Saint-Josse-ten-Noode Cemetery

Saint-Josse-ten-Noode Cemetery lies within the municipality of Schaerbeek, part of the Brussels-Capital Region, even though its name refers to the neighboring municipality of Saint-Josse-ten-Noode. This arrangement — a cemetery named after one municipality while physically located in another — is not unusual in the Brussels area, where several historic cemeteries were established on the outskirts of the city once the central, more densely populated municipalities ran out of space for burials. This particular cemetery was founded in the second half of the 19th century.

Where exactly is it located?

The cemetery sits in Schaerbeek, one of the nineteen municipalities that make up the Brussels-Capital Region. Its geographic coordinates are approximately 50.857°N, 4.404°E, placing it in the northeastern part of the Brussels agglomeration. This location makes the cemetery relatively accessible for residents of both Schaerbeek and the adjoining Saint-Josse-ten-Noode.

When was it founded?

The cemetery was established in the second half of the 19th century, a period of rapid urban expansion across Brussels and its surrounding municipalities. Local authorities at the time were dealing with growing populations and the need to designate new burial grounds away from residential areas, in line with the sanitary and urban-planning standards that were becoming common across many European cities during that era.

Who is buried here?

The cemetery is the final resting place of numerous significant figures from Belgian culture and politics. Cemeteries founded in this period often became burial sites for individuals who played a meaningful role in the public life of their region — artists, officials, community figures, and people connected to the intellectual life of Brussels at the time. The presence of such graves gives the cemetery additional historical significance beyond its original function as a burial ground for residents of the surrounding municipalities.

What does this cemetery mean for visitors?

For anyone interested in the history of Brussels and its constituent municipalities, Saint-Josse-ten-Noode Cemetery represents a point where the histories of two neighboring communities intersect — Schaerbeek, where it is physically located, and Saint-Josse-ten-Noode, whose name it carries. Places like this are often valued not only as spaces of family remembrance, but also as a record of the social and cultural history of the capital region.

Frequently asked questions

Is Saint-Josse-ten-Noode Cemetery actually located in the municipality of Saint-Josse-ten-Noode? No — despite its name, the cemetery is administratively part of Schaerbeek, within the Brussels-Capital Region.

When was the cemetery established? It was founded in the second half of the 19th century.

Are any notable people buried there? Yes, the cemetery is the resting place of numerous significant figures from Belgian culture and politics.

How can visitors reach the cemetery? It is located in the northeastern part of Brussels, within Schaerbeek, near the coordinates 50.857°N, 4.404°E, in a well-connected part of the capital region.

Is this the only cemetery in the area? The Brussels-Capital Region, including Schaerbeek and Saint-Josse-ten-Noode, historically had several cemeteries established around the same period, but this one stands out for its direct naming connection to a neighboring municipality and for the graves of individuals significant to Belgian history.