139-532: Molenbeek-Saint-Jean ( French , pronounced [molœnbek sɛ̃ ʒɑ̃, -bɛk -] ) or Sint-Jans-Molenbeek ( Dutch , pronounced [sɪɲˈtɕɑns ˈmoːlə(m)ˌbeːk] ), often simply called Molenbeek , is one of the 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region , Belgium. Located in the western part of the region, it is bordered by the City of Brussels , from which it
278-437: A modernist clock, flanks the left side of the façade. It is accessible to the public via a staircase of 292 steps leading to a 68-metre-high (223 ft) platform, from which one can have a panoramic view of Brussels. The interior is bright and colourful. Space and volume are determined by columns that form slender parabolic arches towards the centre, creating a high-dimensional nave , and other rather symbolic ones towards
417-744: A French official to teachers in the department of Finistère , in western Brittany, included the following: "And remember, Gents: you were given your position in order to kill the Breton language". The prefect of Basses-Pyrénées in the French Basque Country wrote in 1846: "Our schools in the Basque Country are particularly meant to replace the Basque language with French..." Students were taught that their ancestral languages were inferior and they should be ashamed of them; this process
556-485: A cathedral) in Brussels, which included St. John's Church, as well as other property. The Brussels Beguinage , founded before 1247 outside the city walls, also depended on Molenbeek. In the early Middle Ages , Molenbeek was known for its miraculous spring of Saint Gertrude of Nivelles , the mythical founder of Nivelles Abbey , which attracted thousands of pilgrims. According to legend, she visited Molenbeek and offered
695-482: A cathedral) in Brussels. This is confirmed in a papal bull by Pope Alexander III from 9 April 1174 listing the property of the chapter, which included St. John's Church, as well as other property. This did not prevent the parish priest of Molenbeek from several times being in conflict with the canon of St. Gudula, among other things, about the establishment of a female convent near the St. Catherine Gate in 1238, or about
834-431: A comprehensive academic study entitled "The World's 10 most influential languages". In the article, Weber ranked French as, after English, the second-most influential language of the world, ahead of Spanish. His criteria were the numbers of native speakers, the number of secondary speakers (especially high for French among fellow world languages), the number of countries using the language and their respective populations,
973-555: A foreign language. Due to the rise of French in Africa, the total French-speaking population worldwide is expected to reach 700 million people in 2050. French is the fastest growing language on the continent (in terms of either official or foreign languages). French is increasingly being spoken as a native language in Francophone Africa, especially in regions like Ivory Coast , Cameroon , Gabon, Madagascar , and
1112-468: A museum of social and industrial history built on the site of the former foundry of the Compagnie des Bronzes de Bruxelles . In some areas of Molenbeek, the ensuing poverty left its mark on the urban landscape and scarred the social life of the community, leading to rising crime rates and pervading cultural intolerance. Various local revitalisation programmes are currently under way, aiming at relieving
1251-705: A period of prosperity and prominence among European nations. Richelieu established the Académie française to protect the French language. By the early 1800s, Parisian French had become the primary language of the aristocracy in France. Near the beginning of the 19th century, the French government began to pursue policies with the end goal of eradicating the many minorities and regional languages ( patois ) spoken in France. This began in 1794 with Henri Grégoire 's "Report on
1390-494: A relic of the old nominal case system of Latin longer than most other Romance languages (with the notable exception of Romanian which still currently maintains a case distinction), differentiating between an oblique case and a nominative case. The phonology was characterized by heavy syllabic stress, which led to the emergence of various complicated diphthongs such as -eau which would later be leveled to monophthongs. The earliest evidence of what became Old French can be seen in
1529-683: A result of French and Belgian colonialism from the 16th century onward, French was introduced to new territories in the Americas, Africa, and Asia. French has a long history as an international language of literature and scientific standards and is a primary or second language of many international organisations including the United Nations , the European Union, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization ,
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#17327765053491668-547: A variant of Canadian French , is spoken in parts of New England . Missouri French was historically spoken in Missouri and Illinois (formerly known as Upper Louisiana ), but is nearly extinct today. French also survived in isolated pockets along the Gulf Coast of what was previously French Lower Louisiana , such as Mon Louis Island , Alabama and DeLisle, Mississippi (the latter only being discovered by linguists in
1807-457: A working language along with English and German ; in some institutions, French is the sole working language (e.g. at the Court of Justice of the European Union ). French is also the 16th most natively spoken language in the world, the sixth most spoken language by total number of speakers , and is among the top five most studied languages worldwide, with about 120 million learners as of 2017. As
1946-641: A year if they crossed a bridge over the Molenbeek brook towards the church without their feet touching the ground. A painting by Pieter Brueghel the Younger , dating from 1592, illustrates this procession. The medieval church was dismantled in 1578 during the Calvinist Republic of Brussels, which lasted from 1577 to 1585. Religious unrest prompted the parish priest of Molenbeek to make St. Catherine's Chapel his main church, though St. John's Church
2085-422: A year if they crossed a bridge over the Molenbeek brook towards the church without their feet touching the ground. A painting by Pieter Brueghel the Younger , dating from 1592, illustrates this procession. Molenbeek was made part of Brussels in the 13th century. As a result, the agricultural village lost a lot of its land to its more powerful neighbour. In addition, St. John's Church was dismantled in 1578 during
2224-437: Is 95%, and in the French collectivity of Wallis and Futuna , it is 84%. In French Polynesia and to a lesser extent Wallis and Futuna, where oral and written knowledge of the French language has become almost universal (95% and 84% respectively), French increasingly tends to displace the native Polynesian languages as the language most spoken at home. In French Polynesia, the percentage of the population who reported that French
2363-802: Is a very common name for brooks in the Netherlands and Belgium, such as the Molenbeek (Erpe-Mere Bovenschelde) , as well as the Molenbeek-Ter Erpenbeek , both in the Denderstreek , Belgium. Although first applied to the brook that flowed through the village, the name Molenbeek (originally spelled Molembecca ) eventually came to be used to designate the village itself, around the year 985. The suffix Saint-Jean in French or Sint-Jans in Dutch, meaning "Saint John", refers to
