next to the waterway. TheMunicipal Hall of Anderlecht is located on thePlace du Conseil/Raadsplein, in the heart of this district.[20][15] In its lower part, bordering the City of Brussels, are theSquare de l'Aviation/Luchtvaartsquare[21] and theParc de la Rosée/Dauwpark.[22]
Located to the south of the historical centre of Anderlecht, this district is centred on the Meir Roundabout andAstrid Park, where thefootball clubR.S.C. Anderlecht plays its home matches in theConstant Vanden Stock Stadium. Planned shortly before theFirst World War, the development of this residential neighbourhood took place mainly between the twoworld wars. Its layout, characterised by broad avenues, villas and row houses interspersed with green spaces, reflects the planned transition from former rural land into an urbanised residential zone. Aimed at themiddle class, it forms an extremely coherent and well-preserved architectural ensemble in which theArt Deco style predominates.[23]
Veeweyde/Veeweide is centrally located in the upper part of Anderlecht, south of the Meir district. The neighbourhood, which takes its name from an old hamlet meaning "pasture", includes the Busselenberg (a residential area centred around the park of the same name), the smaller Musicians' district (a residential area between theChaussée de Mons/Bergensesteenweg and theRue Félicien Rops/Félicien Ropsstraat), as well as the Aurorehousing estate on the banks of the canal. In recent years, this area has seen urban renewal efforts, with the canal quays being converted into a pedestrian and cycle-friendly promenade.
Located in the south of Anderlecht,La Roue/Het Rad ("The Wheel") is one of the municipality's largest districts and one of Brussels' maingarden cities. It is crossed by the last end of the Chaussée de Mons in Brussels, and is bounded to the east by the Brussels–Charleroi Canal and to the south by the Flemish municipality ofSint-Pieters-Leeuw, in thePajottenland. Mostly built in the 1920s, with its modest andpicturesque houses, it offers a vision of an early 20th-centuryworking-class neighbourhood. At its southern edge, 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),[24] as well as large department stores.
Located in the north of Anderlecht,Scheut is bounded by the border with the municipality ofMolenbeek-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. Historically, the Scheut Plateau held strategic importance and later evolved into a largely residential and commercial zone. It is in this district, on theChaussée de Ninove/Ninoofsesteenweg, that lay the foundations of the Scheutveld College, on 28 April 1863, by the Catholic priestTheophile Verbist. Thecongregation of Scheut Missionaries went on toevangelise China, Mongolia, the Philippines, as well as theCongo Free State/Belgian Congo (modern-day Democratic Republic of the Congo).[25][26]
TheCollegiate Church of St. Peter and St. Guido, located in the municipality's historical centre, on the northern side of thePlace de la Vaillance/Dapperheidsplein, its main square. ItsRomanesquecrypt 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-centurySaint Guy. Most of the church, however, dates from around 1350 and later, with most of the currently visible architecture representing theOgee 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.[29]
TheErasmus House, built between 1460 and 1515, with itsmedicinal and philosophical gardens, which can be visited nearby. Right next to the church, theold beguinage is home to a local history museum. Both institutions are now managed jointly as the Erasmus House & Beguinage Museums.[30]
TheNational Memorial to the Jewish Martyrs of Belgium, a monument commemorating the 24,600Belgian Jewish martyrs ofWorld War II, designed by the architects André Godart and Odon Dupire, and completed in 1970. It is located in the centre of theSquare des Martyrs Juifs/Joodse-Martelarensquare, which was created for the occasion.[32][33]
TheMaurice Carême Museum, in theMaison blanche where the Belgian poet lived and wrote.[36]
TheLuizenmolen in Neerpede, a replica of an oldwindmill which once stood on the site.[37]
TheCureghem Cellars (French:Caves de Cureghem, Dutch:Kelders van Kuregem), a subterranean complex of handmade brick caves withvaults, pillars, and arches, originally the site of a cattle market covered by aforged iron roof in the 1890s.[38] 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 theanatomic expositionBody Worlds (German:Körperwelten) byGunther Von Hagens, which ran in the cellars between 2008 and 2009 and attracted over 500,000 visitors.
Historically, the population of Anderlecht was quite low. The municipality counted around 2,000 inhabitants at the beginning of the 19th century. However, following theIndustrial 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.[41]
As of 1 January 2024[update], the population was 126,581.[2] The area is 17.91 km2 (6.92 sq mi), making the density 7,066/km2 (18,300/sq mi).[2]
Sources: INS: 1806 to 1980 = census; 1990 and later = population on 1 January
The annual Anderlecht fair, originally a cattle fair, was authorised byWilliam 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 religiousprocession in honour ofSaint Guy.
TheAbattoirs of Anderlecht, located at 24,rue Ropsy Chaudron/Ropsy Chaudronstraat in Cureghem, is the mainslaughterhouse in Brussels, employing some 1,500 people. In addition to its main activities, the Great Hall serves as a covered market for food andflea markets.[46]
In recent years, several major international companies have set up their headquarters in Anderlecht, notably theDelhaize Group, which operates many supermarket chains, from 40, Marie Curie Square,[47]Coca-Cola Benelux at 1424,Chaussée de Mons/Bergensesteenweg,[48] as well as the Belgian chocolate companyLeonidas at 41,Boulevard Jules Graindor/Jules Graindorlaan.[49]
Joseph Bracops [fr] (1900–1966), politician and mayor of Anderlecht
Jacques Brel (1929–1978), singer-songwriter and actor. He lived from 1942 to 1951 at 7,rue Jacques Manne/Jacques Mannestraat, and worked from 1946 to 1953 in the family cardboard box factory Vanneste & Brel (now SCA Packaging) at 18,rue Verheyden/Verheydenstraat. A nearbymetro station is named after him.
^Antoine de Jomini,Histoire critique et militaire des guerres de la Révolution: Campagne de 1792 (in French), t. 2, Paris, 1820, p. 238–239.
^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
^Eug. De Seyn, "Geschied- en aardrijkskundig woordenboek der Belgische gemeenten" (Historic and Geographic Dictionary of Belgian communes), A. Bieleveld, Brussels 1933-1934.
Culot, Maurice; Hennaut, Eric; Demanet, Marie; Mierop, Caroline (1992).Le bombardement de Bruxelles par Louis XIV et la reconstruction qui s'ensuivit, 1695–1700 (in French). Brussels: AAM éditions.ISBN978-2-87143-079-7.
Thomas, Bernadette; Vanden Branden, Jean-Pierre; De Waha, Michel (1999).Anderlecht. Bruxelles, ville d'Art et d'Histoire (in French). Vol. 8. Brussels: Éditions de la Région de Bruxelles-Capitale.
Verhelst, Daniël; Pycke, Nestor (1995).C.I.C.M. Missionaries Past and Present: History of the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Scheut/Missionhurst). Verbistiana. Vol. 4. Leuven: Leuven University Press.ISBN978-90-6186-676-3.
Vanysacker, Dries; Renson, Raymond (1995).The Archives of the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (CICM-Scheut) (1862–1967) - 2 v. Rome: Bibliothèque de l'Institut Historique Belge de Rome.ISBN978-90-74461-15-3.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
