Antwerp

Coordinates: 51°13′04″N 04°24′01″E / 51.21778°N 4.40028°E / 51.21778; 4.40028
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Antwerp
Antwerpen (
Antwerp Central Station
Flag of Antwerp
Coat of arms of Antwerp
Nicknames: 
Sinjoren and Pagadders
Motto: 
Atypisch Antwerpen (Atypical Antwerp)
Map
Map
Map
Coordinates: 51°13′04″N 04°24′01″E / 51.21778°N 4.40028°E / 51.21778; 4.40028
Country Belgium
RegionFlanders
ProvinceAntwerp
Boroughs
Government
 • 
Postcode
2000–2660
Area code03
Websiteantwerpen.be

Antwerp (/ˈæntwɜːrp/ ; Dutch: Antwerpen [ˈɑntʋɛrpə(n)] ; French: Anvers [ɑ̃vɛʁs] ) is a city and a municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province, and the third largest city in Belgium by area at 204.51 km2 (78.96 sq mi) after Tournai and Couvin. With a population of 536,079,[1] it is the most populous municipality in Belgium, and with a metropolitan population of over 1,200,000 people, the country's second-largest metropolitan region after Brussels.[a][3]

Flowing through Antwerp is the river

Global City.[6]

Both economically and culturally, Antwerp is and has long been an important city in the

commodity exchange.[b] In 1920, the city hosted the Summer Olympics
.

The inhabitants of Antwerp are nicknamed Sinjoren (Dutch pronunciation:

Haredi
population in the 21st century.

Toponymy

Etymology

Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Antwerp

Early recorded versions of the name include Ando Verpia on

St. Eligius (Vita Eligii) from about 700 CE. The form Antverpia is Neo-Latin.[13]

A Germanic (

alluvial deposit; a mound (like a terp) thrown up (as a defence) against (something or someone); or a wharf.[14][15][16] If Andoverpis is Celtic in origin, it could mean "those who live on both banks".[17]

There is a

giant called Antigoon is said to have lived near the Scheldt river and extracted a toll from passing boatmen. He severed the hand of anyone who did not pay, and threw it in the river. Eventually the giant was killed by a young hero named Silvius Brabo, who cut off the giant's own hand and flung that into the river. This is unlikely to be the true origin, but it is celebrated by a statue (illustrated further below) in the city's main market square, the Grote Markt.[18][11]

History

Pre-1500

Historical Antwerp allegedly had its origins in a Gallo-Roman

vicus. Excavations carried out in the oldest section near the Scheldt in 1952–1961 (ref. Princeton), produced pottery shards and fragments of glass from mid-2nd century to the end of the 3rd century. In the 4th century, Antwerp was first named, having been settled by the Germanic Franks.[16]

The

Carolingian period in the 9th century. The castle may have been built after the Viking incursions in the early Middle Ages; in 879 the Normans invaded Flanders. The surviving structure was built between 1200 and 1225 as a gateway to a larger castle of the Dukes of Brabant which was demolished in the 19th century. It is Antwerp's oldest building.[19] At the end of the 10th century, the Scheldt became the boundary of the Holy Roman Empire. Antwerp became a margraviate in 980, by the German emperor Otto II, a border province facing the County of Flanders
.

In the 11th century, the best-known leader of the

Lionel, the Duke of Clarence, was born there in 1338.[12]

Grote Markt (main square)

16th century

After the silting-up of the Zwin and the consequent decline of Bruges, Antwerp, then part of the Duchy of Brabant, grew in importance, with the city doubling its population between 1500 and 1569.[20] At the end of the 15th century, the foreign trading houses were transferred from Bruges to Antwerp, and the building assigned to the association of English merchants active in the city is specifically mentioned in 1510.[12] During this time, the old Mediterranean trade routes were gradually losing importance and the discovery of new sea routes via Africa to Asia and via the Atlantic to America helped push Antwerp to a position of prominence.[20]

