Difference between revisions of "Brussels" - New World Encyclopedia

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{{Images OK}}{{Submitted}}{{Approved}}{{copyedited}}
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{{Infobox Settlement
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|settlement_type    = [[Regions of Belgium|Region of Belgium]]
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|name                = Brussels
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|native_name        = ''{{lang|fr|Bruxelles}}'' <br> ''{{lang|nl|Brussel}}''
 +
|official_name      = Brussels-Capital Region <br> ''Région de Bruxelles-Capitale'' <br> ''Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest''
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|nickname            = Capital of Europe<ref>{{cite web|title=Brussels |url=http://www.city-data.com/world-cities/Brussels-Introduction.html |publisher=City-Data.com |accessdate=March 20, 2012}}</ref> Comic city<ref>{{cite web|title=Cheap flights to Brussels|url=http://www.easyjet.com/en/cheap-flights/brussels|publisher=Easyjet|accessdate=March 20, 2012}}</ref>
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|image_skyline      = Luc_Viatour_Hotel_de_ville_Bruxelles_1.JPG
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|imagesize          = 190px
 +
|image_caption      = Brussels City Hall
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|image_flag          = Flag Belgium brussels.svg
 +
|flag_size          = 125px
 +
|flag_link          = Flag of the Brussels-Capital Region
 +
|image_blank_emblem  = Belgium brussels iris.svg
 +
|blank_emblem_type  = Emblem
 +
|image_map          = Brussels in Belgium and the European Union.svg
 +
|mapsize            = 250px
 +
|map_caption        = {{map_caption |location_color=red |region=the European Union |region_color=light brown |subregion=[[Belgium]] |subregion_color=brown |legend=}}
 +
|coordinates_region  = BE
 +
|subdivision_type    = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
 +
|subdivision_name    = [[Belgium]]
 +
|subdivision_type1  =
 +
|subdivision_name1  =
 +
|subdivision_type2  =
 +
|subdivision_name2  =
 +
|subdivision_type3  =
 +
|subdivision_name3  =
 +
|seat_type          =
 +
|seat                =
 +
|parts_type          = [[Municipalities in Belgium|Municipalities]]
 +
|parts_style        = coll
 +
|p1  = [[Anderlecht]]
 +
|p2  = [[Auderghem|Auderghem / Oudergem]]
 +
|p3  = [[Sint-Agatha-Berchem|Berchem-Sainte-Agathe / Sint-Agatha-Berchem]]
 +
|p4  = [[City of Brussels]]
 +
|p5  = [[Etterbeek]]
 +
|p6  = [[Evere]]
 +
|p7  = [[Forest, Belgium|Forest / Vorst]]
 +
|p8  = [[Ganshoren]]
 +
|p9  = [[Ixelles|Ixelles / Elsene]]
 +
|p10 = [[Jette]]
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|p11 = [[Koekelberg]]
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|p12 = [[Sint-Jans-Molenbeek|Molenbeek-Saint-Jean / Sint-Jans-Molenbeek]]
 +
|p13 = [[Saint-Gilles, Belgium|Saint-Gilles / Sint-Gillis]]
 +
|p14 = [[Saint-Josse-ten-Noode|Saint-Josse-ten-Noode / Sint-Joost-ten-Node]]
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|p15 = [[Schaerbeek|Schaerbeek / Schaarbeek]]
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|p16 = [[Uccle|Uccle / Ukkel]]
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|p17 = [[Watermael-Boitsfort|Watermael-Boitsfort / Watermaal-Bosvoorde]]
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|p18 = [[Woluwe-Saint-Lambert|Woluwe-Saint-Lambert / Sint-Lambrechts-Woluwe]]
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|p19 = [[Woluwe-Saint-Pierre|Woluwe-Saint-Pierre / Sint-Pieters-Woluwe]]
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|leader_title        = [[Minister-President of the Brussels-Capital Region|Minister-President]]
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|leader_name        = [[Charles Picqué]] (2004–)
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|leader_title1      = [[Governor of the Brussels-Capital Region|Governor]]
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|leader_name1        = [[Jean Clément]] (acting) (2010–)
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|leader_title2      = [[Parliament of the Brussels-Capital Region|Parl.]] President
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|leader_name2        = Eric Tomas
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|established_title  = Settled
 +
|established_date    = c. 580
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|established_title1  = Founded
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|established_date1  = 979
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|established_title2  = [[Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions|Region]]
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|established_date2  = 18 June 1989
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|area_magnitude      =
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|area_total_km2      = 161.38
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|area_total_sq_mi    = 62.2
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|total_type          = Region
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| population_footnotes    =
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| population_total        = 1089538
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| population_as_of        = January 2010
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|population_density_km2  = 7025
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|population_density_sq_mi = 16,857
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|population_metro        = 1830000
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|population_urban        =
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|population_blank1_title  =
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|population_blank1        =
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|timezone            = [[Central European Time|CET]]
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|utc_offset          = +1
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|timezone_DST        = [[Central European Summer Time|CEST]]
 +
|utc_offset_DST      = +2
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|latd=50 |latm=51 |lats=0 |latNS=N
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|longd=4 |longm=21 |longs=0 |longEW=E
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|elevation_m        = 13
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|elevation_ft        = 43
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|elevation_footnotes =
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|postal_code_type    = [[ISO 3166-2:BE|ISO 3166]]
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|postal_code        = BE-BRU
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|website            = [http://www.brussels.irisnet.be/ www.brussels.irisnet.be]
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|footnotes =
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}}
  
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{{Infobox City
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'''Brussels''' ({{lang-fr|Bruxelles}}, {{pronounced|bʁysɛl}}; {{lang-nl|Brussel}}, {{pronounced|ˈbrɵsəɫ}}), the largest city in [[Belgium]], is also that nation's capital city and its administrative, commercial, and financial center, as well as the administrative heart of the [[European Union]] (EU). All services and institutions of national importance are based in the city. Today, the settlement of Brussels is effectively most often synonymous with the more recently established [[Brussels-Capital Region]], which is one of Belgium's three regions.
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|official_name          = City of Brussels
 
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|nickname              = Capital of Europe, Comic City
 
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|motto                  =
 
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|image_skyline          = Brusselsskyline.jpg
 
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|imagesize              = 210px
 
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|image_caption          = Brussels skyline seen from the ''Kunstberg'' or ''Mont des Arts''
 
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|image_flag            = BEL Brussels flag.svg
 
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|image_seal            = Armoiries Bruxelles.svg
 
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|image_map              = BelgiumBrussels.png
 
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|mapsize                = 200px
 
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|map_caption            = Map showing the location of Brussels in Belgium
 
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|subdivision_type      = [[List of countries|Country]]
 
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|subdivision_name      = [[Belgium]]
 
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|subdivision_type1      = [[Communities and regions of Belgium|Region]]
 
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|subdivision_name1      = [[Brussels-Capital Region]]
 
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|subdivision_type2      =
 
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|subdivision_name2      =
 
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|leader_title          = [[List of mayors of the City of Brussels|Mayor]] ([[City of Brussels|Municipality]])
 
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|leader_name            = [[Freddy Thielemans]]
 
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|established_title      = Founded
 
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|established_date      = 979
 
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|established_title2    = Founded ([[Brussels-Capital Region|Region]])
 
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|established_date2      = [[June 18]], [[1989]]
 
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|established_title3    =
 
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|established_date3      =
 
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|area_magnitude        =
 
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|settlement_type        =[[Brussels-Capital Region|Region]]
 
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|area_total            = 162
 
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|TotalArea_sq_mi        = 62.5
 
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|area_land              =
 
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|LandArea_sq_mi        =
 
  
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|area_water            =
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Brussels has grown from a seventh century chapel into a metropolis of over one million inhabitants. The city’s colorful past is on display in the architectural gems of the medieval market known as the [[Grand Place]], including the curious Manneken Pis urinating sculpture, in numerous churches, in the city’s 100 museums, and celebrated with the annual ''Ommegang'' parade featuring giant puppets, and scores of folkloric groups, dressed in medieval garb. A major tourist destination and cultural attraction—[[visual arts]], [[film]], [[music]], [[literature]], and [[theater]] institutions abound. Since the end of [[World War II]] the city has taken an international role, becoming the headquarters of [[NATO]] and the European Communities (now the [[European Union]]).  
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|WaterArea_sq_mi        =
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{{toc}}
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|area_water_percent    =
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The City of Brussels in the Brussels-Capital Region is the capital of a nation divided along linguistic lines, resulting in a cultural divide as well. Compounding those difficulties, the public institutions in Brussels offer a bewildering complexity—with a regional parliament, a council and a board, a Common Community Commission, Flemish and French community commissions, 19 local municipal authorities, six inter-municipal policing zones, as well as national and international governmental bodies.
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|area_urban            =
 
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|UrbanArea_sq_mi        =
 
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|area_metro            =
 
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|MetroArea_sq_mi        =
 
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|population_as_of      = [[2005]]
 
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|population_note        =
 
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|population_total      = 1,024,492
 
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|population_density    = 200
 
