The War of the Brabantian Succession (15 June 1356 – 4 June 1357)

When he died in 1355, Jan III Duke of Brabant and of Limburg left behind three daughters and no son. This created a succession problem for the Duchy. His second son-in-law, Louis II, Count of Flanders, alias Louis of Male, attacked the Duchy in an attempt to seize power, aided by Jan’s third son-in-law Reginald III, Duke of Guelders.

In fact, Duke Jan III had intended for his oldest daughter Joanna to succeed him, according to “ius Brabantinum” law.

In order to exert her power, Joanna and her husband performed the “Joyous Entry of 1356” in Leuven on 3 January 1356. This is known in Dutch as the “Blijde Inkomst” and the street in which they entered Leuven is still known today as the “Blijde Inkomststraat“.

The Joyous Entry of 1356 is of vital significance.

It was not just a spectacle, witnessed by citizens, nobles and officials from all Brabantian cities. It was the Magna Carta of Brabant, where she granted a charter of liberties granted to the burghers in return for their loyalty to her as their Duchess.

Nevertheless, a few months later, Flanders attacked Brabant. The Flemish occupied Brussels (18 August 1356), Mechelen (20 August 1356), Leuven and Vilvoorde (22 August 1356), Antwerpen and Grimbergen (23 August 1356), Tienen and Nijvel (24 August 1356).

It was only when Joanna’s husband, Wenceslaus I, Duke of Luxembourg, approached his half-brother, Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor for help that the war ended. The Flemish were driven out of Brabant and Joanna was finally recognised as the Duchess of Brabant by her neighbours.

400 years of Brussels’ Outer City Wall (1357-1783)

It was likely the result of this war that Brussels started building its second (outer) city walls.

Records show that the constructions started in 1357, a year after Leuven. By 1379, the names for the new city gates started appearing in documents with different variations.

First it was the city gates that were built, and the walls linking the gates were then erected. In total, there were seven city gates:

Leuvensepoort
(Nieuwe) Koudenbergpoort (later Naamsepoort)
Obbrusselpoort (later Hallepoort)
Anderlechtsepoort
Vlaamsepoort
Lakensepoort
Keulsepoort (later Schaarbeeksepoort)

But with the decision by Habsburg Emperor Jozef II to demolish all city defense throughout his realm, Brussels’ city wall was gradually torn down since 1783.

In the place of the city gates, twin pavilions were placed at fourteen entry points. The walls gave way to broad green boulevards designed by Jean-Baptiste Vifquain, from 1818 to 1840. But because of Brussels was already being Brussels, due to the taxation differences between Brussels inhabitants and those of the satellite towns, a patent wall had to be built 2.5m high with a 3m-wide ditch (basically a small city wall) to demarcate the city boundaries.

During this time, a ring road following the pentagonal shape of the old city was built over the moat. Today, the circle metro line follows the trajectory and so does the modern inner ring road.

“Ter Cruyskene”: At the Cross

Like some of the other of Brussels’ outer city gates, the Anderlechtsepoort was named after the village of Anderlecht located three kilometres away. Its more common name used by the population was the “Kruiskenpoort” (Cross Gate) named after the triangular area called “Ter Cruyskene” (At the Cross) in the 14th century formed by the inner city walls, the Anderlechtsepoort and the Klein Spui. Today, this area formed by the Arteveldestraat and the Slachthuislaan.

The intra-muros street’s 16th century name “Anderlechtsesteenweg” (French: Rue d’Anderlecht) still runs from today’s Fontainasplein, making a 90-degrees turn southwest before it forms a straight road all the way to the Anderlechtsepoort. This is because the Anderlechtsepoort was running along a secondary arm of the River Zenne called the Kleine Zenne (Small Zenne). Halfway along the Anderlechtsesteenweg, this river arm ducked underneath the street under a bridge and it travelled southeast to rejoin the Zenne. This part of the Kleine Zenne was dammed and is called today the “Dam” (Rue du Dam). Further upstream behind the inner city wall, this arm was also dammed to become today’s Arteveldestraat (Rue van Artevelde). Once out of the Anderlechtsepoort, the road changes its name to Bergensesteenweg (Chaussée de Mons).

The guarding of the Anderlechtsepoort was assigned to the House of Serroelofs one of the seven patrician families of medieval Brussels. This was taken over in 1422 by the Nation of Saint Christopher.

