Berchem

Berchem is a district ( district ) in the southwest of Antwerp in the eponymous province of Antwerp in Belgium.

Geography

The district is bounded by the municipal districts of Deurne, Borgerhout, Wilrijk, Antwerp and the city of Mortsel.

Berchem covers an area of 5.79 km ² and has around 40 062 inhabitants (as at 31 December 2006).

Berchem is connected to the highway E 19 and national and international rail lines, also has its own railway station. Pieter Claesz was born in Berchem.

Houses in Zurenborg

Personalities

Sons and daughters:

• Ibtissam Bouharat (* 1990), football player
• Pierre de Caters (1875-1944), car and motorboat racer, aviation pioneer and entrepreneur
• Pieter Claesz (1596-1661), painter
• Nazaire De Wolf (1917-1983), composer

Persons with respect to the city:

• Pieter van der Heyden ( 1530 in Antwerp - Berchem 1572 )
• Georges Ronsse (1906-1969)
• Marie de Jésus Deluil - Martiny (1841-1884), founder of the Société des Filles du Sacré Cœur, which here have their mother house today