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|population_density_mi2 = 656
 
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|population_metro      = 1,975,000
 
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|population_density_metro_km2 =
 
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|population_density_metro_mi2 =
 
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|population_urban      =
 
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|timezone              = [[Central European Time|CET]]
 
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|utc_offset            = +1
 
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|timezone_DST          = [[Central European Summer Time|CEST]]
 
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|utc_offset_DST        = +2
 
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|latd=50 |latm=50 |lats=48.22 |latNS=N 
 
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|longd=4 |longm=21 |longs=8.94 |longEW=E
 
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|elevation              = 13
 
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|elevation_ft          = 43
 
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|website                = [http://www.brussels.irisnet.be/ www.brussels.irisnet.be]
 
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|footnotes              =
 
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}}
 
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'''Brussels''' ({{lang-fr|Bruxelles}}, {{pronounced|bʁysɛl}}; {{lang-nl|Brussel}}, {{pronounced|ˈbrɵsəɫ}})<!-- DO NOT CHANGE THE ORDER HERE WITHOUT A CONSENSUS ON THE TALK PAGE —> is the largest city in [[Belgium]], and the administrative heart of the [[European Union]] (EU). The [[City of Brussels]] in the [[Brussels-Capital Region]] is the country's [[capital]].<ref>[http://www.brussels.org/ Welcome to Brussels<!— Bot generated title —>]</ref> Brussels has grown from a 10th century fortress town founded by [[Charlemagne]]'s grandson into a metropolis of over one million inhabitants<ref name="History">[http://www.brussels.org/history/ Brussels.org - History of Brussels]</ref><ref>[http://www.kent.ac.uk/brussels/brussels.html Brussels: The "Capital of Europe"]</ref>.
 
  
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Brussels is also capital of the [[Brussels-Capital Region]], of [[Flanders]] and of the [[French Community of Belgium]]. It is not, however, the capital of the [[Walloon Region]] ([[Wallonia]]), whose capital is [[Namur (city)|Namur]].
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==Geography==
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The name Brussels comes from the old Dutch ''Bruocsella,'' which means marsh ''(bruoc)'' and home ''(sella)'' or "home in the marsh." Brussels is located in the central plateau of [[Belgium]], in the north-south oriented valley of the Zenne (or Senne) River, a small indirect tributary of the Scheldt, and spreading east and west over undulating plateaus separated by the tributaries of the Zenne.  
  
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Although the [[City of Brussels]] historically was the city's core, the population has long since outgrown the [[Municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region|municipality]]. Today, the settlement of Brussels is effectively most often synonymous with the more recently established [[Brussels-Capital Region]]; one of Belgium's three [[Communities and regions of Belgium#Regions|regions]].  
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Close to the [[North Sea]], Brussels has a mild, moderate climate, with summer temperatures usually between 68°F and 77°F (20°C and 25°C), and winter temperatures rarely below 32°F (0°C). There are approximately 200 days of [[rain]] per year, with a total annual precipitation of 25.1 inches (637 mm).  
  
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Brussels is often considered the ''[[de facto]]'' capital of the European Union, and hosts key EU institutions such as the [[European Commission|Commission]], [[European Parliament|Parliament]] and the [[Council of the European Union|Council]]. Brussels is a [[metonymy]] for the European Union's government. Hence, many other pan-European organisations are also headquartered in the city. [[NATO]] is also based in Brussels.
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The land area of Brussels totals 62.5 square miles (162 square kilometers). In the center of Brussels, the Zenne was covered up and boulevards were built over top in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, although it remains visible in the outskirts of Brussels. The Zenne was notorious for being one of Belgium's worst [[Water pollution|polluted]] rivers, since all [[effluent]]s from the [[Brussels Capital Region]] went into it without treatment. This problem was solved in March 2007 with the completion of new [[sewage treatment]] plants.
  
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==Etymology==
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The city center is enclosed by an inner ring road, which follows the course of the medieval city fortifications. The Upper Town has the city's grand museums and is where the main government buildings are located. The Lower Town has the city’s medieval heart, including the [[Grand Place]] medieval market, as well the commercial quarter.
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The name Brussels comes from the old Dutch ''Bruocsella'', which means marsh (''bruoc'') and home (''sella'') or "home in the marsh".
 
  
 
==History==
 
==History==
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===Middle Ages===
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[[Image:Brussel 1555 Deventer.jpg|thumb||215px|A 1555 map of the city.]]
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The origin of the settlement that was to become Brussels lies in [[Saint Gaugericus]]' construction of a chapel on [[Saint Gaugericus Island|an island]] in the river [[Senne]] around 580.<ref>[http://www.city-data.com/world-cities/Brussels-History.html Brussels History<!-- Bot generated title —>]</ref>
 
  
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The official founding of Brussels is usually situated around 979, because Duke [[Charles, Duke of Lower Lotharingia|Charles]] transferred the relics of Saint Gudula from [[Moorsel]] to the Saint Gaugericus chapel in Brussels, located on what would be called [[Saint Gaugericus Island]]. The [[Holy Roman Emperor]] [[Otto II, Holy Roman Emperor|Otto II]] gave the duchy of [[Lower Lotharingia]] to [[Charles, Duke of Lower Lotharingia|Charles]], the banished son of King [[Louis IV of France]] in 977, who would construct the first permanent fortification in the city, doing so on that same island.
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Brussels was first mentioned when Bishop Saint-Gery of [[Cambrai]] settled a chapel on a small island there around 695 C.E. [[Saint Vindicianus]], also a [[bishop of Cambrai]], is said to have died in the neighborhood of Brussels.  
  
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[[Image:Brussel 1555 Deventer.jpg|thumb|left|150px|1555 map of the city]]
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The founding of Brussels is usually situated around 979, because Charles, Duke of Lower Lotharingia (953–993), transferred the relics of Saint Gudula from [[Moorsel]] to the Saint Gery chapel in Brussels. The [[Holy Roman Emperor]] [[Otto II, Holy Roman Emperor|Otto II]] gave the duchy of [[Lower Lotharingia]] to [[Charles, Duke of Lower Lotharingia|Charles]], the banished son of King [[Louis IV of France]] in 977. Charles built the first permanent fortification in the city, doing so on that same island.
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The county of Brussels was attributed to [[Lambert I of Leuven]], [[Counts of Leuven|count of Leuven]] around 1000. In 1047, his son [[Lambert II, Count of Leuven]] founded the Saint Gudula chapter.
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The founding of the county of Brussels was attributed to [[Lambert I of Leuven]], [[Counts of Leuven|count of Leuven]] around 1000. In 1047, his son [[Lambert II of Leuven]] founded the Saint Gudula religious chapter.  
  
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Because of its location on the shores of the [[Senne]] on an important trade route between [[Bruges]] and [[Ghent]], and [[Cologne]], Brussels grew quite quickly; it became a commercial centre that rapidly extended towards the upper town ([[St. Michael and Gudula Cathedral]], [[Coudenberg]], Zavel area...), where there was a smaller risk of floods. As it grew to a population of around 30,000, the surrounding marshes were drained to allow for further expansion. The Counts of Leuven became [[Duke of Brabant|Dukes of Brabant]] at about this time (1183/1184). In the 11th century, the city got its first walls.<ref>{{nl}}[http://www.bop.vgc.be/didmat/ogenblikken/achtergrond/ontstaan.html Zo ontstond Brussel] Vlaamse Gemeenschapscommissie - Commission of the Flemish Community in Brussels</ref>
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In the twelfth century the small town became an important stop on the trade route from [[Bruges]] ''(Brugge)'' and [[Ghent]] to [[Cologne]]. The village benefited from this favorable position and, as it grew to a population of around 30,000, the surrounding marshes were drained to allow for further expansion. The Counts of Leuven became [[Duke of Brabant|Dukes of Brabant]] at about this time (around 1184).  
  
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After the construction of the [[first walls of Brussels]] in the early 13th century, Brussels grew significantly. In order to let the city expand, [[second walls of Brussels|a second set of walls]] was erected between 1356 and 1383. Today, traces of it can still be seen, mostly because the "[[small ring]]", a series of roadways in downtown Brussels bounding the historic city centre, follows its former course.  
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Brussels became one of the main towns of the duchy of Brabant. The manufacture of luxury fabrics that were exported to [[Paris]], [[Venice]] and other towns, became the main source of wealth, enriching a few merchant families who gained the right to exercise power as magistrates.  
  
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In the fifteenth century, by means of the wedding of heiress [[Margaret III of Flanders]] with [[Philip II, Duke of Burgundy|Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy]], a new Duke of Brabant emerged from the House of [[Valois Dynasty|Valois]] (namely [[Antoine, Duke of Brabant|Antoine]], their son), with another line of descent from the Habsburgs (Maximilian of Austria, later [[Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor]], married [[Mary of Burgundy]], who was born in Brussels).
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The Count of Flanders invaded and briefly occupied Brussels. After Flemish troops left, from 1357 to 1379, a new city wall was constructed: The inner ring, or "pentagon" now follows its course.
  
