Etterbeek


Etterbeek 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.

History

Origins and etymology

According to legend, Saint Gertrude of Nivelles, daughter of Pippin of Landen, founded a chapel there in the 8th century. A document by Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor, 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.

Middle Ages

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 John II, Duke of Brabant. The following two centuries counted several grievous moments: in 1489, Albert III, Duke 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 Wars of Religion. Peace returned under the reigns of the Archdukes Albert VII and Isabella.

Barony and municipality

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 Spanish Netherlands armies. The Barony 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, during 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.

Main sights

Etterbeek has a rich cultural and architectural heritage. Some of the main points of interest include:
  • The Church of St. Anthony of Padua, a Catholic church, designed in neo-Gothic style and built between 1905 and 1935, which has been listed as a protected monument since 2004.
  • The Church of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, located on the Rue de Tervaete/Tervaetestraat, a neo-Romanesque building completed in 1954.
  • A third church—the Church of St. Gertrude—was demolished in 1993, as it was in danger of collapsing.
  • The Cauchie House, a town house built in 1905 by the Art Nouveau architect, painter, and designer Paul Cauchie. Its facade is remarkable for its allegorical sgraffiti.
  • Of a completely different character, the Barony House dates from 1680 and is the municipality's oldest surviving dwelling.
  • The Fondation René Carcan, a foundation and museum in the engraver and sculptor René Carcan's old studio, was located in Etterbeek.
  • The Chaussée de Wavre/Waversesteenweg has, since 27 September 2014, featured a series of large scale Le Chat drawings by the cartoonist Philippe Geluck, who was born and raised in this neighbourhood. The 24 drawings extend over a total length of.
  • Etterbeek has a few green areas, including Jean-Félix Hap Garden. The better known Parc du Cinquantenaire/Jubelpark lies on the territory of both the City of Brussels and Etterbeek, and Leopold Park borders the municipality's territory.
The main university campus of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel is called Campus Etterbeek, although it is geographically not within Etterbeek but in the adjacent Ixelles.

Demographics

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.

Transport

Etterbeek is served by Etterbeek railway station but, like the neighbouring campus of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, it is also located in Ixelles. Etterbeek currently has one railway station and three metro stations.

Sports

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. 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, and building of houses on the site started in 2016, with construction of the new Municipal Hall awaiting administrative approval. 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.

Events

Etterbeek hosts an annual medieval market. Previously held at the end of May on the Avenue du Deuxième Régiment de Lanciers/Tweede Lansiers Regimentelaan in the south of the municipality, in recent years, it has taken place at the Cinquantenaire.

Notable inhabitants

Born in Etterbeek:
Lived part of their life in Etterbeek:
Buried in Etterbeek:

Twin towns and sister cities

Etterbeek is twinned with: