Across Molenbeek: breweries, industry and resilience along the canal

What is a densely built and lively city district today once began as a modest municipality on the outskirts of Brussels. At the birth of Belgium, Sint-Jans-Molenbeek experienced a rapid transformation thanks to its strategic location along the canal and near Tour & Taxis. Industry, trade, and worker housing grew here at an unprecedented pace and made Lower Molenbeek one of the economic engines of the capital. The high demand for labor attracted migrants, first from other Belgian regions and later from abroad, who found a place to live and work here. Decay and rebirth In In Molenbeek, which was called 'Little Manchester', cigarettes were rolled on assembly lines, textiles were woven, beer was brewed, and bronze was cast that found its way to New York and other world cities. But after the world wars, the municipality gradually lost its economic strength. Factories closed their doors, employment disappeared, and the former prosperity gave way to vulnerability. The district was confronted with outdated buildings and a changing population composition, but the industrial past remained visible in the urban structure. Warehouses, wide avenues, and compact residential blocks still tell the story of growth and decline. It was precisely from that period of decline that strong resilience grew. Residents, local entrepreneurs, and associations have given and continue to give Lower Molenbeek new momentum. Old industrial sites are being reused, social and cultural initiatives are flourishing, and the district continues to reinvent itself. This walk shows Molenbeek not as a problem district, but as a place where history, creativity, and urban renewal are constantly in conversation with each other.