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Brabant had lost its independence, but Brussels became the Princely Capital of the prosperous [[Low Countries]], and flourished.
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By 1430, after the wedding of heiress [[Margaret III of Flanders]] with [[Philip II, Duke of Burgundy|Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy]] in 1369, the duke of Burgundy gained control of the duchy of Brabant. Brussels became the princely capital of the prosperous [[Low Countries]], and flourished.  
  
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===Renaissance===
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Artists, including [[Rogier van der Weyden]] (1400–1464), and craftsmen, produced paintings, wooden sculptures, large historical tapestries, plate, jewelry, that were exported from Brussels. At this time the Town Hall, with its tall steeple, various Gothic churches and cathedrals, and the impressive Coudenberg Palace, were built.
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[[Image:Grand- Place BXL1695 -01.jpg|thumb|Grand Place after [[Bombardment of Brussels|the 1695 bombardment]] by the French army]]
 
  
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[[Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles V]], heir of the Low Countries since 1506, though (as he was only 6 years old) governed by his aunt [[Margaret of Austria (1480-1530)|Margaret of Austria]] until 1515, was declared King of [[Spain]], in 1516, in the Cathedral of Saint Gudule in Brussels.
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[[Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles V]] (1500-1558) was declared King of the unified [[Spain]], in 1516, in the Cathedral of Saint Gudule in Brussels. After a prolonged political crisis, it was in the Coudenberg Palace that Charles V abdicated in 1555. At that time, the city’s population grew to nearly 50,000. The Willebroek canal, linking Brussels with the port of Antwerp, was dug in 1561.  
  
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Upon the death of his grandfather, [[Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor]] in 1519, [[Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles V]] became the new archduke of the Austrian Empire and thus the [[Holy Roman Emperor]] of the Empire "[[The empire on which the sun never sets|on which the sun does not set]]". It was in [[Coudenberg|the Palace complex at Coudenberg]] that Charles V abdicated in 1555. This impressive palace, famous all over Europe, had greatly expanded since it had first become the seat of the Dukes of Brabant, but it was destroyed by fire in 1731. All that remains is an archaeological site.
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The first two Low Countries Protestant martyrs died at the stake in Brussels in 1523, the first of many. [[Calvinism|Calvinists]] ruled the city from 1578 until 1585, during the Revolt of the Netherlands ([[Eighty Years’ War]]) from 1568-1648. Fine Italo-Flemish Baroque churches were built there during the reign of Archduke Albert and Isabella (1598–1633).
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[[Image:Grand- Place BXL1695 -01.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Grand Place after [[Bombardment of Brussels|the 1695 bombardment]] by the French army.]]
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In 1695, Brussels was attacked by troops of King [[Louis XIV of France]], one of a series of invasions. A bombardment destroyed the city's heart: More than 4000 houses were set on fire, including the medieval buildings on the [[Grand Place]]. New guildhalls, the existing architectural landmarks surrounding the Grand Place, were built after this destruction.
  
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In 1695, [[France|French]] troops sent by King [[Louis XIV]] [[bombardment of Brussels|bombarded Brussels with artillery]]. Together with the resulting fire, it was most destructive event in the entire history of Brussels. The [[Grand Place]] was destroyed, along with 4000 buildings, a third of those in the city. The reconstruction of [[pentagon (Brussels)|the city centre]], effected during subsequent years, profoundly changed the appearance of the city and left numerous traces still visible today.
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French troops occupied Brussels from 1746 to 1748, although the city revived with an economic upturn in the late eighteenth century. The Place Royale and Brussels Park was built at this time, as was much of the upper town.  
  
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===Revolution===
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In 1789, a popular revolt broke out in the Austrian [[Netherlands]], in reaction against the centralizing policies of Emperor [[Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor|Joseph II]] (1741-1790). French republican troops invaded, annexing Belgian principalities to [[France]]. Brussels became a chief town of a French ''département''.  
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[[Image:Wappers belgian revolution.jpg|thumb|''Episode of the [[Belgian Revolution]] of 1830'', [[Egide Charles Gustave Wappers|Wappers]] (1834)]]
 
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In 1830, the [[Belgian revolution]] took place in Brussels after a performance of [[Daniel-Francois-Esprit Auber|Auber's]] opera ''[[La Muette de Portici]]'' at [[La Monnaie|De Munt]] or [[La Monnaie]] theatre. On [[July 21]], [[1831]], [[Leopold I of Belgium|Leopold I]], the first King of the Belgians, ascended the throne, undertaking the destruction of the city walls and the construction of many buildings. Following independence, the city underwent many more changes. The Senne had become a serious [[health hazard]], and from 1867 to 1871 its entire [[urban area]] was [[covering of the Senne|completely covered over]]. This allowed [[urban renewal]] and the construction of modern buildings and boulevards which are characteristic of downtown Brussels today.
 
  
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===Modern history===
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After [[Napoleon]] was defeated at [[Battle of Waterloo|Waterloo]], in present-day [[Belgium]], on June 18, 1815, the victorious powers at the [[Congress of Vienna]] created the [[United Kingdom of the Netherlands]], which was to serve as a buffer state against any future French invasions. Brussels shared the status of capital with [[The Hague]].
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{{Expand|date=June 2008}}
 
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[[Image:Solvay conference 1927.jpg|thumb|left|The 1927 [[Solvay Conference]] in Brussels was the first world physics conference.]]
 
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The city has hosted various fairs and conferences, including the fifth [[Solvay Conference]] in 1927 and two world fairs: the 1935 world fair and the [[Expo '58]].
 
  
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Beginning on [[May 10]] [[1940]], Brussels was bombed by the German army; however, most of the war damage to the city took place in 1944&ndash;1945. The [[North-South Junction]] was built, completed in 1952. The first [[Brussels premetro]] was finished in 1969, and the first line of the [[Brussels Metro]] was opened in 1976. The [[Heysel Stadium disaster]] took place in Brussels on [[May 29]] [[1985]]. The Brussels Capital Region was founded on [[June 18]], [[1989]].
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The Belgian Revolution began with a riot in Brussels in August 1830 and led to the establishment of an independent, [[Roman Catholic]] and neutral [[Belgium]], with Brussels as its capital. Under [[Leopold II of Belgium|Leopold II]], who ascended the throne on July 21, 1831, the city walls were replaced by tree-lined boulevards, the [[Zenne]] was culverted (as it brought [[disease]]s), the Brussels-Charleroi canal was dug, and the [[Tervuren]] Avenue was laid out.
  
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==Geography==
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During the [[First World War]], Germans occupied Belgium from August 1914 to November 1918. The mayor of Brussels, [[Adolphe Max]] (1869-1939), became famous for resisting abuses at the hands of German forces. After the war, non-payment of reparations from Germany harmed the Belgium economy, as did soaring exchange rates, which generated a serious flight of capital, an imbalance of payments, and rampant inflation.  
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===Climate===
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:[[Image:Solvay conference 1927.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Photograph of the fifth conference in 1927.]]
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Brussels is relatively near the coastal areas, and its climate is therefore influenced by marine air masses from the [[Atlantic Ocean]], as well as nearby wetlands. On average (based on measurements the last 100 years), there are approximately 200 days of rain per year in the Brussels-Capital Region.<ref>[http://www.meteo.be/meteo/view/fr/360361-Parametres.html#ppt_757427 Site de l'institut météorologique belge]</ref>.
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Brussels hosted the famous fifth [[Solvay Conference]] in 1927, where physicists including [[Albert Einstein]], [[Max Planck|Planck]], [[Marie Curie|Curie]], [[Hendrik Lorentz|Lorentz]], [[Paul Dirac|Dirac]], [[Louis, 7th duc de Broglie|De Broglie]], [[Niels Bohr|Bohr]], [[Erwin Schrödinger|Schrödinger]], [[Wolfgang Pauli|Pauli]], and [[Werner Heisenberg|Heisenberg]] discussed the path of the [[modern physics]], specifically the new [[Quantum Theory]].  
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{{Brussels weatherbox}}
 
  
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==Political centre==
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Greater Brussels became officially bilingual in 1932. A world fair took place in Brussels in 1935. During [[World War II]], the German army bombed Brussels from May 10, 1940, and took control of the city on May 18. The Nazis appointed a governing council headed by pro-Nazi Flemish nationalist [[Jan Grauls]], and sought to divide Belgium by backing Flemish autonomy supporters. British troops liberated Brussels on September 3, 1944. Most of the war damage to the city was done from 1944 to 1945.  
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===Belgian capital===
 
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{{Expand|date=July 2008}}
 
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[[Image:Palace of Brussels.jpg|thumb|The [[Royal Palace of Brussels]]]]
 
−
Despite what it name indicates, the [[Brussels-Capital Region]] is not the capital of [[Belgium]] in itself. The article 194 of the [[Belgian Constitution]] lays down that the capital of Belgium is the [[City of Brussels]], a smaller municipality within the capital region that once was the city's core.<ref>http://www.fed-parl.be/gwuk0015.htm#E11E15</ref>
 
  
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However, although the City of Brussels is the official capital, the funds allowed by the federation and region for the representative role of the capital are divided among the 19 municipalities, and some national institutions are sited in the other 18 municipalities. Thus, while ''[[de jure]]'' only the City of Brussels is entitled to the title of capital city of Belgium, ''de facto'' the entire Region plays this role.
+
Huge Flemish protests against “Frenchification” took place in Brussels in 1961 and 1962. Flemings demanded bilingualism in the public services and opposed the expansion of the French-speaking urban area into surrounding Flemish areas. Legislation was passed in 1963 limiting the capital to 19 bilingual municipalities. The Francophone Democratic Front appeared in 1964, to resist perceived Flemish interference in Brussels municipal affairs.
  
