(
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
, ) or (
Dutch, ), often simply called Molenbeek, is one of the
19 municipalities of the
Brussels-Capital Region
Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
, Belgium. Located in the western part of the region, it is bordered by the
City of Brussels
The City of Brussels (french: Ville de Bruxelles or alternatively ''Bruxelles-Ville'' ; nl, Stad Brussel or ''Brussel-Stad'') is the largest municipality and historical centre of the Brussels-Capital Region, as well as the capital of the Fl ...
, from which it is separated by the
Brussels–Charleroi Canal
The Brussels–Charleroi Canal, also known as the Charleroi Canal amongst other similar names, (french: canal Bruxelles-Charleroi, nl, kanaal Brussel-Charleroi) is an important canal in Belgium. The canal is quite large, with a Class IV Frey ...
, as well as by the municipalities of
Anderlecht
Anderlecht (, ) 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 ...
,
Berchem-Sainte-Agathe
Berchem-Sainte-Agathe ( French, ) or Sint-Agatha-Berchem (Dutch, ), often simply called Berchem, is one of the 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium. Located in the north-western part of the region, it is bordered by Gansh ...
,
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
Multilingualism is the use of more than one language, either by an individual speaker or by a group of speakers. It is believed that multilingual speakers outnumber monolingual speakers in the world's population. More than half of all ...
(French–Dutch).
From its origins in the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
until the 18th century, Molenbeek 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
The Industrial Revolution was the transition to new manufacturing processes in Great Britain, continental Europe, and the United States, that occurred during the period from around 1760 to about 1820–1840. This transition included going f ...
. Its prosperity declined after the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
, owing to
deindustrialisation, leading to extensive investment and regeneration. Knowing a strong movement of immigration, mainly
Moroccan, from the 1950s and 1960s, Molenbeek became increasingly
multicultural with a minority
Muslim population.
In the early 21st century, it gained international attention as the
base of
Islamist terrorists who carried out attacks in both
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...
and
Brussels
Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
. Nowadays, it is a mostly residential municipality consisting of several historically and architecturally distinct districts.
, the municipality had a population of 97,979 inhabitants.
The total area is , which gives a
population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...
of , twice the average of Brussels.
Its upper area is greener and less densely populated.
Toponymy
Etymology
The name ''Molenbeek'' derives from two
Dutch words: ', meaning "mill", and ', meaning "brook";
[Anne-Cécile Wagner, ''Molenbeek entre moulins et ruisseau'', ''Le Soir'', 15 July 2005] and could be literally translated as "Millbrook" in English. It 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 ran 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
In linguistics, a suffix is an affix which is placed after the stem of a word. Common examples are case endings, which indicate the grammatical case of nouns, adjectives, and verb endings, which form the conjugation of verbs. Suffixes can carr ...
in French or in Dutch, meaning "Saint John", refers to the
parish
A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or ...
's
patron saint
A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, or Eastern Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or perso ...
;
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''.
Pronunciation
In
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
, is pronounced (the "-beek" is pronounced with a long "a", like "bake" in English), and in Dutch, is pronounced . Inhabitants of Molenbeek are known in French as (pronounced ) and in Dutch as (pronounced ). In France, the pronunciations ("-bek" with a short "e", like "beck" in English) and (for ) 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 the abbreviations ''Molen'' and ''Molem'' are common among younger speakers.
History
Rural beginnings
As early as the 9th century, Molenbeek was the site of a
church
Church may refer to:
Religion
* Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities
* Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination
* Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship
* Chri ...
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 the rest of the parish following the construction of
Brussels' second city walls and gradually became the current
St. Catherine's Church in the / neighbourhood of Brussels. The first documented mention of Molenbeek was made on 9 April 1174 in a
papal bull by
Pope Alexander III
Pope Alexander III (c. 1100/1105 – 30 August 1181), born Roland ( it, Rolando), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 7 September 1159 until his death in 1181.
A native of Siena, Alexander became pope after a con ...
listing the property of the
chapter of the
Collegiate Church of St. Michael and St. Gudula (now 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
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
, Molenbeek was known for its miraculous spring of
Saint Gertrude of Nivelles
Gertrude of Nivelles, OSB (also spelled ''Geretrude'', ''Geretrudis'', ''Gertrud''; c. 628 – 17 March 659) was a seventh-century abbess who, with her mother Itta, founded the Abbey of Nivelles, now in Belgium.
Life Family and childhood
The ea ...
, the mythical founder of
Nivelles Abbey, which attracted thousands of pilgrims. According to legend, she visited Molenbeek and offered 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
Epilepsy is a group of non-communicable neurological disorders characterized by recurrent epileptic seizures. Epileptic seizures can vary from brief and nearly undetectable periods to long periods of vigorous shaking due to abnormal electrica ...
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 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
Pieter Brueghel (also Bruegel or Breughel) the Younger (, ; ; between 23 May and 10 October 1564 – between March and May 1638) was a Flemish painter, known for numerous copies after his father Pieter Bruegel the Elder's work as well as h ...
, dating from 1592, illustrates this procession.
Molenbeek was made part of
Brussels
Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
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 the
Calvinist
Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John C ...
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.
