Anderlecht (; ) is one of the 19 municipalities of the

Brussels-Capital Region Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a region of Belgium comprising 19 municipalities, including the City of Brussels, which is the capital ...

, Belgium. Located in the south-western part of the region, it is bordered by the

City of Brussels The City of Brussels is the largest List of municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, municipality and historical City centre, centre of the Brussels, Brussels-Capital Region, as well as the capital of the French Community of Belgium, the ...

Forest A forest is an ecosystem characterized by a dense ecological community, community of trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, ...

Molenbeek-Saint-Jean (French language, French, ) or (Dutch language, Dutch, ), often simply called Molenbeek, is one of the List of municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium. Located in the western p ...

, and Saint-Gilles, as well as the Flemish municipalities of

Dilbeek Dilbeek () is a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Provinces of Belgium, province of Flemish Brabant, in the Flemish region of Belgium. The municipality comprises the villages of Dilbeek proper, Groot-Bijgaarden, Itterbeek (with Sint-A ...

and Sint-Pieters-Leeuw. 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. When the languages are just two, it is usually called bilingualism. It is believed that multilingual speakers outnumber monolin ...

(French–Dutch). There are several historically and architecturally distinct districts within Anderlecht. , the municipality had a population of 126,581 inhabitants. The total area is , which gives a

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), 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 geog ...

of . Its upper area is greener and less densely populated.

History

Origins and medieval times

The first traces of human activity on the right bank of the Senne date from the

Stone Age The Stone Age was a broad prehistory, prehistoric period during which Rock (geology), stone was widely used to make stone tools with an edge, a point, or a percussion surface. The period lasted for roughly 3.4 million years and ended b ...

and

Bronze Age The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...

. The remnants of a Roman

villa A villa is a type of house that was originally an ancient Roman upper class country house that provided an escape from urban life. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the f ...

and of a Frankish

necropolis A necropolis (: necropolises, necropoles, necropoleis, necropoli) is a large, designed cemetery with elaborate tomb monuments. The name stems from the Ancient Greek ''nekropolis'' (). The term usually implies a separate burial site at a distan ...

were also found on the territory of Anderlecht. The first mention of the name ''Anderlecht'', however, dates only from 1047 under the forms ''Anrelech'', then ''Andrelet'' (1111), ''Andreler'' (1148), and ''Anderlech'' (1186). At that time, this community was already home to a chapter of canons and to two feudal manors, those of the powerful

lord Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power (social and political), power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the Peerage o ...

s of Aa and of Anderlecht. In 1356, the

Count of Flanders The count of Flanders was the ruler or sub-ruler of the county of Flanders, beginning in the 9th century. Later, the title would be held for a time, by the rulers of the Holy Roman Empire and Spain. During the French Revolution, in 1790, the c ...

, Louis II, fought against

Brussels Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...

on the territory of Anderlecht, in the so-called Battle of Scheut, supposedly over a monetary matter. Although he defeated his sister-in-law, the Duchess of Brabant,

Joanna Joanna is a feminine given name deriving from from . Variants in English include Joan, Joann, Joanne, and Johanna. Other forms of the name in English are Jan, Jane, Janet, Janice, Jean, and Jeanne. The earliest recorded occurrence of th ...

, and briefly took her title, she regained it the following year with the help of the

Holy Roman Emperor The Holy Roman Emperor, originally and officially the Emperor of the Romans (disambiguation), Emperor of the Romans (; ) during the Middle Ages, and also known as the Roman-German Emperor since the early modern period (; ), was the ruler and h ...

, Charles IV. In 1393, Joanna's

charter A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified. It is implicit that the granter retains superiority (or sovereignty), and that the ...

made Anderlecht a part of Brussels. It is also around this time that the

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a place/building for Christian religious activities and praying * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian comm ...

of Saint Guy was rebuilt in Brabantine Gothic style above an earlier Romanesque

crypt A crypt (from Greek κρύπτη (kryptē) ''wikt:crypta#Latin, crypta'' "Burial vault (tomb), vault") is a stone chamber beneath the floor of a church or other building. It typically contains coffins, Sarcophagus, sarcophagi, or Relic, religiou ...

