Rue Emile Deroover – Emile Derooverstraat

Emile Deroover Street. A quiet, unassuming street, wouldn’t you agree? But beneath its calm exterior lies a story of ambition, social housing, and a tribute to a man who helped shape this part of Koekelberg. Rue Emile Deroover, as it’s known in French, connects Rue Omer Lepreux to Avenue du Château. It intersects with Rue du Comptoir, a street that shares a connection to the story we’re about to uncover. The street is now a cul-de-sac, blocked off before it reaches Avenue du Château. But let’s rewind to the early 20th century. In 1919, Belgium passed a law to address the need for social housing. This led to the creation of the Société Nationale des Habitations à Bon Marché (National Society for Low-Cost Housing). Around the same time, the Comptoir National des Matériaux, a cooperative, was formed. Its goal was to enable fast and affordable construction. It acted as a supply center and a hub for research and experimentation into cheaper building methods and alternative materials. The Comptoir also partnered with municipalities on real estate projects. In 1929-1930, the Comptoir purchased land between Avenue de la Basilique and Avenue de Berchem-Sainte-Agathe. They planned to build over 400 houses and apartments for employees, to be sold at cost. Two new streets were created in 1930. These were named after the leaders of the Comptoir: Rue Emile Deroover and Rue Omer Lepreux. Rue du Comptoir and Rue M. L. Uytroever followed in 1931. Emile Deroover, like Omer Lepreux, was an engineer. He served in the Brussels telegraph company before becoming a director at CGER (Caisse Générale d’Epargne et de Retraite). He later became the administrator-treasurer of the Comptoir National des Matériaux. The Comptoir decided in 1929 to name one of the streets in their new development after him. Between 1929 and 1933, Rue Emile Deroover, Rue Omer Lepreux, and Rue du Comptoir were built up with single-family homes. Some were built individually, others in groups. The corner plots were developed later, around 1959-1960, with apartment buildings. Even the extensions of Rue Emile Deroover and Rue Omer Lepreux, near Avenue du Château, saw development much later, between 1989 and 1993. So, next time you find yourself on Rue Emile Deroover, remember. This quiet street holds a piece of Koekelberg’s history. It tells a story of social progress, innovative construction, and the legacy of Emile Deroover.