Industrialisation
At the end of the 18th century, the
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was the transition to new manufacturing processes in Great Britain, continental Europe, and the United States, that occurred during the period from around 1760 to about 1820–1840. This transition included going f ...
brought prosperity back to Molenbeek through commerce and manufacturing. In 1785, the town regained its status as an independent municipality. Around that time, Molenbeek experienced its first wave of
urbanisation
Urbanization (or urbanisation) refers to the population shift from rural to urban areas, the corresponding decrease in the proportion of people living in rural areas, and the ways in which societies adapt to this change. It is predominantly the ...
with the constructions of streets in the neighbourhoods to the immediate west of the
City of Brussels
The City of Brussels (french: Ville de Bruxelles or alternatively ''Bruxelles-Ville'' ; nl, Stad Brussel or ''Brussel-Stad'') is the largest municipality and historical centre of the Brussels-Capital Region, as well as the capital of the Fl ...
, such as the /, the /, the /, and the current /.
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 the
Brussels–Charleroi Canal
The Brussels–Charleroi Canal, also known as the Charleroi Canal amongst other similar names, (french: canal Bruxelles-Charleroi, nl, kanaal Brussel-Charleroi) is an important canal in Belgium. The canal is quite large, with a Class IV Frey ...
in 1832 greatly increased the traffic of
coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen.
Coal is formed when ...
and thus the
mechanisation of industry, which led to the development of
foundries, engineering and
metalworking
Metalworking is the process of shaping and reshaping metals to create useful objects, parts, assemblies, and large scale structures. As a term it covers a wide and diverse range of processes, skills, and tools for producing objects on every scale ...
companies in the municipality. Attracted by the industrial opportunities, many workers moved in, first from the other
Belgian provinces
The Kingdom of Belgium is divided into three regions. Two of these regions, Flanders and Wallonia, are each subdivided into five provinces. The third region, Brussels, does not belong to any province and nor is it subdivided into provinces. Inst ...
(mainly rural residents from
Flanders
Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to cultu ...
) and France, then from
Southern Europe
Southern Europe is the southern region of Europe. It is also known as Mediterranean Europe, as its geography is essentially marked by the Mediterranean Sea. Definitions of Southern Europe include some or all of these countries and regions: Alb ...
an, and more recently from
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is a subregion of the European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic connotations. The vast majority of the region is covered by Russia, whi ...
an and
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
n countries.
The growth of 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
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The ...
'' (french: le petit Manchester, link=no, nl, het Klein Manchester, link=no) or the ''Belgian Manchester'' (french: le Manchester belge, link=no, nl, het Belgisch Manchester, link=no), in reference to the
Northern English city that led the history of
industrialisation
Industrialisation ( alternatively spelled industrialization) is the period of social and economic change that transforms a human group from an agrarian society into an industrial society. This involves an extensive re-organisation of an econo ...
.
On 5 May 1835, Molenbeek was the departure site of the
first passenger train in
continental Europe
Continental Europe or mainland Europe is the contiguous continent of Europe, excluding its surrounding islands. It can also be referred to ambiguously as the European continent, – which can conversely mean the whole of Europe – and, by ...
.
At the end of the 19th century, Brussels annexed and reintegrated the canal area within its
new port, which was thus lost to Molenbeek.
20th century
Until the early 20th century, Molenbeek was a booming
suburb
A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separ ...
which attracted a large
working-class
The working class (or labouring class) comprises those engaged in manual-labour occupations or industrial work, who are remunerated via waged or salaried contracts. Working-class occupations (see also " Designation of workers by collar colou ...
population. Remarkable new urban developments and
garden cities such as the Cité Diongre were built at the beginning of the century to house the influx of newcomers.
[https://www.lafonderie.be/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/II._Le_quartier_rural_1869-1930.pdf ] The
Church of St. John the Baptist was also rebuilt between 1930 and 1932 in
Art Deco
Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unit ...
style to accommodate this growing populace.
The
industrial decline
Deindustrialization is a process of social and economic change caused by the removal or reduction of industrial capacity or activity in a country or region, especially of heavy industry or manufacturing industry.
There are different interpre ...
, however, which had already started before
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
, accelerated after the
Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
and
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
.
Following the industrial decline after the war, the old districts bordering the
City of Brussels
The City of Brussels (french: Ville de Bruxelles or alternatively ''Bruxelles-Ville'' ; nl, Stad Brussel or ''Brussel-Stad'') is the largest municipality and historical centre of the Brussels-Capital Region, as well as the capital of the Fl ...
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 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
Urban renewal (also called urban regeneration in the United Kingdom and urban redevelopment in the United States) is a program of land redevelopment often used to address urban decay in cities. Urban renewal involves the clearing out of blighte ...
following the modernist
Athens Charter
The Athens Charter (french: Charte d'Athènes, Greek: Χάρτα των Αθηνών) was a 1933 document about urban planning published by the Swiss architect Le Corbusier. The work was based upon Le Corbusier’s '' Ville Radieuse'' (Radiant Ci ...
, such as the Tour L'Écluse along the / 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, a museum of social and industrial history built on the site of the former
foundry
A foundry is a factory that produces metal castings. Metals are cast into shapes by melting them into a liquid, pouring the metal into a mold, and removing the mold material after the metal has solidified as it cools. The most common metals pr ...
of the ''Compagnie des Bronzes de Bruxelles''.
21st century
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 the most impoverished districts of the municipality. 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
The French Community (1958–1960; french: Communauté française) was the constitutional organization set up in 1958 between France and its remaining African colonies, then in the process of decolonization. It replaced the French Union, which ...
and numerous businesses.