15th–18th centuries

The village of Anderlecht became a beacon of culture in the 15th and 16th centuries. In 1521, the Dutch

humanist Humanism is a philosophical stance that emphasizes the individual and social potential, and agency of human beings, whom it considers the starting point for serious moral and philosophical inquiry. The meaning of the term "humanism" ha ...

writer and

theologian Theology is the study of religious belief from a religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of ...

Erasmus of Rotterdam Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus ( ; ; 28 October c. 1466 – 12 July 1536), commonly known in English as Erasmus of Rotterdam or simply Erasmus, was a Dutch Christian humanist, Catholic priest and theologian, educationalist, satirist, and p ...

stayed in the canons' house for a few months. Charles, Duke of Aumale and Grand Veneur of France also had a residence there. The 17th and 18th centuries were marked by the wars between the

Low Countries The Low Countries (; ), historically also known as the Netherlands (), is a coastal lowland region in Northwestern Europe forming the lower Drainage basin, basin of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta and consisting today of the three modern "Bene ...

and France. During the

Nine Years' War The Nine Years' War was a European great power conflict from 1688 to 1697 between Kingdom of France, France and the Grand Alliance (League of Augsburg), Grand Alliance. Although largely concentrated in Europe, fighting spread to colonial poss ...

, it is from the high ground of Scheut, in the northern part of Anderlecht, that the bombardment of Brussels of 1695 took place. Together with the resulting fire, it was the most destructive event in the entire history of Brussels. On 13 November 1792, right after the Battle of Jemappes, General Dumouriez and the French Revolutionary army routed the

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

ns there once again. Among the consequences were the disbanding of the canons and Anderlecht being proclaimed an independent municipality by the French. KartuisScheut

By the end of the 18th century, Anderlecht including its dependencies, which extended to Brussels' city walls, counted around 2,000 inhabitants. In Scheut, on the site of the Carthusian Monastery, stood a chapel called Our Lady of Scheut, whose pleasant location, in the middle of a grove, made this place very popular at the time.Bart Fransen, ''Restanten van een meesterwerk : de bouwsculptuur van de kapel van Scheut'', in: ''Millennium, Tijdschrift voor middeleeuwse studies'' (in Dutch), 2009, no. 1–2, p. 112–128

19th century and later

The 19th century saw a remarkable population growth, mainly because of the proximity to a rapidly expanding Brussels. The / was laid out in 1828, through the former property of the Carthusians. The population multiplied by ten between 1830 and 1890 and doubled again between 1890 and 1910. Along the / and the Brussels–Charleroi Canal, a series of industrial and

working-class The working class is a subset of employees who are compensated with wage or salary-based contracts, whose exact membership varies from definition to definition. Members of the working class rely primarily upon earnings from wage labour. Most c ...

districts connected the centre of Anderlecht to Cureghem. Remarkable new urban developments and garden cities such as La Roue/Het Rad, Moortebeek and / were built at the beginning of the 20th century to house the influx of newcomers. Following

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, some remaining green parts of the municipality also made way for large-scale

urban renewal Urban renewal (sometimes called urban regeneration in the United Kingdom and urban redevelopment in the United States) is a program of land redevelopment often used to address real or perceived urban decay. Urban renewal involves the clearing ...

following the modernist Athens Charter and

Park system A park system, also known as an open space system, is a network of parks and other green spaces that are connected by public walkways, bridleways or cycleways. The concept first emerged with the need to minimize fragmentation of natural envir ...

, such as the housing projects Scherdemael, Peterbos and Marius Renard in the upper town, and Aurore near the canal. In recent years, Anderlecht has gained international attention thanks to its very successful

football club In association football, a football club (or association football club, alternatively soccer club) is a sports club that acts as an entity through which association football teams organise their sporting activities. The club can exist either as ...

Geography

Location

Anderlecht 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 (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province, and the third-largest city in Belgium by area at , after ...

(

Flanders Flanders ( or ; ) is the Dutch language, Dutch-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 culture, la ...

), and north of

Charleroi Charleroi (, , ; ) is a city and a municipality of Wallonia, located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. It is the largest city in both Hainaut and Wallonia. The city is situated in the valley of the Sambre, in the south-west of Belgium, not ...

