Grimbergen

Title

Grimbergen

Also Known As

Grimberghen, Grinbergen, Grymberghen

Dates

Founded 1120; dissolved 1794; re-established 1834/5

Dedication

Mary; Peter

Affiliation

Prémontré

Medieval Diocese

Cambrai

Circary

Brabant

History

Grimbergen was founded in 1128 by Walter, lord of Grimbergen. It was initially a double house, with the sisters later moving to Nieuwenrode. The abbey church was consecrated in 1132. In the 13th and 14th centuries, the abbey enjoyed close relations with the dukes of Brabant. The abbey was however badly affected by the wars of religion in the 16th century.

Grimbergen underwent a period of rebuilding in the 18th century, but was suppressed in 1796. The abbey was re-established in the 1830s.

Heads of Community

Abbots

Humbertus, 1128-1148/49
Diederik (or Theodoricus), 1149-1169/72
Egbertus, 1169/72-1183/86
Simon, 1183/86-1196
Johannes, ?-1208
Jan van Merchtem, ?-1214
Hescelo, ?-1223
Willem, 1223-1228
Franco, 1228-1244
Daniel, 1247
Walter de Roesbeke, ?-1249
Goswinus, ca. 1261-1270
Walterus, ?-1303
Anselmus, ?-1314
Jan van Poddeghem, ca. 1314-ca. 1325
Geeraard van Overijse, ?-1330
Wouter van Marck, ca. 1330-1354
Godefridus de Vos, ca. 1358-ca. 1367
Radulpus van Businghen, 1367-1387
Jan van den Hove, ca. 1387-1392
Aegidius de Paepe, 1396
Boudewijn de Prickere, 1396-1400
Aegidius de Boeckhout, 1400-1416
Cornelius de Kempenaer, 1416-1446
Jan Vranckx, 1446-1465
Jan van Mechelen, 1465–1474
Jan van der Molen, 1468/69–1477
Mark van der Straeten, 1477–1489
Arnoldus Persoens, 1489- 1505
Petrus van Wayenberghe, 1505–1540
Franciscus du Blioul, 1540–1542
Nicolaus de Spira, 1543–1568

Status

Abbey

Archival Sources

Brussels, KBR

MS 4124. (1507)

Grimbergen, Abdij van Grimbergen

Oud Archief (12th-20th c.; Finding Aid)

London, British Library

Harley 3103. (12th c.)

Paris, Bibliothèque Mazarine

MS 367. (15th c.; psalter/breviary)

Bibliography

“Abdij Grimbergen,” 2024. http://www.abdijgrimbergen.be/.

Appelmans, Janick. “Een ambitieus kanunnik grijpt de macht. Joos Bruylant, Grimbergs abdijleven en intriges in de late vijftiende eeuw.” In Premonstratenzers en premonstratenzerinnen in Brabant, 71–77. Eigen Schoon en De Brabander 102/1. Asse: Koninklijk Historisch Genootschap van Vlaams-Brabant en Brussel, 2019.

Behrendt, Inga. “Liturgische handschriften met muzieknotatie in de premonstratenzer abdijen Grimbergen, Tongerlo, Park en Averbode: wat is voorhanden en welke zijn premonstratenzer handschriften?” In Premonstratenzer gregoriaans in de Nederlanden : liturgische handschriften (13de-16de eeuw), edited by Herman Janssens and Christophe Monsieur, 15–29. Bijdragen van de contactdag 21. Averbode: Abdij Averbode, 2011.

De Meyer, J. “Het archief der Abdij.” In Grimbergen. Uitgegeven ter gelegenheid van de tentoonstelling “Laus Brabantiae” in de Abdij van Grimbergen 1958, 86–107. Brussels, 1958.

De Ridder. “Documents extraits du cartulaire de Grimbergen.” Analectes pour servir à l’histoire ecclésiastique de la Belgique 9 (1872): 41–45. https://books.google.com/books?id=ag9PAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA41.

Delestré, Jules Daniel. “Beknopte geschiedenis der Abdij van Grimbergen.” Eigen Schoon en de Brabander 11 (1928): 129–200.

———. Grimbergen: beknopte geschiedenis der Norbertijner abdij. Merchtem: Sacré-de Buyst, 1928.

———. “L’architecte de l’église abbatiale de Grimbergen.” In Melanges Camille de Borman: recueil de memoires relatifs a l’Histoire, a l’​Archeologie et a la Philologie, offert au Baron de Borman, 369–77. Liège: Imprimerie H. Vaillant-Carmanne, 1919. https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k6570538h.

———. “Vita S. P. Norberti in archivo abbatiae Grimbergensis.” Analecta Praemonstratensia 6 (1930): 409–10.

Janssens, H. “De molens van de abdij van Grimbergen.” In Abdijmolens. Natuurkracht ten dienste van norbertijnen en norbertinessen, 49–53. Bijdragen tot de contactdag 29. Averbode: Werkgroep Norbertijner Geschiedenis in de Nederlanden, 2019.

Lefèvre, Placide. “Le codex Grimbergensis contenant les décrets synodaux de Cambrai du XIVe siècle.” Analecta Praemonstratensia 5 (1929): 82–83.

———. “Un collectaire de l’abbaye de Grimbergen du début du XVe siècle.” Analecta Praemonstratensia 33 (1957): 330–34.

Lenaerts, P. “L’abbaye de Grimberghen.” Revue de l’Ordre de Prémontré et de ses missions 8 (1906): 27.

Schyrgens, J. “Le huitiéme centenaire de l’Abbaye de Grimberghen.” Revue générale, 1928, 100–107.

Snaet, Joris. “De norbertijnenabdijkerk van Grimbergen een architectuurhistorisch onderzoek.” Analecta Praemonstratensia 75, no. 3/4 (1999): 165–85.

Spillemaeckers, C. L. De abten van Grimbergen voor de Franse Revolutie, 1128-1794. Grimbergen: Abdijboekhandel, 1978.

Weijns, A. “Abbaye de Grimbergen.” In Province de Brabant, 721–46. Monasticon Belge 4. Liège, 1969.

Image Credit

The abbey church of Grimbergen, 2010. Wikimedia.

Files

Collection

Brabant

Citation

“Grimbergen,” A Premonstratensian Atlas, accessed October 16, 2026, https://yvonneseale.org/atlas/items/show/44.

Geolocation

Item Relations

Item: Mechelen (Refuge of Grimbergen) DependentOn This Item
Item: Nieuwenrode DependentOn This Item
Item: Veurne DependentOn This Item