Attempts at revitalising the municipality have, however, not always been successful. In June 2011, the multinational company
BBDO
BBDO is a worldwide advertising agency network, with its headquarters in New York City. The agency originated in 1891 with the George Batten Company, and in 1928, through a merger with Barton, Durstine & Osborn (BDO), the agency became Batten, B ...
, 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.
Terrorism
According to ''
Le Monde
''Le Monde'' (; ) is a French daily afternoon newspaper. It is the main publication of Le Monde Group and reported an average circulation of 323,039 copies per issue in 2009, about 40,000 of which were sold abroad. It has had its own website si ...
'', 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
On the afternoon of 24 May 2014, a gunman opened fire at the Jewish Museum of Belgium in Brussels, killing four people. Three of them, an Israeli couple on holiday and a French woman, died at the scene. The fourth victim, a Belgian employee o ...
, Mehdi Nemmouche, lived in Molenbeek for a time. Ayoub El Khazzani, the perpetrator of the
2015 Thalys train attack
On 21 August 2015, a man opened fire on a Thalys train on its way from Amsterdam to Paris. Four people were injured, including the assailant. French, American and British passengers confronted the attacker and subdued him when his rifle jammed. ...
, stayed with his sister in Molenbeek. French police believe 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
The November 2015 Paris attacks () were a series of coordinated Islamist terrorist attacks that took place on Friday, 13 November 2015 in Paris, France, and the city's northern suburb, Saint-Denis. Beginning at 9:15p.m., three suicide bombers ...
were also traced to Molenbeek; during the Molenbeek capture of
Salah Abdeslam
Salah Abdeslam ( ar, صلاح عبد السلام, lit=Ṣalāḥ ʿAbd as-Salām; ; born 15 September 1989) is a French Islamic terrorist who was sentenced to life in prison in 2022 as the sole surviving member of the 10-man unit that carried ...
, 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
Jan Jambon (born 26 April 1960 in Genk) is a Belgian politician of the New Flemish Alliance (N-VA) who has been serving as Minister-President of Flanders since 2019. He replaced Kris Peeters as a member of the Belgian Chamber of Representative ...
. Oussama Zariouh, the
bomber of Brussels Central Station in June 2017, lived in Molenbeek.
=November 2015 Paris attacks
=
At least four of the terrorists in the
November 2015 Paris attacks
The November 2015 Paris attacks () were a series of coordinated Islamist terrorist attacks that took place on Friday, 13 November 2015 in Paris, France, and the city's northern suburb, Saint-Denis. Beginning at 9:15p.m., three suicide bombers ...
—the brothers
Brahim and
Salah Abdeslam
Salah Abdeslam ( ar, صلاح عبد السلام, lit=Ṣalāḥ ʿAbd as-Salām; ; born 15 September 1989) is a French Islamic terrorist who was sentenced to life in prison in 2022 as the sole surviving member of the 10-man unit that carried ...
, alleged accomplice
Mohamed Abrini
Mohamed Abrini ( ar, محمد أبريني, born 27 December 1984) is a Belgian Islamic terrorist. On 29 June 2022 he was convicted of involvement in the November 2015 Paris attacks and received a sentence of life imprisonment with a minimum ter ...
, and the alleged mastermind
Abdelhamid Abaaoud—grew up and lived in Molenbeek. According to former French President
François Hollande
François Gérard Georges Nicolas Hollande (; born 12 August 1954) is a French politician who served as President of France from 2012 to 2017. He previously was First Secretary of the Socialist Party (France), First Secretary of the Socialist P ...
, that was also where they organised 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
A bureau de change (plural bureaux de change, both ) (British English) or currency exchange (American English) is a business where people can exchange one currency for another.
Nomenclature
Although originally French, the term "bureau de chan ...
office in January 2010, where he shot at police with a
Kalashnikov rifle. The then-mayor of Brussels,
Freddy Thielemans, and the then-mayor of Molenbeek,
Philippe Moureaux, described the shooting as a ''""'' (a small daily news item) and "normal in a large city", causing controversy.
=Police investigation
=
Since several of the attackers in the
Brussels
Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
and
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...
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 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.
Geography
Location
Molenbeek is located in the north-central part of Belgium, about from the Belgian coast and about from Belgium's southern tip. It is located in the heartland of the Brabantian Plateau, about south of
Antwerp
Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504, (
Flanders
Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to cultu ...
), and north of
Charleroi
Charleroi ( , , ; wa, Tchålerwè ) is a city and a municipality of Wallonia, located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. By 1 January 2008, the total population of Charleroi was 201,593. (
Wallonia
Wallonia (; french: Wallonie ), or ; nl, Wallonië ; wa, Waloneye or officially the Walloon Region (french: link=no, Région wallonne),; nl, link=no, Waals gewest; wa, link=no, Redjon walone is one of the three regions of Belgium—al ...
). It is the third westernmost municipality in the
Brussels-Capital Region
Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
after
Anderlecht
Anderlecht (, ) 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 ...
and
Berchem-Sainte-Agathe
Berchem-Sainte-Agathe ( French, ) or Sint-Agatha-Berchem (Dutch, ), often simply called Berchem, is one of the 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium. Located in the north-western part of the region, it is bordered by Gansh ...
and is an important crossing point for the
Brussels–Charleroi Canal
The Brussels–Charleroi Canal, also known as the Charleroi Canal amongst other similar names, (french: canal Bruxelles-Charleroi, nl, kanaal Brussel-Charleroi) is an important canal in Belgium. The canal is quite large, with a Class IV Frey ...