(

Wallonia Wallonia ( ; ; or ), officially the Walloon Region ( ; ), is one of the three communities, regions and language areas of Belgium, regions of Belgium—along with Flemish Region, Flanders and Brussels. Covering the southern portion of the c ...

). It is the westernmost municipality in the

and is an important crossing point for the Brussels–Charleroi Canal, which cuts the municipality in two from the west. With an area of , it is also the third largest municipality in the region after the

and

Uccle Uccle (French language, French, ) or Ukkel (Dutch language, Dutch, ) is one of the List of municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium. Located in the southern part of the region, it ...

. It is bordered by the City of Brussels,

, and Saint-Gilles, as well as the Flemish municipalities of

and Sint-Pieters-Leeuw.

Climate

Anderlecht, in common with the rest of Brussels, experiences an

oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen climate classification, Köppen classification represented as ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of co ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

: ''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 borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...

. 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

, in the south of Brussels. The meteorological records which are carried out there are similar to those which could be carried out in Anderlecht.

Districts

The territory of Anderlecht is very heterogeneous and is characterised by a mixture of larger districts including smaller residential and (formerly) industrial neighbourhoods. The area along the canal is currently experiencing a large revitalisation programme, as part of the of the

Historical centre

The historical centre of Anderlecht is the municipality's central district. Formerly known as ''Rinck'', it is divided into several sectors: * The / district, also called the / district, is the meeting point for those who hail to the heart of Anderlecht. It is also where the Place de la Vaillance/Dapperheidsplein (Anderlecht's central square), the Church of St. Guido, the /, as well as Anderlecht's main schools are located. The / is the municipality's main shopping street. It is centred on the / and some neighbouring streets. * The smaller Aumale district in its northern part mainly comprises the / and its surrounding streets. It includes the Erasmus House (a museum devoted to the Dutch

writer and

), the old

beguinage A beguinage, from the French language, French term , is an architectural complex which was created to house beguines: lay religious women who lived in community without taking vows or retiring from the world. Originally the beguine institution w ...

late medieval The late Middle Ages or late medieval period was the period of European history lasting from 1300 to 1500 AD. The late Middle Ages followed the High Middle Ages and preceded the onset of the early modern period (and in much of Europe, the Renai ...

lay

convent A convent is an enclosed community of monks, nuns, friars or religious sisters. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The term is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglican ...

, now a museum dedicated to religious community life), as well as the ''Bibliothèque de l'Espace Maurice Carême'' French-language public library.

Cureghem/Kuregem

Located in the north-east of Anderlecht, Cureghem/Kuregem is one of the municipality's largest and most populated districts. It developed during the

Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution, sometimes divided into the First Industrial Revolution and Second Industrial Revolution, was a transitional period of the global economy toward more widespread, efficient and stable manufacturing processes, succee ...

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. Between 1836 and 1991, the district housed the Royal School of Veterinary Medicine, now moved to

Liège Liège ( ; ; ; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and Municipalities in Belgium, municipality of Wallonia, and the capital of the Liège Province, province of Liège, Belgium. The city is situated in the valley of the Meuse, in the east o ...

but often still referred to as ''Cureghem''. The old campus, listed as protected heritage, is currently undergoing a large rehabilitation process. Three listed buildings—the former Atlas Brewery, the old power station, and the former Moulart Mill—are testaments to the old industrial activities next to the waterway. The Municipal Hall of Anderlecht is located on the /, in the heart of this district. In its lower part, bordering the City of Brussels, are the Square de l'Aviation/Luchtvaartsquare and the /.

Meir

Located to the south of the historical centre of Anderlecht, this district is centred on the Meir Roundabout and Astrid Park, where the

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

club R.S.C. Anderlecht plays its home matches in the Constant Vanden Stock Stadium. Decided shortly before the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, the development of this residential neighbourhood took place mainly between the two

world war A world war is an international War, conflict that involves most or all of the world's major powers. Conventionally, the term is reserved for two major international conflicts that occurred during the first half of the 20th century, World War I ...

s. Aimed at the

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. C ...