In 1638, a person named Jan Boone received the permission to build two windmills on the edifices by the gate. Since 1747, the Anderlechtsepoort was converted into a prison. From 1760 onward, the gate started locking up prostitutes.

But by 1783-1784, the gate was completely demolished.

Anderlecht: The Oldest Inhabited Area of Brussels

Unlike other villages around Brussels, Anderlecht has a significant past. In fact, it is even older than Brussels.

Now an predominantly ethnic municipality within the Brussels-Capital Region, Anderlecht’s glorious history urgently needs to be retold.

Let’s first talk about the name of the village. The earliest mention of “Anderlecht” dates to 1046 when it appeared in charters as a small agricultural village. The origins of its name however is curious. One theory has it that “Anderlecht” derives from the Middle Dutch words “andere” (other) and “lecht” (“leeg” meaning layer or low-lying area), highlighting its geographic nature. Another theory proposes that the name derives from Old Germanic “ahenneria” with “aha” (water), meaning “the village of those who live by the water”. This theory also points to the tributary of the River Zenne here which is still called “Aa“.

Traces of prehistoric habitation were found in Anderlecht, making it older than Brussels itself. On the Sint-Annaveld (Saint Anne’s Field, today’s Dapperheldplein), a Frankish Merovingian cemetery was found, built on the remains of a Roman villa. The area was very much inhabited by Franks (ancestors of modern-day Dutch-speaking populations in the Low Countries) in the early Middle Ages and Christianity spread there.

After the 1000s, no one but two lordships appeared here on the River Zenne, that of Anderlecht and that of Aa. The Lordship of Anderlecht was originally part of the Rode Meierij (Red Mayory) in the Middle Ages. To its south, the Lords of Aa built their castle, near a short tributary of the Zenne, the River Aa. From these two centres the surrounding area was gradually developed. In the course of the 13th century, the Walcourt family emerged as the rulers of this Lordship of Aa, within the Duchy of Brabant. Lordships (“Heerlijkheid“) was a administrative and defense unit here in the Low Countries. However, on the Scheutveld near Anderlecht, after the Count Louis of Male from neighbouring Flanders invaded and defeated the Brabanters in the Battle of Scheut on 17 August 1356, the Lordship of Aa was completely destroyed, leaving on the Lordship of Anderlecht the sole dominance over the area.

In 1394, by the charter of Duchess Johanna of Brabant, Anderlecht was added to the city of Brussels, to which Anderlecht remained a part until it became an independent municipality in 1796 at the end of the ancien régime of the French Occupation. The Ferraris map from the 1770s shows the village centre of Anderlecht in the rural area west of Brussels around the current Dapperheidsplein, with the hamlets of Neerpede, Veeweide and Straete van Aa to the south. During that period the River Zenne was of great importance for transport and industry. From 1827 onwards, the Charleroi-Brussels Canal was dug along the Zenne, and this accelerated the industrial transformation of Anderlecht.

Sint-Guido (Saint Guy) of Anderlecht

Unknown to many, Anderlecht has produced an actual saint: Guido (Guy) of Anderlecht.

In the Middle Ages, Anderlecht began to gain prominence due to its strategic location and fertile lands. The village became known for its collegiate church, Sint-Pieter-en-Sint-Guidokerk, dedicated to Saint Peter and Saint Guy of Anderlecht.

Sint-Guido van Anderlecht, also known as Guy of Anderlecht, was a devout Christian born in the late 10th century in Laken (?) near Brussels. He was known for his profound piety and humility, which were evident from a young age. Guido lived a simple life, devoted to his faith and the service of others. Initially, he worked as a sacristan at the local Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk church in Laken.

In his mid-20s, Guido embarked on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. This journey, however, was fraught with challenges. During his travels, Guido faced numerous hardships, including illness and extreme weather conditions. Upon his return to Brabant, Guido dedicated his remaining years to caring for the poor and sick which earned him widespread veneration in Anderlecht, both during his lifetime and after his death in 1012 from dysentry. After he was honoured as the patron saint of Anderlecht, pilgrims continued to visit his tomb.

The Sint-Pieter-en-Sint-Guidokerk subsequently grew to be a significant religious site, by attracting pilgrims and contributing to the village’s economic and social development.