, which borders the municipality to the east. With an area of , 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.
Climate
Molenbeek, in common with the rest of Brussels, experiences an
oceanic climate
An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ...
(
Köppen: ''Cfb'') with warm summers and cool winters.
Proximity to coastal areas influences the area's climate by sending marine air masses from the
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...
. 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) is located in
Uccle
Uccle () or Ukkel () is one of the 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium. In common with all of Brussels' municipalities, it is legally bilingual (French–Dutch). It is generally considered an affluent area of the city an ...
, in the south of Brussels. The meteorological records which are carried out there are similar to those which could be carried out in Molenbeek.
Districts
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
The working class (or labouring class) comprises those engaged in manual-labour occupations or industrial work, who are remunerated via waged or salaried contracts. Working-class occupations (see also " Designation of workers by collar colou ...
, predominantly migrant, communities, mostly of
Moroccan (mainly
Riffian and
Berber
Berber or Berbers may refer to:
Ethnic group
* Berbers, an ethnic group native to Northern Africa
* Berber languages, a family of Afro-Asiatic languages
Places
* Berber, Sudan, a town on the Nile
People with the surname
* Ady Berber (1913–19 ...
) descent, with many being second- and third-generation. The upper area, close to the
Greater Ring (Brussels' second ring road), features newer construction and is mostly
middle-class
The middle class refers to a class of people in the middle of a social hierarchy, often defined by occupation, income, education, or social status. The term has historically been associated with modernity, capitalism and political debate. Com ...
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 of the
Brussels-Capital Region
Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
.
Lower Molenbeek
Historical centre
The historical centre of Molenbeek is the municipality's central district. It developed during the
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was the transition to new manufacturing processes in Great Britain, continental Europe, and the United States, that occurred during the period from around 1760 to about 1820–1840. This transition included going f ...
along the
Brussels–Charleroi Canal
The Brussels–Charleroi Canal, also known as the Charleroi Canal amongst other similar names, (french: canal Bruxelles-Charleroi, nl, kanaal Brussel-Charleroi) is an important canal in Belgium. The canal is quite large, with a Class IV Frey ...
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 /, at the heart of this district.
Duchesse (Quatre-vents)
Located to the south of the historical centre of Molenbeek, this district is centred on the /. 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 was erected there for the
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
worship of the new parish.
The /, the /, the /, the / and the / also end there.
Heyvaert
Located in the south-east of Molenbeek, near the Abattoirs of
Anderlecht
Anderlecht (, ) 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 ...
(the main
slaughterhouse
A slaughterhouse, also called abattoir (), is a facility where animals are slaughtered to provide food. Slaughterhouses supply meat, which then becomes the responsibility of a packaging facility.
Slaughterhouses that produce meat that is no ...
in Brussels) and along the Charleroi Canal, Heyvaert is part of the larger / district and is bounded by the /, the Rue de Birmingham, the Place de la Duchesse de Brabant, the Rue Isidoor Teirlinck, the /, and the / (formerly the /, because of its proximity to the canal lock; meaning "lock" in French).
Maritime
Located in 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, link=no, nl, Maritiem Station, link=no), a
freight
Cargo consists of bulk goods conveyed by water, air, or land. In economics, freight is cargo that is transported at a freight rate for commercial gain. ''Cargo'' was originally a shipload but now covers all types of freight, including tran ...
station on the
Tour & Taxis
Tour & Taxis (french: Tour et Taxis, nl, Thurn en Taxis) is a large former industrial site in Brussels, Belgium. It is situated on the Brussels Canal in the City of Brussels, just north-west of the city centre, immediately adjacent to Laeken ...
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 the small and large
bourgeoisie
The bourgeoisie ( , ) is a social class, equivalent to the middle or upper middle class. They are distinguished from, and traditionally contrasted with, the proletariat by their affluence, and their great cultural and financial capital. Th ...
, were also from the outset of great diversity.
Upper Molenbeek
Karreveld
Located in the north of the upper part of Molenbeek, Karreveld Park and its surrounding district are named after the former domain of the Karreveld Castle, which now covers . Today, it is a mostly residential neighbourhood between the /, the / and the railroad.
Korenbeek
Located in the north-east of Molenbeek, Korenbeek is home to
Molenbeek Cemetery between the Chaussée de Gand and the /. 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.
Machtens (Marie-José)
Located in 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 /, the / and the /. They were designed by the architect and urban planner Louis Van der Swaelmen, and are named after King
Albert I Albert I may refer to:
People Born before 1300
*Albert I, Count of Vermandois (917–987)
*Albert I, Count of Namur ()
* Albert I of Moha
*Albert I of Brandenburg (), first margrave of Brandenburg
*Albert I, Margrave of Meissen (1158–1195)
*Alber ...
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 Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...
. The name is of Germanic origin and is composed of ''Odso'' + ''-inga'' + ''gem'', meaning "residence of the people of Odso". An old country road, today's /, which led to the Chaussée de Gand near the current
Osseghem/Ossegem metro station, connected the hamlet to Molenbeek and Brussels.
Scheutbos (Mettewie)
Located in the extreme west of Molenbeek, near the Boulevard Louis Mettewie, the Scheutbos (or Scheutbosch) is the municipality's remaining "green" area, home to the likewise named semi-natural site of the Scheutbos.