, it forms an extremely coherent and well-preserved architectural ensemble where the

Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French (), is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design that first Art Deco in Paris, appeared in Paris in the 1910s just before World War I and flourished in the United States and Europe during the 1920 ...

style predominates.

Veeweyde/Veeweide

/ is centrally located in the upper part of Anderlecht, south of the Meir district. It includes the Busselenberg (a residential area centred around the park of the same name), the smaller Musicians' district (a residential area between the / and the /), as well as the Aurore

housing estate A housing estate (or sometimes housing complex, housing development, subdivision (land), subdivision or community) is a group of homes and other buildings built together as a single development. The exact form may vary from country to count ...

on the banks of the canal.

La Roue/Het Rad

Located in the south of Anderlecht, La Roue/Het Rad ("The Wheel") is one of the municipality's largest districts and one of Brussels' main garden cities. Mostly built in the 1920s, with its modest and

picturesque Picturesque is an aesthetic ideal introduced into English cultural debate in 1782 by William Gilpin in ''Observations on the River Wye, and Several Parts of South Wales, etc. Relative Chiefly to Picturesque Beauty; made in the Summer of the Year ...

houses, it offers a vision of an early 20th-century

neighbourhood. At its southern edge, it is also home to one of the largest agribusiness industry campuses in Belgium: the Food and Chemical Industries Education and Research Center (CERIA/COOVI), as well as large department stores.

Scheut

Located in the north of Anderlecht, Scheut is bounded by the border with the municipality of

to the north, the historical centre of Anderlecht to the south, the Birmingham district to the east, the Scheutveld district to the west and the semi-natural site of the Scheutbos to the north-west. It is in this district, on the /, that lay the foundations of the Scheutveld College, on 28 April 1863, by the Catholic priest Theophile Verbist. The congregation of Scheut Missionaries went on to evangelise China, Mongolia, the Philippines, as well as the

Congo Free State The Congo Free State, also known as the Independent State of the Congo (), was a large Sovereign state, state and absolute monarchy in Central Africa from 1885 to 1908. It was privately owned by Leopold II of Belgium, King Leopold II, the const ...

Belgian Congo The Belgian Congo (, ; ) was a Belgian colonial empire, Belgian colony in Central Africa from 1908 until independence in 1960 and became the Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville). The former colony adopted its present name, the Democratic Repu ...

(modern-day Democratic Republic of the Congo).

Main sights

Anderlecht has a rich cultural and architectural heritage. Some of the main points of interest include: * The Municipal Hall of Anderlecht, located on the /, designed in neo-Flemish Renaissance style by the architect , which was opened in 1879. * The Collegiate Church of St. Peter and St. Guido, located in the municipality's historical centre, on the northern side of the Place de la Vaillance/Dapperheidsplein, its main square. Its Romanesque

dates from the 10th century and is one of the oldest in Belgium. It contains a very old tombstone considered to be the grave of the 11th-century Saint Guy. Most of the church, however, dates from around 1350 and later, with most of the currently visible architecture representing the

Ogee An ogee ( ) is an object, element, or curve—often seen in architecture and building trades—that has a serpentine- or extended S-shape (Sigmoid curve, sigmoid). Ogees consist of a "double curve", the combination of two semicircle, semicircula ...

style (15th–16th centuries). Construction of the tower started in 1517 but ceased with the square part up to the balcony, and was not completed until 1898.Eug. De Seyn, "Geschied- en aardrijkskundig woordenboek der Belgische gemeenten" (''Historic and Geographic Dictionary of Belgian communes''), A. Bieleveld, Brussels 1933-1934. * The Erasmus House, built between 1460 and 1515, with its

medicinal Medicine is the science and Praxis (process), practice of caring for patients, managing the Medical diagnosis, diagnosis, prognosis, Preventive medicine, prevention, therapy, treatment, Palliative care, palliation of their injury or disease, ...

and philosophical gardens, which can be visited nearby. Right next to the church, the old

is home to a local history museum. Both institutions are now managed jointly as the Erasmus House and Beguinage Museums. * The Synagogue of Anderlecht, an Orthodox

synagogue A synagogue, also called a shul or a temple, is a place of worship for Jews and Samaritans. It is a place for prayer (the main sanctuary and sometimes smaller chapels) where Jews attend religious services or special ceremonies such as wed ...