2502-472: Is a widespread second language among the Lebanese people , and is taught in many schools along with Arabic and English. French is used on Lebanese pound banknotes, on road signs, on Lebanese license plates , and on official buildings (alongside Arabic). Today, French and English are secondary languages of Lebanon , with about 40% of the population being Francophone and 40% Anglophone. The use of English
2641-489: Is also a working language in nonprofit organisations such as the Red Cross (alongside English, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic and Russian), Amnesty International (alongside 32 other languages of which English is the most used, followed by Spanish, Portuguese, German, and Italian), Médecins sans Frontières (used alongside English, Spanish, Portuguese and Arabic), and Médecins du Monde (used alongside English). Given
2780-790: Is dedicated to Saint John the Baptist , the patron saint of Molenbeek. Designed by the architect Joseph Diongre [ fr ] and built between 1930 and 1932 in Art Deco style, it is one of three major churches in Brussels made of reinforced concrete (the other two are the Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Koekelberg and the Church of St. Augustine in Forest ). Belonging to
2919-652: Is enacted only in New Brunswick, where about one third of the population is Francophone. French is also an official language of all of the territories ( Northwest Territories , Nunavut , and Yukon ). Out of the three, Yukon has the most French speakers, making up just under 4% of the population. Furthermore, while French is not an official language in Ontario , the French Language Services Act ensures that provincial services are available in
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#17327765053493058-563: Is growing in the business and media environment. Out of about 900,000 students, about 500,000 are enrolled in Francophone schools, public or private, in which the teaching of mathematics and scientific subjects is provided in French. Actual usage of French varies depending on the region and social status. One-third of high school students educated in French go on to pursue higher education in English-speaking institutions. English
3197-404: Is known as Old French. The period of Old French spanned between the 8th and 14th centuries. Old French shared many characteristics with Latin. For example, Old French made use of different possible word orders just as Latin did because it had a case system that retained the difference between nominative subjects and oblique non-subjects . The period is marked by a heavy superstrate influence from
3336-431: Is large in size but the construction costs were maintained at 5 million Belgian francs (for an initial estimate of 9 million). Even the window frames or claustra (604 of them) are made of precast concrete. These modern techniques allowed the construction of the building in record time of fifteen months. The plans were signed on 20 August 1930, the first stone was laid by Cardinal Jozef-Ernest van Roey on 11 May 1931, and
3475-583: 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 Molenbeek. There are two distinct areas in Molenbeek: a lower area and an upper area. The lower area, next to the canal, consists of working-class , predominantly migrant, communities, mostly of Moroccan (mainly Riffian and Berber ) descent, with many being second- and third-generation. The upper area, close to
3614-541: 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 third westernmost municipality in the Brussels-Capital Region after Anderlecht and Berchem-Sainte-Agathe and is an important crossing point for the Brussels–Charleroi Canal , which borders the municipality to
3753-607: Is of Germanic origin and is composed of Odso + -inga + gem , meaning "residence of the people of Odso". An old country road, today's Rue d'Osseghem / Ossegemstraat , which led to the Chaussée de Gand near the current Osseghem/Ossegem metro station , connected the hamlet to Molenbeek and Brussels. Located in the extreme west of Molenbeek, near the Boulevard Louis Mettewie, the Scheutbos (or Scheutbosch)
3892-472: Is of non-European origin (predominantly Moroccan and Syrian), 17.49% of European origin other than Belgian (mainly Romanian, Spanish, French, Italian, and Polish), while 13.31% is solely of native Belgian ancestry. Among all major migrant groups from outside the EU, a majority of the permanent residents have acquired Belgian nationality. Molenbeek is governed by an elected municipal council and an executive college of
4031-469: Is often considered to be a useful skill by business owners in the United Kingdom; a 2014 study found that 50% of British managers considered French to be a valuable asset for their business, thus ranking French as the most sought-after foreign language there, ahead of German (49%) and Spanish (44%). MIT economist Albert Saiz calculated a 2.3% premium for those who have French as a foreign language in
4170-828: Is one of the official languages of such major international and regional courts, tribunals, and dispute-settlement bodies as the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights , the Caribbean Court of Justice , the Court of Justice for the Economic Community of West African States , the Inter-American Court of Human Rights , the International Court of Justice , the International Criminal Tribunal for
4309-466: Is separated by the Brussels–Charleroi Canal , as well as by the municipalities of Anderlecht , Berchem-Sainte-Agathe , Dilbeek , Jette , and Koekelberg . The Molenbeek brook, from which it takes its name, flows through the municipality. In common with all of Brussels' municipalities, it is legally bilingual (French–Dutch). From its origins in the Middle Ages until the 18th century, Molenbeek
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4448-602: Is served by Comte de Flandre/Graaf van Vlaanderen metro station on line 5 of the Brussels Metro . As early as the 9th century, Molenbeek was the site of a church dedicated to Saint John the Baptist , following a bequest from Saint Gertrude of Nivelles , the mythical founder of Nivelles Abbey , whose statue adorns the current building's transept . There were successive buildings whose chronology and locations are not clearly determined. The parish itself, whose boundaries were much greater than today, reaching as far as
4587-639: Is taught in universities around the world, and is one of the world's most influential languages because of its wide use in the worlds of journalism, jurisprudence , education, and diplomacy. In diplomacy, French is one of the six official languages of the United Nations (and one of the UN Secretariat 's only two working languages ), one of twenty official and three procedural languages of the European Union , an official language of NATO ,
4726-553: Is the language of business and communication, with French being an element of social distinction, chosen for its emotional value. French is an official language of the Pacific Island nation of Vanuatu , where 31% of the population was estimated to speak it in 2023. In the French special collectivity of New Caledonia , 97% of the population can speak, read and write French while in French Polynesia this figure
4865-423: Is the municipality's remaining "green" area, home to the likewise named semi-natural site of the Scheutbos. Molenbeek-Saint-Jean has a rich cultural and architectural heritage. Some of the main points of interest include: Moreover, several rundown industrial buildings have been renovated and converted into prime real estate and other community functions. Examples include: Historically, the population of Molenbeek