Main sights
Molenbeek-Saint-Jean has a rich cultural and architectural heritage. Some of the main points of interest include:
* The Municipal Hall of Molenbeek, located on the /, designed in
eclectic
Eclectic may refer to:
Music
* ''Eclectic'' (Eric Johnson and Mike Stern album), 2014
* ''Eclectic'' (Big Country album), 1996
* Eclectic Method, name of an audio-visual remix act
* Eclecticism in music, the conscious use of styles alien to th ...
style by the architect Jean-Baptiste Janssens, which was opened in 1889.
* The
Church of St. John the Baptist, a
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
parish church
A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...
designed in
Art Deco
Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unit ...
style by the architect and built in 1931–32, which has been listed as a
protected monument
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
since 1984.
* The Church of
St. Remigius
Remigius (french: Remi or ; – January 13, 533), was the Bishop of Reims and "Apostle of the Franks". On 25 December 496, he baptised Clovis I, King of the Franks. The baptism, leading to about 3000 additional converts, was an important event ...
, located on the /, a
neo-Gothic building completed in 1907.
* The Church of
St. Barbara, located on the /, another neo-Gothic building completed in 1894 and listed since 1998.
*
Molenbeek Cemetery, which contains remarkable monuments, including funerary galleries and a
columbarium built in 1880.
* The Karreveld Castle and surrounding park which are used for cultural events and the meetings of the municipal council. At the beginning of the 20th century, it was one of the birth places of
Belgian Cinema
Cinema of Belgium refers to the film industry based in Belgium. Belgium is essentially a bi-lingual country divided into the Flemish (Dutch-speaking) north and the French-speaking south. There is also a small community of German speakers in the ...
. At the request of
Charles Pathé
Charles Morand Pathé (; 26 December 1863 – 25 December 1957) was a pioneer of the French film and recording industries. As the founder of Pathé Frères, its roots lie in 1896 Paris, France, when Pathé and his brothers pioneered the d ...
(
Pathé
Pathé or Pathé Frères (, styled as PATHÉ!) is the name of various French businesses that were founded and originally run by the Pathé Brothers of France starting in 1896. In the early 1900s, Pathé became the world's largest film equipment ...
Cinéma), the director
Alfred Machin commissioned the first film studio in the country, together with a workshop for the construction of film sets and a mini zoological garden for exotic animals, such as bears, camels and panthers used as 'extras' in films. Several films, including the first two Belgian feature films ''La Fille de Delft'' and the sadly prophetic ''
Maudite soit la guerre'' (in hand-painted colours) were shot by Alfred Machin in the studio of the Karreveld Castle. Since 1999, the castle hosts from mid-July to September the , a theatre festival open to other
performing arts
The performing arts are arts such as music, dance, and drama which are performed for an audience. They are different from the visual arts, which are the use of paint, canvas or various materials to create physical or static art objects. Perfo ...
(magic, music, circus, etc.).
* The Municipal Museum of Molenbeek (MoMuse), housed in the prestigious building of the Academy of Drawing and Visual Arts.
* The ''Vaartkapoen'' statue, on the /.
Moreover, several rundown industrial buildings have been renovated and converted into prime real estate and other community functions. Examples include:
* The ''Fonderie'', a former
smelter
Smelting is a process of applying heat to ore, to extract a base metal. It is a form of extractive metallurgy. It is used to extract many metals from their ores, including silver, iron, copper, and other base metals. Smelting uses heat and a c ...
of the ''Compagnie des Bronzes de Bruxelles'', operational from 1854 to 1979, now home to
Brussels' Museum of Industry and Labour. The museum focuses on the industry, coupled with the social history of Molenbeek, and the impact of industrialisation on the development of the municipality.
* The ''Raffinerie'', a former
sugar refinery, now the site of a cultural and modern dance complex.
* The ''Bottelarij'', a bottling plant that housed the Royal Flemish Theatre during its renovation in the centre of Brussels.
* The
Millennium Iconoclast Museum of Art (MIMA), a museum dedicated to culture 2.0 and to
urban art
Urban means "related to a city". In that sense, the term may refer to:
* Urban area, geographical area distinct from rural areas
* Urban culture, the culture of towns and cities
Urban may also refer to:
General
* Urban (name), a list of people ...
opened in April 2016, in the former buildings of the
Belle-Vue brewery, and is the first of the kind in Europe.
* The impressive buildings of the former goods station of
Tour & Taxis
Tour & Taxis (french: Tour et Taxis, nl, Thurn en Taxis) is a large former industrial site in Brussels, Belgium. It is situated on the Brussels Canal in the City of Brussels, just north-west of the city centre, immediately adjacent to Laeken ...
and the surrounding area bordering the municipality, which will be turned into residences, as well as commercial enterprises.
* Brussels' Circus School, installed in the buildings of Tour & Taxis.
File:Chateau du Karreveld - Molenbeek.jpg, Karreveld Castle
File:Doperremig19.jpg, World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
memorial on the /
File:Molenbeek Cité Diongre N°33-34 30006.jpg, Cité Diongre garden city
File:Fonderie Bxl.JPG, The ''Fonderie'', Brussels' Museum of Industry and Labour
Demographics
Historical population
Historically, the population of Molenbeek was quite low. The municipality counted fewer than 2,000 inhabitants at the beginning of the 19th century. However, following the
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was the transition to new manufacturing processes in Great Britain, continental Europe, and the United States, that occurred during the period from around 1760 to about 1820–1840. This transition included going f ...
