Schaerbeek

Schaerbeek (obsolete Dutch spellin, retained in French, pronoonced [skaʁˈbek]) or Schaarbeek (Dutch, prononced [ˈsçaːrbeːk] ( listen)) is ane o the nineteen municipalities locatit in the Brussels-Caipital Region o Belgium. The first mention o the name wis Scarenbecca, recordit in a document frae the Bishop o Cambrai in 1120.^[1] The oreegin o the name mey come frae the Franconian (Auld Dutch) wirds schaer (notch, score) an beek (creek).^[2]

Schaerbeek is nicknamed "the ceety o donkeys" (la cité des ânes or de ezelsgemeente). This name is reminiscent o times when fowk o Schaerbeek, who wur cultivators o sour cherries primarily for Kriek production, wad arrive at the Brussels merketplace wi donkeys laden wi sour cherries.

"Dountoun Schaerbeek" is home tae a lairge Turkis immigrant community, a significant pairt o which oreeginates frae Afyon/Emirdağ, Turkey. It is an aa hame tae a lairge Moroccan population an ither immigrant communities.

"Uptoun Schaerbeek" is nouadays a location selectit bi EU- an affluent fowk for its airchitectur an its convenient location (close tae the EU an financial hert o the ceety, the airport an heich-gates). Young couples are an aa favourin this suburb for its "Notting Hill" atmosphere an the still reasonable pricin o the estate, while prices are on the surge iverywhaur else in Brussels.

The Schaerbeek Cemetery, despite its name, is actually in the neighbourin municipality o Evere.

History

Antiquity an Middle Ages

The period at which human activity stairtit in Schaerbeek can be inferred frae the Stane Age flint tools that wur recovered in the Josaphat valley. Tombs an coins datin frae the reign o Hadrian (2nt century) wur an aa foond near the auld Roman roads that crossed Schaerbeek’s territory.

The first mention o the toun’s name appears in a legal document datit 1120, whaurbi the bishop o Cambrai grantit the admeenistration o the kirks o Scarenbecca an Everna (the day’s neighbourin Evere) tae the canons of Soignies. Poleetically, the toun wis pairt o the Duchy o Brabant. In 1301, John II, Duke o Brabant haed the toun admeenistered bi the schepen (aldermen) o Brussels. A new kirk tae Saunt Servatius wis built aroond that same time, at the same location as the auld kirk.

At the end o the 14t century, the Schaerbeek lands that belanged tae the Lairds o Kraainem wur sauld an reconvertit intae a huntin grund. The offeecial entry o the visitin Dukes o Burgundy intae Brussels, their seicont caipital, wis an aa through Schaerbeek, whaur they had tae swear tae uphauld the ceety’s privileges. The game reservation an the rural chearacter o the veelage lastit till the end o the 18t century. The auries no covered bi woods wur uised tae cultivate vegetables an grow vines. In 1540, Schaerbeek coontit 112 hooses an 600 inhabitants.

16t century till nou

Up till then, the veelage haed lived in relative peace. This wad chynge in the middle o the 16t century as the Reformation set in. Schaerbeek suffered through ravages an destructions aboot a dozen times ower the follaein twa centuries, stairtin in the 1570s wi William the Silent's mercenary troops fechtin the Catholic Duke o Alba.

Spainyie, French, Breetish, an Bavarian troops aw came through Schaerbeek, wi the uisual exactions an requisitions inflictit on the population.

Efter the French Revolution, it wis decreed that Schaerbeek wad be taken away frae Brussels and proclaimed an independent commune, wi its awn mayor, schepen, an municipal assembly.

On September 27, 1830, durin the Belgian Revolution, some fechtin occurred in the Josaphat valley atween the revolutionary troops an the retreatin Dutch troops.

In 1879, a mair modren Saunt Servatius kirk wis built near the auld ane, which wis eventually demolished in 1905. The toun haw an Schaerbeek railway station wur built in 1887 an 1902, respectively.

At the end o the 19t an in the early 20t centuries, Schaerbeek became hame tae the gentry haein there a "pied-à-terre". They rapidly settled an erectit bonnie biggin an hooses.

In 1889 the shootin range kent as Tir national wis established at Schaerbeek. It wis there that the Breetish nurse Edith Cavell wis executit bi an occupyin German Airmy firin squad in 1915.

Dwight D. Eisenhower came tae visit the ceety at the close o Warld War II. Five years later, the population o Schaerbeek peaked at 125,000 inhabitants.

Nouadays, the ceety is govrened bi a richtist-ecologist majority, efter a disputit run atween Bernard Clerfayt (FDF) an Laurette Onkelinx (PS).

Sichts

Schaerbeek coonts a number o airt deco an airt nouveau hooses, includin the Maison Autrique, the first hoose built bi Victor Horta in the Brussels aurie.
The impressive toun haw wis inauguratit bi Keeng Leopold II in 1887.
Josaphat Pairk, an aa inauguratit bi King Leopold II (in 1904), provides a haven o quiet in the hert o the ceety. It is bordered bi the Brusilia Residence, the tawest residential biggin in Belgium.
The Clockarium is a clock museum. There is an aa a beer museum an a mechanical organ museum nearbi.

Twin ceeties

: Houffalize - at the end o WWII, Schaerbeek collectit fundins tae relief Houffalize, sufferin hivily frae the last German coonter-attack in the Ardennes; syne then, Houffalize yearly sends hunders o Christmas Trees tae Schaerbeek
: Al-Hoceima
: Beyoğlu

References

Freemit airtins

Coordinates: 50°52′03″N 4°22′25″E / 50.8675°N 4.3736°E / 50.8675; 4.3736

[1] ttp://www.schaerbeek.irisnet.be/plone/culture_loisir/histoire-et-patrimoine/schaerbeek-et-son-histoire/etymologie Archived 2011-07-18 at Archive.today

[2] ttp://www.scribd.com/Enquete-Communale-Final/d/19264207

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