5004-483: Is the native language of about 23% of the Swiss population, and is spoken by 50% of the population. Along with Luxembourgish and German, French is one of the three official languages of Luxembourg , where it is generally the preferred language of business as well as of the different public administrations. It is also the official language of Monaco . At a regional level, French is acknowledged as an official language in
5143-492: Is the second-most spoken language (after English) in the states of Maine and New Hampshire . In Louisiana , it is tied with Spanish for second-most spoken if Louisiana French and all creoles such as Haitian are included. French is the third most spoken language (after English and Spanish) in the states of Connecticut , Rhode Island , and New Hampshire . Louisiana is home to many distinct French dialects, collectively known as Louisiana French . New England French , essentially
5282-424: Is the sole official language in the province of Quebec , where some 80% of the population speak it as a native language and 95% are capable of conducting a conversation in it. Quebec is also home to the city of Montreal , which is the world's fourth-largest French-speaking city, by number of first language speakers. New Brunswick and Manitoba are the only officially bilingual provinces, though full bilingualism
5421-523: The Beguinage de Notre-Dame de la Vigne (of which the Church of St. John the Baptist at the Béguinage remains today) in 1250, or again about the opening of a school in 1451. Later, the tradition of a special pilgrimage for patients with epilepsy developed around St. John's Church. On St. John's Day (24 June), a dancing procession took place, in which epileptics could be freed from their illness for
5560-764: The Aosta Valley region of Italy where it is the first language of approximately 50% of the population, while French dialects remain spoken by minorities on the Channel Islands . It is also spoken in Andorra and is the main language after Catalan in El Pas de la Casa . The language is taught as the primary second language in the German state of Saarland , with French being taught from pre-school and over 43% of citizens being able to speak French. The majority of
5699-715: The Belgian first division . It folded at the end of 2012–13 as a member of the Belgian Second Division . Since 2023, its reincarnation, RWDM47 , is back playing in the first division. The club's home stadium is the Edmond Machtens Stadium . The municipality is home to the Royal Daring Hockey Club Molenbeek , a field hockey club. Most of Molenbeek pupils between the ages of 3 and 18 go to schools organised by
Molenbeek-Saint-Jean - Misplaced Pages Continue
5838-486: The Boulevard Joseph Baeck / Joseph Baecklaan . They were designed by the architect and urban planner Louis Van der Swaelmen, and are named after King Albert I and his daughter, Princess Marie-José , the last Queen of Italy . Osseghem / Ossegem is centrally located in the upper part of Molenbeek, west of the municipality's historical centre. The neighbourhood used to be a rural hamlet . The name
5977-580: The Brussels-Capital Region . The historical centre of Molenbeek is the municipality's central district. It developed during the Industrial Revolution along the Brussels–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. The Municipal Hall of Molenbeek is located on the Place Communale / Gemeenteplein ("Municipal Square"), at
6116-501: The Brussels–Charleroi Canal in 1832 greatly increased the traffic of coal and thus the mechanisation of industry, which led to the development of foundries , engineering and metalworking companies in the municipality. Attracted by the industrial opportunities, many workers moved in, first from the other Belgian provinces (mainly rural residents from Flanders ) and France, then from Southern European , and more recently from Eastern European and African countries. The growth of
6255-517: The Calvinist Republic of Brussels, which lasted from 1577 to 1585, leading to further decline, though it was later rebuilt on the same spot. The town's aspect remained mostly rural until the 18th century. At the end of the 18th century, the Industrial Revolution brought prosperity back to Molenbeek through commerce and manufacturing. In 1795, under the French regime , the town regained its status as an independent municipality. Around that time, Molenbeek experienced its first wave of urbanisation with
6394-514: The Communities . The Administration de l'Éducation Physique et du Sport ( ADEPS ) is responsible for recognising the various French-speaking sports federations. Its Dutch-speaking counterpart is Sport Vlaanderen (formerly called BLOSO ). Molenbeek's historical football club, Racing White Daring Molenbeek , often referred to as RWDM, was very popular until its dissolution in 2002. Its successor, R.W.D.M. Brussels F.C. , used to play in
6533-609: The Democratic Republic of Congo . There is not a single African French , but multiple forms that diverged through contact with various indigenous African languages . Sub-Saharan Africa is the region where the French language is most likely to expand, because of the expansion of education and rapid population growth. It is also where the language has evolved the most in recent years. Some vernacular forms of French in Africa can be difficult to understand for French speakers from other countries, but written forms of
6672-517: The Democratic Republic of the Congo . In some North African countries, though not having official status, it is also a first language among some upper classes of the population alongside indigenous languages, but only a second one among the general population. In 2015, approximately 40% of the Francophone population (including L2 and partial speakers) lived in Europe, 36% in sub-Saharan Africa and
6811-485: The European Union , French was the dominant language within all institutions until the 1990s. After several enlargements of the EU (1995, 2004), French significantly lost ground in favour of English, which is more widely spoken and taught in most EU countries. French currently remains one of the three working languages, or "procedural languages", of the EU, along with English and German. It is the second-most widely used language within EU institutions after English, but remains
6950-559: The Francien dialect is one that not only continued but also thrived during the Middle French period (14th–17th centuries). Modern French grew out of this Francien dialect. Grammatically, during the period of Middle French, noun declensions were lost and there began to be standardized rules. Robert Estienne published the first Latin-French dictionary, which included information about phonetics, etymology, and grammar. Politically,
7089-684: The French-speaking Community or the Flemish Community . There are 17 French-language and six Dutch-language primary schools in Molenbeek. French language French ( français [fʁɑ̃sɛ] or langue française [lɑ̃ɡ fʁɑ̃sɛːz] ) is a Romance language of the Indo-European family . Like all other Romance languages, it descended from the Vulgar Latin of
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#17327765053497228-534: The Greater Ring (Brussels' second ring road), features newer construction and is mostly middle-class and residential. The territory of Molenbeek 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 the Plan Canal of