, 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.
, the population was 97,979.
The area is , making the density .
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.
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*
Sources: INS: 1806 to 1981= census; 1990 and later = population on 1 January
Foreign population
The population has been described as "mainly Muslim" in the media;
however, actual figures are estimated to range between 25% and 40%, depending on the
catchment area
In human geography, a catchment area is the area from which a location, such as a city, service or institution, attracts a population that uses its services and economic opportunities. Catchment areas may be defined based on from where people are ...
.
Belgium does not collect statistics by ethnic background or religious beliefs, so exact figures are unknown. An October, 2020 news story reports thus "Molenbeek, which has a large Muslim population, has become notorious as a radical hotbed.".
, there is one main minority group in Molenbeek,
Belgian Moroccans. That year,
Françoise Schepmans
Françoise Schepmans (born 18 June 1960, Sint-Agatha-Berchem) is a Belgian politician for the Mouvement Réformateur, a French-speaking liberal party in Belgium. She has been a member of the Parliament of the Brussels-Capital Region and the Par ...
, then-mayor of Molenbeek, stated that 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".
Migrant communities in Molenbeek with over 1,000 people as of 1 January 2020:
Politics
Molenbeek is governed by an elected municipal council and an executive college of the mayor and aldermen. The longtime mayor from 1992 to 2012 was Philippe Moureaux (
PS). Following the
Belgian local elections, 2012
The Belgian provincial, municipal and district elections of 2012 took place on 14 October. As with the previous 2006 elections, these are no longer organised by the Belgian federal state but instead by the respective regions:
* Brussels with 1 ...
, an alternative majority was formed headed by then-mayor
Françoise Schepmans
Françoise Schepmans (born 18 June 1960, Sint-Agatha-Berchem) is a Belgian politician for the Mouvement Réformateur, a French-speaking liberal party in Belgium. She has been a member of the Parliament of the Brussels-Capital Region and the Par ...
(
MR) and consisting of MR (15 seats),
CDH-
CD&V
Christian Democratic and Flemish (, , CD&V) is a Flemish Christian-democratic political party in Belgium. The party has historical ties to both trade unionism (ACV) and trade associations ( UNIZO) and the Farmer's League. Until 2001, the party w ...
(6 seats) and
Ecolo-
Groen
Groen or de Groen is a surname of Dutch origin, meaning ''green''. (4 seats). The Socialist Party (16 seats) became the opposition next to the
Workers' Party of Belgium (PTB),
Democratic Federalist Independent (DéFI), the ISLAM party and the
New Flemish Alliance
The New Flemish Alliance ( nl, Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie, N-VA) is a Flemish nationalist and conservative political party in Belgium. The party was founded in 2001 by the right-leaning fraction of the centrist-nationalist People's Union (VU).
...
(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. is the current mayor.
Mayors
Historical list of
mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...
s or
burgomaster
Burgomaster (alternatively spelled burgermeister, literally "master of the town, master of the borough, master of the fortress, master of the citizens") is the English form of various terms in or derived from Germanic languages for the chie ...
s of Molenbeek:
* 1800–1812: J.-B. De Roy
* 1812–1818: FR. De Putte
* 1818–1819: V. Van Espen
* 1819–1830: F. Vanderdussen
* 1830–1836: Ch. Deroy
* 1836–1842: P.-J. Meeüs
* 1843–1848: A. Vander Kindere
* 1848–1860: H.-J.-L. Stevens
* 1861–1863: J.-B. De Bauche
* 1864–1875: L.-A. De Cock
* 1876–1878: G. Mommaerts
* 1879–1911: Henri Hollevoet (liberal)
* 1914–1938: Louis Mettewie (liberal)
* 1939–1978: Edmond Machtens (PSB)
* 1978–1988: Marcel Piccart (
PS, later
FDF)
* 1988–1992: Léon Spiegels (PRL)
* 1992–2012:
Philippe Moureaux (PS)
* 2013–2018: Françoise Schepmans (
MR)
* 2018–present: Catherine Moureaux (PS)
Sports
As in the rest of Brussels, sport in Molenbeek is under the responsibility of the
Communities
A community is a social unit (a group of living things) with commonality such as place, norms, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given geographical area (e.g. a country, village, to ...
. The (
ADEPS ''Adeps'' may refer to:
* ''Adeps'', a genus of beetles in the family Tenebrionidae
Darkling beetle is the common name for members of the beetle family Tenebrionidae. The number of species in the Tenebrionidae is estimated at more than 20,000 an ...
) is responsible for recognising the various French-speaking sports federations. Its Dutch-speaking counterpart is (formerly called
BLOSO
Sport Vlaanderen is the Flemish sports agency. Within Belgium, it is the Flemish counterpart of French-speaking ADEPS. Both agencies were founded in 1969 to succeed the state-founded national INEPS/NILOS.
Until 2016 Sport Vlaanderen was called B ...
).
Football
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 the
Belgian first division. It folded at the end of 2012–13 as a member of the
Belgian Second Division
The Belgian Second Division (known as the Proximus League for sponsorship reasons) was the second-highest division in the Belgian football league system, one level below the Belgian Pro League. It was founded by the Royal Belgian Football Assoc ...