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The national institutions of the Belgian state are spread loosely around the region. For example the [[Belgian Federal Parliament]] and the legislative chambers of the [[Walloon Region]] and the [[Flemish Region]].
+
A constitutional reform enacted on December 24, 1970, created a Flemish region, a Walloon region, and the Brussels region. The parliament gave cultural autonomy to the Flemish and Walloon regions in 1971, and the constitution was revised in 1980 to create an independent administration within each region, extended from 1988 to 1989, to cover the economy and education.  
  
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===Flanders and the French community===
+
On May 29, 1985, at the final of the 1985 [[UEFA Champions League|European Cup]] tournament, football hooligans caused the collapse of a retaining wall at the [[Heysel Stadium]] in Brussels, killing 39 people.
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{| class="toccolours" style="float:right; margin:0 auto; backgrond:none; font-size:90%"
+
<center>
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| style="background:#FFF; padding:5px; text-align:center" class="toccolours"|
+
{|
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{{Image label begin|image=Brussels-Capital Region blank stylised.svg|width=270}}
+
|+
−
    {{Image label|x=0.24|y=0.55|scale=270|text=[[Anderlecht|1]]}}
+
|-
−
    {{Image label|x=0.8|y=0.67|scale=270|text=[[Auderghem|2]]}}
+
| valign="top"|
−
    {{Image label|x=0.2|y=0.33|scale=270|text=[[Sint-Agatha-Berchem|3]]}}
+
[[Image:SteGudule.jpg|thumb|right|190px|Saint Michael and Gudula's Cathedral.]]
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    {{Image label|x=0.48|y=0.2|scale=270|text=[[City of Brussels|4]]}}
+
| valign="top"|
−
    {{Image label|x=0.63|y=0.56|scale=270|text=[[Etterbeek|5]]}}
+
[[Image:1941 église de la Chapelle par Léon van Dievoet 14 avril 1941.JPG|thumb|right|190px|The Church of the Chapel at Brussels, drawing by Léon van Dievoet.]]
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    {{Image label|x=0.685|y=0.3|scale=270|text=[[Evere|6]]}}
+
|-
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    {{Image label|x=0.328|y=0.67|scale=270|text=[[Forest, Belgium|7]]}}
 
−
    {{Image label|x=0.25|y=0.27|scale=270|text=[[Ganshoren|8]]}}
 
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    {{Image label|x=0.475|y=0.64|scale=270|text=[[Ixelles|9]]}}
 
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    {{Image label|x=0.56|y=0.618|scale=270|text=[[Ixelles|9]]}}
 
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    {{Image label|x=0.28|y=0.2|scale=270|text=[[Jette|10]]}}
 
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    {{Image label|x=0.289|y=0.345|scale=270|text=[[Koekelberg|11]]}}
 
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    {{Image label|x=0.284|y=0.41|scale=270|text=[[Sint-Jans-Molenbeek|12]]}}
 
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    {{Image label|x=0.41|y=0.585|scale=270|text=[[Saint-Gilles, Belgium|13]]}}
 
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    {{Image label|x=0.524|y=0.424|scale=270|text=[[Saint-Josse-ten-Noode|14]]}}
 
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    {{Image label|x=0.584|y=0.36|scale=270|text=[[Schaerbeek|15]]}}
 
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    {{Image label|x=0.472|y=0.86|scale=270|text=[[Uccle|16]]}}
 
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    {{Image label|x=0.75|y=0.84|scale=270|text=[[Watermael-Boitsfort|17]]}}
 
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    {{Image label|x=0.76|y=0.446|scale=270|text=[[Woluwe-Saint-Lambert|18]]}}
 
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    {{Image label|x=0.84|y=0.568|scale=270|text=[[Woluwe-Saint-Pierre|2]]}}
 
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    {{Image label end}}''The 19 municipalities of the [[Brussels-Capital Region]]''
 
−
| style="line-height:70%" | <ol>
 
−
<li>[[Anderlecht]]</li>
 
−
<li>[[Auderghem]]</li>
 
−
<li>[[Sint-Agatha-Berchem]]</li>
 
−
<li>[[City of Brussels]]</li>
 
−
<li>[[Etterbeek]]</li>
 
−
<li>[[Evere]]</li>
 
−
<li>[[Forest, Belgium|Forest]]</li>
 
−
<li>[[Ganshoren]]</li>
 
−
<li>[[Ixelles]]</li>
 
−
<li>[[Jette]]</li>
 
−
<li>[[Koekelberg]]</li>
 
−
<li>[[Sint-Jans-Molenbeek]]</li>
 
−
<li>[[Saint-Gilles, Belgium|Saint-Gilles]]</li>
 
−
<li>[[Saint-Josse-ten-Noode]]</li>
 
−
<li>[[Schaerbeek]]</li>
 
−
<li>[[Uccle]]</li>
 
−
<li>[[Watermael-Boitsfort]]</li>
 
−
<li>[[Woluwe-Saint-Lambert]]</li>
 
−
<li>[[Woluwe-Saint-Pierre]]</li>
 
−
</ol>
 
 
|}
 
|}
−
The Brussels-Capital Region is one of the three federated regions of Belgium, alongside [[Wallonia]] and the [[Flemish Region]]. Geographically and linguistically, it is a (bilingual) [[enclave]] in the (unilingual) Flemish Region. Regions are one component of Belgium's complex institutions, the three communities being the other component: the Brussels inhabitants must deal with either the [[French Community of Belgium|French (speaking) community]] or the [[Flemish Community]] for matters such as culture and education.
+
</center>
−
 
 
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Brussels is also the capital of both the [[French Community of Belgium]] (''Communauté française de Belgique'' in French) and of [[Flanders]] (''Vlaanderen''); all Flemish capital institutions are established here: [[Flemish Parliament]], [[Flemish government]] and its administration.
 
−
 
 
−
===International centre===
 
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Brussels has since [[World War II]] become the administrative centre of many international organisations. Notably the [[European Union]] (EU) and the [[NATO|North Atlantic Treaty Organisation]] (NATO) have their main institutions in the city, along with 1000 other international organisations and 2000 international corporations.{{Fact|date=July 2008}} Brussels is third in the number of international conferences it hosts<ref name="ULB Int">[http://www.ulb.ac.be/docs/ulb-prestige/bxluk.html Brussels, an international city and European capital] Université Libre de Bruxelles</ref> also becoming one of the largest convention centres in the world.<ref name="diplomatie">[http://www.diplomatie.be/EN/belgium/belgiumdetail.asp?TEXTID=1754 Brussels: home to international organisations] diplomatie.be</ref> The presence of the EU and the other international bodies has for example led to there being more ambassadors and journalists in Brussels than in [[Washington D.C.]].<ref name="E!Sarp">E!Sharp magazine, Jan-Feb 2007 issue: Article "A tale of two cities".</ref> International schools have also been established to serve this presence.<ref name="diplomatie"/>
 
−
 
 
−
====European Union====
 
−
{{main|Brussels and the European Union}}
 
−
[[Image:European Commission outside.jpg|thumb|The [[European Commission]] in the [[Berlaymont building]]]]
 
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−
Brussels is considered as the ''[[de facto]]'' [[capital]] of the [[European Union]] due to its history of hosting the [[institutions of the European Union|EU's institutions]], even though the EU has not declared any official capital city. The city plays host to the official seats of the [[European Commission]] (in the [[Berlaymont building]]) and the [[Council of the European Union]] (in the [[Justus Lipsius building]] facing it).<ref name="ENA COMM SEAT">[http://www.ena.lu?lang=2&doc=3102 European Navigator] Seat of the European Commission</ref><ref name="EC EiB">European Commission publication: ''Europe in Brussels'' 2007</ref> Furthermore three quarters of the work of the [[European Parliament]] takes place in the city at its [[Espace Léopold|Brussels hemicycle]] (its official seat is [[Strasbourg]]).<ref>{{cite web|last=Wheatley|first=Paul|title=The two-seat parliament farce must end|date=[[2006-10-02]]|publisher=Café Babel|url=http://www.cafebabel.com/en/article.asp?T=A&Id=2047|accessdate = 2007-07-16}}</ref>
 
