Etterbeek | |
---|---|
Coordinates: 50°50′N 04°23′E / 50.833°N 4.383°E | |
Country | Belgium |
Community | Flemish Community French Community |
Region | Brussels-Capital |
Arrondissement | Brussels-Capital |
Government | |
• Mayor | Vincent De Wolf (MR) |
• Governing party/ies | LB-Ecolo-PS |
Area | |
• Total | 3.17 km2 (1.22 sq mi) |
Population (2020-01-01)[1] | |
• Total | 48,473 |
• Density | 15,000/km2 (40,000/sq mi) |
Postal codes | 1040 |
NIS code | 21005 |
Area codes | 02 |
Website | www.etterbeek.be/fr (in French) www.etterbeek.be/nl (in Dutch) |
Etterbeek (French: [etœʁbek, -bɛk] ; Dutch: [ˈɛtərˌbeːk] ) is one of the 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium. Located in the eastern part of the region, it is bordered by the municipalities of Auderghem, the City of Brussels, Ixelles, Schaerbeek, Woluwe-Saint-Lambert and Woluwe-Saint-Pierre. In common with all of Brussels' municipalities, it is legally bilingual (French–Dutch).
According to legend, Saint Gertrude of Nivelles, daughter of Pippin of Landen, founded a chapel there in the 8th century. A document by Holy Roman Emperor Otto I, dated 966, mentions the church of Iatrebache. The name Ietrebecca—possibly from the Celtic root ett meaning "rapid movement" and the Dutch word beek meaning "stream"—is found for the first time in a document dated 1127. The current spelling appears eleven years later in 1138, around which time a newer and larger church was built.
In the Middle Ages, Etterbeek was a rural hamlet mostly independent of Brussels, aside from taxation rights on beer given to Brussels around 1300 by Duke John II of Brabant. The following two centuries counted several grievous moments: in 1489, Duke Albert III of Saxony ravaged Etterbeek in his pursuit of the rebels who fought against Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian; in 1580, the village was destroyed again, this time by iconoclasts during the Protestant Reformation wars. Peace returned under the reigns of the Archdukes Albert VII and Isabella.
In 1673, Etterbeek gained its independence from neighbouring Sint-Genesius-Rode, when King Charles II of Spain promoted it into a barony. The first baron was Don Diego-Henriquez de Castro, general treasurer of the Netherlands armies. The Castro house was sold in 1767 and can still be seen today as Etterbeek's oldest building.
Under the French regime, Etterbeek was made into a commune, within the canton of Sint-Stevens-Woluwe. From then on, and especially after the Belgian Revolution of 1830 and the development of Brussels as a capital city, the population of Etterbeek grew quickly. In 1876, there were more than 10,000 inhabitants, in 1900 more than 20,000, and in 1910 more than 33,000. In the 1900s (decade), under the reign of King Leopold II, construction boomed and changed the town's character with the addition of the broad avenues and residential areas that exist today.
The main university campus of Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) is called Campus Etterbeek, although it is geographically not within Etterbeek but in the adjacent Ixelles.
Etterbeek has a large immigrant population, with both the EU and non-European migrant communities outnumbering the native Belgians. Akin to neighbouring Ixelles and Schaerbeek, Etterbeek also has a large Muslim population, mainly of North African origin.[3]
Group of origin | Year | |
---|---|---|
2023[4] | ||
Number | % | |
Belgians with Belgian background | 11,169 | 22.54% |
Belgians with foreign background | 13,191 | 26.62% |
Neighbouring country | 1,695 | 3.42% |
EU27 (excluding neighbouring country) | 2,207 | 4.45% |
Outside EU 27 | 9,289 | 18.74% |
Non-Belgians | 25,198 | 50.85% |
Neighbouring country | 6,233 | 12.58% |
EU27 (excluding neighboring country) | 11,734 | 23.68% |
Outside EU 27 | 7,231 | 14.59% |
Total | 49,558 | 100% |
Etterbeek is served by Etterbeek railway station but, like the neighbouring campus of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), it is also located in Ixelles. Etterbeek currently has one railway station (Mérode) and three metro stations (Mérode, Thieffry and Pétillon).
This article needs to be updated.(December 2022) |
A project is currently proposed to redevelop an area of Etterbeek near the Avenue des Casernes/Kazernelaan. This project would result in the Municipal Hall and police station being relocated to new buildings in a central administrative centre on this site.[5] The new site is being called the Jardins de la Chasse in French or Tuinen van de Jacht in Dutch. Demolition of the former CPAS building on the site started in 2014,[6] and building of houses on the site started in 2016, with construction of the new Municipal Hall awaiting administrative approval.[7] Municipal offices are forecast to move to the new location in summer 2018. The site of the current Municipal Hall may in the future be used for further residential development.[6]
Etterbeek hosts an annual medieval market. Previously held at the end of May on Avenue du 2ème Régiment de Lanciers/2de Lansiers Regimentlaan to the south of the municipality, in recent years, it has taken place at the Cinquantenaire.
Born in Etterbeek:
Lived part of their life in Etterbeek:
Buried in Etterbeek:
Etterbeek is twinned with: