Cemeteries

   Since earliest times burial grounds were situated adjacent to churches and hospitals. Following the edict of 25 June 1784 cemeteries were closed down within the city, which opened up tracts of land for development.

   Burial sites were now sought outside the pentagon and many of these were located next to churches as well. The well-to-do were drawn to the cemetery in Laeken beginning at the end of the 18th century. The prestige of the cemetery grew following the death of Queen Louise-Marie (1850) and the decision to build a new church, including a crypt for the royal family. Many noteworthies are buried in the cemetery, including the Unknown Soldier of unknown nationality.

   The cemetery of Brussels (38 ha/94 acres) was established in Evere in 1877 replacing three very old burial grounds in Saint-Josse-ten-Noode, Saint-Gilles, and Molenbeek-Saint-Jean. It was designed by architect Pierre-Victor Jamaer (1825-1902) and German-born landscape artist Louis Fuchs (1818-1904). The Protestant cemetery near chaussée de Louvain was closed in the 19th century, with some gravestones moved to the cemetery of Brussels. Other cemeteries noted for their funerary architecture include that of Ixelles and of Dieweg in Uccle. Partially closed, the latter contains works representative of architectural tendencies from the end of the 19th century until World War II as well as a Jewish necropolis. Many notable families have sepulchres in the cemetery, including those of Errera and Lambert, and the graves of Hergé, Paul Hankar, Isabelle Gatti de Gamond (see EDUCATION), and others are located here.