Brabants

Brabants is the Dutch term for the inhabitants of Brabant, a historic region in the Low Countries. The Duchy of Brabant arose in the medieval period and grew into a significant political and economic center, with Brussels as a key urban focal point in various periods. Over time its lands were reorganized under Burgundian and Habsburg rule, then transformed by the French Revolution and subsequent state-building processes.

In the modern states that succeeded the duchy, Brabant’s name persists in three provinces: North Brabant in the Netherlands; Flemish Brabant and Walloon Brabant in Belgium. The Brusselss-Brabant area, centered on Brussels, is historically tied to Brabant but is now administered as separate political entities within Belgium. The term Brabants thus covers people associated with a shared historic heritage rather than a single administrative region today.

Language and identity in Brabant are diverse. In the Dutch-speaking areas, Brabantian dialects of Dutch are common and part of a Brabantian subdialect continuum. In Flemish Brabant these dialects are tied to Dutch-speaking Brabant identity, while Walloon Brabant is French-speaking. Cultural life varies by locality but often reflects Brabantian traditions, regional festivals, and local cuisine. A widely associated dish in the North Brabant area is Brabantse worstenbroodjes (Brabant sausage rolls).

Notable Brabants include figures from Brabant’s historic cities, such as artists and scientists who contributed to the region’s long-standing cultural and intellectual legacy. The Brabants of today retain a regional identity shaped by the historical duchy and the contemporary Dutch- and French-speaking communities across the Brabant provinces.