designed in

style by the architect and completed in 1933. * The National Memorial to the Jewish Martyrs of Belgium, a monument commemorating the 24,600 Belgian Jewish martyrs of

, designed by the architects André Godart and Odon Dupire, and completed in 1970. It is located in the centre of the /, which was created for the occasion. * The National Museum of the Resistance, which traces the history of the

Belgian Resistance The Belgian Resistance (, ) collectively refers to the resistance movements opposed to the German occupation of Belgium during World War II, German occupation of Belgium during World War II. Within Belgium, resistance was fragmented between many ...

and

German occupation of Belgium during World War II The German occupation of Belgium (, ) during World War II began on 28 May 1940, when the Belgian army surrendered to German forces, and lasted until Belgium's liberation by the Western Allies between September 1944 and February 1945. It was ...

. * The Museum of China – Scheut, which houses documents and pieces brought back to Europe by the congregation of Scheut Missionaries, including a 15th-century bronze

Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha (),* * * was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist legends, he was ...

. * The Maurice Carême Museum, in the where the Belgian poet lived and wrote. * The ''Luizenmolen'' in Neerpede, a replica of an old

windmill A windmill is a machine operated by the force of wind acting on vanes or sails to mill grain (gristmills), pump water, generate electricity, or drive other machinery. Windmills were used throughout the high medieval and early modern period ...

which once stood on the site. * The ''Cureghem Cellars'' (French: , Dutch: ), a subterranean complex of handmade brick caves with vaults, pillars, and arches, originally the site of a cattle market covered by a forged iron roof in the 1890s. The cellars were simply a foundation for the upper structure until the 1930s, when the city council decided to make better use of them. It proved more profitable to grow mushrooms in the dark and damp underground spaces for local consumption. It fell into disuse as a cattle market but, in 1984, the hall was officially listed as a Belgian monument. Due to its characteristic architecture and unique layout, it was refurbished and transformed by a private company, Abattoir SA. Since 1992, it has served as an event site. One of these was the anatomic exposition '' Body Worlds'' () by Gunther Von Hagens, which ran in the cellars between 2008 and 2009 and attracted over 500,000 visitors. * The Cantillon Brewery, a

gueuze Gueuze (; ) is a type of lambic, a Beer in Belgium, Belgian beer. It is made by Blending (alcohol production), blending young (1-year-old) and old (2- to 3-year-old) lambics, which is bottled for a second Fermentation (food), fermentation. B ...

museum established in an actual working brewery. * The Museum of Medicine, located on the ''Erasme''/''Erasmus'' campus of the

Université libre de Bruxelles The (French language, French, ; lit. Free University of Brussels; abbreviated ULB) is a French-speaking research university in Brussels, Belgium. It has three campuses: the ''Solbosch'' campus (in the City of Brussels and Ixelles), the ''Plain ...

(ULB). * The

Jean-Claude Van Damme Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg (, ; born 18 October 1960), known professionally as Jean-Claude Van Damme (, ), is a Belgian martial artist and actor. Born and raised in Brussels, his father enrolled him in a Shotokan karate schoo ...

statue located on the /, near the Westland Shopping Center. File:Maison d'Érasme.jpg, Erasmus House File:AnderlechtBegijnhof.jpg,

Beguinage A beguinage, from the French language, French term , is an architectural complex which was created to house beguines: lay religious women who lived in community without taking vows or retiring from the world. Originally the beguine institution w ...

of Anderlecht File:Cité de Moortebeek 04.JPG, Moortebeek garden city File:Anderlecht2019 21.jpg, / File:Anderlecht Justice de Paix 2014.JPG, of Anderlecht

Demographics

Historical population

Historically, the population of Anderlecht was quite low. The municipality counted around 2,000 inhabitants at the beginning of the 19th century. However, following the

