Forest Cemetery

Alsemberg Cemetery (Dutch: Begraafplaats Alsemberg) is the municipal cemetery of Alsemberg, a district of Beersel in Flemish Brabant, south of Brussels. It sits on O.L. Vrouwstraat, at the highest point of the street, next to the Rondenbos park domain.

When was the cemetery established?

The Alsemberg municipal council decided to create a new burial ground in 1893. The commission went to architect Henri Jacobs of Schaarbeek. His first design, which included a 90-are plot, ran into objections from the Ministry of Public Works: officials considered the land too large and the planned buildings — a morgue, an office, and a gate — unnecessarily luxurious. Jacobs submitted a revised plan, which was approved, and the cemetery was consecrated in 1895. The construction firm Wittebort and Degendesch of Sint-Gillis carried out the building work.

What does the entrance and the mortuary building look like?

The neo-Gothic entrance has a curved shape and is built of brick, with a plinth of Tournai stone and bands of blue hardstone. To the left of the entrance stands a single-storey brick mortuary with a slate roof. Jacobs specified local building materials throughout: brick, blue hardstone, Tournai stone, and slate from Herbemont.

What can visitors see on the grounds?

The original layout of pathways has been preserved, with a cast-iron calvary at the centre of the cemetery. Many graves belong to members of religious orders — brothers of the Sint-Victorinstituut and Sacred Heart sisters. Grave monuments include crosses, obelisks, tombs, and portal graves; two priests' graves are marked with a chalice and host. The pink granite monument of the Indeherbergh family stands out, still fitted with its original wreath hooks.

Has the cemetery been expanded?

Yes — it was enlarged toward the south in the 1960s. Today the cemetery covers 6,336 square metres and remains in good condition.

Is there a natural burial area next to the cemetery?

Adjoining the municipal cemetery is the Rondenbos natural burial ground (natuurbegraafplek), located in the wooded section of the Rondenbos park domain owned by the municipality of Beersel. Here, ashes can be scattered or buried, or urns interred, without headstones or crosses — the site is meant to remain primarily forest, with minimal disturbance to nature. Access to the natural burial ground is through a passage in the brick side wall, reachable during the municipal cemetery's opening hours on O.L. Vrouwstraat.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is the cemetery located? On O.L. Vrouwstraat in Alsemberg, a district of the municipality of Beersel in Flemish Brabant.

Who designed the cemetery? Architect Henri Jacobs of Schaarbeek, whose revised plan was approved in 1895.

Is it a traditional cemetery or a park-style burial ground? Both — a historic section with graves dating from the late 19th and early 20th centuries sits alongside a wooded natural burial ground in the adjacent Rondenbos park.

How large is the cemetery today? Following the 1960s expansion, it covers 6,336 square metres.