. Since 2015, its reincarnation,
RWDM47
Racing White Daring de Molenbeek 47, also known as RWD Molenbeek and often referred to as RWDM, is a Belgian professional football club founded in 1951 as Standaard Wetteren. In 2015, Wetteren folded and merged with another club, liberating the ...
, is back playing in the fourth division. The club's home stadium is the
Edmond Machtens Stadium
The Edmond Machtens Stadium (french: Stade Edmond Machtens, nl, Edmond Machtensstadion) is a football stadium located in the municipality of Molenbeek-Saint-Jean in Brussels, Belgium. The stadium has a capacity of 12,266.
It was the home of Bel ...
.
Other sports
The municipality is home to the
Royal Daring Hockey Club Molenbeek, a field hockey club.
Education
Most of Molenbeek pupils between the ages of 3 and 18 go to schools organised by the
French-speaking Community
In Belgium, the French Community (french: Communauté française; ) refers to one of the three constituent constitutional linguistic communities. Since 2011, the French Community has used the name Wallonia-Brussels Federation (french: Fédé ...
or the
Flemish Community
The Flemish Community ( nl, Vlaamse Gemeenschap ; french: Communauté flamande ; german: Flämische Gemeinschaft ) is one of the three institutional communities of Belgium, established by the Belgian constitution and having legal responsibilitie ...
.
Primary education
There are 17 French-language and six Dutch-language primary schools in Molenbeek.
Secondary education
*
Athénée royal Serge Creuz (French-speaking)
* Athaneum Toverfluit (Dutch-speaking)
Transportation
Road network
The / in the north of Molenbeek is part of a monumental east–west axis, at the end of which is the
National Basilica of the Sacred Heart in
Koekelberg. Some other main roads that cross the municipality are the /, the / and the / running east–west, as well as the / running north–south.
Public transport
Molenbeek is served by
Brussels' metro lines
1,
2,
5 and
6, with
Comte de Flandre/Graaf van Vlaanderen,
Étangs Noirs/Zwarte Vijvers,
Osseghem/Ossegem,
Belgica
Gallia Belgica ("Belgic Gaul") was a province of the Roman Empire located in the north-eastern part of Roman Gaul, in what is today primarily northern France, Belgium, and Luxembourg, along with parts of the Netherlands and Germany.
In 50 BC, a ...
,
Beekkant,
Gare de l'Ouest/Weststation (Brussels-West Station), and
Ribaucourt stations. Brussels-West and Beekkant are connected to all the metro lines and are
multimodal transport hubs in western Brussels. The former will also gain importance in the framework of the
Brussels Regional Express Network (RER/GEN)'s development, which will connect the capital and surrounding towns. Additionally, a comprehensive
bus and
tram
A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport ...
service links Molenbeek to other parts of the region. The municipality also has a number
Villo! public bicycle stations on its territory.
Waterways
Molenbeek is on the route of the second largest axis of the Belgian network of inland
waterway
A waterway is any navigable body of water. Broad distinctions are useful to avoid ambiguity, and disambiguation will be of varying importance depending on the nuance of the equivalent word in other languages. A first distinction is necessary ...
s, that is the Antwerp–Brussels–Charleroi axis via the maritime
Scheldt
The Scheldt (french: Escaut ; nl, Schelde ) is a river that flows through northern France, western Belgium, and the southwestern part of the Netherlands, with its mouth at the North Sea. Its name is derived from an adjective corresponding to ...
, the Maritime Canal and the
Brussels–Charleroi Canal
The Brussels–Charleroi Canal, also known as the Charleroi Canal amongst other similar names, (french: canal Bruxelles-Charleroi, nl, kanaal Brussel-Charleroi) is an important canal in Belgium. The canal is quite large, with a Class IV Frey ...
.
Parks and green spaces
Green spaces in the municipality include:
* Scheutbos Park, a regional nature park of
* Semi-natural site of the Scheutbos, a protected area of
* Karreveld Park
* Marie-José Park
* Albert Park
* Muses' Park
* Hauwaert Park
* Bonnevie Park
* Fonderie Park
File:Scheutbospark.jpg,
File:Molenbeek - Parc Albert.jpg,
File:Tour et Taxis - Brussels Skyline.jpg,
Notable inhabitants
*
Salah Abdeslam
Salah Abdeslam ( ar, صلاح عبد السلام, lit=Ṣalāḥ ʿAbd as-Salām; ; born 15 September 1989) is a French Islamic terrorist who was sentenced to life in prison in 2022 as the sole surviving member of the 10-man unit that carried ...
(b. 1989), French
jihadist terrorist involved in the
November 2015 Paris attacks
The November 2015 Paris attacks () were a series of coordinated Islamist terrorist attacks that took place on Friday, 13 November 2015 in Paris, France, and the city's northern suburb, Saint-Denis. Beginning at 9:15p.m., three suicide bombers ...
*
Montasser AlDe'emeh (b. 1989), Belgian-Palestinian researcher
* (1913–1999), politician,
senator
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
, and mayor of
Jette, was born there.
* (Norbert Benoit Van Peperstaete) (1910–1993), filmmaker
* (1856–1943), politician, author, and
Minister of State
Minister of State is a title borne by politicians in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a Minister of State is a Junior Minister of government, who is assigned to assist a specific Cabinet Minister. I ...