, the population underwent a remarkable growth, peaking at 103,796 in 1970. From then, it began to decrease slightly to a low of 87,812 in 2000, before increasing again rapidly in recent years. , the population was 126,581. The area is , making the density . Colors= id:a value:gray(0.9) id:b value:gray(0.7) id:c value:rgb(1,1,1) id:d value:rgb(0.7,0.8,0.9) ImageSize = width:900 height:450 PlotArea = left:50 bottom:30 top:30 right:30 DateFormat = x.y Period = from:0 till:130000 TimeAxis = orientation:vertical AlignBars = justify ScaleMajor = gridcolor:b increment:10000 start:0 ScaleMinor = gridcolor:a increment:5000 start:0 BackgroundColors = canvas:c BarData= bar:1806 text:1806 bar:1816 text:1816 bar:1830 text:1830 bar:1846 text:1846 bar:1856 text:1856 bar:1866 text:1866 bar:1876 text:1876 bar:1880 text:1880 bar:1890 text:1890 bar:1900 text:1900 bar:1910 text:1910 bar:1920 text:1920 bar:1930 text:1930 bar:1947 text:1947 bar:1961 text:1961 bar:1970 text:1970 bar:1980 text:1980 bar:1990 text:1990 bar:2000 text:2000 bar:2010 text:2010 bar:2020 text:2020 bar:2024 text:2024 PlotData= color:d width:20 align:left bar:1806 from:0 till: 2028 bar:1816 from:0 till: 2323 bar:1830 from:0 till: 3426 bar:1846 from:0 till: 5966 bar:1856 from:0 till: 7465 bar:1866 from:0 till: 11580 bar:1876 from:0 till: 18615 bar:1880 from:0 till: 22812 bar:1890 from:0 till: 32311 bar:1900 from:0 till: 47929 bar:1910 from:0 till: 64137 bar:1920 from:0 till: 67038 bar:1930 from:0 till: 80046 bar:1947 from:0 till: 86412 bar:1961 from:0 till: 94677 bar:1970 from:0 till: 103796 bar:1980 from:0 till: 95969 bar:1990 from:0 till: 89231 bar:2000 from:0 till: 87812 bar:2010 from:0 till: 104647 bar:2020 from:0 till: 120009 bar:2024 from:0 till: 126581 PlotData= bar:1806 at: 2028 fontsize:s text: 2.028 shift:(-10,5) bar:1816 at: 2323 fontsize:S text: 2.323 shift:(-10,5) bar:1830 at: 3426 fontsize:S text: 3.426 shift:(-10,5) bar:1846 at: 5966 fontsize:S text: 5.966 shift:(-10,5) bar:1856 at: 7465 fontsize:S text: 7.465 shift:(-10,5) bar:1866 at: 11580 fontsize:S text: 11.580 shift:(-10,5) bar:1876 at: 18615 fontsize:S text: 18.615 shift:(-10,5) bar:1880 at: 22812 fontsize:S text: 22.812 shift:(-10,5) bar:1890 at: 32311 fontsize:S text: 32.311 shift:(-10,5) bar:1900 at: 47929 fontsize:S text: 47.929 shift:(-10,5) bar:1910 at: 64137 fontsize:S text: 64.137 shift:(-10,5) bar:1920 at: 67038 fontsize:S text: 67.038 shift:(-10,5) bar:1930 at: 80046 fontsize:S text: 80.046 shift:(-10,5) bar:1947 at: 86412 fontsize:S text: 86.412 shift:(-10,5) bar:1961 at: 94677 fontsize:S text: 94.677 shift:(-10,5) bar:1970 at: 103796 fontsize:S text: 103.796 shift:(-10,5) bar:1980 at: 95969 fontsize:S text: 95.969 shift:(-10,5) bar:1990 at: 89231 fontsize:S text: 89.231 shift:(-10,5) bar:2000 at: 87812 fontsize:S text: 87.812 shift:(-10,5) bar:2010 at: 104647 fontsize:S text: 104.647 shift:(-10,5) bar:2020 at: 120009 fontsize:S text: 120.009 shift:(-10,5) bar:2024 at: 126581 fontsize:S text: 126.581 shift:(-10,5) * Sources: INS: 1806 to 1980 = census; 1990 and later = population on 1 January

Foreign population

Migrant communities in Anderlecht with over 1,000 people as of 1 January 2020:

Politics

The current city council was elected in the October 2018 elections. The current mayor of Anderlecht is Fabrice Cumps, a member of PS, who alongside the other parties on their list, sp.a and cdH, is in coalition on the municipal council with

Ecolo Ecolo (), officially Écologistes Confédérés pour l'organisation de luttes originales (, ) is a French-speaking political party in Belgium based on green politics. The party is active in Wallonia and the Brussels-Capital Region. Ecolo's F ...