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Brussels began to host institutions in 1957, with the executives of the [[European Economic Community|EEC]] and [[European Atomic Energy Community|Euratom]] which were originally shared with [[Luxembourg City|Luxembourg]] but quickly met in Brussels for practical reasons. In 1965 Brussels gained the right to host the merged Commission and Council, with some concessions to Luxembourg, and over the following years the Parliament established an increasing presence in Brussels, although was required to maintain its presence in [[Strasbourg]] by the treaties.<ref name="ENA COMM SEAT"/><ref name="EC EiB"/> Between 2002 and 2004, the [[European Council]] also fixed its seat in the city.<ref name="Dragoman">{{cite web|last=Stark|first=Christine|authorlink=|coauthors=|title=Evolution of the European Council: The implications of a permanent seat|work=|publisher=Dragoman.org|date=|url=http://www.dragoman.org/ec/belfast-2002.pdf|format=PDF|doi=|accessdate = 2007-07-12}}</ref>
 
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Today the presence has increased considerably with the Commission alone occupying 865,000m² within the "European Quarter" in the east of the city. The concentration and density has caused concern that the presence of the institutions has caused a "[[ghetto]] effect" in that part of the city.<ref name="EUO buildings">{{cite web|last=Vucheva|first=Elitsa|authorlink=|coauthors=|title=EU quarter in Brussels set to grow|work=|publisher=EU Observer|date=[[2007-09-05]]|url=http://euobserver.com/9/24707|format=|doi=|accessdate = 2007-09-27}}</ref> However the presence has contributed significantly to the importance of Brussels as an international centre.<ref name="E!Sarp"/>
 
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−
==Culture==
 
−
===Architecture===
 
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[[Image:Grand Place.jpg|thumb|upright|The medieval [[Grand Place]]]]
 
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The architecture in Brussels is diverse, and spans from the mediaeval constructions on the [[Grand Place]] to the [[Postmodernism|postmodern]] buildings of the [[Brussels and the European Union|EU institutions]].
 
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Main attractions include the [[Grand Place]], since 1988 a [[World Heritage Site|UNESCO World Heritage Site]], with the Gothic town hall in the old centre, the [[St. Michael and Gudula Cathedral]] and the [[Royal Castle of Laken|Laken Castle]] with its large greenhouses. Another famous landmark is the [[Royal Palace of Brussels|Royal Palace]].
 
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The [[Atomium]] is a symbolic {{convert|103|m|ft|0|sing=on}} metre tall structure that was built for the [[Expo '58|1958 World’s Fair]]. It consists of nine steel spheres connected by tubes, and forms a model of an iron crystal (specifically, a [[unit cell]]. The architect A. Waterkeyn devoted the building to science. Next to the Atomium is the [[Mini-Europe]] park with 1:25 scale [[maquette]]s of famous buildings from across Europe.
 
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The [[Manneken Pis]], a bronze fountain of a small peeing boy is a famous tourist attraction and symbol of the city.
 
  
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Other landmarks include the [[Cinquantenaire|Cinquantenaire park]] with its triumphal arch and nearby museums, the [[Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Belgium|Basilica of the Sacred Heart]], [[Brussels Stock Exchange]], the [[Law Courts of Brussels|Palace of Justice]] and the buildings of EU institutions in the [[Brussels and the European Union|European Quarter]].
+
==Government==
 +
[[Image:European parliament 002.JPG|thumb|right|215px|One of the [[European Parliament]] buildings.]]
  
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[[Image:Cinquantenaire.jpg|thumb|left|[[Cinquantenaire]] triumphal arch]]
+
Although the City of Brussels, a smaller municipality within the capital region, is the official capital of Belgium, Brussels-Capital Region is the ''de facto'' capital. Brussels is also the capital of both the French Community of Belgium and of [[Flanders]]. The Brussels-Capital Region is divided into 19 municipalities, of which the [[City of Brussels]] is the largest and most populous.
  
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Cultural facilities include the Brussels Theatre and the [[La Monnaie]] Theatre and opera house. There is a wide array of museums, from the [[Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium|Royal Museum of Fine Art]] to the [[Musée Royal de l'Armée| Museum of the Army]] and the [[Centre Belge de la Bande Dessinée| Comic Museum]]. Brussels also has a lively music scene, with everything from opera houses and concert halls to music bars and techno clubs.
+
Due to the method of federalization, and because the municipalities did not take part in the merger that affected municipalities in the rest of Belgium, the public institutions in Brussels offer a bewildering complexity. The Brussels-Capital Region has:
  
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The city centre is notable for its Flemish town houses. Also particularly striking are the buildings in the [[Art Nouveau]] style by the Brussels architect [[Victor Horta]]. In the heyday of Art Nouveau new Brussels suburbs were developed, and much buildings are in this style. The architecture of the quarter [[Schaerbeek]], [[Etterbeek]] [[Ixelles]], and [[Saint-Gilles]] is particularly worth seeing. Another example of Brussels Art Nouveau is the [[Stoclet Palace]], by the Viennese architect [[Josef Hoffmann]]. The modern buildings of [[Espace Leopold]] complete the picture.  
+
* A [[Brussels Parliament|regional parliament]] of 89 members (72 French-speaking, 17 Dutch-speaking, parties are organized on a linguistic basis), plus a regional government, consisting of an officially linguistically neutral, but in practice French-speaking minister-president, two French-speaking and two Dutch-speaking ministers, one Dutch-speaking secretary of state and two French-speaking secretaries of state.  
 +
* A council and a board, with the same membership as the organs of the Brussels Region. This is a decentralized administrative public body, assuming competences that elsewhere in Belgium are exercised by municipalities or provinces (fire brigade, waste disposal).  
 +
* The [[Common Community Commission]], with a United Assembly (that is, the members of the regional parliament) and a United Board (the ministers of the region, with the minister-president not having the right to vote). This commission is responsible for implementing cultural policies, can give subsidies, enact by-laws, and ordinances in the field of welfare.
 +
* The [[Flemish Community Commission]] for the Flemings in Brussels, and the [[French Community Commission]], each with an assembly (that is, the members of parliament of the linguistic group) and a board (the ministers and secretaries of state of the linguistic group).  
 +
* Nineteen local, municipal authorities with a 600-odd municipal councillors
 +
* Six inter-municipal policing zones
 +
* Intercommunal societies created freely by the municipalities
  
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[[Image:Atomium 20-08-07.jpg|thumb|The [[Atomium]] in [[Heysel|Heysel Park]]]]
+
Some legislative competencies of the French Community have been devolved to the French language Walloon Region, and to the French Community Commission (for the bilingual language area). The Flemish Community merged the Flemish Region into the Flemish Community.
  
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The city has had a renown artist scene for many years. The famous Belgian surrealist [[René Magritte]], for example, studied in Brussels. The city is also a capital of the comic strip; some treasured Belgian characters are [[Lucky Luke]], [[Tintin]], [[Cubitus]], [[Gaston Lagaffe]] and [[Marsupilami]]. Throughout the city walls are painted with large motifs of comic book characters, and the interiors of some Metro stations are designed by artists. The [[Centre Belge de la Bande Dessinée|Belgian Comics Museum]] combines two artistic leitmotifs of Brussels, being a museum devoted to Belgian comic strips, housed in the former Waucquez department store, designed by [[Victor Horta]] in the [[Art Nouveau]] style.  
+
The Brussels Region is neither a province, nor does it belong to one. Within the region, 99 percent of the provincial competencies are assumed by the Brussels regional institutions. Remaining is only the [[governor of Brussels-Capital]] and some aides.
 +
[[Image:Palace of Brussels.jpg|thumb|left|250px|The [[Royal Palace of Brussels]]]]
 +
Nineteen of the 72 French-speaking members of the Brussels Parliament are also members of the [[Parliament of the French Community of Belgium]], and until 2004, this was also the case for six Dutch-speaking members, who were at the same time members of the [[Flemish Parliament]]. Now, people voting for a Flemish party have to vote separately for six directly elected members of the Flemish Parliament.
  
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The [[King Baudouin Stadium]] is a concert and competition facility with a 50,000 seat capacity, the largest in Belgium. The site was formerly occupied by the [[Heysel Stadium]], which in 1985 saw one of the worst disasters in European football, when 39 deaths and over 400 serious injuries were suffered after English [[hooligans]] fell on Italian football fans, sparking a mass panic.
+
Meanwhile, Brussels hosts two of the main institutions of the [[European Union]]—the [[European Commission]] and the [[Council of the European Union]]. The [[European Parliament]], also has a parliamentary chamber in Brussels (the other plenary sessions are held in [[Strasbourg]], and its administrative headquarters are in [[Luxembourg]]).  
  
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===Arts===
+
Brussels is also the political seat of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization ([[NATO]]), the [[Western European Union]] (WEU) and [[EUROCONTROL]], the European Organization for the Safety of Air Navigation. Due to this, some countries have three ambassadors present in Brussels: the normal bi-lateral ambassador, the EU-ambassador, and finally the NATO-ambassador.
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Brussels contains over 40 museums,<ref>[http://www.brussels.org/mus.htm Museum<!-- Bot generated title —>]</ref> including the Museum of Modern Art<ref>[http://www.trabel.com/brussel/brussels-museums-modernart.htm Museum of Modern Art in Brussels. Museum Moderne Kunst Brussel. Musée d'art moderne Bruxelles<!-- Bot generated title —>]</ref>, and the [[Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium]]. The museum has an extensive collection of various painters, such as the [[Flemish painting| Flemish painters]] like [[Pieter Brueghel the Elder|Brueghel]], [[Rogier van der Weyden]], [[Robert Campin]], [[Anthony van Dyck]], and [[Jacob Jordaens]].
 
