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Photo: Grentidez, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
The Erasmus House, previously chapter house De Swaene, served as the residence of Dutch priest, theologist, philosopher, writer and humanist Desiderius Erasmus. Erasmus gained fame as a defender of tolerance and free will, and is known for his work "De Lof der Zotheid", a center piece of Dutch language literature. The house was constructed in 1468 for a Brussels banker, making it one of the oldest Gothic houses in Brussels. It was inhabited by Pieter Wijchmans in 1515 who also expanded it. As a friend of Erasmus, he offered Erasmus a place to stay and sleep between May and October 1521, hence Erasmus only stayed in this house for about half a year. After the French Revolution, the Erasmus House was used as a civilian house until it was acquired by the city council in 1931 and turned into a museum. The museum is dedicated to the life and work of Desiderius Erasmus, including an important collection of writings, and several paintings of Holbein de Jonge and Jheronnimus Bosch. It aims to offer a unique insight in the intellectual setting during the Reformation. Its collection also features several sculptures, Gothic and renaissance furniture, and temporary exhibitions for cultural events. A guided tour of the museum takes about 1 hour, and is available in French, Dutch, English, German, Italian and Spanish.
The Erasmus House, also known as the Erasmus House Museum, and formerly as the De Swaene chapter house, is a historic house museum in Anderlecht, a municipality of Brussels, Belgium, devoted to the Dutch humanist writer and theologian Erasmus of Rotterdam.
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Filosofische tuin
The Erasmus House is surrounded by a garden, and one of its most notable features. The garden consists of 2 parts, a geometrical garden and a philosophical garden. The geometrical garden, closest to the house, was designed by garden architect René Pechère in 1988 and features around 100 plants and herbs that were used in the 16th century (when Erasmus lived) for their medical properties. It gave the geometrical garden the name garden of diseases ("tuin der ziekten"). Erasmus had complained in many of his letters about his health issues. The second part of the garden is the actual philosophical garden, designed by landscape architect Benoit Fondu in 2000. It is decorated with artworks from Catherine Beaugrand, Marie-Jo Lafontaine, and Bob Verschueren. The design is based on "Het religieus banket”, a work Erasmus wrote after his stay in Anderlecht in 1521, featuring a cartographic report of Erasmus' many travels, which made him one of the first true Europeans. The garden features many plants and flowers Erasmus likely encountered during his journeys. The garden can be visited free of charge.
Begijnhofmuseum
In 1252 a small beguinage was founded with a financial donation of one of the canons. Only in the 14th century, the Gothic St. Peter and St. Guido church was erected next to it, named after the holy Saint Guido who was buried here in the 11th century and after whom the nearby metro station Sint Guido is named. The beguinage, the smallest in Belgium with a population of only 8 beguines, was set up as a museum in 1930. It consists of two buildings, one from the 16th century and the other from the 18th century, constructed around an inner courtyard with a great view on the church. The museum introduces visitors to the significance of the religious institutions at the time, and the importance of the beguinage for society. Its collection consists of objects of archaeological interest, religious art, and a local history collection documenting a millennium of history of Anderlecht, the suburb in which the beguinage is located.
Chinamuseum
Museum dedicated to Chinese culture and heritage, founded by missionaries with an interest in ethnology who brought back oriental art and artefacts in 1862, and housed in the Scheut mission of the monastery of Anderlecht. The initial purpose of the museum was to make young missionaries acquainted with the Chinese culture. It has an exhibit on the Chinese language and its script, an impressive collection of Chinese coins, and many other items related to Chinese folklore from the 17th to the 19th century. It also features a section with a general overview of Chinese and Mongolian daily life. Throughout the museum there is a distinct focus on popular beliefs in China and Mongolia, as well as different religions including Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism and Lamaism. This highlights the evangelization of China and the four major contract periods with Christianity. A peculiar part of the museum is its gallery with a collection of 3,000 portraits of missionaries from around the world.
Nationaal Verzetmuseum
Military museum honouring the Belgian Resistance against German occupation of Brussels during the Second World War. It highlights the key components of the Resistance: underground press, sabotage, armed insurgence, contraband, civil resistance, intelligence networks, escape lines, and protection of civilians. The museum features thematic panels on the history of the First and Second World War: the First World War and its consequences, the Spanish Civil War as precursor to the Second World War, the interbellum (1920s–1940s), the Resistance in Belgium, the various military campaigns, etc. It is settled in the historic Lauwers printing and photoengraving workshop, which served as a Resistance headquarters during the war. Resistance groups, partisans and former political prisoners during the Second World War considered it a duty of posterity to leave testimonials and authentic documents used by the resistance against the Nazi occupation, many of which are on display in the museum. The collection features numerous Resistance weapons, helmets, flags, badges, emblems, armbands, uniforms, funeral urns, photographs, newspapers and leaflets. One of its goals is to raise awareness and sensitise citizens to the dangers of undemocratic systems, whatever their forms are, and the risk of escalation of these threats into devastating conflicts. Since 1972, the civic purpose of the museum is to continue transmission of the ideals and spirits embodied by the Resistance, as to warn young generations to the present dangers of extremism of any kind. Due to the topics addressed in this museum (including the horrors of Nazi concentration camps), it is unsuitable for kids.
Art exhibition centre in a former brewery. On the ground floor the industrial heritage remained well kept. There also is a viewing platform on the roof.
The last traditional gueuze/lambic brewery in Brussels, Cantillon still uses natural yeast fermentation (not injected like almost every other beer). The lambics and gueuzes are made in original style with no sweeteners or syrups added. Only 100% bio (organic) and natural fruits are used creating a distinctly sour drink. This museum-esque atmosphere is still a functioning brewery. The tour includes two small glasses of lambic and gueuze, and if you've never had a natural beer before, then you will be (pleasantly) surprised by the taste. An absolute must for beer lovers, save room in your luggage to take bottles back with you!