Groen Groen or de Groen is a surname of Dutch people, Dutch origin, meaning ''green''.DéFI DéFI (), a backronym of Démocrate fédéraliste indépendant () is a regionalist and social-liberal political party in Belgium mainly known for defending French-speakers' interests in and near the Brussels region. Founded in 1964, the party is ...

and Forward.

Events

The annual Anderlecht fair, originally a cattle fair, was authorised by William II of the Netherlands in 1825. Since then, it has taken the form of a series of celebrations, which still include animal shows but also a large market, a floral show, and the recreation of a religious

procession A procession is an organized body of people walking in a formal or ceremonial manner. History Processions have in all peoples and at all times been a natural form of public celebration, as forming an orderly and impressive ceremony. Religious ...

in honour of Saint Guy.

Economy

The , located at 24, / in Cureghem, is the main

slaughterhouse In livestock agriculture and the meat industry, a slaughterhouse, also called an abattoir (), is a facility where livestock animals are slaughtered to provide food. Slaughterhouses supply meat, which then becomes the responsibility of a mea ...

in Brussels, employing some 1,500 people. In addition to its main activities, the great hall serves as a covered market for food and

flea market A flea market (or swap meet) is a type of street market that provides space for vendors to sell previously owned (secondhand) goods. This type of market is often seasonal. However, in recent years there has been the development of 'formal' ...

s. In recent years, several major international companies have set up their headquarters in Anderlecht, notably the Delhaize Group, which operates many supermarket chains, from 40, Marie Curie Square,

Coca-Cola Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a cola soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. In 2013, Coke products were sold in over 200 countries and territories worldwide, with consumers drinking more than 1.8 billion company beverage servings ...

Benelux at 1424, /, as well as the Belgian chocolate company Leonidas at 41, /.

Healthcare

Several hospitals and clinics are located in Anderlecht: * Erasmus Hospital * Jules Bordet Institute * Joseph Bracops Hospital * St. Anne St. Remigius Clinic

Sports

Football

Anderlecht is the home of the

club

RSC Anderlecht Royal Sporting Club Anderlecht, commonly abbreviated to RSC Anderlecht (, , ) or RSCA (, , ), is a Belgian professional association football, football club based in Anderlecht, Brussels Capital-Region. Anderlecht plays in the Belgian First Div ...

, the most successful Belgian football team in European competition as well as in the

Belgian First Division The Belgian Pro League (; ; ), officially the Jupiler Pro League () for sponsor Jupiler, is a professional association football league in Belgium and the highest level of the Belgian football league system. Contested by 16 clubs from the 2023– ...

with 34 titles. The club's home stadium is the Constant Vanden Stock Stadium, located within Astrid Park. The team colours are white and purple.

Parks and green spaces

Green spaces in the municipality include: * Astrid Park * /, in Scheut * Scherdemael Park * Peterbos Park * Joseph Lemaire Park * Jean Vives Park * /, in Neerpede * /, in Cureghem * The Vogelzang or Vogelenzang, a natural protected area

Famous inhabitants

Portrait of Erasmus of Rotterdam by Hans Holbein d

* Saint Guy ( 950–1012), known as the ''Poor Man of Anderlecht'',

patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, Eastern Orthodoxy or Oriental Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, fa ...

of AnderlechtGuy of Anderlecht at saints.sqpn.com.
Retrieved 26.March 2013 * Adrian VI (1459–1523), pope, theologian, rector at the University of Leuven, canon at the chapter of Anderlecht, lived there. * (1900–1966), politician and mayor of Anderlecht *

Jacques Brel Jacques Romain Georges Brel (; 8 April 1929 – 9 October 1978) was a Belgian singer and actor who composed and performed theatrical songs. He generated a large, devoted following—initially in Belgium and France, but later throughout the world ...