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===Gastronomy===
 
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[[Image:Brussels waffle.jpg|thumb|150px|Brussels is known for its local [[waffle]] (pictured) and chocolate.]]
 
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Brussels is known for its local [[waffle]], its [[chocolate]], its [[french fries]] and its numerous types of [[beer]]s . The [[Brussels sprout]] was first cultivated in Brussels, hence its name.
 
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The gastronomic offer includes approximately 1,800 restaurants, and a number of high quality bars. The Belgian cuisine is known among connoisseurs as one of the best in Europe. In addition to the traditional restaurants, there is a large number of cafés, bistros and the usual range of international fast food chains. The cafés are similar to bars, and offer beer and light dishes, coffee houses in the usual sense are the Salons de Thé. Also widespread are ''brasseries'', which usually offer a large number of beers and typical national dishes.
 
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The Belgian cuisine is characterized by the combination of French cuisine with the more hearty Flemish fare. Notable specialities include [[Brussels waffle]]s (gaufres) and [[mussels]] (usually as "moules frites," served with fries). The city is a stronghold of chocolate and pralines manufacturers with traditional companies like Godiva, Neuhaus and Leonidas. Numerous [[friteries]] are spread throughout the city, and in tourist areas, fresh, hot, waffles are also sold on the street.
 
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In addition to the regular selection of Belgian beer, the famous [[lambic]] style of beer is only brewed in and around Brussels, and the yeasts have their origin in the Senne valley. In mild contrast to the other versions, [[Kriek]] (cherry beer) enjoys outstanding popularity, as it does in the rest of Belgium. Kriek is available in almost every bar or restaurant.
 
  
 
==Economy==
 
==Economy==
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{{see|Economy of Belgium}}
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[[Image:Gare du Nord Nr 2.jpg|thumb||215px|right|Platforms at Brussels North station.]]
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Serving as the centre of administration for Europe, Brussels' economy is largely service-oriented. It is dominated by regional headquarters of multinationals, by European institutions, by various administrations, and by related services, though it does have a number of notable craft industries, such as the [[Cantillon Brewery]], a [[lambic]] brewery founded in 1900.
+
[[Image:Metro bruxelles station debrouckere.jpg|thumb|215px|Brussels metro (actually here ''premetro''), ''de Brouckère'' station.]]
  
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==Languages==
+
The ''postwar boom years,'' enhanced by the establishment of the [[European Union]] and [[NATO]] headquarters in Brussels, contributed to the rapid expansion of light industry throughout most of Flanders, particularly along a corridor stretching between Brussels and [[Antwerp]] (now the third-largest port in [[Europe]] after [[Rotterdam]] and [[Hamburg]]), where a major concentration of [[petrochemical]] industries developed.
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{{Refimprovesect|date=July 2008}}
 
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[[Image:Languages spoken at home in the Brussels Capital Region (2006).svg|thumb|Languages spoken at home (Capital Region, 2006)<ref name="rudi3">{{nl}}[http://www.brusselsstudies.be/PDF/NL_51_BruS13NL.pdf ”Taalgebruik in Brussel en de plaats van het Nederlands. Enkele recente bevindingen”], Rudi Janssens, Brussels Studies, Nummer 13, [[7 January]] [[2008]] (see page 4).</ref><br />{{legend|#0084ff|French only}}{{legend|#11cbd9|French & Dutch}}{{legend|#7700bb|French w/ another non-Dutch language}}{{legend|#1abb45|Dutch only}}{{legend|#d00000|Neither French nor Dutch}}]]
 
  
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{{see also|Frenchification of Brussels}}
+
Being the de facto European capital, the economy of Brussels is heavily dominated by regional headquarters of multinationals, by European institutions, by the still heavily (over)populated Belgian administrations, and by related services. Brussels also has more commuters coming mainly from Flanders, closely followed by commuters from Wallonia (and far smaller numbers of commuters from the Netherlands and France), than local employment. Within Brussels, the unemployment rate is higher than in the other Belgian regions (above 20 percent in 2008). This is because of: Higher taxation rates, a high percentage of mono-lingual French-speakers, a mismatch between education and labor market needs, a high percentage of immigrants with a low education level, and local political institutions showing sub-standard performance.
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Originally a Dutch-speaking city, Brussels is nowadays officially bilingual [[French language|French]]-[[Dutch language|Dutch]].<ref name="vl">{{nl}}[http://brussel.vlaanderen.be/brusselhistorisch.html "Brussel historisch"], Hoofdstedelijke Aangelegenheden, Ministerie van de Vlaamse Gemeenschap</ref><ref name="ULB">{{fr}}[http://www.ulb.ac.be/philo/spf/langue/francais.htm#CHAP%203 "Histoire de la langue"], Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB)</ref> French is the mother tongue of the majority of the population and the [[lingua franca]]. Research in the city's archives shows that Dutch was by far the most widely used language in local administration until the French occupation (1793-1815),<ref name="mythe">{{nl}}[http://www.paulderidder.be/print/taalgebruik.pdf "De mythe van de vroege verfransing"], Taalgebruik te Brussel van de 12de eeuw tot 1794, Paul De Ridder</ref> even though French had been the language of the local governors since the [[Burgundian (party)|Burgundian]] era.<ref>''Linguistic Usages in Brussels before 1794'', [http://www.paulderidder.be/history.htm] last accessed [[14 February]] [[2007]]</ref> From 1880 on, more and more Dutch-speaking people became bilingual, resulting in a rise of monolingual French-speakers after 1910. Halfway through the 20th century the number of monolingual French-speakers carried the day over the (mostly) bilingual Flemish inhabitants.<ref name="brio4">{{nl}}[http://www.briobrussel.be/assets/andere%20publicaties/btng-rbhc,%2021,%201990,%203-4,%20pp%20383-412.pdf "Thuis in gescheiden werelden" — De migratoire en sociale aspecten van verfransing te Brussel in het midden van de 19e eeuw"], BTNG-RBHC, XXI, 1990, 3-4, pp. 383-412, Machteld de Metsenaere, Eerst aanwezend assistent en docent Vrije Universiteit Brussel</ref>
 
  
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During the 19th century most dialect-speakers (speaking the local dialect of Dutch) turned to French rather than to Dutch as their language of culture. The main reasons for this were the higher prestige of the French language at the time (even the Flemish elites had adopted French), the perception that Dutch was the language of rural and poor [[Flanders]] and the fact that the Belgian administration was solely conducted in French. The education system was almost exclusively French-speaking, which hampered the spread of the Dutch standard language and contributed to low-class image of Dutch.<ref name="brio3">{{nl}}[http://www.brio.sharedfolder.net/Taal_sociale_integr_4.pdf "Taal- en onderwijspolitiek te Brussel (1878-1914)"], Harry van Velthoven, p261-443, Taal en Sociale Integratie 4, Brussel, VUB, 1981</ref> As a result, people would often speak a Dutch dialect in private but French in public occasions. Even today, it is not uncommon to meet (older) French-speaking "Bruxellois" who are unable to express themselves in standard Dutch but who speak or at least understand the [[Brabantian]] dialect.
+
Brussels is served by [[Brussels Airport]], located in the nearby Flemish municipality of [[Zaventem]], and by the much smaller [[Charleroi Brussels South|Brussels South Airport]], located near [[Charleroi]] (Wallonia), some 30 miles (50km) from Brussels. Brussels is also served by direct high-speed rail links: to the [[United Kingdom]] by the [[Eurostar]] train via the Channel Tunnel; to [[Amsterdam]], [[Paris]] and [[Cologne]] by the [[Thalys]]; and to Cologne and [[Frankfurt]] by the German [[ICE]].
  
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A linguistic curiosity is [[Marols]] (''Marollien''), a variant of the Dutch dialect of Brussels  heavily influenced by the [[Walloon language|Walloon]] of [[Liège]], which used to be spoken mostly in the [[Marolles]]/[[Marollen]], a central section of the city. Today, all Brussels dialects are on the verge of extinction.<ref>{{nl}}de Vriendt, Sera: ''Taal in stad en land - Brussels'', Uitgeverij Terra - Lannoo, 2004, ISBN 90-209-5857-7</ref>
+
The [[Brussels metro]] dates to 1976, but underground lines known as ''premetro'' have been serviced by tramways since 1968. A comprehensive bus and [[Brussels trams|tram network]] also covers the city. Brussels also has its own port on the [[Willebroek]] canal located in the northwest of the city.
  