7367-877: The International Olympic Committee , the Council of Europe , the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development , Organization of American States (alongside Spanish, Portuguese and English), the Eurovision Song Contest , one of eighteen official languages of the European Space Agency , World Trade Organization and the least used of the three official languages in the North American Free Trade Agreement countries. It
7506-626: The Oaths of Strasbourg and the Sequence of Saint Eulalia , while Old French literature began to be produced in the eleventh century, with major early works often focusing on the lives of saints (such as the Vie de Saint Alexis ), or wars and royal courts, notably including the Chanson de Roland , epic cycles focused on King Arthur and his court , as well as a cycle focused on William of Orange . It
7645-406: The Roman Empire . French evolved from Gallo-Romance , the Latin spoken in Gaul , and more specifically in Northern Gaul. Its closest relatives are the other langues d'oïl —languages historically spoken in northern France and in southern Belgium, which French ( Francien ) largely supplanted. French was also influenced by native Celtic languages of Northern Roman Gaul like Gallia Belgica and by
7784-436: The World Trade Organization , the International Olympic Committee , the General Conference on Weights and Measures , and the International Committee of the Red Cross . French is a Romance language (meaning that it is descended primarily from Vulgar Latin ) that evolved out of the Gallo-Romance dialects spoken in northern France. The language's early forms include Old French and Middle French . Due to Roman rule, Latin
7923-399: The bomber of Brussels Central Station in June 2017 , lived in Molenbeek. At least four of the terrorists in the November 2015 Paris attacks —the brothers Brahim and Salah Abdeslam , alleged accomplice Mohamed Abrini , and the alleged mastermind Abdelhamid Abaaoud —grew up and lived in Molenbeek. According to former French President François Hollande , that was also where they organised
8062-413: The parish 's patron saint , Saint John the Baptist , though it is seldom used in everyday speech, today's inhabitants—whether French or Dutch speaking—usually shortening the name to simply Molenbeek . In French , Molenbeek-Saint-Jean is pronounced [molənbeːk sɛ̃ ʒɑ̃] , and in Dutch, Sint-Jans-Molenbeek is pronounced [sɪɲˈtɕɑns ˈmoːlə(m)ˌbeːk] (in both languages,
8201-497: The provinces of Quebec, Ontario, and New Brunswick); Belgium ( Wallonia and the Brussels-Capital Region ); western Switzerland (specifically the cantons forming the Romandy region); parts of Luxembourg; parts of the United States (the states of Louisiana, Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont); Monaco; the Aosta Valley region of Italy; and various communities elsewhere. French is estimated to have about 310 million speakers, of which about 80 million are native speakers. According to
8340-544: The "-beek" is pronounced like "bake" in English). Inhabitants of Molenbeek are known in French as Molenbeekois (pronounced [molənbeːkwa] ) and in Dutch as Molenbeekenaars (pronounced [ˈmoːlə(m)ˌbeːkənaːrs] ). In France, the pronunciations [molənbɛk sɛ̃ ʒɑ̃] ("-beek" like "beck" in English) and [molənbɛkwa] (for molenbeekois ) are often heard, but are rather rare in Belgium. The dialectal forms Muilebeik and Meulebeik are still used by older adults of Belgian ancestry, whilst
8479-427: The ( Germanic ) Frankish language of the post-Roman Frankish invaders. Today, owing to the French colonial empire , there are numerous French-based creole languages , most notably Haitian Creole . A French-speaking person or nation may be referred to as Francophone in both English and French. French is an official language in 27 countries , as well as one of the most geographically widespread languages in
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#17327765053498618-409: The 1,600 organisations investigated, 102 were found to be involved with crime and a further 52 were involved with terrorism. 72 individuals were found to have a terrorist connection and were subject to future surveillance. Molenbeek 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
8757-403: The 1950s and 1960s, Molenbeek became increasingly multicultural with a minority Muslim population . In the 2010s, it gained international attention as the base for Islamist terrorists who carried out attacks in both Paris and Brussels . Molenbeek is a mostly residential municipality consisting of several historically and architecturally distinct districts. As of 1 January 2022,
8896-448: The 1960s through the construction of new residential areas in the then-rural west of the municipality. In the 1990s, this expansion was halted, leaving some woods and meadows in Molenbeek, such as the semi-natural site of the Scheutbos. Where Molenbeek was once a centre of intense industrial activity, concentrated around the canal and the railway, most of those industries have disappeared to make way for large-scale urban renewal following
9035-455: The 1990s) but these varieties are severely endangered or presumed extinct. French is one of two official languages in Haiti alongside Haitian Creole . It is the principal language of education, administration, business, and public signage and is spoken by all educated Haitians. It is also used for ceremonial events such as weddings, graduations, and church masses. The vast majority of the population speaks Haitian Creole as their first language;
9174-474: The 20th century, when it was replaced by English as the United States became the dominant global power following the Second World War . Stanley Meisler of the Los Angeles Times said that the fact that the Treaty of Versailles was written in English as well as French was the "first diplomatic blow" against the language. During the Grand Siècle (17th century), France, under the rule of powerful leaders such as Cardinal Richelieu and Louis XIV , enjoyed
9313-510: The Canadian capital, is also effectively bilingual, as it has a large population of federal government workers, who are required to offer services in both French and English, and is just across the river from the Quebecois city of Gatineau . According to the United States Census Bureau (2011), French is the fourth most spoken language in the United States after English, Spanish, and Chinese, when all forms of French are considered together and all dialects of Chinese are similarly combined. French
9452-614: The Caribbean that are collectively referred to as the French West Indies , namely Guadeloupe , Saint Barthélemy , Saint Martin , and Martinique . French is the official language of both French Guiana on the South American continent, and of Saint Pierre and Miquelon , an archipelago off the coast of Newfoundland in North America. French was the official language of the colony of French Indochina , comprising modern-day Vietnam , Laos , and Cambodia . It continues to be an administrative language in Laos and Cambodia, although its influence has waned in recent decades. In colonial Vietnam,
9591-457: The Charleroi Canal, Heyvaert is part of the larger Cureghem/Kuregem district and is bounded by the Rue Nicolas Doyen / Nicolas Doyenstraat , the Rue de Birmingham, the Place de la Duchesse de Brabant, the Rue Isidoor Teirlinck, the Rue Delaunoy / Delaunoystraat , and the Rue Heyvaert / Heyvaertstraat (formerly the Rue de l'Écluse / Sasstraat , because of its proximity to the canal lock; écluse meaning "lock" in French). Located in
