Jews in Belgium

Historical Timeline of Sephardic Jews in Belgium

The southern part of the Low Countries, today Belgium, was a Habsburg territory. First it was the Spanish Netherlands and then the Austrian Netherlands. Only with the French revolutionary invasion was Jewish emancipation possible. After the Napoleonic Wars, the territory was briefly united with The Netherlands.

The timeline below is not authoritative. I think the key point is that the territory of what is now Belgium stayed Catholic, while what is now The Netherlands became largely Protestants. New Christians/Jews gravitated from Catholic Antwerp to Protestant Amsterdam.

  • Late 15th Century: Iberian New Christians settle in the Low Countries
  • Early 16th Century: Significant settlements in major trading centers like Antwerp. New Christians contribute significantly to trade and finance.
  • 1568-1648: Eighty Years’ War between Spain and the Dutch Republic creates conditions for migration from Iberia to the Low Countries.
  • 1593: Further north, a public Jewish community is established in Amsterdam
  • Mid-1700s: Presence in Antwerp thrives, with involvement in international trade and the diamond industry.
  • 1794. French annexation and religious toleration.
  • 1796. French introduce civil registration.
  • Early 1800s: Integration with Ashkenazi Jews increases; cultural exchanges become common.
  • 1830: Creation of the Kingdom of Belgium.
  • 1831: Establishment of the first synagogue in Brussels.

Resources for Sephardic Genealogy in Belgium

The bibliography of Dr Florbela Veiga Frade’s book is probably the best place to find sources on New Christians and Sephardic Jews in Belgium

Today there is a Sephardic community in Brussels descended from Jews from Rhodes and Morocco who lived in the Belgian Congo, but left at independence.