−
Nowadays, the Brussels Capital Region is officially bilingual French-Dutch. There are no official linguistic statistics since the State-run decennial linguistic census has been abolished after the fixation of the Belgian [[language border]]. All studies carried out can only be estimations.
+
Since 2003, Brussels has had a car-sharing service and local ridesharing company taxi stop. In 2006, shared bicycles were introduced. The ancient pattern of streets radiating from the ''Grote Markt/Grand'Place'' in large part remains, but has been overlaid by boulevards built over the River Zenne, and the city walls.
  
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[[Image:Manneke pis 2 Sept2005.jpg|150px|thumb|left|[[Manneken Pis]] is seen as a symbol of French and Dutch cohabitation in Brussels.<ref>{{cite web |language=Dutch |url=http://www.taalrespect.be/archives/2007/08/25/manneken-pis-schrijft-slecht-nederlands/ |title=Manneken-Pis schrijft slecht Nederlands |publisher=Het Nieuwsblad |date=2007-08-25}}</ref>]]
+
Brussels is the hub of the fan of old national roads. Usually named ''steenwegen/chaussées,'' these highways normally run straight as a die, but on occasion lose themselves in a [[labyrinth]] of narrow shopping streets. The city center, sometimes known as "the pentagon," is surrounded by the "small ring," a sequence of boulevards built upon the site of the second set of city walls.
  
−
As Brussels is the capital of a country of which 60% of the inhabitants are Dutch speakers, and the Brussels Region is completely surrounded by the Flemish region, it is logical that many Dutch speakers from the periphery come to the city for working, shopping and going out.
+
==Demographics==
−
So, although the lingua franca is French, knowledge of Dutch is considered highly desirable.<ref>[http://www.mr.be/programme/pdf/emploi/A313-Accompagnement-demandeurs-emploi-a-Bruxelles.pdf L’accompagnement des demandeurs d’emploi à Bruxelles]</ref> One of the consequences of this change of attitude towards the Dutch language is, for example, that most children in Dutch-speaking schools in Brussels do not speak Dutch at home.<ref>[http://www.bop.vgc.be/onderwijs/tellingen/februari06.html the official VGC figures for February, 2006]</ref> Janssens estimates that 28.23% of the population have a ''good to perfect'' knowledge of Dutch (either as a first or as a second language). For English this is 35.4% and for French 95%, due to its role as lingua franca.<ref name="lesoir">{{fr}}[http://www.lesoir.be/regions/bruxelles/enquete-le-francais-maitrise-2008-01-08-570166.shtml "Welcome supplante Welkom à Bruxelles"], Le Soir, [[8 January]] [[2008]]</ref><ref name="rudi3"/>
+
[[Image:Brussels signs.jpg|thumb|left|215px|Bilingual signs in Brussels.]]
 +
[[Image:ULB 20050712.jpg|thumb|right|215px|[[Université Libre de Bruxelles]]]]
 +
The Brussels capital region had a population of 1,031,215 in 2007, for 161.382 km² which gives a [[population density]] of 6238 inhabitants per square kilometer. The municipality had a population of about 140,000 in 2006. The metropolitan area had about 2,090,000 inhabitants.
  
−
The occasional imprecision of linguistic pairing can be quite amusing. Whilst some ancient streets have only their original Dutch name (e.g. ''[[Coudenberg]]''), others were originally named in French and have had their later Dutch names revised. For instance the ''Rue du Beau Site'' in [[Ixelles]]/Elsene bears two bilingual nameplates, the older giving, as the Dutch version, the hastily translated ''Schoon-Zicht Straat'' and the more recent giving the more idiomatic ''Welgelegenstraat''. Other such pairs are Regentiestraat/Regentschapstraat and Koopmansstraat/Koopliedenstraat.
+
In January 2006, 73.1 percent of its registered inhabitants were Belgian nationals, 4.1 percent [[France|French]] nationals, 12 percent other [[European Union|EU]] nationals (usually expressing themselves in either French or English), 4 percent [[Morocco|Moroccan]] nationals, and 6.8 percent other non-European Union nationals.
  
−
Due to the city's growth beyond the limits of the [[Brussels Capital Region]], the periphery, which is institutionally part of Dutch-speaking Flanders, has attracted a large French-speaking population. In some of the municipalities immediately bordering the Brussels Capital Region, the population became majority French-speaking during the second half of the 20th century, in a few cases currently numbering over 70%. Because of the refusal of many of these to use Dutch, this is one of the major sources of linguistic conflict in Belgium, particularly in the [[Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde]] region.<ref>{{fr}}[http://info.france2.fr/dossiers/europe/34025346-fr.php?page=2 "Bruxelles dans l'oeil du cyclone"], France 2, [[14 November]] [[2007]]</ref>
+
Brussels lies just north of the “language boundary” that separates Flanders region in the north, where the Flemish variant of Dutch is spoken, from the French-speaking Walloon region in the south. Brussels is officially bilingual, [[French language|French]], and [[Dutch language|Dutch]], although about 85 percent to 90 percent of the population are French-speakers (including migrants), and about 10 percent to 15 percent are Dutch-speakers.
  
−
==Education==
+
The historical indigenous [[language]] of Brussels were [[Brabantian]] dialects particular to Brussels and related to Dutch. During the nineteenth century however, as literacy progressed, most dialect-speakers turned to [[French language|French]] rather than to Dutch as their language of culture.  
−
[[Image:ULB 20050712.jpg|thumb|151px|[[Université Libre de Bruxelles]]]]
 
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There are several [[University|universities]] in Brussels. The two main universities are the [[Université Libre de Bruxelles]], a [[French language|French-speaking]] university with about 20,000 students in three campuses in the city (and two others outside),<ref>{{cite web|title=Presentation of the Université libre de Bruxelles|publisher=[[Université Libre de Bruxelles]]|url=http://www.ulb.ac.be/docs/ulb-prestige/indexuk.html|accessdate = 2007-12-09}}</ref> and the [[Vrije Universiteit Brussel]], a [[Dutch language|Dutch-speaking]] university with about 10,000 students.<ref>{{cite web|title=About the University : Culture and History|publisher=[[Vrije Universiteit Brussel]]|url=http://www.vub.ac.be/english/home/about.html|accessdate = 2007-12-09}}</ref> Both universities originate from a single ancestor university founded in 1834, namely the [[Free University of Brussels]], which was split in 1970 at about the same time the Flemish and French Communities gained legislative power over the organisation of higher education.
 
  
−
Other universities include the [[Facultés Universitaires Saint Louis]] with 2,000 students,<ref>{{cite web|title=Institution: Historique|publisher=Facultés Universitaires Saint Louis|url=http://www.fusl.ac.be/fr/27.html|accessdate = 2007-12-09}}</ref> , the Catholic University of Brussels ([[Katholieke Universiteit Brussel]])<ref>{{cite web|title=Katholieke Universiteit Brussel|publisher=Katholieke Universiteit Brussel|url=http://www.kubrussel.ac.be/english/index.htm|accessdate = 2007-12-09}}</ref>
+
A linguistic curiosity is the "Marollien" dialect, based on the Walloon of Liège and heavily influenced by the general (Dutch) Brussels dialect, which was once spoken mostly in a central section of the city, the "Marolles/Marollen." Today, all Brussels dialects are on the verge of extinction, although there are some attempts at revival.  
−
, the [[Royal Military Academy (Belgium)|Royal Military Academy]], a military college established in 1834 by a [[France|French]] colonel<ref>{{cite web|title=What makes the RMA so special?|publisher=[[Royal Military Academy (Belgium)|Belgian Royal Military Academy]]|url=http://www.rma.ac.be/RMAdotNet/scsc/infos/default.aspx?Page=1&SubPage=3|accessdate = 2007-12-09}}</ref> and two drama schools founded in 1982: the [[Dutch language|Dutch-speaking]] [[Koninklijk Conservatorium (Brussel)|Koninklijk Conservatorium]] and the [[French language|French-speaking]] [[Conservatoire Royal (Brussels)|Conservatoire Royal]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Petite histoire du Conservatoire royal de Bruxelles|publisher=Conservatoire Royal|url=http://www.conservatoire.be/historique.html|accessdate = 2007-12-09}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussel|publisher=[[Koninklijk Conservatorium (Brussel)|Koninklijk Conservatorium]]|url=http://www.kcb.be/eng/indexin.asp?pag=bib&nr=1|accessdate = 2007-12-09}}</ref>
 
  
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Still other universities have campuses in Brussels, such as the [[Université Catholique de Louvain]] that has had its medical faculty in the city since 1973.<ref>{{cite web|title=L'histoire de l'UCL à Bruxelles|publisher=[[Université Catholique de Louvain]]|url=http://www.uclouvain.be/47547.html|accessdate = 2007-12-09}}</ref> In addition the [[Boston University Brussels]] campus was established in 1972 and offers masters degrees in business administration and international relations. Due to the post-war international presence in the city, there are also a number of international schools, including the [[International School of Brussels]] with 1,450 pupils between 2½ to 18,<ref>{{cite web|title=ISB Profile|publisher=[[International School of Brussels]]|url=http://www.isb.be/page.cfm?p=7|accessdate = 2007-12-09}}</ref> the British School of Brussels, and the four [[European School]]s serving those working in the [[Institutions of the European Union|EU institutions]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Background |publisher=[[European Schools|Schola Europaea]]|url=http://www.eursc.eu/index.php?id=133|accessdate = 2007-12-09}}</ref>
+
There are several [[University|universities]] in Brussels. The two main universities are the [[Université Libre de Bruxelles]], a [[French language|French-speaking]] university with about 20,000 students in three campuses in the city (and two others outside), and the [[Vrije Universiteit Brussel]], a [[Dutch language|Dutch-speaking]] university with about 10,000 students. Other universities include the [[Facultés Universitaires Saint Louis]] (FUSL), the [[Katholieke Universiteit Brussel]] (KUB) and the [[Royal Military Academy (Belgium)|Royal Military Academy]] (RMA). A satellite campus of the [[Université Catholique de Louvain]], called CL-Brussels, which hosts the faculty of [[medicine]], is located in Brussels. The Conservatoire Royal and the [[Koninklijk Conservatorium (Brussel)|Koninklijk Conservatorium]] are [[drama]] schools in the city.
  