9730-412: The Cité Diongre were built at the beginning of the century to house the influx of newcomers. The Church of St. John the Baptist was also rebuilt between 1930 and 1932 in Art Deco style to accommodate this growing populace. The industrial decline , however, which had already started before World War I , accelerated after the Great Depression and World War II . Following the industrial decline after
9869-408: The Empire, this local elite had been slowly abandoning Gaulish entirely, but the rural and lower class populations remained Gaulish speakers who could sometimes also speak Latin or Greek. The final language shift from Gaulish to Vulgar Latin among rural and lower class populations occurred later, when both they and the incoming Frankish ruler/military class adopted the Gallo-Roman Vulgar Latin speech of
10008-484: The Germanic Frankish language , which non-exhaustively included the use in upper-class speech and higher registers of V2 word order , a large percentage of the vocabulary (now at around 15% of modern French vocabulary ) including the impersonal singular pronoun on (a calque of Germanic man ), and the name of the language itself. Up until its later stages, Old French , alongside Old Occitan , maintained
10147-540: The ISLAM party and the New Flemish Alliance (N-VA), each having one seat. The 2018 local elections saw PS return to the majority, with a coalition between the aforementioned and MR being agreed upon. The current mayor is Catherine Moureaux [ fr ] . Historical list of mayors or burgomasters of Molenbeek: As in the rest of Brussels, sport in Molenbeek is under the responsibility of
10286-643: The Indian Ocean, 15% in North Africa and the Middle East, 8% in the Americas, and 1% in Asia and Oceania. French is the second most widely spoken mother tongue in the European Union . Of Europeans who speak other languages natively, approximately one-fifth are able to speak French as a second language. French is the second most taught foreign language in the EU. All institutions of the EU use French as
10425-625: The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Mechelen–Brussels , the church and the Catholic parish it belongs to gave their name to the municipality. The building received protected status on 29 February 1984. The church is located on the northern side of the Parvis Saint Jean-Baptiste / Sint-Jan-Baptistvoorplein , not far from the Place Communale / Gemeenteplein (the municipal square of Molenbeek). This site
10564-451: The OIF, approximately 321 million people worldwide are "able to speak the language" as of 2022, without specifying the criteria for this estimation or whom it encompasses. In Francophone Africa, it is spoken mainly as a second language. However it has also become a native language in a number of urban areas, especially in regions like Ivory Coast , Cameroon , Gabon, Madagascar , and
10703-409: The abbreviations Molen and Molem are common among younger speakers. As early as the 9th century, Molenbeek was the site of a church dedicated to Saint John the Baptist . The parish boundaries of St. John's Church were much greater than today, reaching as far as the river Senne , and from the end of the 12th century, included a chapel dedicated to Saint Catherine . This chapel was split off from
10842-498: 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)
10981-472: The assassins who killed anti-Taliban commander Ahmed Shah Massoud both came from Molenbeek. Hassan el-Haski, one of the 2004 Madrid terror bombers , came from Molenbeek. The perpetrator of the Jewish Museum of Belgium shooting , Mehdi Nemmouche, lived in Molenbeek for a time. Ayoub El Khazzani, the perpetrator of the 2015 Thalys train attack , stayed with his sister in Molenbeek. French police believe
11120-585: The attacks. On 18 March 2016, Salah Abdeslam, a suspected accomplice in those attacks, was captured in two anti-terrorist raids in Molenbeek that killed another suspect and injured two others. At least one other suspect remains at large. Ibrahim (born 9 October 1986 in Brussels) was involved in the attempted robbery of a currency exchange office in January 2010, where he shot at police with a Kalashnikov rifle . The then-mayor of Brussels, Freddy Thielemans , and
11259-483: The church was inaugurated in 1932. The current building is resolutely Art Deco . It can accommodate thousands of parishioners. Outside, the concrete structure is partly covered with Brauvilliers stone. Above the central portal is a bas-relief by the sculptor Albert Aebly illustrating the baptism of Christ by Saint John the Baptist . The façade window is in the shape of an enormous Latin cross of glass. The steeple , octagonal, tall, slender, and having at its top
11398-668: The community continued unabated throughout the 19th century, leading to cramped living conditions, especially near the canal. In that period, Molenbeek was dubbed the Little Manchester (French: le petit Manchester , Dutch: het Klein Manchester ) or the Belgian Manchester (French: le Manchester belge , Dutch: het Belgisch Manchester ), in reference to the Northern English city that led
11537-480: The country near French-speaking Quebec, however, it is the foreign language more commonly taught. Vowel phonemes in French Church of St. John the Baptist, Molenbeek The Church of St. John the Baptist ( French : Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste ; Dutch : Sint-Jan-de-Doperkerk ) is a Catholic parish church located in the centre of Molenbeek-Saint-Jean , a municipality of Brussels , Belgium. It
11676-519: The demographic prospects of the French-speaking nations of Africa, researcher Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry wrote in 2014 that French "could be the language of the future". However, some African countries such as Algeria intermittently attempted to eradicate the use of French, and as of 2024 it was removed as an official language in Mali and Burkina Faso . Significant as a judicial language, French
11815-559: The development of a neighbourhood, known as the Faubourg Saint-Martin , around a number of streets to the immediate west of the City of Brussels , as well as another, the Faubourg de Flandre , a little more to the north. During the first quarter of the 19th century, several hundred workers were employed in Molenbeek's chemical and textile industries. In total, there were fifty companies in Molenbeek in 1829. The opening of
11954-436: The early 20th century, it was already due for replacement, but the church's Parish Council did not have the resources for such an operation. In fact Molenbeek was not unique, as many new parishes were created in the suburbs of Brussels around that time. By the 1920s, the then-mayor of Molenbeek, Louis Mettewie, although an anti-clerical liberal , made the municipal council financially intervene, believing that his municipality
12093-544: The east. With an area of 6.02 km (2.32 sq mi), it is also a relatively small municipality in the region, ranking eleventh out of nineteen. It is bordered by the Brussels municipalities of Anderlecht, Berchem-Sainte-Agathe, Jette and Koekelberg , as well as the Flemish municipality of Dilbeek . Molenbeek, in common with the rest of Brussels, experiences an oceanic climate ( Köppen : Cfb ) with warm summers and cool winters. Proximity to coastal areas influences
12232-448: The economic power of the countries using the language, the number of major areas in which the language is used, and the linguistic prestige associated with the mastery of the language (Weber highlighted that French in particular enjoys considerable linguistic prestige). In a 2008 reassessment of his article, Weber concluded that his findings were still correct since "the situation among the top ten remains unchanged." Knowledge of French
