53-624: Anderlecht ( French: [ɑ̃dœʁlɛkt] ; Dutch: [ˈɑndərlɛxt] ) 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
106-509: A chapter of canons and to two feudal manors , those of the powerful lords of Aa and of Anderlecht. 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. Although he defeated his sister-in-law, the Duchess of Brabant , Joanna , and briefly took her title, she regained it
159-429: A crenellated parapet , where defenders could stand. A large ditch was dug in front of the walls, and in places this could be flooded with water to form a moat if needed. Along the length of the walls, there were roughly forty defensive towers, in addition to seven primary gates and five smaller entrances. The death of Duke John III of Brabant in 1355 sparked a succession crisis. As both of his sons had died, he left
212-645: A group of Brabantian patriots led by Everard t'Serclaes scaled the city walls and drove the Flemings from the city. This enabled Joanna and Wenceslaus to make their Joyous Entry into Brussels, granting a charter of liberties that would be seen as the equivalent of the Magna Carta for the Low Countries . Since the construction of the first walls in the 13th century, Brussels had grown extensively and had become quite important. On account of this growth,
265-519: A safe distance from the walls, including the addition of ditches, bastions and ravelins . The Fort of Monterey [ nl ; fr ] was the most important defensive work, its name coming from the Spanish count responsible for modernising the defences. The fort was built between 1672 and 1675, by the military engineers Merex and Blom, on the heights of Obbrussel (Old Dutch: Obbrusselsche , for "Upper Brussels", now Saint-Gilles ), south of
318-417: A wooden fence on top. These gave way to walls made of stone that were 10 metres (33 ft) tall and 1 to 2.5 metres (3 to 8 ft) thick. The walls were supported by square pillars , spaced roughly 4 metres (13 ft) apart, linked by a row of arches for support. These were buried underneath a talus , and they supported the main wall, which had a number of arrow slits in it. A second arcade supported
371-499: 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 . The old campus, listed as protected heritage , is currently undergoing a large rehabilitation process. Three listed buildings—the former Atlas Brewery,
424-655: Is in coalition on the municipal council with Ecolo - Groen , DéFI and Forward . 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 . The Abattoirs of Anderlecht [ fr ] , located at 24, rue Ropsy Chaudron / Ropsy Chaudronstraat in Cureghem,
477-496: Is legally bilingual (French–Dutch). There are several historically and architecturally distinct districts within Anderlecht. As of 1 January 2022, the municipality had a population of 122,547 inhabitants. The total area is 17.91 km (6.92 sq mi), which gives a population density of 6,842/km (17,720/sq mi). Its upper area is greener and less densely populated. The first traces of human activity on
530-491: 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. 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
583-546: 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), as well as popular department stores. Located in
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#1732772477426636-577: 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 . 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, Coca-Cola Benelux at 1424, Chaussée de Mons / Bergensesteenweg , as well as
689-601: The Plan Canal of the Brussels-Capital Region . The historical centre of Anderlecht is the municipality's central district. Formerly known as Rinck , it is divided into several sectors: Located in the east of Anderlecht, 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
742-497: The Chaussée de Mons / Bergensesteenweg 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 Bon Air / Goede Lucht were built at the beginning of the 20th century to house the influx of newcomers. Following World War II , some remaining green parts of
795-599: The City of Brussels : Laeken , Haren , and Neder-Over-Heembeek , in 1921. Unlike most of the municipalities in Belgium , the ones located in the Brussels-Capital Region were not merged with others during mergers occurring in 1964, 1970, and 1975. However, many territorial changes have occurred, predominantly between the City of Brussels and its neighbouring municipalities. The largest and most populous of
848-490: The Halle Gate . The first walls of Brussels (French: première enceinte , Dutch: eerste stadsomwalling ) were a series of fortifications erected around Brussels in the early 13th century. The city quickly outgrew them, and starting in 1356, a second, larger set of walls was built to better enclose and defend the city. The now superfluous walls were dismantled between the 16th and 18th centuries. Isolated portions of
901-635: The Halle Gate . As with the rest of the city's fortifications, the fort was ineffective, and was not able to prevent the French bombardment of Brussels in 1695, from the heights of Scheut , in Anderlecht, as part of the War of the Grand Alliance . The defensive works proved equally ineffective when French troops seized the city in 1746 during the War of the Austrian Succession , leaving
954-470: 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
1007-901: The Belgian chocolate company Leonidas at 41, Boulevard Jules Graindor / Jules Graindorlaan . Several hospitals and clinics are located in Anderlecht: 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. The club's home stadium is the Constant Vanden Stock Stadium , located within Astrid Park . The team colours are white and purple. Green spaces in
1060-485: 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 of Antwerp ( Flanders ), and 50 km (31 mi) 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
