BORGERHOUT

town, eastern suburb of Antwerp, Antwerp province, northern Belgium. An independent town since 1836, it was originally a village between Antwerp and Deurne. It was occupied by the Germans in World Wars I and II. Borgerhout has bleaching and dye works; manufactures candles, chemicals, tobacco, and tapestries; and specializes in diamond cutting and polishing. Gallo-Roman burial urns have been discovered in the vicinity, and the 19th-century church was the first in the neo-Gothic style built in Belgium. Pop. (1982) mun., 43,556.