12371-594: The elites primarily spoke French, while many servants who worked in French households spoke a French pidgin known as " Tây Bồi " (now extinct). After French rule ended, South Vietnam continued to use French in administration, education, and trade. However, since the Fall of Saigon and the opening of a unified Vietnam's economy, French has gradually been effectively displaced as the first foreign language of choice by English in Vietnam. Nevertheless, it continues to be taught as
12510-422: The first churches in Brussels made of reinforced concrete , was built next to the old one, which was demolished once the project was completed, leaving a space where the Parvis Saint Jean-Baptiste / Sint-Jan-Baptistvoorplein was laid out. The choice of reinforced concrete, rather than brick or stone, was motivated by financial reasons. At the end of the 1920s, the economic crisis made itself felt. The building
12649-516: The first government authority to adopt Modern French as official was the Aosta Valley in 1536, while the Ordinance of Villers-Cotterêts (1539) named French the language of law in the Kingdom of France . During the 17th century, French replaced Latin as the most important language of diplomacy and international relations ( lingua franca ). It retained this role until approximately the middle of
12788-915: The former Yugoslavia , International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda , the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea the International Criminal Court and the World Trade Organization Appellate Body . It is the sole internal working language of the Court of Justice of the European Union , and makes with English the European Court of Human Rights 's two working languages. In 1997, George Weber published, in Language Today ,
12927-829: The gender of the corresponding word in Gaulish. The estimated number of French words that can be attributed to Gaulish is placed at 154 by the Petit Robert , which is often viewed as representing standardized French, while if non-standard dialects are included, the number increases to 240. Known Gaulish loans are skewed toward certain semantic fields, such as plant life ( chêne , bille , etc.), animals ( mouton , cheval , etc.), nature ( boue , etc.), domestic activities (ex. berceau ), farming and rural units of measure ( arpent , lieue , borne , boisseau ), weapons, and products traded regionally rather than further afield. This semantic distribution has been attributed to peasants being
13066-583: The heart of this district. Located to the south of the historical centre of Molenbeek, this district is centred on the Place de la Duchesse de Brabant / Hertogin van Brabantplein . The square was created in 1847 on the grounds of the Hospices de Bruxelles , of which only the neoclassical facade remains. The hospice buildings now house a primary school (municipal school no. 5). In 1869, the Church of St. Barbara
13205-493: The history of industrialisation . On 5 May 1835, Molenbeek was the departure site of the first passenger train in continental Europe . At the end of the 19th century, part of the industry, namely the port area, was lost by Molenbeek when Brussels annexed and reintegrated the canal area within its new port . Until the early 20th century, Molenbeek was a booming suburb which attracted a large working-class population. Remarkable new urban developments and garden cities such as
13344-405: The lack of diversity in the foreign population of Molenbeek and the fact they are all clustered in the same area is a problem. Nearly 40% of young people in Molenbeek are unemployed . The municipality lies in a semi-circle of neighbourhoods in Brussels often referred to as the "poor croissant". As of 2023, taking into account the nationality of birth of the parents, 69.16% of Molenbeek's population
13483-404: The land on which the village's first church was built, and allegedly caused this sacred spring to spur out by ramming her abbess's crosier into the ground near the church. Later, the tradition of a special pilgrimage for patients with epilepsy developed around St. John's Church. On St. John's Day (24 June), a dancing procession took place, in which epileptics could be freed from their illness for
13622-454: The language are very closely related to those of the rest of the French-speaking world. French is the second most commonly spoken language in Canada and one of two federal official languages alongside English. As of the 2021 Canadian census , it was the native language of 7.7 million people (21% of the population) and the second language of 2.9 million (8% of the population). French
13761-479: The language, although it has now given way to Tamil and English. A former French mandate , Lebanon designates Arabic as the sole official language, while a special law regulates cases when French can be publicly used. Article 11 of Lebanon's Constitution states that "Arabic is the official national language. A law determines the cases in which the French language is to be used". The French language in Lebanon
13900-612: The language. The Act applies to areas of the province where there are significant Francophone communities, namely Eastern Ontario and Northern Ontario . Elsewhere, sizable French-speaking minorities are found in southern Manitoba, Nova Scotia , Prince Edward Island and the Port au Port Peninsula in Newfoundland and Labrador, where the unique Newfoundland French dialect was historically spoken. Smaller pockets of French speakers exist in all other provinces. The Ontarian city of Ottawa ,
14039-479: The last to hold onto Gaulish. The beginning of French in Gaul was greatly influenced by Germanic invasions into the country. These invasions had the greatest impact on the northern part of the country and on the language there. A language divide began to grow across the country. The population in the north spoke langue d'oïl while the population in the south spoke langue d'oc . Langue d'oïl grew into what
14178-513: The mayor and aldermen. The longtime mayor from 1992 to 2012 was Philippe Moureaux ( PS ). Following the Belgian local elections, 2012 , an alternative majority was formed headed by then-mayor Françoise Schepmans ( MR ) and consisting of MR (15 seats), CDH - CD&V (6 seats) and Ecolo - Groen (4 seats). The Socialist Party (16 seats) became the opposition next to the Workers' Party of Belgium (PTB), Democratic Federalist Independent (DéFI),
14317-511: The media; however, actual figures are estimated to range between 25% and 40%, depending on the catchment area . Belgium does not collect statistics by religious beliefs, so exact figures are unknown, but the Muslim minority in the community is visibly significant. As of 2016, there is one main minority group in Molenbeek, Belgian Moroccans (mainly Riffian and other Berbers ). That year, Françoise Schepmans , then-mayor of Molenbeek, stated that
14456-687: The modernist Athens Charter , such as the Tour L'Écluse along the Boulevard Louis Mettewie / Louis Mettewielaan in the upper town and the Tour Brunfaut near the canal. In addition, clearance work for the extension of the metro in the 1970s and 1980s led to further destruction. In spite of this, Molenbeek has maintained its character to this day. This industrial past is still remembered in Brussels' Museum of Industry and Labour ,