1113-546: The Halle Gate is the last remnant of the second walls of Brussels. Their course can be seen by the current Small Ring , although it stops short of the Halle Gate, and they still define downtown Brussels, often called the Pentagon . In the 1950s, with pressure from the automobile , new plans to improve traffic flow were implemented, partly due to the 1958 Brussels World's Fair ( Expo 58 ). Later, tunnels were dug, and one of
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#17327724774261166-715: 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 ). Anderlecht has a rich cultural and architectural heritage. Some of the main points of interest include: Historically,
1219-498: 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)
1272-493: The city but also for administrative reasons. There were two stages of fortifications of Brussels: the first walls, built in the early 13th century, and the second walls, built in the late 14th century and later upgraded. In the 19th century, the second walls were torn down and replaced with the Small Ring , a series of boulevards bounding the historical city centre. Nowadays, only a few sections of each walls remain, most notably
1325-474: The city was also envisioned, but that would not be effected until the construction of the Brussels–Charleroi Canal around 1830. The work was to be financed by selling the land that was freed up, although this took over twenty years to do. In 1830, as Belgium gained its independence , demolition work had reached the Halle Gate . Since its closing, it had served as a military prison, and later as storage of archives. The new government decided to spare it. In 1840,
1378-415: The defensive works in ruins. By that time, siege was no longer an important part of warfare. Due to the growth of commerce and improved roads, the fortifications did little more than frustrate transit into and out of the city. In 1782, Emperor Joseph II ordered the dismantling of most fortifications in the Low Countries , including those of Brussels. The dismantling work of the exterior defences began in
1431-546: The direction of the road leading out of the gate. An eighth was added in 1561, the Shore Gate (French: Porte du Rivage , Dutch: Oeverpoort ), designed to control access to the Port of Brussels from the newly constructed Willebroek Canal . In the 16th and 17th centuries, new siege weapons and techniques, including the advent of artillery , forced the city to modernise the defences in order to keep potential attackers at
1484-661: The east of the city. The Fort of Monterey was sold and destroyed, and all of the Gates were razed with the exception of the Laeken Gate and the Halle Gate . In 1795, when Republican France invaded and annexed the Low Countries, the demolitions were stopped, not resuming until an order from Napoleon in 1804. The Laeken Gate was destroyed in 1808. By an ordinance on 19 May 1810, the French Emperor ordered
1537-400: The first walls can still be seen today. Construction of the first walls of Brussels is estimated to have taken place at the beginning of the 13th century, during the reign of Henry I , the first duke of Brabant . The beginning and end dates are not clear, but construction would have lasted several decades. On the other hand, from historical maps and other documents which have been preserved,
1590-539: The first walls were no longer large enough, as the city had begun to spread out beyond them. It had become clear that further defences, better adapted to the current era, needed to be constructed. Following the succession crisis, city authorities decided to build a new set of walls. Everard 't Serclaes , who had been named schepen (alderman), was among those contributing to the decision. The second walls of Brussels (French: seconde enceinte , Dutch: tweede stadsomwalling ) were erected between 1356 and 1383. The wall
1643-640: 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 . 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 lived in
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1696-534: The heights in the east of the city, enclosing the first Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula (then a collegiate church ) on the Treurenberg hill (French: Mont des pleurs ; "Mount of tears"), where the St. Gudula Gate stood (integrated in these first walls), and which was later used as a notorious prison, hence its name, as well as the ducal palace of Coudenberg . The walls were initially made of earth, with
1749-517: The municipalities are given in the two official languages of the Brussels-Capital Region: French and Dutch . * — English: "City of Brussels"/"Brussels-City" Fortifications of Brussels The Fortifications of Brussels ( French : Fortifications de Bruxelles ; Dutch : Vestingwerken van Brussel ) refers to the medieval city walls that surrounded Brussels , Belgium, built primarily to defend
1802-464: The municipalities is the City of Brussels, covering 32.6 km (12.6 sq mi) with 176,545 inhabitants. The least populous is Koekelberg with 21,609 inhabitants, and the smallest in area is Saint-Josse-ten-Noode , which is only 1.1 km (0.4 sq mi) and also has the highest population density , at 24,650/km (63,800/sq mi). Watermael-Boitsfort has the lowest population density, at 1,928/km (4,990/sq mi). The names of
1855-453: 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. Nowadays, the name Anderlecht rings a bell in every Belgian ear thanks to its very successful football club . Anderlecht is located in the north-central part of Belgium, about 110 kilometres (68 mi) from
1908-592: The municipality in two from the west. With an area of 17.91 km (6.92 sq mi), 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 . Anderlecht, in common with the rest of Brussels, experiences an oceanic climate ( Köppen : Cfb ) with warm summers and cool winters. Proximity to coastal areas influences
1961-612: The municipality include: Born in Anderlecht: Anderlecht is twinned with: In addition, Anderlecht has signed a friendship agreement with: List of municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region The 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region are the political subdivisions of Belgium 's central region . The government of each municipality is responsible for the handling of local level duties, such as law enforcement and
