Door Opening Boortmeerbeek

Boortmeerbeek: Home of the Haacht Brewery (Primus)

With about 13,400 inhabitants (2025) over 18.77 km², Boortmeerbeek is a Flemish municipality of Flemish Brabant, in the Leuven arrondissement. It comprises two main sections: Boortmeerbeek (6,492 inh.) and Hever (6,908 inh.), plus the hamlet of Schiplaken.

History

Boortmeerbeek traces back to around 900 CE, with documented sources appearing in the 13th century. In the Middle Ages, Boortmeerbeek and Hever were administratively separate — the former under the Dukes of Brabant and the latter under Mechelen’s authority. The two communes merged on 1 January 1977.

Economy

The famous Haacht Brewery — producer of Primus among others — is actually physically located in Boortmeerbeek, although it bears the name of the neighbouring commune. It is one of Belgium’s largest independent breweries.

Historical memory

A notable WWII event was the April 1943 attack on Convoy No. 20, which departed from Mechelen towards Auschwitz. The action enabled imprisoned Jewish deportees to escape. It is one of the rare armed resistance actions against a deportation convoy during the war.

Lock types in Boortmeerbeek

The centre retains terraced houses with mortise locks. Residential subdivisions and villas in Hever and Boortmeerbeek use multipoint locks and certified cylinders. The Haacht Brewery and its warehouses require industrial locks, professional access control and hierarchical systems for production and storage.

Daily interventions in Boortmeerbeek

The central position between Mechelen, Leuven and Brussels eases access. A proposed merger with Mechelen in 2022 was abandoned following local opposition. Our team works in Dutch and French.