Agatha

Deken, Agatha: see Wolff, Elisabeth (Bekker).

Agatha, Saint, 3d cent., Sicilian virgin, martyred under Roman Emperor Decius. She is mentioned in the Martyrology of Jerome and the Calendar of Carthage in the 6th cent. Agatha is invoked against outbreaks of fire and is the patron saint of bell makers. Feast: Feb. 5.

(flourished 3rd century AD?, Sicily; feast day February 5) Legendary Christian martyr. Born in Palermo or Catania, she resisted the advances of a Roman prefect sent to govern Sicily. After brutal torture she was sent to the stake, but as the fire was lit a great earthquake occurred, and the crowd demanded her release. She was led away to prison, where she died. Though she appears in lists of martyrs as early as the 6th century, the legend may be unfounded.

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(born Sept. 15, 1890, Torquay, Devon, Eng.—died Jan. 12, 1976, Wallingford, Oxfordshire) British detective novelist and playwright. Her first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1920), introduced Hercule Poirot, the eccentric Belgian detective who would appear in about 25 novels. The elderly spinster Miss Jane Marple, her other principal detective figure, first appeared in Murder at the Vicarage (1930). Most of her approximately 75 novels, such as Murder on the Orient Express (1933; film, 1978), were best-sellers; translated into 100 languages, they have sold more than 100 million copies. Her plays include The Mousetrap (1952), which set a world record for longest continuous run, and Witness for the Prosecution (1953; film, 1958). She was married to the eminent archaeologist Sir Max Mallowan (1904–78).

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(born Sept. 15, 1890, Torquay, Devon, Eng.—died Jan. 12, 1976, Wallingford, Oxfordshire) British detective novelist and playwright. Her first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1920), introduced Hercule Poirot, the eccentric Belgian detective who would appear in about 25 novels. The elderly spinster Miss Jane Marple, her other principal detective figure, first appeared in Murder at the Vicarage (1930). Most of her approximately 75 novels, such as Murder on the Orient Express (1933; film, 1978), were best-sellers; translated into 100 languages, they have sold more than 100 million copies. Her plays include The Mousetrap (1952), which set a world record for longest continuous run, and Witness for the Prosecution (1953; film, 1958). She was married to the eminent archaeologist Sir Max Mallowan (1904–78).

Learn more about Christie, Dame Agatha (Mary Clarissa) with a free trial on Britannica.com.

(flourished 3rd century AD?, Sicily; feast day February 5) Legendary Christian martyr. Born in Palermo or Catania, she resisted the advances of a Roman prefect sent to govern Sicily. After brutal torture she was sent to the stake, but as the fire was lit a great earthquake occurred, and the crowd demanded her release. She was led away to prison, where she died. Though she appears in lists of martyrs as early as the 6th century, the legend may be unfounded.

Learn more about Agatha, Saint with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Berchem-Sainte-Agathe (French) or Sint-Agatha-Berchem (Dutch) is one of the nineteen municipalities located in the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium.

The municipality had a total population of 20,078 on 1 January 2006. The total area is 2.95 km² which gives a population density of 6,807 inhabitants per km².

The municipality is known for its calm and peaceful character. It is said that Berchem is a "village in the city". The Belgian actor Jean-Claude Van Damme was born and raised here; this is also the site of the Cité Moderne a housing project from 1922-1925 designed by the great Belgian architect Victor Bourgeois.

See also

• Municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region