14595-415: The multinational company BBDO , citing over 150 attacks on their staff by locals, posted an open letter to then-mayor Philippe Moureaux , announcing its withdrawal from the municipality. As a result, serious questions were raised about governance, security and the administration of Moureaux. Following a general decrease in crime, the company finally decided to remain in Molenbeek. According to Le Monde ,
14734-503: The municipality had a population of 97,697 inhabitants. The total area is 6.02 km (2.32 sq mi), which gives a population density of 16,268/km (42,130/sq mi), twice the average of Brussels. Its upper area is greener and less densely populated. The name Molenbeek derives from two Dutch words: molen , meaning "mill", and beek , meaning "brook"; and could be literally translated as "Millbrook" in English. It
14873-563: The municipality's most impoverished districts. Currently, the local economy is renewing itself, but it is "dominated" by the administrative sector. Alongside large companies such as KBC Bank and the distribution company Delhaize , there are administrations such as that of the Ministry of the French Community and numerous businesses. Attempts at revitalising the municipality have, however, not always been successful. In June 2011,
15012-420: The necessity and means to annihilate the patois and to universalize the use of the French language". When public education was made compulsory , only French was taught and the use of any other ( patois ) language was punished. The goals of the public school system were made especially clear to the French-speaking teachers sent to teach students in regions such as Occitania and Brittany . Instructions given by
15151-610: The north of Molenbeek, the Maritime district was born, around 1900, from the implementation of the Port of Brussels and the Maritime Station (French: Gare Maritime , Dutch: Maritiem Station ), a freight station on the Tour & Taxis site. A number of customs agencies and handling activities mingled with homes have given the neighbourhood a diverse character. The residents, historically made up of workers, as well as of
15290-534: The other main foreign language in the Vietnamese educational system and is regarded as a cultural language. All three countries are full members of La Francophonie (OIF). French was the official language of French India , consisting of the geographically separate enclaves referred to as Puducherry . It continued to be an official language of the territory even after its cession to India in 1956 until 1965. A small number of older locals still retain knowledge of
15429-424: The population was 97,979. The area is 6.02 km (2.32 sq mi), making the density 16,314/km (42,250/sq mi). The population is relatively young—the average age is 35 years—with nearly 29% under 18 years old, and fewer than 12% over 65. This population, while already impoverished and overcrowded, has further increased by 24.5% in the last decade. The population has been described as "mainly Muslim " in
15568-471: The preferred language of certain institutions or administrations such as the Court of Justice of the European Union , where it is the sole internal working language, or the Directorate-General for Agriculture . Since 2016, Brexit has rekindled discussions on whether or not French should again hold greater role within the institutions of the European Union. A leading world language , French
15707-399: The railroad. Located in the north-east of Molenbeek, Korenbeek is home to Molenbeek Cemetery between the Chaussée de Gand and the Boulevard Louis Mettewie / Louis Mettewielaan . This cemetery was inaugurated on 16 August 1864 to replace the old parish cemetery around the Church of St. John the Baptist , which had become too small, and whose last remains were cleared in 1932. Located in
15846-471: The rest largely speak French as a first language. As a French Creole language , Haitian Creole draws the large majority of its vocabulary from French, with influences from West African languages, as well as several European languages. It is closely related to Louisiana Creole and the creole from the Lesser Antilles . French is the sole official language of all the overseas territories of France in
15985-554: The rest of the parish following the construction of Brussels' second city walls and gradually became the current St. Catherine's Church in the Sainte-Catherine / Sint Katelijne neighbourhood of Brussels. The first documented mention of Molenbeek was made on 9 April 1174 in a papal bull by Pope Alexander III listing the property of the chapter of the Collegiate Church of St. Michael and St. Gudula (now
16124-450: The river Senne , seems to predate the 9th century, and from the end of the 12th century, also included a chapel dedicated to Saint Catherine , which, separated from the village by Brussels' city walls , gradually became the current St. Catherine's Church in the Sainte-Catherine / Sint Katelijne neighbourhood of Brussels. The parish of Molenbeek depended on the chapter of the Collegiate Church of St. Michael and St. Gudula (now
16263-531: The small and large bourgeoisie , were also from the outset of great diversity. Located in the north of the upper part of Molenbeek, Karreveld Park and its surrounding district are named after the former domain of Karreveld Castle , which now covers 3 ha (7.4 acres). Today, it is a mostly residential neighbourhood between the Avenue de la Liberté / Vrijheidslaan , the Chaussée de Gand / Gentsesteenweg and
16402-447: The then-mayor of Molenbeek, Philippe Moureaux , described the shooting as a " fait divers " (a small daily news item) and "normal in a large city", causing controversy. Since several of the attackers in the Brussels and Paris terrorist attacks had connections to the area, Belgian police started door-to-door checks in which a quarter of Molenbeek's inhabitants were investigated, a total of 22,668. This operation resulted in that of
16541-466: The total number of French speakers will reach approximately 500 million in 2025 and 650 million by 2050, largely due to rapid population growth in sub-Saharan Africa . OIF estimates 700 million French speakers by 2050, 80% of whom will be in Africa. In a study published in March 2014 by Forbes , the investment bank Natixis said that French could become the world's most spoken language by 2050. In
16680-435: The two aisles , whose space is barely separated from that of the nave. The six arches of the nave are 23 metres (75 ft) high. The stained glass windows and the concrete-glass compositions are reminiscent of the Church of Notre-Dame du Raincy , near Paris. The non-figurative stained glass windows come from the Brussels studio of the glassmaker and decorator Frans David Crickx. Some interior elements were recovered from
16819-679: The two official languages—along with Dutch —of the Brussels-Capital Region , where it is spoken by the majority of the population (approx. 80%), often as their primary language. French is one of the four official languages of Switzerland, along with German, Italian, and Romansh , and is spoken in the western part of Switzerland, called Romandy , of which Geneva is the largest city. The language divisions in Switzerland do not coincide with political subdivisions, and some cantons have bilingual status: for example, cities such as Biel/Bienne and cantons such as Valais , Fribourg and Bern . French
16958-642: The upper part of Molenbeek, this district is located in the valley of the Maalbeek (or Molenbeek) that gave the municipality its name. Originally, the area was part of the former Oostendaal estate. In 1920, it was purchased by the municipality and partly turned into two parks, Albert Park and Marie-José Park, in the triangle formed by the Boulevard Edmond Machtens / Edmond Machtenslaan , the Avenue De Roovere / De Rooverelaan and