By 1504, the Portuguese had established Antwerp as one of their main shipping bases, bringing in spices from Asia and trading them for textiles and metal goods. The city's trade expanded to include cloth from England, Italy and Germany, wines from Germany, France and Spain, salt from France, and wheat from the Baltic. The city's skilled workers processed soap, fish, sugar, and especially cloth. Banks helped finance the trade, the merchants, and the manufacturers. The city was a cosmopolitan center; its bourse opened in 1531, "To the merchants of all nations."[21]

View of Antwerp by Jan Wildens

Antwerp became the sugar capital of Europe, importing the raw commodity from Portuguese and Spanish plantations on both sides of the Atlantic, where it was grown by a mixture of free and forced labour, increasingly with enslaved Africans as the century progressed.[22] The city attracted Italian and German sugar refiners by 1550, and shipped their refined product to Germany, especially Cologne.[23] Antwerp also had an unusually high number of painters, around 360 in 1560, in a city with a population of roughly 89,000 in 1569 (250 people per painter), it was the most important artistic centre north of the Alps, serving notable painters such as Pieter Bruegel.[20] Moneylenders and financiers developed a large business lending money all over Europe including the English government in 1544–1574. London bankers were too small to operate on that scale, and Antwerp had a highly efficient bourse that itself attracted rich bankers from around Europe. After the 1570s, the city's banking business declined: England ceased its borrowing in Antwerp in 1574.[24]

Fernand Braudel states that Antwerp became "the centre of the entire international economy, something Bruges had never been even at its height."[25] Antwerp had the highest growth rate and was the richest city in Europe at the time.[26][20] Antwerp's Golden Age is tightly linked to the "Age of Exploration". During the first half of the 16th century, Antwerp grew to become the second-largest European city north of the Alps. Many foreign merchants were resident in the city. Francesco Guicciardini, the Florentine envoy, stated that hundreds of ships would pass in a day, and 2,000 carts entered the city each week. Portuguese ships laden with pepper and cinnamon would unload their cargo. According to Luc-Normand Tellier "It is estimated that the port of Antwerp was earning the Spanish crown seven times more revenues than the Spanish colonization of the Americas".[27]

Sack of Antwerp in 1576, in which about 7,000 people died.[28]

Without a long-distance merchant fleet, and governed by an oligarchy of banker-aristocrats forbidden to engage in trade, the economy of Antwerp was foreign-controlled, which made the city very cosmopolitan, with merchants and traders from

Venice, Genoa, Ragusa, Spain and Portugal. Antwerp had a policy of toleration, which attracted a large crypto-Jewish community composed of migrants from Spain and Portugal.[29]

Antwerp experienced three booms during its golden age: the first based on the pepper market, a second launched by American silver coming from Seville (ending with the bankruptcy of Spain in 1557), and a third boom, after the stabilizing Treaty of Cateau-Cambresis in 1559, based on the textiles industry. At the beginning of the 16th century, Antwerp accounted for 40% of world trade.[27] The boom-and-bust cycles and inflationary cost-of-living squeezed less-skilled workers. In the century after 1541, the city's economy and population declined dramatically. The Portuguese merchants left in 1549, and there was much less trade in English cloth. Numerous financial bankruptcies began around 1557. Amsterdam replaced Antwerp as the major trading center for the region.[30]

Reformation era

The religious revolution of the

Reformation erupted in violent riots in August 1566, as in other parts of the Low Countries. The regent Margaret, Duchess of Parma, was swept aside when Philip II sent the Duke of Alba at the head of an army the following summer. When the Dutch revolt against Spain broke out in 1568, commercial trading between Antwerp and the Spanish port of Bilbao collapsed and became impossible. On 4 November 1576, Spanish soldiers sacked the city during the so-called Spanish Fury
: 8,000 citizens were massacred, several houses burnt down, and over £2 million sterling of damage was done.

