This article needs additional citations for verification .(November 2010) |
Ixelles | |
---|---|
![]() Ixelles' Municipal Hall seen from the Place Fernand Cocq/Fernand Cocqplein | |
Coordinates: 50°50′N04°22′E / 50.833°N 4.367°E Coordinates: 50°50′N04°22′E / 50.833°N 4.367°E | |
Country | Belgium |
Community | Flemish Community French Community |
Region | Brussels-Capital |
Arrondissement | Brussels-Capital |
Government | |
• Mayor | Christos Doulkeridis (Ecolo) |
• Governing party/ies | Ecolo / Groen - PS / sp.a |
Area | |
• Total | 6.34 km2 (2.45 sq mi) |
Population (2018-01-01) [1] | |
• Total | 86,513 |
• Density | 14,000/km2 (35,000/sq mi) |
Postal codes | 1050 |
Area codes | 02 |
Website | www.ixelles.be (in French) www.elsene.be (in Dutch) |
Ixelles (French, pronounced [iksɛl] ) or Elsene (Dutch, pronounced [ˈɛlsənə] ( listen )), is one of the 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium. Located to the south-east of Brussels' city centre, it is geographically bisected by the City of Brussels. It is also bordered by the municipalities of Auderghem, Etterbeek, Forest, Uccle, Saint-Gilles and Watermael-Boitsfort.
As of 1 January 2020 [update] , the municipality had a population of 87,632 inhabitants. [2] The total area is 6.34 km2 (2.45 sq mi), which gives a population density of 13,679/km2 (35,430/sq mi). [2] In common with all of Brussels' municipalities, it is legally bilingual (French–Dutch). It is generally considered an affluent area of the city [3] and is particularly noted for its communities of European and Congolese immigrants. [3]
Ixelles is located in the south-east of Brussels and is divided into two parts by the Avenue Louise/Louizalaan, which is part of the City of Brussels. The municipality's smaller western part includes the Rue du Bailli/Baljuwstraat and extends roughly from the Avenue Louise to the Avenue Brugmann/Brugmannlaan, whilst its larger eastern part includes campuses of Brussels' two leading universities; the French-speaking Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB) and the Dutch-speaking Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), along with the Place Eugène Flagey. The Bois de la Cambre/Ter Kamerenbos is located just south of Ixelles.
The construction of the Avenue Louise was commissioned in 1847 as a monumental avenue bordered by chestnut trees that would allow easy access from Brussels' city centre to the popular recreational area of the Bois de la Cambre. It was also to be the first Haussmann-esque artery of the city. Originally, fierce resistance to the project was put up by the town of Ixelles—then, as now, a separate municipality (local authority) from the City of Brussels—through whose territory the avenue was to run. After years of fruitless negotiations, Brussels finally annexed the narrow band of land needed for the avenue, in addition to the Bois de la Cambre itself, in 1864. That decision accounts for the unusual shape of today's City of Brussels and for the separation of Ixelles into two separate areas.
The placename was first mentioned in 1210 as Elsela, from the Old Dutch Else(n)lo, meaning alder woods. [4] The origins of the village date from the foundation of La Cambre Abbey. Hendrik I, Duke of Brabant, donated the Pennebeke domain (Pennebeek was the original name of the Maalbeek spring) to the Cistercian nun Gisela in 1201. She in turn founded the Abbey, and in 1210, acquired property on which the duke ordered the construction of a mill. [5] The marshlands around the Abbey were later drained and sanitised, which resulted in four springs which served as a source of fish for the Abbey's inhabitants and the neighbouring hamlets. [6] The Abbey was located near the springs of the Maelbeek river in the Sonian Forest, the remnant of which closest to Brussels became known as the Bois de la Cambre/Ter Kamerenbos in the 19th century. The Abbey was recognised by Jan III van Bethune, the Bishop of Cambrai, in 1202, soon after its foundation. [7] The saints Boniface of Brussels and Alice of Schaerbeek were two of its most famous residents in the 13th century.
Around 1300, during the reign of John II, Duke of Brabant, a hostel was built near the Abbey to provide meals to the wood bearers working in the forest. Soon, a hamlet and a couple of chapels were built, including the Church of the Holy Cross (French: Église Sainte-Croix, Dutch: Heilig-Kruiskerk), also inaugurated by the Bishop of Cambrai and dedicated to Mary and the Holy Cross in 1459 (the Bishop of Cambrai is said to have brought two pieces of the original cross with him). [8] Initially, these hamlets and provisions were constructed for the labourers that helped drain and sanitise the marshlands. At that time, part of Ixelles was a dependence of Brussels; the other part was the property of the local lord.