2014-584: 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 Chaussée de Ninove / Ninoofsesteenweg , that lay the foundations of
2067-602: The old power station, and the former Moulart Mill—are testaments to the old industrial activities next to the waterway. The Municipal Hall of Anderlecht is located on the Place du Conseil / Raadsplein , at the heart of this district. In its lower part, bordering the City of Brussels, are the Square de l'Aviation/Luchtvaartsquare and the Parc de la Rosée / Dauwpark . Located in the south of Anderlecht, La Roue/Het Rad ("The Wheel")
2120-419: The period. The design was fairly typical of medieval defences before the introduction of gunpowder, and was surrounded by a moat in the lower parts of the city. The two sets of walls coexisted until the 16th century, when the original set of walls began to be dismantled. In the 16th century, there were seven gates: Laeken , Flanders , Anderlecht , Halle , Namur , Leuven and Schaerbeek , each named for
2173-405: 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. As of 1 January 2020,
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2226-468: The population was 120,887. The area is 17.91 km (6.92 sq mi), making the density 6,749/km (17,480/sq mi). Migrant communities in Anderlecht with over 1,000 people as of 1 January 2020: The current city council was elected in the October 2018 elections . The current mayor of Anderlecht is Fabrice Cumps , a member of PS , who alongside the other parties on their list, sp.a and cdH ,
2279-475: The precise former course of the walls is known. The walls were 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) long. In the west, they encompassed Saint-Géry/Sint-Goriks Island (the site of the city's founding and first development, where today's Halles Saint-Géry / Sint-Gorikshallen are located), the Grand-Place/Grote Markt (the city's main square), and the first port on the river Senne . They extended to
2332-513: 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. 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
2385-478: The second walls demolished and replaced by boulevards with a median in the centre. The fall of the First French Empire prevented the project's immediate execution. With the return of stability, in 1818, authorities organised a contest for plans to demolish the ramparts and replace them with boulevards suited to the exigencies of contemporary life in the city. The proposal of Jean-Baptiste Vifquain
2438-642: 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. The 19th century saw a remarkable population growth, mainly because of the proximity to a rapidly expanding Brussels. The Chaussée 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
2491-464: The street just inside of the gate was raised 3 metres (10 ft), making it impassable to vehicles. From 1868 to 1871, as the city was being modernised, the architect Henri Beyaert , with little regard for historical accuracy, transformed the austere medieval tower into something of a neo-Gothic castle, which fit better with the contemporary romantic perception of the Middle Ages . In 1860,
2544-717: The taxes on commercial goods were lifted, and the last barrier between Brussels and its suburbs was destroyed. The intersections at the Anderlecht Gate and the Ninove Gate are the only two where the toll pavilions still stand. Those of the Namur Gate were moved, and now stand at the end of the Avenue Louise/Louizalaan , at the entrance to the Bois de la Cambre/Ter Kamerenbos . Although modified,
2597-466: The throne to his daughter Joanna and her husband Wenceslaus I of Luxembourg . Count Louis II of Flanders had married Joan's younger sister Margaret and thought the throne should be his. Louis invaded Brabant and quickly seized Brussels, planting the Flemish lion flag in the middle of the Grand-Place. The city walls offered relatively little protection. During the night of 24 October 1356,
2650-531: The upkeep of schools and roads within its borders. Municipal administration is also conducted by a mayor, a council, and an executive. In 1831, Belgium was divided into 2,739 municipalities, including 20 within the current Brussels-Capital Region (which at that time did not exist). In 1841, a 21st and 22nd municipality were created when Berchem-Sainte-Agathe formally separated from neighbouring Koekelberg and Jette-Ganshoren split into Jette and Ganshoren . Since then, three municipalities have been merged with
2703-695: Was the most destructive event in the entire history of Brussels. On 13 November 1792, right after the Battle of Jemappes , General Dumouriez and the French Revolutionary army routed the Austrians there once again. Among the consequences were the disbanding of the canons and Anderlecht being proclaimed an independent municipality by the French. 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
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#17327724774262756-421: Was to have a length of nearly 8 km (5 mi), which was enough to enclose the surrounding hamlets and fields that supplied the city. There were to be 72 semicircular towers along the wall. There were seven main gates, corresponding to the seven entries into the first walls of Brussels, but the similarities mostly end there. The second walls were a monumental project and represented a colossal undertaking for
2809-406: Was ultimately chosen. It involved construction of squares and boulevards, with spaces to walk and two to four rows of trees lining the route, a main road and parallel side roads. A barrier with a ditch running its length was still installed, however, and toll pavilions built at the entrances, to allow continued taxation of commercial goods entering the city. The extension of the canal to the west of
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