Anderlecht’s Sint-Pieter-en-Sint-Guidokerk also contains one of the oldest Romanesque crypts in Belgium, dating back to the 10th century, and also its 16th century frescoes. The iconography of Sint-Guido van Anderlecht is quite distinctive: he is a bearded man wearing a hat in tattered clothes and holding a walking stick. He is featured above the entrance together with Virgin Mary and St Peter, as well as on many of the medieval frescoes inside the church. There is an old baptismal font and 14th and 15th century tombstones, including one of a Lord of Aa. The Sint-Pieter-en-Sint-Guidokerk itself is a supremely beautiful church built in Brabant High Gothic style, certainly worth a visit!

The Erasmus House

The Renaissance era marked a period of cultural and economic growth for Anderlecht. The village benefited from the broader European trends of intellectual and artistic flourishing.

The former chapter house “De Swaene” dating from around 1500, was owned by a certain Pieter Wyckman. Humanist Desiderius Erasmus was a guest there from May to October 1521.

Today, the house has been converted into a museum dedicated to Erasmus, where historical editions of his works and other valuable documents from the 15th/16th century are kept.

The Anderlechtsepoort was not just a defensive structure but also a symbol of the city’s economic and social connectivity. It served as a checkpoint for merchants and travellers, ensuring the collection of tolls and taxes, and controlling the movement of goods into Brussels. This gate was a testament to the medieval city’s intricate infrastructure designed to bolster both security and commerce.

While detailed descriptions are sparse, the Anderlechtsepoort likely shared architectural features with other city gates of the period. It would have been a robust, fortified structure with a large central archway for vehicular traffic and smaller pedestrian passages. Towers flanked the gate, providing vantage points for guards. The gate’s formidable appearance underscored its defensive purpose, with thick walls and portcullises to thwart any would-be attackers.

From Pavilions to Sewers

After the Anderlechtsepoort was demolished at the end of the 18th century. City architect Auguste Payen designed two identical neo-classical pavilions to replace the old city gate. Completed in 1836, the pavilions stood in the middle of the ring boulevards. In the pediments, Jozef Geefs inserted allegorical scenes representing Commerce and the City of Brussels. An inscription states the year of commissioning: S.P.Q.B. ANNO MDCCCLXXXVI.

Unlike other pavilions along the ring, these two pavilions were survived in 1860. On the south facade of the southern pavilion, a bronze plaque commemorates the opening of the second vaulting of the River Zenne in 1955. Since 1988 the pavilions house the Riolenmuseum (Sewer Museum), which is located underground. This museum is a unique attraction that offers a fascinating glimpse into the underground network of Brussels. The museum delves into the history and functionality of the city’s sewage system, highlighting its importance in urban planning and public health. The museum’s exhibits include historical artifacts, interactive displays, and tours through actual sewer tunnels, providing an unusual yet enlightening perspective on the city’s infrastructure.

Today, the Anderlechtsepoort no longer stands. However, its legacy persists in the layout and toponymy of Brussels. The area where the gate once stood remains a bustling part of the city, bridging the historic and the contemporary.

Should you have the opportunity to visit the Sewer Museum at the former Anderlechtsepoort, make a trip to the Sint-Pieter-en-Sint-Guidokerk and visit the few picturesque houses and streets around the church to get a sense of the culture and appearance of the original Anderlecht. Don’t forget that you are also walking on the very first inhabited area of the Brussels region!

Sources:

Vannieuwenhuyze, B. (2011) “Brussel, de Ontwikkeling van een middeleeuwse stedelijke ruimte.” Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press.
https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stadspoorten_van_Brussel
https://erfgoed.brussels/links/digitale-publicaties/pdf-versies/artikels-van-het-tijdschrift-erfgoed-brussel/nummer-2/artikel-2-5/at_download/file
https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anderlechtsepoort
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porte_d%27Anderlecht
https://monument.heritage.brussels/nl/streets/10003131
https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anderlecht
https://www.dbnl.org/tekst/_ver025192501_01/_ver025192501_01_0032.php
https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuip_van_Brussel
https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guido_van_Anderlecht

01 Unknown. “La Porte d’Anderlecht à la fin du XVIIIe siècle.” https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Porte_Anderlecht.jpg (image)
02 Vitzthumb, Paul. (1784) “Porte d’Anderlecht” KBR (image)
03 Spaak, Louis. (1782-85) “L’ancienne Porte d’Anderlecht – after the drawing of Vitzthumb” KBR (image)
04 Unknown. “Rosalies. Porte d’Anderlecht.” https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Porte_Anderlecht.jpg (image)