Eleven thousand five hundred souls call Strombeek-Bever home. This town nestled in Grimbergen boasts a rich history. Strombeek and Bever two separate hamlets merged in 1810 under French rule. This union created the Strombeek-Bever we know today.
Strombeek’s origins trace back to 1132. Bever’s history begins slightly later around 1135. Both names possibly derive from their respective streams. Strombeek likely refers to a flowing water source. Bever suggests a smaller stream or spring.
This fertile land sits amidst ancient roads. The Schapenweg connected the Zenne and Scheldt rivers. Another route linked Grimbergen to Brussels. A third ran from Duisburg to Schaerbeek. These roads reveal Strombeek-Bever’s strategic location. Roman remains further highlight its importance. Discoveries near Bever Castle reveal traces of Roman settlements. Fragments of tiles and pottery pieces surface. Even the old Saint-Amand church yielded Roman villa foundations.
The Frankish community expanded on Strombeek’s foundations. Their round village and surrounding fields remain. A 1724 cadastral map shows four fields. They were separated by meadows and roads. The village center lay near the Strombeek stream. A Frankish stronghold evolved into a manor house. These manors belonged to the lords of Meise. They in turn were under the lords of Grimbergen. Records show the Berthouts of Grimbergen owned Strombeek.
Bever remained largely undeveloped until the twelfth century. Some land belonged to local lords. Other areas fell under the Duke of Brabant. He donated his land to the Groot-Bijgaarden abbey in 1133. This gift created the large Bever monastery farm. It was administered through Wemmel. Bever’s jurisdiction remained separate from Strombeek until 1810.
Despite their administrative differences Strombeek and Bever shared a parish. Saint Amandus’s 7th-century Christianization is responsible. Tradition claims he built the first chapel. He also blessed the healing spring in the village center. This chapel developed into a church for the local lords. By the 12th century the parish became independent from Meise. Its altar was donated to the Grimbergen abbey founded in 1128.
Until the 1950s Strombeek-Bever retained its rural character. Post-World War I urbanization changed that. The construction of the Brussels Ring in 1957 accelerated this. Today the Brussels Ring and the A12 highway dissect the town. Strombeek’s historic center now shows strong urbanization. Little remains of its pre-industrial past. The south between the ring and A12 contains offices and industrial complexes. Bever to the west maintains its rural character.
The current street pattern in Strombeek filled the initial road network. The historic roads and village structure are partially recognizable. The 1860 Popp map reflects the 18th-century situation. The village center featured the church and rectory. The Van der Noot estate and farms also dominated. Strombeek Castle south of the village burned down in 1917.
Proximity to Brussels and the tram connection (1889) eroded the town’s rural character. Strombeek attracted Brussels workers. It appealed to the wealthy seeking greenery. It also attracted small industries. The new church (1869-1895) marked the transformation. The old village gradually disappeared. Workers’ houses appeared near the tram station and ice factory. Leopold II’s Meiselaan a grand avenue between Strombeek and Laken was built. It connected the Laken castle with Bouchout Castle in Meise. The avenue now serves as the A12’s median strip. Grand houses appeared along the Romeinsesteenweg. Today Strombeek’s architecture is defined by houses from the mid-20th century.