In 1478, the wars between Louis XI of France and Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor, brought devastation to the Abbey and the surrounding areas. In 1585, during the period of the Habsburg Netherlands, the Spanish burnt down most of the buildings to prevent them from being used as a refuge by Calvinists. The Abbey was restored in time for the Joyous Entry of the Archdukes Albert and Isabella in 1599. Further manors and castles (Ermitage, Ten Bosch and Ixelles, for example) were built in Ixelles in the 16th century, gradually transforming the hamlet into a full-fledged village.
Thanks to the Maalbeek springs and the purity of its waters, a brewing industry became active in the area. It started inside the Abbey, but by the 16th century, had expanded beyond its walls. Due to the liberalisation of beer manufacturing by the Council of Brabant in 1602, the industry grew, which resulted in a lively scene by the banks of the spring. By the 17th and 18th centuries, around 20 breweries-cabarets had settled in Ixelles, among which Saint-Hubert, De Sterre and L'Italie. [5]
In 1795, like many other towns surrounding Brussels, Ixelles was proclaimed a separate municipality by the French regime after the Revolution. The municipalities of Neder-Elsene ("Lower Ixelles", where the Abbey is located), Opper-Elsene ("Upper Ixelles", a Brussels suburb), Boondaal, Tenbos, and Solbos, all became part of Ixelles. Moreover, the Abbey was stripped of its religious functions, becoming among others a cotton-manufacturing plant, a farm, a military school, and a hospital. Many of the medieval gates of Brussels that lined what is now the Small Ring were taken down and more streets were built to accommodate the migration towards the suburbs. Ixelles' population grew nearly one-hundredfold, from 677 in 1813 to more than 58,000 in 1900.[ citation needed ] With this intense growth also came the Frenchification of the municipality.
At the end of the 19th century, some of the ponds were drained, leaving only the so-called "Ixelles Ponds", and a new Church of the Holy Cross was built in 1860. The first trams appeared in 1884 and the first cinema in 1919. By then, Ixelles and the Avenue Louise had become one of the most fashionable areas of Brussels. Artists and celebrities moved in, leading to architectural novelties such as Art Nouveau and Art Deco.
Ixelles is known throughout Belgium for its large community of people of African origin. This population is mainly concentrated near the Namur Gate and the Chaussée d'Ixelles/Elsensesteenweg, and the neighbourhood is nicknamed Matongé or Matongué after the marketplace and commercial district with the same name in Kalamu, Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of the Congo). The core of Matongé was formed in late 1950s by the foundation of Maisaf (an abbreviation of Maison Africaine or African House) which served as a centre and residence for university students from the Belgian Congo. After Congolese independence in 1960, the district faced an influx of immigrants from the new state who shaped the neighbourhood in a style to resemble the original Matongé. During the sixties and into the seventies, the area was a well known meeting place for students and diplomats from Zaire. At the time they were known locally as Belgicains.[ citation needed ] There are also communities from other African countries, mainly from Rwanda, Burundi, Mali, Cameroon, and Senegal, present in the district.
The famous shopping arcades; the Galerie d'Ixelles and the Galerie de la Porte de Namur, are both located in the heart of Matongé. In the gallery and the adjoining streets, a large number of specialised food shops and suppliers can be found. The area is renowned for its clothes, shoes and material shops, hairdressers and wigmakers, booksellers, jewellers and craft shops, making the area unmissable for many local and even international visitors, men and women, young and old. Over 45 different nationalities amongst the residents and shopkeepers can be counted, including most African countries. Statistically, many of the shopkeepers are not necessarily local residents. Amongst the visitors and window shoppers to Matongé are many who appreciate African fashion and the lifestyle.
The district also attained notoriety from the early 2000s with gang violence perpetrated by African gangs, partly composed of exiled child soldiers like Black Démolition. It was the scene of race riots in January 2001. Matongé, with its more recent immigrant communities from Latin America, Pakistan, and India along with African ones, is seen as a symbol of multiculturalism in Belgium. The local authorities, community groups and residents with a certain degree of success have more recently re-established the area as a safe place to visit. As the area and property ages there is increased pressure and interest from property developers to expand the European Quarter on one side and the fashionable Avenue Louise on the other, effectively Matongé is sandwiched between the two.
Every year since 2001 at the end of June, a successful multi-cultural festival, Matongé en Couleurs, has been organised in the area. The date coincides with the celebration of Congolese independence. The film Juju Factory , released in 2006, was partly filmed in the area. The local television channel BX1 (formerly Télé Bruxelles) broadcasts a weekly magazine programme, Téle Matongé XL.