* (b. 1928), artist
* (1924–1996), painter
* (1908–1986), musician
*
Eugène Demolder (1862–1919), writer
* (1878–1963),
modernist architect
* (1898–1949), professor at the
Brussels Conservatory
The Royal Conservatory of Brussels (french: Conservatoire royal de Bruxelles, nl, Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussel) is a historic conservatory in Brussels, Belgium. Starting its activities in 1813, it received its official name in 1832. Provid ...
, violinist and teacher of the violinist
Arthur Grumiaux
* (1877–1962), architect of the
Citroën
Citroën () is a French automobile brand. The "Automobiles Citroën" manufacturing company was founded in March 1919 by André Citroën. Citroën is owned by Stellantis since 2021 and previously was part of the PSA Group after Peugeot acquired 8 ...
building (now part of
KANAL - Centre Pompidou), was born there.
*
Ferdinand Elbers (1862–1943), mechanic,
trade union
A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ...
ist, politician, and senator
* (1906–1997), politician
* (1839–1923), founder of the newspaper ''La Pensée'', leader of the Belgian freethinking movement and co-founder of the
Socialist International
The Socialist International (SI) is a political international or worldwide organisation of political parties which seek to establish democratic socialism. It consists mostly of socialist and labour-oriented political parties and organisation ...
* (1899–1984), actor, was born there.
*
Eugène Laermans (1864–1940), painter and
engraver
* , Esq. (1881–1957), politician, senator, and mayor of
Itterbeek, was born there.
*
Marka, Serge Van Laeken (b. 1961), singer, songwriter, composer and filmmaker
* (1793–1873), industrialist, politician, mayor of
Neder-over-Heembeek in 1830 and Molenbeek from 1836 to 1842, registrar of the
Court of Audit A Court of Audit or Court of Accounts is a Supreme audit institution, i.e. a government institution performing financial and/or legal audit (i.e. Statutory audit or External audit) on the executive branch of power.
See also
*Most of those ins ...
from 1831 to 1836, decorated with the
Belgian Iron Cross. He lived at 7, Faubourg de Flandre.
* (1870-1935), painter
* , also known as Norge (1898–1990), poet
*
Philippe Moureaux (1939–2018), politician, senator, mayor of Molenbeek, and Professor of
Economic History
Economic history is the academic learning of economies or economic events of the past. Research is conducted using a combination of historical methods, statistical methods and the application of economic theory to historical situations and i ...
at the
Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB)
* (1845–1915),
geologist
A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid, liquid, and gaseous matter that constitutes Earth and other terrestrial planets, as well as the processes that shape them. Geologists usually study geology, earth science, or geophysics, althou ...
,
palaeontologist
Paleontology (), also spelled palaeontology or palæontology, is the scientific study of life that existed prior to, and sometimes including, the start of the Holocene epoch (roughly 11,700 years before present). It includes the study of foss ...
, and curator of the
Museum of Natural Sciences of Belgium
* (1924–1988), writer
*
Zeynep Sever (b. 1989),
Miss Belgium 2008
* (1912–1997), architect and painter
* (1889–1978), war pilot, aircraft manufacturer including of the famous
Stampe SV-4
*
Eric Struelens (b. 1969), professional
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
player
*
Herman Teirlinck
Herman Louis Cesar Teirlinck (Sint-Jans-Molenbeek, 24 February 1879 – Beersel-Lot, 4 February 1967) was a Belgian writer. He was the fifth child and only son of Isidoor Teirlinck and Oda van Nieuwenhove, who were both teachers in Brussels. As ...
(1879–1967), writer
*
Pierre Tetar van Elven (1828–1908), painter
*
Toots Thielemans (1922–2016),
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...
artist
*
Henri Joseph Thomas (1878–1972), painter
*
Pierre Van Humbeeck (1829–1890), politician and Minister of Education
*
Leon Vanderkindere
Leon, Léon (French) or León (Spanish) may refer to:
Places
Europe
* León, Spain, capital city of the Province of León
* Province of León, Spain
* Kingdom of León, an independent state in the Iberian Peninsula from 910 to 1230 and again fro ...
(1842–1906), historian and prominent professor at the
Free University of Brussels, was born there.
*
Philippe Vandermaelen (1795–1869), world-renowned
geographer and
cartographer
Cartography (; from grc, χάρτης , "papyrus, sheet of paper, map"; and , "write") is the study and practice of making and using maps. Combining science, aesthetics and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality (or an ...
. He founded the geographical establishment of Brussels in Molenbeek.
*
Franky Vercauteren (b. 1956), Belgian
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...
personality
* (1874–1962), painter, was born there.
*
Thierry Zéno
Thierry Zéno (born Thierry Jonard; 22 April 1950 – 7 June 2017)
, retrieved 10 May 2009. was a (1950–2017), author-filmmaker
International relations
Twin towns and sister cities
Molenbeek is
twinned with:
*
Oujda
Oujda ( ar, وجدة; ber, ⵡⵓⵊⴷⴰ, Wujda) is a major Moroccan city in its northeast near the border with Algeria. Oujda is the capital city of the Oriental region of northeastern Morocco and has a population of about 558,000 people. It ...
, Morocco
*
Levallois-Perret, France
References
Notes
Bibliography
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Further reading
*
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External links
*
{{Authority control
Molenbeek-Saint-Jean
Islam in Belgium
Moroccan diaspora in Europe
Turkish diaspora in Europe
Municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region
Populated places in Belgium