Dilbeek

municipality in the province of Flemish Brabant, in Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium. The municipality comprises the towns of Dilbeek proper, Groot-Bijgaarden, Itterbeek, Schepdaal, Sint-Martens-Bodegem and Sint-Ulriks-Kapelle. On January 1st, 2000 Dilbeek had a total population of 37,722 (18,207 males and 19,515 females). The total area is 41.75 km² which gives a population density of 903.52 inhabitants per km².

The official language of Dilbeek is Dutch (as everywhere in Flanders). However, in the 60's, special facilities were given to French-Speaking immigrants in order to allow them to smoothly integrate. They can request official documents from the local administration in French. Many of these immigrants integrated, while others refused to respect the local population and laws, insisting they should be served in French, as if no 'respectable' local population with equal rights existed. This attitude is widely resented by the Flemings as it basically relies on an (implicit) ideology of racist superiority, a so-called 'Uebermenschen-idea'. As a result of this, there is groiwing support in Flanders to get rid of these unilateral 'facilities'.

See also Dutch