Dutch revolt

View of Antwerp with the frozen Scheldt (1590) by Lucas van Valckenborch

Subsequently, the city joined the

long siege and as part of the terms of surrender its Protestant citizens were given two years to settle their affairs before quitting the city.[31] Most went to the United Provinces in the north, starting the Dutch Golden Age. Antwerp's banking was controlled for a generation by Genoa, and Amsterdam
became the new trading centre.

17th–19th centuries

Map of Antwerp (1624)
Antwerp and the river Scheldt, photochrom, c. 1890–1900
Antwerp from the left bank of the Scheldt, c. 1890–1900

The recognition of the independence of the

access-lock and mole, and deepening the Scheldt to allow larger ships to approach Antwerp.[26] Napoleon hoped that by making Antwerp's harbour the finest in Europe he would be able to counter the Port of London and hamper British growth. However, he was defeated at the Battle of Waterloo before he could see the plan through.[32]
In 1830, the city was captured by the Belgian insurgents, but the citadel continued to be held by a Dutch garrison under General David Hendrik Chassé. For a time, Chassé subjected the town to periodic bombardment which inflicted much damage, and at the end of 1832, the citadel itself was besieged by the French Northern Army commanded by Marechal Gerard. During this attack, the town was further damaged. In December 1832, after a gallant defence, Chassé made an honourable surrender, ending the Siege of Antwerp (1832).[12]

Later that century, a double ring of

Brialmont Fortresses was constructed some 10 km (6 mi) from the city centre, as Antwerp was considered vital for the survival of the young Belgian state. And in 1894 Antwerp presented itself to the world via a World's Fair attended by 3 million.[33]

20th century

The German bombardment of Antwerp, October 1914, by Willy Stöwer

Antwerp was the first city to host the

Belgian Army after the defeat at Liège. The Siege of Antwerp lasted for 11 days, but the city was taken after heavy fighting by the German Army, and the Belgians were forced to retreat westwards. Antwerp remained under German occupation until the Armistice. A few years later, Antwerp hosted the 1920 Summer Olympics
.

During

V-2 missiles were fired (more V-2s than used on all other targets during the entire war combined), causing severe damage to the city but failed to destroy the port due to poor accuracy. After the war, Antwerp, which had already had a sizeable Jewish population before the war, once again became a major European centre of Haredi (and particularly Hasidic) Orthodox Judaism
.

A Ten-Year Plan for the port of Antwerp (1956–1965) expanded and modernized the port's infrastructure with national funding to build a set of canal docks. The broader aim was to facilitate the growth of the north-eastern Antwerp metropolitan region, which attracted new industry based on a flexible and strategic implementation of the project as a co-production between various authorities and private parties. The plan succeeded in extending the linear layout along the Scheldt river by connecting new satellite communities to the main strip.[34]

Starting in the 1990s, Antwerp rebranded itself as a world-class fashion centre. Emphasizing the avant-garde, it tried to compete with London, Milan, New York and Paris. It emerged from organized tourism and mega-cultural events.[35]

Districts

The municipality comprises the city of Antwerp proper and several towns. It is divided into nine entities (districts):

# name surface

(km2)

inhabitants population density population density

in residential areas

Flag
1 Antwerp 83,18 198,784 2,390 11,959 Flag of Antwerp (district)
2 Berchem 5,70 43,325 7,603 10,717 Flag of Berchem, Antwerp
3 Berendrecht-Zandvliet-Lillo 52,43 9,962 190 3,315 Flag of Berchem, Antwerp
4 Borgerhout 3,90 46,424 11,904 17,026 Blason ville be Borgerhout
5 Deurne 13,03 82,270 6,315 11,932 Flag of Deurne
6 Ekeren 13,48 28,720 2,131 4,614 Ekeren vlag
7 Hoboken 10,52 41,352 3,932 8,451 Hoboken vlag
8 Merksem 8,42 45,929 5,457 10,691 Flag of Merksem (district)
9 Wilrijk 13,71 41,916 3,057 7,026 Wilrijk vlag