(1929–1978), singer-songwriter and actor. He lived from 1942 to 1951 at 7, /, and worked from 1946 to 1953 in the family cardboard box factory Vanneste & Brel (now SCA Packaging) at 18, /. A nearby

metro station A metro station or subway station is a train station for a rapid transit system, which as a whole is usually called a "metro" or "subway". A station provides a means for passengers to purchase tickets, board trains, and evacuate the syste ...

is named after him. * Maurice Carême (1899–1978), poet * Fernand Dineur (1904–1956), cartoonist * , also known as Zidrou (born 1962),

comic book A comic book, comic-magazine, or simply comic is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panel (comics), panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are often accompanied by descriptive prose and wri ...

artist *

Desiderius Erasmus Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus ( ; ; 28 October c. 1466 – 12 July 1536), commonly known in English as Erasmus of Rotterdam or simply Erasmus, was a Dutch Christian humanist, Catholic priest and Catholic theology, theologian, educationalist ...

(1466–1536),

and theologian * (1939–2006), actor, stage manager and professor of the Théâtre royal des Galeries * (1921–2014), architect * Désiré Keteleer (1920–1970),

cyclist Cycling, also known as bicycling or biking, is the activity of riding a bicycle or other types of pedal-driven human-powered vehicles such as balance bikes, unicycles, tricycles, and quadricycles. Cycling is practised around the world fo ...

* Filip Peeters (born 1962), Flemish actor * Germaine Schneider (1903–1945), Belgian-Swiss member of the

Resistance during World War II During World War II, resistance movements operated in German-occupied Europe by a variety of means, ranging from non-cooperation to propaganda, hiding crashed pilots and even to outright warfare and the recapturing of towns. In many countries, r ...

* Henri Seroka (born 1949), singer and composer * Henri Simonet (1931–1996), politician and mayor of Anderlecht * Jacques Simonet (1963–2007), politician, mayor of Anderlecht, and

Minister-President of the Brussels-Capital Region The minister-president of the Brussels-Capital Region (; ) leads the government of the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium. (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) The post is appointed for five years a ...

* (1899–1981), architect * Philippe Thys (1889–1971), cyclist and three-time champion of the

Tour de France The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage cycle sport, bicycle race held primarily in France. It is the oldest and most prestigious of the three Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours, which include the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a ...

* Tonia (Arlette Antoine Dominicus) (born 1947), singer, represented Belgium at the 11th Eurovision Song Contest in 1966 *

Toots Thielemans Jean-Baptiste Frédéric Isidor, Baron Thielemans (29 April 1922 – 22 August 2016), known professionally as Toots Thielemans (), was a Belgian jazz musician. He was mostly known for playing the chromatic harmonica, as well as his guitar and wh ...

(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. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

musician, lived there. * William Vance (1935–2018), comic book artist * Constant Vanden Stock (1914–2008), entrepreneur, footballer, functionary, and coach of the Belgium national team * Virgile Vandeput (born 1994), Belgian-born alpine skier who competes for Israel * Régine Zylberberg, better known as Régine (1929–2022), chanson singer, actress, clothing designer and nightclub entrepreneur Born in Anderlecht: * Princess Elisabeth (born 2001), Duchess of Brabant, the eldest child of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde; heiress * Princes

Gabriel In the Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam), Gabriel ( ) is an archangel with the power to announce God's will to mankind, as the messenger of God. He is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament and the Quran. Many Chris ...

and Prince Emmanuel of Belgium, Emmanuel and Princess Eléonore of Belgium, Princess Eléonore; 2nd, 3rd and 4th in line to the Monarchy of Belgium, throne of Belgium * Yannick Mertens (born 1987), professional tennis player

International relations

Twin towns and sister cities

Anderlecht is Sister city, twinned with: * Boulogne-Billancourt, France * Berlin-Neukölln, Germany * London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, United Kingdom * Zaandam, Netherlands * Marino, Italy, Marino, Italy In addition, Anderlecht has signed a friendship agreement with: * Sainte-Maxime, France

References

Citations

Bibliography

* * * *

External links

*
Official website
{{Authority control Anderlecht, Municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region Populated places in Belgium Belgium geography articles needing translation from French Wikipedia