The pedestrian street Rue Longue Vie/Lange-Levenstraat is full of snack-bars where African food is sold. Most of these have been decorated by the famous Afro-European artist John Bush. Le Soleil d'Afrique has almost become his museum, with not only his original paintings on display, but also other painted surfaces and furniture.
Several fairs are organised in Ixelles, including the Spring Fair on the Place Eugène Flagey, which takes place between the fourth and sixth Sunday after Easter, as well as the Boondael Fair at the end of July.[ citation needed ]
Migrant communities in Ixelles with over 1,000 people as of 1 January 2020: [11]
![]() | 11,470 |
![]() | 4,504 |
![]() | 2,540 |
![]() | 1,795 |
![]() | 1,793 |
![]() | 1,750 |
![]() | 1,378 |
![]() | 1,188 |
![]() | 1,107 |
![]() | 1,045 |
The current city council was elected in the October 2018 elections. [12] The current mayor of Ixelles is Christos Doulkeridis , a member of Ecolo, who is in coalition on the municipal council with PS - sp.a. [13]
![]() | ||||||||||
Party | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Votes | % | Swing (pp) | Elected 2018 | Change | ||||||
Ecolo - Groen | 10,817 | 33.05 | ![]() | 16 / 43 (37%) | ![]() | |||||
MR - Open Vld | 8,364 | 25.55 | ![]() | 12 / 43 (28%) | ![]() | |||||
PS - sp.a | 6,190 | 18.91 | ![]() | 9 / 43 (21%) | ![]() | |||||
DéFI | 2,342 | 7.16 | ![]() | 2 / 43 (5%) | ![]() | |||||
PVDA-PTB | 2,049 | 6.26 | ![]() | 2 / 43 (5%) | ![]() | |||||
cdH - CD&V (Objective XL) | 1,817 | 5.55 | ![]() | 2 / 43 (5%) | ![]() | |||||
N-VA | 960 | 2.93 | ![]() | 0 / 43 (0%) | - | |||||
Volt | 191 | 0.58 | New | 0 / 43 (0%) | - |
Ixelles is twinned with:
Born in Ixelles:
Lived in Ixelles:
Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, is a region of Belgium comprising 19 municipalities, including the City of Brussels, which is the capital of Belgium. The Brussels-Capital Region is located in the central portion of the country and is a part of both the French Community of Belgium and the Flemish Community, but is separate from the Flemish Region and the Walloon Region. Brussels is the most densely populated region in Belgium, and although it has the highest GDP per capita, it has the lowest available income per household. It covers 162 km2 (63 sq mi), a relatively small area compared to the two other regions, and has a population of over 1.2 million. The five times larger metropolitan area of Brussels comprises over 2.5 million people, which makes it the largest in Belgium. It is also part of a large conurbation extending towards Ghent, Antwerp, Leuven and Walloon Brabant, home to over 5 million people.
Etterbeek is one of the 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium. It neighbours 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).
Schaerbeek or Schaarbeek is one of the 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium. Located in the north-eastern part of the region, it is bordered by the City of Brussels, Etterbeek, Evere and Saint-Josse-ten-Noode. In common with all of Brussels' municipalities, it is legally bilingual (French–Dutch).
The City of Brussels is the largest municipality and historical centre of the Brussels-Capital Region, as well as the capital of the Flemish Region and Belgium. The City of Brussels is also the administrative centre of the European Union, as it hosts a number of principal EU institutions in its European Quarter.
The Bois de la Cambre (French) or Ter Kamerenbos (Dutch) is an urban public park in Brussels, Belgium. It lies in the south of the Brussels-Capital Region, in the municipality of the City of Brussels, and covers an area of 1.23 km2 (0.47 sq mi), forming a natural offshoot of the Sonian Forest, which penetrates deep into the city in the south-east of Brussels. It is linked to the rest of the municipality by the Avenue Louise/Louizalaan, which was built in 1861, at the same time the park was laid out.
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 and is particularly noted for its community of French immigrants.
La Cambre Abbey or Ter Kameren Abbey is a former Cistercian abbey in the City of Brussels, Belgium. It is located in the Maelbeek valley between the Bois de la Cambre/Ter Kamerenbos and the Ixelles Ponds. The abbey church is a Catholic parish of the Archdiocese of Mechelen–Brussels and home to a community of Norbertine canons, while other parts of the monastery house the headquarters of the Belgian National Geographic Institute and La Cambre, a prestigious visual arts school.