In 1958, in preparation of the 10-year development plan for the Port of Antwerp, the municipalities of Berendrecht-Zandvliet-Lillo were integrated into the city territory and lost their administrative independence. During the 1983 merger of municipalities, conducted by the Belgian government as an administrative simplification, the municipalities of Berchem, Borgerhout, Deurne, Ekeren, Hoboken, Merksem and Wilrijk were merged into the city. At that time the city was also divided into the districts mentioned above. Simultaneously, districts received an appointed district council; later district councils became elected bodies.[36]

The neighboring municipality of Borsbeek has declared the intention to become the tenth district of the city of Antwerp. However, the final decision has not been made and a non-binding citizens vote on the matter is scheduled for September 2023.

With the exception of Ekeren and Berendrecht-Zandvliet-Lillo, all the districts form together one contiguous inhabited area. The former town halls have been converted into district halls and the former town centers are now local main streets within the larger urban agglomeration.

Neighborhoods

In the district of Antwerp

The historical city of Antwerp consists nowadays of the following neighborhoods. For a few of them, the postal code has become a cultural reference.

The inner city - 2000

Encompassing the area between the river and the Spanish fortification walls, this is the historical heart of Antwerp. On the place of the Spanish walls is now an avenue called de Leien in Dutch or den Boulevard in the local dialect. Tourist sights such as the Cathedral are located here, but also more mundane places.

Quarters in the inner city are:

  • Historical centre
  • Meir
  • Schipperskwartier
  • Quartier Latin
  • University quarter
  • het Zuid
  • nieuw Zuid
  • het Eilandje

Antwerpen-Noord - 2060

Antwerpen-Noord or synonymously 2060 is a densely populated part of the city, and the most diverse one as well.

  • Seefhoek
  • Stuivenberg
  • Amandus-Atheneum
  • Dam

Antwerpen intra-muros - 2018

This is not a neighborhood by itself, but is the postal code for the remaining quarters of the district that lie between de Leien and the ringway.

  • Statiekwartier
  • Diamond square
  • Groen Kwartier
  • Haringrode
  • Zurenborg
  • Brederode
  • Klein-Antwerpen
  • Kievit quarter
  • Harmonie

Antwerpen extra-muros - 2020

  • Kiel
  • Tentoonstellingswijk
  • Middelheim (the border with the district of Wilrijk runs rights through this quarter)

Antwerpen 2030

  • Luchtbal
  • Not a quarter, but a significant amount of territory here are industrial and uninhabited port terrains.

Linkeroever - 2050

United with the city in 1923, Linkeroever ("Left bank") consists of the former polders of Zwijndrecht and Burcht.

Berchem - 2600

Antwerp-Berchem: Vibrant district, rich history, lively streets, major transportation hub.

Cityscape and architecture

Antwerp's architecture is a blend of old and new, with a cultural heritage spanning from the Gothic and Renaissance periods to contemporary designs. In the 16th century, the city was noted for the wealth of its citizens (Antwerpia nummis).[

V-bombs
. Here are some of the most notable examples of Antwerp's diverse architecture:

