Groot-Bijgaarden


Groot-Bijgaarden is a village and deelgemeente in the municipality of Dilbeek, a suburb of Brussels, in Flanders, Belgium.

Toponomy

The name Bijgaarden is derived from the Germanic word for enclosure. The appellation "Great" was attached to distinguish it from the smaller Klein-Bijgaarden nearby, now in the municipality of Sint-Pieters-Leeuw.

History

The earliest record of Groot-Bijgaarden is in the 12th century, when it appears as Bigardis. This derives from the house of Bijgaarden. They made various contributions to the abbeys of Affligem and Groot-Bijgaarden. As a result of different marriages, the village come into the hands of the Veele Family, an important family from Brussels.
After many donations, Groot-Bijgaarden was publicly sold to the counts of Königsegg-Erps in the second half of the 14th century.
It is a former municipality in the province of Flemish Brabant, Belgium. Since 1977 it is a subdivision of the municipality of Dilbeek.

Geography

Groot-Bijgaarden is situated between Dilbeek and Zellik. As of 31 December 2010 the population of Groot-Bijgaarden was 7591.

Attractions