Sint-Laureins-Berchem / Berchem

A communication to BSI from Pol Herman (e-mail of 13 December 2026) informs: "The name Berchem is likely a Frankish word used to mean "homestead" (court or broader settlement) on a hill. Legend has it that a wooden chapel was consecrated by Saint Remigius as early as the 5th century. This chapel was supposedly struck by lightning, after which an early Romanesque church was built. In reality, the chapel, like that of nearby Oudenaken, likely originated as a court chapel of a villa domain. Around 1160 (some sources mention 1164), Daniel of Halle donated the chapels of Sint-Laureins-Berchem and Oudenaken, both probably originating as small villa churches, to the Abbey of Affligem, following the intervention of Bishop Nicholas of Cambrai. After the donation was contested, it was confirmed in 1169. About a century later (1260), the chapels belonged to separate parishes, until they were reunited in 1619. During the religious conflicts of the late 16th century, this church, except for the tower, was destroyed and subsequently rebuilt in a modified form. This resulted in a late Gothic church with a 12th-century tower, a 15th-century choir, and a late Gothic nave built between 1602 and 1610. Baptismal registers: from 1619, after the merger with Oudenaken. No trace of an old font. The present brass font seems 20th century."