Borgerhout () is the smallest district of

Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,

, Belgium. , the district houses 45,769 inhabitants on 3,93 km². It was an independent municipality until January 1983. The postal area code for Borgerhout is 2140.

Geography

Borgerhout is divided into two parts by a highway and the historical walls. The part inside those walls is "intra muros," meaning (within the walls). It is built around a big boulevard, the Turnhoutsebaan. The Turnhoutsebaan is the biggest shopping street, offering both food and clothing, in both Belgian and foreigner's stores. "Intra muros" is the young and trendy part of Borgerhout, with a lot of so-called "hipster bars".

Demographics

Borgerhout has an extremely diverse population, with 63% percent of inhabitants having non-Belgian ancestry. Of the nine districts of Antwerp, it has the highest population density.

History

Borgerhout was first mentioned in the year 1214 in an act written by the Duke of Brabant. It was then named 'Borgerholt'.

Etymology

"Borger" likely comes from the old world for citizen or city dweller. Currently, the Dutch word for this is "burger". It might also refer to the word "borgh", meaning a fortress or fortified building. Borghmeester (1254) or borgermeyster (1286) are mentioned in written sources as the word for "mayor", literally "master of the fortress" or "master of the citizens". "Hout" (or previously "holt) means "wood". It is similar to some naming conventions in English, for example "Hollywood". It refers to a time when Borgerhout was still much greener, and had not yet merged with greater Antwerp. It likely also explains the tree on the coat of arms.

People from Borgerhout

Born in Borgerhout

Bachir Boumaaza Bachir Boumaaza (born 9 June 1980), known by the online pseudonym Athene, is a Belgian internet personality and Twitch streamer and YouTuber. He is best known as a World of Warcraft content creator. He is the founder of Gaming for Good and has b ...

(born 1980), known by his pseudonym ''Athene'', gaming social activist and internet personality * Guillaume Geefs (1805–1883), sculptor *

Floris Jespers Floris Jespers (18 March 1889 in Borgerhout – 16 April 1965 in Antwerp) was a Belgian Avant-garde painter. After his graduation from the Antwerp Academy of Fine Arts, he hooked up with the poet Paul Van Ostaijen and joined the Antwerp avant-gar ...

(1889–1965), painter *

Nahima Lanjri Nahima Lanjri (born 17 February 1968 in Borgerhout) is a Belgian politician and a member of the CD&V. She is of Moroccan descent. She was elected as a member of the Belgian Senate The Senate ( nl, Senaat, ; french: Sénat, ; german: Senat) i ...

(born 1968), politician * Sister Leontine (1923–2012), pioneer of palliative care *

Milow Jonathan Ivo Gilles Vandenbroeck (; born 14 July 1981), known professionally as Milow, is a Belgian singer-songwriter. Milow released his debut album, ''The Bigger Picture'', in 2006 on his own label Homerun Records. The fourth single from that ...

(Jonathan Vandenbroeck) (born 1981), singer-songwriter *

André Nelis André Nelis (29 October 1935 – 9 December 2012) was a sailor and Olympian. He was born in Borgerhout, Belgium. He sailed in the Finn dinghy class, and won a silver medal at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne and bronze at the 1960 Sum ...

(1935–2012), sailor *

Joris Note Joris Note (born 1949, in Borgerhout) is a Belgian writer. He graduated in Germanic philology and started his career a scientific assistant ''Algemene Literatuurwetenschap'' and as a teacher. Together with Walter van den Broeck and Daniel Robbe ...

(born 1949), writer * Stan Ockers (1920–1956), cyclist * Hugues C. Pernath (1931–1975), poet *

Maria Rosseels Maria, Baroness Rosseels (23 October 1916 – 18 March 2005), also known with her pen name "E. M. Vervliet", was a Belgian Catholic writer. Biography The first years of her life, she lived in the Goedendagstraat in Borgerhout. When Maria was 7 y ...