  • The Port House, designed by Zaha Hadid, is a contemporary landmark that juxtaposes a restored neoclassical building with a futuristic glass-clad extension.
  • The Provincial Government Building, designed by Xaveer De Geyter Architects, is a unique triangular-shaped building with a natural stone façade located in the historic city center.
  • De Singel, a cultural center with a modernist design, features a mix of glass and concrete and is considered an architectural marvel.
  • The Palace of Justice, a Richard Rogers
    ' masterpiece, is a modern building with a prominent dome and makes extensive use of glass and steel.
  • The MAS Museum, with its distinctive red sandstone façade, is a contemporary building that explores Antwerp's rich maritime history.
  • The Zurenborg neighborhood is known for its Art Nouveau architecture, featuring intricate details, colorful mosaics, and stained glass windows.
  • Maison Guiette is a residential building designed by the Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier in collaboration with the Belgian architect Paul De Meyer in 1926-1927. Maison Guiette is considered an early example of Le Corbusier's work in Europe. It is now listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site and is recognized as an important example of modernist architecture.
  • De Boerentoren, or "The Farmer's Tower", is a historic Art Deco skyscraper that was once the tallest building in Europe.
  • The Bourla Theatre, with its Neo-Classical style, is a historic theater that dates back to the 19th century.
  • The Hendrik Conscience Heritage Library is a historic library. The library was established in 1481 and is one of the oldest and most extensive heritage libraries in Belgium. It is home to over 1.5 million books, manuscripts, and other documents related to the history and culture of Flanders.
  • The Royal Museum of Fine Arts, with its Neo-Classical style, houses a vast collection of Flemish art from the 14th to the 20th century.
  • Antwerp Central Station, a beautiful Beaux-Arts railway station, is one of the most impressive examples of railway architecture in Europe.
  • The Sint-Annatunnel,[37] also known as the Voetgangerstunnel, is a 572-meter-long tunnel. It was opened in 1933 and was designed by engineer Emiel Van Averbeke. The tunnel connects the banks of the Scheldt River, linking the historic city center with the Left Bank neighborhood. It is primarily made of reinforced concrete and features an Art Deco style interior design with ceramic tiles, ornamental lighting fixtures, and decorative panels. One of its unique features is the wooden escalator, which has been in operation since the tunnel's opening. Today, the Voetgangerstunnel is a popular tourist attraction and a key transportation link for commuters and visitors to Antwerp.
  • Nieuw Zuid (New South) neighborhood, Located next to the river on the site of abandoned railway tracks, Nieuw Zuid is being designed as a sustainable green neighbourhood. The project, which will not be finished until 2030, includes buildings by acclaimed international architects such as Max Dudler, Stefano Boeri, Peter Zumthor, Shigeru Ban and Kazuyo Sejima.

Antwerp is also home to a wealth of historic Gothic, Baroque and Renaissance-style buildings, such as the Antwerp City Hall, the Cathedral of Our Lady, the St. James' Church, the Vleeshuis Museum and the St. Charles Borromeo Church.

Parks and recreational areas

Antwerp offers a diverse range of parks and recreational areas for locals and tourists to explore. One of the most popular attractions is the Antwerp Zoo. It opened on 21 July 1843, making it one of the oldest and most famous zoos in the world. The zoo covers an area of 10 hectares and is home to more than 5,000 animals from over 950 species. The zoo is located right next to Antwerp Central Station on the Koningin Astridplein. Antwerp Zoo has played its role in preservation and breeding programmes for several endangered species, including the okapi, the Przewalski horse, the Congo peafowl, the bonobo, the golden-headed lion tamarin, the European otter, and the Knysna seahorse. They take part in the European Endangered Species Programme. On 1 January 1983 the entire park (architecture and garden) was listed as a monument. Other well-known parks include:

