Sint-Michielskerk

Sint-Michielskerk is the parish church of Terlanen, a locality belonging to the municipality of Overijse in Flemish Brabant. The building stands on Kapelleweg, at its junction with Bollestraat, and is enclosed by a walled churchyard.

What stood here before the current church?

Before the present-day church was built, a chapel occupied the site. It may have been constructed around 1400, though the earliest written records of it date only from the 15th century. Archival sources from the 16th century point to Robrecht Lichtvorst and his wife Katarina as the chapel's founders, though the exact date of the foundation remains unclear. The chapel's chaplaincy was dependent on the Abbey of Hertogendal, linking the small community of Terlanen to a wider regional church structure.

When and how was the current church built?

The church standing today was constructed between 1838 and 1840. As the new building went up, the old chapel was demolished, and a municipal school was later established on its former site. The tower's spire, however, was not finished until 1870 — three decades after the main body of the church was completed. Such a gap between the construction of the nave and the completion of the tower was not unusual for 19th-century parish churches, where funding for the spire often took years longer to secure.

What architectural style does the building follow?

Sint-Michielskerk is a neoclassical structure typical of the first half of the 19th century. It is oriented toward the northeast and sits precisely at the crossing of Bollestraat and Kapelleweg — effectively the geographic center of the former village of Terlanen. In recognition of its architectural and historical value, the church was designated protected heritage on October 8, 2021.

What is found in the churchyard?

The church is surrounded by a walled churchyard that still serves as a place of remembrance today. In its northern corner lies a plot containing the graves of fifteen British soldiers who fell during the Second World War. They were members of the British Expeditionary Force, killed on May 15 and 16, 1940, during the opening days of the German invasion of Belgium. Their graves are maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, the organization responsible for the upkeep of Commonwealth war graves from both world wars.

Why is Terlanen worth a visit?

Sint-Michielskerk is more than a local parish church — it is a marker of two distant moments in history: the medieval origins of settlement in the area, and the tragic events of May 1940. The combination of neoclassical religious architecture with a war cemetery gives the site both a devotional and a commemorative dimension. For visitors interested in the history of Flemish Brabant or in the traces of the 1940 Belgian campaign, this small site brings both threads together in one place.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is Sint-Michielskerk located? In Terlanen, a locality within the municipality of Overijse in Flemish Brabant, at the junction of Kapelleweg and Bollestraat.

When was the current church built? The main structure was built between 1838 and 1840, with the tower spire completed in 1870.

What stood on the site before the church? A chapel, possibly dating to around 1400, founded according to archival records by Robrecht Lichtvorst and his wife Katarina.

Is the church a protected monument? Yes, it has been designated protected architectural heritage since October 8, 2021.

What is in the churchyard? The graves of fifteen British soldiers killed in May 1940, maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.