(1916–2005), journalist and actor *

Michel Seuphor Fernand Berckelaers (10 March 1901, in Borgerhout – 12 February 1999, in Paris), pseudonym Michel Seuphor ( anagram of Orpheus), was a Belgian painter. Seuphor established a literary magazine, ''Het Overzicht'', in Antwerp in 1921. He moved in ...

(1901–1999), artist *

Paul van Morckhoven Paul van Morckhoven was the pen name of Jozef Lode Jozefina Pauwels (1910–1990), a Belgian dramatist and theatre reviewer writing in Dutch. Biography Pauwels was born in Borgerhout on 25 March 1910 and worked as a school teacher until 1960. From ...

(1910–1990), dramatist and theatre critic *

Robert Van Straelen Robert Alphonse Paul (Bob) Van Straelen (born 3 December 1934Stefan Kesenne (2004) "Curriculum Robert Van Straelen" in: Kesenne, Stefan, and Carl Reyns. Kwantitatief bekeken. Liber amicorum prof. dr. Robert Van Straelen. Garant, 2004. p. 9-12) is a ...

(born 1934), economist *

Thomas Vinçotte Baron Thomas Jules Vinçotte (1850–1925) was a Belgian sculptor and medallist. Life Vinçotte was the son of Jean-Marie Vinçotte, born in Borgerhout and brother of the engineer Robert Vinçotte. Thomas initially trained at the Académie ...

(1850–1925), sculptor *

Eddy Wauters Eddy Wauters (born 12 July 1933) is the former chairman of Royal Antwerp Football Club. He was formerly a player at the club and was capped four times by the Belgian national team. External links * Profile- Antwerp * 1933 births Livin ...

(born 1933), soccer player

(Former) inhabitants of Borgerhout

* Tom De Cock (born 1983), writer and radio–DJ * Saskia De Coster (born 1976), writer *

Bart Martens Bart Martens (born 1969) is a Belgian politician and a member of the SP.A. He was elected as a member of the Belgian Senate The Senate ( nl, Senaat, ; french: Sénat, ; german: Senat) is one of the two chambers of the bicameral Federal Parli ...

(born 1969), politician and a member of the

SP.A Vooruit (Dutch for Forward, ) is a Flemish social democratic political party in Belgium. The party was known as the Flemish Socialist Party (1978–2001: ''Socialistische Partij'', SP; 2001–2021: ''Socialistische Partij Anders'', SP.A) until 2 ...

* Alfred Ost, (1884–1945), artist *

Anne Provoost Anne Provoost (born 26 July 1964) is a Flemish author who now lives in Antwerp with her husband and three children. Career Anne Provoost was born in the Belgian town of Poperinge. She grew up in a family of four children in West Flanders and we ...

(born 1964), writer *

Wouter Van Besien Wouter Van Besien (born 1972) is a Belgian politician. From 25 October 2009 until 15 November 2014, he was the chairman of the ecologist party Groen. Van Besien got a master's degree in Sociology at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, and obtai ...

(born 1972), politician, chairman of the ecologist party Groen! * Tom Van Laere (born 1974), musician *

Erik Van Looy Erik Ludovicus Maria Van Looy () is a Belgian film director known for his thriller movies.Erik Van Looy
IMDb He was bor ...

(born 1962), film director * Rik Van Steenbergen (1924–2003), racing cyclist *

Carl Verbraeken Carl Gustav Verbraeken (born 18 September 1950 in Wilrijk, Belgium) is a Belgian composer. Verbraeken studied at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels. He wrote more than 1000 works, including piano music, chamber music and orchestral works. Since ...

(born 1950), president of the

Union of Belgian Composers Union of Belgian Composers (Dutch language, Dutch: Unie van Belgische Componisten - French language, French: Union des Compositeurs Belges) is a Belgium, Belgian professional organization of composers founded in 1960. It is closely linked to the Be ...

Gallery

File:Borgerhout Reuzenhuis.JPG, Town hall until 1890 File:Reuskens.jpg, Reuskens of Borgerhout

References

External links

* Districts of Antwerp Populated places in Antwerp Province {{Antwerp-geo-stub