Anderlecht

Geschiedenis

Anderlecht is one of the nineteen municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region. Located in the southwest of the city, it is bordered by the City of Brussels, Dilbeek, Forest, Molenbeek-Saint-Jean, Saint-Gilles and Sint-Pieters-Leeuw. There are several historically and architecturally distinct districts within the Anderlecht municipality. In common with all the Brussels municipalities, it is legally bilingual.On February 1, 2015, the municipality had a population of around 118,414. The total area is 17.74 km² which gives a population density of 6,610 inhabitants per km².HistoryOrigins and medieval timesThe first traces of human activity on the right bank of the Senne date from the Stone Age and Bronze Age. The remnants of a Roman villa and of a Frankish necropolis 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 lords of Aa and of Anderlecht.