Berkendael denotes the district of undulating terrain in Uccle, Ixelles, Forest, and Saint-Gilles located in the vicinity of the street that now bears the name. In the 1870s, much of the land was purchased by financier Georges Brugmann, who, in 1881, together with other landowners, presented a plan for the area's development that was adopted with modifications in 1898-1899.
Historical Dictionary of Brussels. Paul F. State.