  • Nachtegalen Park with several adjacent parks south of Antwerp. The area is 90 hectares in total. The parks were all built around a castle and were acquired by the municipality of Antwerp in 1910. The parks consist of Den Brandt (21 ha), Vogelenzang (40 ha), and Middelheim Park[38] (24 ha) which is famous for its open-air sculpture museum that features over 400 works of art. The park also hosts a variety of outdoor concerts and festivals throughout the year, making it a popular destination for visitors.
  • The Rivierenhof is a large public park located in the district of Deurne. The park covers an area of 130 hectares and features beautiful gardens, lakes, ponds, and walking paths. The Rivierenhof park was originally designed in the 1920s as a recreational park for the working class, and has since become a beloved green space for both locals and tourists.
  • Park Spoor Noord is a large urban park located in the northern part of Antwerp, Belgium. The park covers an area of approximately 24 hectares and was built on the site of a former railway yard. It is a popular destination for locals and tourists alike and features a wide range of amenities and attractions, including playgrounds, sports fields, a skate park, a petanque court, a community garden, and several restaurants and cafés.
  • The Stadspark is a public park located in the center of Antwerp. It was designed by the landscape architect Édouard Keilig and opened in 1869. The park covers an area of approximately 14 hectares.
  • The Botanic Garden is another popular destination for visitors, boasting a wide range of exotic plants and flowers from around the world.
  • The Boekenbergpark is a public park located in the district of Deurne. It is notable for its unique outdoor swimming pool, which is filled with filtered rainwater. The park itself covers an area of about 12 hectares and includes walking paths, gardens, and playgrounds. It was designed to be an eco-friendly and sustainable space.
  • Te Boelaerpark is a public park located in the district of Borgerhout. The park covers an area of 8.2 hectares and is a popular recreational area for locals and visitors alike.
  • Hobokense Polder,[39] is a nature reserve located in the district of Hoboken. It covers an area of about 170 hectares and consists of meadows, fields, wetlands, and forests. The area was originally used for agricultural purposes, but it was transformed into a nature reserve in the 1990s.

Climate

Antwerp has an oceanic climate (Köppen: Cfb), with cool winters, warm summers and frequent, though light, precipitation throughout the year. Due to the influence of the Gulf Stream, Antwerp has a relatively mild climate throughout the year, with the average temperature fluctuating between 4 °C (39 °F) and 19 °C (66 °F) throughout the year.

Climate data for Antwerp (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1949−present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 15.6
(60.1)
19.3
(66.7)
24.6
(76.3)
28.7
(83.7)
32.9
(91.2)
34.5
(94.1)
40.4
(104.7)
36.1
(97.0)
35.0
(95.0)
26.2
(79.2)
20.3
(68.5)
17.2
(63.0)
40.4
(104.7)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 6.8
(44.2)
7.7
(45.9)
11.2
(52.2)
15.3
(59.5)
18.9
(66.0)
21.6
(70.9)
23.6
(74.5)
23.6
(74.5)
20.1
(68.2)
15.4
(59.7)
10.5
(50.9)
7.2
(45.0)
15.2
(59.4)
Daily mean °C (°F) 4.0
(39.2)
4.4
(39.9)
7.1
(44.8)
10.3
(50.5)
14.0
(57.2)
16.9
(62.4)
18.9
(66.0)
18.6
(65.5)
15.5
(59.9)
11.5
(52.7)
7.4
(45.3)
4.6
(40.3)
11.1
(52.0)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 1.3
(34.3)
1.2
(34.2)
3.0
(37.4)
5.2
(41.4)
9.1
(48.4)
12.2
(54.0)
14.2
(57.6)
13.7
(56.7)
10.8
(51.4)
7.6
(45.7)
4.4
(39.9)
2.0
(35.6)
7.1
(44.8)
Record low °C (°F) −18.5
(−1.3)
−18.1
(−0.6)
−10.8
(12.6)
−4.9
(23.2)
−2.6
(27.3)
1.7
(35.1)
5.0
(41.0)
4.6
(40.3)
1.1
(34.0)
−6.1
(21.0)
−9.5
(14.9)
−16.1
(3.0)
−18.5
(−1.3)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 70.0
(2.76)
62.8
(2.47)
54.2
(2.13)
43.1
(1.70)
59.8
(2.35)
76.9
(3.03)
82.3
(3.24)
84.0
(3.31)
75.6
(2.98)
72.6
(2.86)
80.7
(3.18)
90.9
(3.58)
852.9
(33.58)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 12.6 11.6 10.5 8.8 9.8 10.2 10.5 10.8 10.1 11.1 12.9 14.1 132.8
Mean monthly sunshine hours 62 78 136 192 221 220 225 212 164 117 66 51 1,743
Source 1: Royal Meteorological Institute[40]
Source 2: Temperature estreme in Toscoma (extremes)[41]

Fortifications

Het Steen (literally: 'The Stone')

Although Antwerp was formerly a fortified city, hardly anything remains of the former enceinte, only some remains of the city wall can be seen near the Vleeshuis museum at the corner of Bloedberg and Burchtgracht. Steen castle on the Scheldt-quai is the gate wing of the demolished castle of the Dukes of Brabant. It was partly reconstructed in the 19th century.