17097-508: The urban intellectual elite. The Gaulish language likely survived into the sixth century in France despite considerable Romanization . Coexisting with Latin, Gaulish helped shape the Vulgar Latin dialects that developed into French contributing loanwords and calques (including oui , the word for "yes"), sound changes shaped by Gaulish influence, and influences in conjugation and word order. Recent computational studies suggest that early gender shifts may have been motivated by
17236-485: The use of French in official government publications, public education except in specific cases, and legal contracts; advertisements must bear a translation of foreign words. In Belgium, French is an official language at the federal level along with Dutch and German. At the regional level, French is the sole official language of Wallonia (excluding a part of the East Cantons , which are German-speaking ) and one of
17375-401: The war, the old districts bordering the City of Brussels began to decrease in population. Much of the original Belgian working-class population, when its financial means allowed it, left the lower Molenbeek for Brussels' newly developing suburbs. In this lower part of the town, new immigrant populations moved in, leading to the present-day urban fabric. The depopulation was not addressed until
17514-666: The weapons used in the Porte de Vincennes siege two days after the Charlie Hebdo shooting were sourced from Molenbeek. The bombers of the November 2015 Paris attacks were also traced to Molenbeek; during the Molenbeek capture of Salah Abdeslam , an accomplice of the Paris bombers, protesters "threw stones and bottles at police and press during the arrest", stated the then- Interior Minister of Belgium , Jan Jambon . Oussama Zariouh,
17653-599: The workplace. In 2011, Bloomberg Businessweek ranked French the third most useful language for business, after English and Standard Mandarin Chinese . In English-speaking Canada, the United Kingdom, and Ireland, French is the first foreign language taught and in number of pupils is far ahead of other languages. In the United States, French is the second-most commonly taught foreign language in schools and universities, although well behind Spanish. In some areas of
17792-402: The world's French-speaking population lives in Africa. According to a 2023 estimate from the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie , an estimated 167 million African people spread across 35 countries and territories can speak French as either a first or a second language . This number does not include the people living in non-Francophone African countries who have learned French as
17931-503: The world, with about 50 countries and territories having it as a de jure or de facto official, administrative, or cultural language. Most of these countries are members of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), the community of 54 member states which share the official use or teaching of French. It is spoken as a first language (in descending order of the number of speakers) in France; Canada (especially in
18070-473: Was a rural village on the edge of Brussels, but around the turn of the 19th century, it experienced major growth brought on by a boom in commerce and manufacturing during the Industrial Revolution . Its prosperity declined after the Second World War , owing to deindustrialisation , leading to extensive investment and regeneration. Experiencing a strong movement of immigration, mainly Moroccan , from
18209-819: Was during the period of the Crusades in which French became so dominant in the Mediterranean Sea that became a lingua franca ("Frankish language"), and because of increased contact with the Arabs during the Crusades who referred to them as Franj , numerous Arabic loanwords entered French, such as amiral (admiral), alcool (alcohol), coton (cotton) and sirop (syrop), as well as scientific terms such as algébre (algebra), alchimie (alchemy) and zéro (zero). Within Old French many dialects emerged but
18348-753: Was erected there for the Catholic worship of the new parish. The Rue de Birmingham / Birminghamstraat , the Rue de Manchester / Manchesterstraat , the Rue de la Princesse / Prinsesstraat , the Rue Vanderstraeten / Vanderstraetenstraat and the Rue Isidoor Teirlinck / Isidoor Teirlinckstraat also end there. Located in the south-east of Molenbeek, near the Abattoirs of Anderlecht (the main slaughterhouse in Brussels) and along
18487-463: Was gradually adopted by the inhabitants of Gaul. As the language was learned by the common people, it developed a distinct local character, with grammatical differences from Latin as spoken elsewhere, some of which is attested in graffiti. This local variety evolved into the Gallo-Romance tongues, which include French and its closest relatives, such as Arpitan . The evolution of Latin in Gaul
18626-652: Was known in the Occitan-speaking region as Vergonha . Spoken by 19.71% of the European Union's population, French is the third most widely spoken language in the EU, after English and German and the second-most-widely taught language after English. Under the Constitution of France , French has been the official language of the Republic since 1992, although the Ordinance of Villers-Cotterêts made it mandatory for legal documents in 1539. France mandates
18765-400: Was later rebuilt on its original spot. In 1834–1836, a new Church of St. John the Baptist was built according to the plans of the Brussels architect Louis Spaak [ fr ] . However, the new building soon became cramped, not having been designed for a parish whose expansion was rapid during the second half of the 19th century. In addition, it was plagued by moisture problems, so by
18904-449: Was quite low. The municipality counted 690 inhabitants in 1707 and fewer than 2,000 inhabitants at the beginning of the 19th century. However, following the Industrial Revolution , the population underwent a remarkable growth, peaking at 72,783 in 1910. From then, it began to decrease slightly during the first half of the 20th century to a low of 63,528 in 1961, before increasing again rapidly in recent years. As of 1 January 2020,
19043-594: Was shaped by its coexistence for over half a millennium beside the native Celtic Gaulish language , which did not go extinct until the late sixth century, long after the fall of the Western Roman Empire . The population remained 90% indigenous in origin; the Romanizing class were the local native elite (not Roman settlers), whose children learned Latin in Roman schools. At the time of the collapse of
19182-570: Was the language they use the most at home rose from 67% at the 2007 census to 74% at the 2017 census. In Wallis and Futuna, the percentage of the population who reported that French was the language they use the most at home rose from 10% at the 2008 census to 13% at the 2018 census. According to a demographic projection led by the Université Laval and the Réseau Démographie de l'Agence universitaire de la Francophonie ,
19321-477: Was worthy of a new church to live up to its reputation as the Little Manchester (French: le petit Manchester , Dutch: het Klein Manchester ) or the Belgian Manchester (French: le Manchester belge , Dutch: het Belgisch Manchester ), in reference to the Northern English city that led the history of industrialisation . The project for the new church was entrusted to the architect Joseph Diongre [ fr ] . The Art Deco building, one of
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