Tenbosch Park, Tenbosch or Tenbos, is a public park in the municipality of Ixelles in Brussels, Belgium. Although relatively small with an area of 2 ha, it is an exquisitely landscaped park popular among local residents. It is surrounded by a wall and offers an unexpected oasis of calm in a busy district.
The Avenue Louise (French) or Louizalaan (Dutch) is a major thoroughfare in Brussels, Belgium. It is located in the southern part of the City of Brussels, on the border with the municipality of Ixelles, where it runs south–east from the Place Louise/Louizaplein to the Bois de la Cambre/Ter Kamerenbos, covering a distance of 2.7 km (1.7 mi). It is named in honour of King Leopold II's eldest daughter, Princess Louise (1858–1924).
The Place Eugène Flagey (French) or Eugène Flageyplein (Dutch), usually shortened to the Place Flagey, or Flagey by locals, is a square in the Brussels municipality of Ixelles, Belgium. It bears the name of a former mayor of Ixelles, Eugène Flagey.
The Résidence de la Cambre is the first high-rise building constructed in Brussels, Belgium. It was built in 1938–39, according to the plans of the architect Marcel Peeters, in a style inspired by New York Art Deco architecture. The 17-story residential tower, which stands at 20, Boulevard Général Jacques/Generaal Jacqueslaan, near the Place de l’Étoile/Sterrenplein in Ixelles, was listed as a protected monument on 14 July 2005. In April 2007, €740,000 were granted by the Government of the Brussels-Capital Region to renovate the facade and roof.
The Ixelles Ponds or Elsene Ponds are two freshwater ponds in the Brussels municipality of Ixelles, Belgium. The ponds we can see today are those spared by a 19th-century campaign of drying the wetlands of the Maalbeek valley between La Cambre Abbey and the Place Eugène Flagey.
The Francization of Brussels refers to the evolution, over the past two centuries, of this historically Dutch-speaking city into one where French has become the majority language and lingua franca. The main cause of this transition was the rapid, yet compulsory assimilation of the Flemish population, amplified by immigration from France and Wallonia.
The following is a timeline of the history of Brussels, Belgium.
The Archdiocese of Mechelen–Brussels is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Belgium. It is the primatial see of Belgium and the centre of the Ecclesiastical Province governed by the Archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels, which covers the whole of Belgium. It was formed in 1559 and the bishop has a seat in two cathedrals, St. Rumbold's Cathedral in Mechelen and the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula in Brussels. The current archbishop is Jozef De Kesel, who was installed in November 2015.
The Namur Gate was one of the medieval city gates of the second walls of Brussels, Belgium. In the 21st century, Namur Gate denotes the Ixelles neighbourhood where the gate formerly stood, rather than the former gate itself. This area is served by Porte de Namur/Naamsepoort metro station on lines 2 and 6 of the Brussels Metro.
The Flagey Building also known as Radio House is a building located in Ixelles, a municipality of Brussels, Belgium, housing the Flagey cultural centre. It is located on the south-western corner of Place Eugène Flagey/Eugène Flageyplein, with its main entrance on the Place Sainte-Croix/Heilig-Kruisplein.
The Avenue Franklin Roosevelt (French) or Franklin Rooseveltlaan (Dutch) is an avenue in Brussels, Belgium. It is located in the southern part of the City of Brussels, near the border with the municipality of Ixelles, where it runs parallel to the Bois de la Cambre/Ter Kamerenbos. It is named in honour of the 32nd President of the United States, Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882–1945).
The Art Deco movement of architecture and design appeared in Brussels, Belgium, immediately after World War I when the famed architect Victor Horta began designing the Centre for Fine Arts, and continued until the beginning of World War II in 1939. It took its name from the International Exposition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts held in Paris in 1925. At the end of World War II, Art Deco in Brussels faded to make way for the modernist and international architectural styles that would mark the postwar period.
The Chaussée de Waterloo (French) or Waterloosesteenweg (Dutch), is a long north–south arterial road from Brussels to Waterloo, Belgium. It begins at the Halle Gate in the Brussels municipality of Saint-Gilles, continues a course towards the south-east until the Bascule area of Uccle, then turns south in the direction of Waterloo, where it changes its name to become the Chaussée de Bruxelles and continues in the direction of Genappe and Charleroi (Wallonia) until the regional border. Its length is 12.4 kilometres (7.7 mi) and its width between 15 and 18 metres.
Media related to Ixelles at Wikimedia Commons