Antwerp's development as a fortified city is documented between the 10th and the 20th century. The fortifications were developed in different phases:

  • 10th century: fortification of the wharf with a wall and a ditch
  • 12th and 13th century: canals (so called "vlieten" and "ruien") were made
  • 16th century: Spanish fortifications
  • 19th century: double ring of Brialmont forts around the city, dismantling of the Spanish fortifications
  • 20th century: 1960 dismantling of the inner ring of forts, decommissioning of the outer ring of forts

Demographics

Antwerp population pyramid in 2022

Historical population

Population timeline of Antwerp

This is the population of the city of Antwerp only, not of the larger current municipality of the same name.

  • 1374: 18,000[42]
  • 1486: 40,000[43]
  • 1500: around 44/49,000 inhabitants[44]
  • 1526: 50,000[45]
  • 1567: 105,000 (90,000 permanent residents and 15,000 "floating population", including foreign merchants and soldiers. At the time only 10 cities in Europe reached this size.)[45][46][47][48]
  • 1584: 84,000 (after the Spanish Fury, the French Fury[49] and the Calvinist republic)
  • 1586 (May): 60,000 (after
    siege
    )
  • 1586 (October): 50,000
  • 1591: 46,000
  • 1612: 54,000[50]
  • 1620: 66,000 (Twelve Years' Truce)
  • 1640: 54,000 (after the Black Death epidemics)
  • 1700: 66,000[51]
  • 1765: 40,000
  • 1784: 51,000
  • 1800: 45,500
  • 1815: 54,000[52]
  • 1830: 73,500
  • 1856: 111,700
  • 1880: 179,000
  • 1900: 275,100
  • 1925: 308,000
  • 1959: 260,000[53]

Ethnicities and religions

Largest groups of foreign residents in Antwerp
Country of origin Population 2019 [54]
 Morocco 76,593
 Netherlands 28,582
 Turkey 25,419
 Poland 12,430
 Spain 9,644
 Italy 6,841
 India 6,229
 Afghanistan 6,223
 Bulgaria 4,915
 Iraq 4,862

In 2010, 36% to 39% of the inhabitants of Antwerp had foreign origins. A study projected that in 2020, 55% of the population would be of immigrant background, either first, second, or third generation.[55][56]

Group of origin Year
2001[57] 2006[57] 2011[57] 2016[57] 2023[57]
Number % Number % Number % Number % Number %
Belgians with Belgian background 340,130 76.3% 316,993 68.7% 291,499 59.1% 268,317 51.9% 235,374 43.7%
Belgians with foreign background[c] 50,378 11.3% 85,171 18.5% 115,236 23.3% 143,009 27.6% 178,476 33.1%
Neighboring country[d] 10,344 2.3% 11,911 13,387 14,820 17,132 3.2%
EU27 (excluding neighboring country) 5,179 1.2% 6,328 7,518 9,181 12,514 2.3%
Outside EU 27 34,855 7.8% 66,932 94,331 119,008 148,830 27.6%
Non-Belgians 55,062 12.3% 59,332 12.9% 86,782 17.6% 105,716 20.4% 125,060 23.2%
Neighboring country[e] 11,515 2.6% 13,385 18,810 22,588 23,253 4.3%
EU27 (excluding neighboring country) 7,130 1.6% 9,215 18,557 28,197 33,109 6.1%
Outside EU 27 36,417 8.2% 36,732 49,415 54,931 68,698 12.7%
Total 445,570 100% 461,496 100% 493,517 100% 517,042 100% 538,910 100%

Jewish community

Hollandse Synagoge