Схаербек: История и современность брюссельской коммуны.

Municipality of the Brussels Capital Region, Belgium

Schaerbeek (skaʁbek, skaʁbɛk; also archaic Dutch) 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). Schaerbeek has a multicultural identity stemming from its diverse population. as of 2022, the municipality had a population of 130,690 inhabitants. The total area is , which gives a population density of , twice the average of Brussels. The origin of the name may come from the Franconian (Old Dutch) words schaer ("notch", "score") and beek ("creek", "beck"). Schaerbeek is nicknamed "the city of donkeys" (, link=no). This name is reminiscent of times when people of Schaerbeek, who were cultivators of sour cherries primarily for Kriek production, would arrive at the Brussels marketplace with donkeys laden with sour cherries. Donkeys are still kept in Josaphat Park, and sour cherry trees line the streets of the Diamant Quarter of Schaerbeek (the Avenue Milcamps/Milcampslaan, the Avenue Émile Max/Émile Maxlaan, and the Avenue Opale/Opaallaan). The Square des Griottiers/Morelleboomsquare is named after these trees.

The period at which human activity started in Schaerbeek can be inferred from the Stone Age flint tools that were recovered in the Josaphat valley. Tombs and coins dating from the reign of Roman Emperor Hadrian (2nd century AD) were also found near the old Roman roads that crossed Schaerbeek's territory. The first mention of the town's name appears in a legal document dated 1120, whereby the Bishop of Cambrai granted the administration of the churches of Scarenbecca and Everna (today's neighbouring Evere) to the canons of Soignies, located in modern day Hainaut, Belgium. Politically, the town was part of the Duchy of Brabant. In 1301, John II, Duke of Brabant, had the town administered by the schepen (aldermen) of Brussels. A new church dedicated to Saint Servatius was built around that same time, at the same location as the old church. At the end of the 14th century, the lands of Schaerbeek that belonged to the Lords of Kraainem were sold and reconverted into a hunting ground. The official entry of the visiting Dukes of Burgundy into Brussels, their second capital, was also through Schaerbeek, where they had to swear to uphold the city's privileges. The game reservation and the rural character of the village lasted until the end of the 18th century. The areas not covered by woods were used to cultivate vegetables and grow vines. In 1540, Schaerbeek counted 112 houses and 600 inhabitants.

Until the 16th century, the village had lived in relative peace. This would change in the middle of the 16th century as the Reformation set in. Schaerbeek suffered through ravages and destruction about a dozen times over the following two centuries, starting in the 1570s with William the Silent's mercenary troops fighting the Catholic Duke of Alba. Spanish, French, British, and Bavarian troops all came through Schaerbeek, with the usual exactions and requisitions inflicted on the population. After the French Revolution, it was decreed that Schaerbeek would be taken away from Brussels and proclaimed an independent municipality, with its own mayor, schepen, and municipal assembly. On 27 September 1830, during the Belgian Revolution, some fighting occurred in the Josaphat valley between the revolutionary troops and the retreating Dutch troops. In 1879, a more modern Church of St. Servatius was built near the old one, which was eventually demolished in 1905. One year later, the old St. Servatius' Church, the last witness to Schaerbeek's medieval past, was demolished. Hours after the attacks, police were pointed to a home in Schaerbeek by the taxi driver who drove the suspects to Brussels Airport. They raided the home and found a nail bomb, of acetone peroxide, hydrogen peroxide, and an ISIL flag. Inside a waste container near the house, they also found a computer belonging to Ibrahim El Bakraoui who is believed to have carried out suicide bombings during the attacks along with his brother. Nearly seven months later, on 5 October, three police officers were attacked by a man with a camping knife in Schaerbeek. Two of them suffered stab wounds, while the third was physically assaulted but otherwise uninjured. The assailant was then shot in the leg, subdued, and taken to hospital for medical treatment. He was charged with attempted terrorism related murder but the court did not see these charges proven. He was convicted to a nine year prison sentence for assault and battery.

Schaerbeek counts a number of Art Deco and Art Nouveau houses, including the Autrique House, the first house built by Victor Horta in the Brussels area. The Municipal Hall of Schaerbeek, designed in neo Flemish Renaissance style by the architect Jules Jacques Van Ysendyck, was inaugurated by King Leopold II in 1887. Josaphat Park, also inaugurated by King Leopold II (in 1904), provides a haven of quiet in the heart of the city. It is bordered by the Brusilia Residence, the tallest residential building in Belgium. Schaerbeek railway station, where the new national railway museum of Belgium, Train World, opened in 2015. St. Mary's Royal Church, an eclectic Roman Catholic church built between 1845 and 1888, which has been listed as a protected monument since 1976. The Clockarium is a clock museum. There is also a beer museum and a mechanical organ museum nearby. Schaerbeek Cemetery, despite its name, is actually located in Evere.

The current city council was elected in the October 2018 elections. The current mayor of Schaerbeek is Bernard Clerfayt, a member of DéFl, who is in coalition on the municipal council with Ecolo. +Schaerbeek local election – 14 October 2018 Party Votes % Swing (pp) Elected2018 Change (Change in number of seats from the 2012 election to the 2018 election) 16,88731.970.771 Groen10,24119.395.963 sp. a9,55718.096.984 6,68812.669.315 CD&V 3,8147.221.831 Open Vld 3,2916.233.342 1,4442.730.49 6201.170.28 2850.54new

During the Belgian federal election of 18 May 2003, a candidate received 4,096 unexplained extra votes. After an inquiry, the anomaly was attributed to a single event upset in an electronic voting machine, likely to have been caused by an ionising particle.