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Vilvoorde Vilvorde (French) | |
|---|---|
City andmunicipality | |
.jpg) Town Hall | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
Location of Vilvoorde  | |
  Vilvoorde Location in Belgium Location of Vilvoorde in Flemish Brabant  | |
| Coordinates:50°56′N04°25′E / 50.933°N 4.417°E /50.933; 4.417 | |
| Country |  Belgium |
| Community | Flemish Community |
| Region | Flemish Region |
| Province | Flemish Brabant |
| Arrondissement | Halle Vilvoorde |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Hans Bonte (Vooruit) |
| • Governing party/ies | Vooruit,Open Vld,CD&V,Groen |
| Area | |
• Total | 21.57 km2 (8.33 sq mi) |
| Population (2018-01-01)[1] | |
• Total | 44,015 |
| • Density | 2,000/km2 (5,300/sq mi) |
| Postal codes | 1800 |
| NIS code | 23088 |
| Area codes | 02 - 015 |
| Website | www.vilvoorde.be |
Vilvoorde (Dutch pronunciation:[ˈvɪlvoːrdə]ⓘ;West Flemish:Vilvôorde;French:Vilvorde[vilvɔʁd]; historically known asFilford in English[2]) is aBelgiancity andmunicipality in theHalle-Vilvoorde district (arrondissement) of theprovince ofFlemish Brabant. The municipality comprises the city of Vilvoorde proper with its two outlying quarters of Koningslo and Houtem and the small town of Peutie.
The official language of Vilvoorde isDutch, as in the rest ofFlanders. There is a French-speaking minority of about 33.7%,[3][4] concentrated especially in the Koningslo and Beauval quarters,[5] bordering theNeder-Over-Heembeek neighbourhood ofBrussels. The French-speaking minority is represented by 3 members on the 33-seat local council.
From 2000 until August 1, 2007, the mayor of Vilvoorde was formerBelgian prime ministerJean-Luc Dehaene. The mayor since 2013 isHans Bonte, also a member of theFederal House of Representatives.
TheNervii, and later theRomans, probably already settled in this strategic place near the riverZenne. The nameFilfurdo was first mentioned in a 779 document wherebyPippin of Herstal ceded this territory to the Abbey of Chèvremont, nearLiège. This name presumably derived from the word equivalentsvilla[citation needed] at theford or river crossing.
In the 12th century, a small town started to grow, which quickly became a target for the ambitions of the dukes ofBrabant and lords ofGrimbergen.Henry I, Duke of Brabant granted the city itscharter of rights as soon as 1192, mainly to ensure the support of the inhabitants against powerful neighbouringFlanders. The rights to build defensive walls and to export its products gave Vilvoorde a great economic boost, driven mostly by the cloth industry. In the 14th century, thanks to its position on the Zenne, Vilvoorde became an important military centre and could compete againstLeuven andBrussels for the title of most important city in Brabant.
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From the 15th to the 18th century, however, Vilvoorde suffered a prolonged decline, mainly because of the competition from Brussels, a general malaise in thetextile industry, and the result of epidemics and wars, both political and religious.
The translator of the Bible into English,William Tyndale, was executed here in October 1536. In 1597Anna Utenhoven, anAnabaptist accused ofheresy, wasburied alive in Vilvoorde – the last of the Protestants suffering martyrdom for their faith in the history of theHabsburg Netherlands.Anthony van Stralen, Lord of Merksem andJan van Casembroot were also both executed in Vilvoorde.
The advent of theIndustrial Revolution in the late 18th century was a godsend to Vilvoorde, which could quickly capitalize on its proximity to Brussels and its good transportation infrastructure: the deepening of the canals around 1830 and the advent of the railways in 1835. Soon, the medieval buildings gave way to newer and better constructions. The 1489 city hall was replaced by theneoclassical building we see today.
In the 1920s, the canal was broadened and deepened again, lined with new industrial zones, and an inland port was built to receive the freightliners. Following its liberation by the British in 1944, Vilvoorde was administered by a joint British and Belgian municipality, with temporary British and Belgian Mayors, Lt Col (then Major) JME Howarth Esq and (Later Prof.)Robert Senelle, before transferring back to a civilian administration.
Vilvoorde became (and still is) one of the largest industrial areas around Brussels, with a population that grew to five times what it was 150 years earlier. The recent economic crises have hit the city hard, especially whenRenault closed its doors in 1997. The service industry is now taking the lead in 21st-century Vilvoorde.
Mayors of Vilvoorde:
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43% of residents in Vilvoorde were born abroad, as of 2015, and 44.89% of residents are non-European, predominantly of Arab and African origin.[6][7]
The city is also home to a largeSpanish minority. There is also a large Moroccan community, and many smaller communities of more recent immigrants includingTurks,Macedonians andPortuguese.[citation needed]
| Group of origin | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| 2023[8] | ||
| Number | % | |
| Belgians with Belgian background | 18,159 | 38.64% |
| Belgians with foreign background | 21,416 | 45.57% |
| Neighboring country | 1,023 | 2.18% |
| EU27 (excluding neighboring country) | 2,490 | 5.3% |
| Outside EU 27 | 17,903 | 38.1% |
| Non-Belgians | 7,418 | 15.79% |
| Neighboring country | 888 | 1.89% |
| EU27 (excluding neighboring country) | 3,339 | 7.11% |
| Outside EU 27 | 3,191 | 6.79% |
| Total | 46,993 | 100% |
Germany:Ennepetal
France:Maubeuge
Netherlands:Middelburg
Spain:Peñarroya-Pueblonuevo,Córdoba
Japan:Komatsu, Ishikawa
Places adjacent to Vilvoorde | ||||||||||||||||
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| Halle-Vilvoorde |  | |
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| Leuven | ||
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