−
==Transport==
+
==Society and culture==
−
[[Image:Eurostar train.jpg|thumb|Brussels is connected with other European cities through the e.g. [[Eurostar]] high-speed rail network.]]
+
[[Image:Bruxelles-DonQuijote.JPG|thumb|right|250px|Don Quijote & Sancho Panza statue at Place d’Espagne/Spanjeplein: [[Don Quijote]].]]
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===Connections===
 
−
Brussels is served by [[Brussels Airport]], located in the nearby Flemish municipality of [[Zaventem]], and by the much smaller so-called [[Brussels South Charleroi Airport]], located near [[Charleroi]] (Wallonia), some {{convert|50|km|mi|-1|abbr=on}} from Brussels. Brussels is also served by direct high-speed rail links: to  [[London]] by the [[Eurostar]] train via the Channel Tunnel (1hr 51 min); to Amsterdam, Paris and Cologne by the [[Thalys]]; and to Cologne and Frankfurt by the German [[InterCityExpress|ICE]].
 
  
−
===Public transport===
+
Brussels has well over 100 [[museums]]. They include the [[BOZAR-PMSK (The Palace of Fine Arts)]], the Film Museum, the [[Musical Instrument Museum]], the National Army Museum, the [[Royal Museums of Art and History]], the [[Belgian Center for Comic Strip Art]], the [[Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences]]. Places of interest include:
−
The [[Brussels Metro]] dates back to 1976, but underground lines known as ''premetro'' have been serviced by tramways since 1968. A comprehensive bus and [[Brussels trams|tram network]] also covers the city.
+
* The [[Grand Place]] (Dutch: ''Grote Markt''), the central market square, which has the [[gothic architecture|Gothic]] [[Brussels Town Hall|Town Hall]] and the [[Baroque]] late seventeenth-century [[guild]]houses with the sculptures of [[:fr:Pierre van Dievoet|Peter van Dievoet]] surrounding the square.
 +
* The [[Royal Palace of Laeken]] and the [[Royal Palace of Brussels]].
 +
* The [[Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium]] combining four interconnected sections of old masters and modern art collections, which include works by [[Pieter Brueghel the Elder|Pieter Bruegel]], [[Peter Paul Rubens|Rubens]], [[Paul Delvaux]] and [[René Magritte]].
 +
* On the site of the [[Heysel|Heysel/Heizel]] are the [[Atomium]], a remnant of the 1958 [[World Exposition]] in Brussels, and [[Mini-Europe]], a park which hosts miniature models of famous European buildings.
 +
* Several churches, such as the [[Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Belgium|Basilica of the Sacred Heart]] in Koekelberg, and the [[Saint Michael and Saint Gudula Cathedral]].
  
−
Brussels also has its own port on the [[Brussels-Scheldt Maritime Canal]] located in the northwest of the city. The [[Brussels-Charleroi Canal]] connects the industrial areas of [[Wallonia]].
+
Brussels is famous for being home to many Belgian comics characters, including [[The Smurfs]], [[Largo Winch]], [[Tintin and Snowy|Tintin]], and [[Lucky Luke]] to name a few. Throughout Brussels, (also nicknamed Comic City) there are many [[mural]]s, [[fresco]]s, and even statues celebrating the city's many cartoon heroes.
  
−
An interticketing system means that a STIB/MIVB ticket holder can use the train or long-distance buses inside the city. The commuter services operated by De Lijn, TEC and SNCB/NMBS will in the next few years be augmented by a metropolitan [[RER]] rail network around Brussels.
+
Notable people from Brussels include: Actress [[Audrey Hepburn]], painter [[René Magritte]], jazz musician [[Toots Thielemans]], actor "The Muscles from Brussels" [[Jean-Claude Van Damme]], and painters [[Rogier van der Weyden]](1400-1465) and [[Barend van Orley]] (1488-1541), among others.
  
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Since 2003 Brussels has had a car-sharing service operated by the [[Bremen]] company Cambio in partnership with STIB/MIVB and local ridesharing company taxi stop. In 2006 shared bicycles were also introduced.
+
===Folklore===
 +
Brussels' identity owes much to its rich [[folklore]] and traditions, among the liveliest in the country:
 +
* The Manneken Pis ([[Dutch language|Dutch]] for ''little man [[urination|pee]]''), is a Brussels [[landmark]]. It is a small bronze [[fountain]] sculpture depicting a naked little boy urinating into the fountain's basin. On many occasions the statue is dressed in a costume, which are changed—often accompanied by brass band music. The sculpture recalls a legend that in 1142, the troops of the two-year-old Duke [[Godfrey III of Leuven]], while battling against the troops of the [[Berthouts]], in Ransbeke (now [[Neder-over-Heembeek]]), put the infant lord in a basket and hung it in a tree, to encourage them. From there, he urinated on the troops of the Berthouts, who eventually lost the battle.
 +
*An introduction to the Brussels dialect and way of life can be obtained at the ''House of Toone'', a theater of [[marionette]]s that delivers slapstick comedy a stone's throw away from the [[Grand Place]].
 +
*The ''Ommegang'' (Dutch: ''Walking around''), which started in the 14th-century as a religious [[procession]], takes place every July, commemorating Charles V's [[Joyous Entry]] in the city in 1549. The colorful parade includes floats, traditional giant puppets, and scores of folkloric groups, either on foot or on horseback, dressed in medieval garb.
 +
*The ''Meyboom'' (Dutch: ''Tree of May''), which dates from 1308, in which a young [[beech]] tree is paraded with ''brusseleir'' songs and giant puppets, and planted, takes place annually on August 9.
  
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===Road network===
+
<center>
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[[Image:Wetstraat.jpg|thumb|150px|[[Rue de la Loi]]/Wetstraat is one of the city's main streets]]
 
−
In mediaeval times Brussels stood at the intersection of routes running north-south (the modern Hoogstraat/Rue Haute) and east-west (Gentsesteenweg/Chaussée de Gand-Grasmarkt/Rue du Marché aux Herbes-Naamsestraat/Rue de Namur). The ancient pattern of streets radiating from the [[Grand Place]] in large part remains, but has been overlaid by boulevards built [[covering of the Senne|over the River Zenne/Senne]], [[small ring (Brussels)|over the city walls]] and over the [[North-South connection|railway connection between the North and South Stations]].
 
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As one expects of a capital city, Brussels is the hub of the fan of old national roads, the principal ones being clockwise the N1 (N to [[Breda]]), N2 (E to [[Maastricht]]), N3 (E to [[Aachen]]), N4 (SE to [[Luxembourg]]) N5 (S to [[Rheims]]), N6 (SW to [[Maubeuge]]), N8 (W to [[Koksijde]]) and N9 (NW to [[Ostend]]) <ref>[http://www.autosnelwegen.net/frames.html?/nb.html Belgian N roads]</ref>. Usually named ''steenwegen/chaussées'', these highways normally run straight as a die, but on occasion lose themselves in a maze of narrow shopping streets.
 
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As for motorways, the town is skirted by the [[European route E19]] (N-S) and the [[European route E40|E40]] (E-W), while the [[European route E411|E411]] leads away to the SE. Brussels has an [[beltway|orbital]] [[motorway]], numbered ''R0'' (R-zero) and commonly referred to as the "ring" (French: ''ring'' Dutch: ''grote ring''). It is pear-shaped as the southern side was never built as originally conceived, owing to residents' objections.
 
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The city centre, sometimes known as "the pentagon", is surrounded by the "[[small ring (Brussels)|Small ring]]" (Dutch: ''kleine ring'', French: ''petite ceinture''), a sequence of boulevards formally numbered ''R20''. These were built upon the site of the second set of city walls following their demolition. Metro line 2 runs under much of these.
 
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On the eastern side of the city, the ''R21'' (French: ''[[grande ceinture]]'', ''grote ring'' in Dutch) is formed by a string of boulevards that curves round from Laken ([[Laeken]]) to Ukkel ([[Uccle]]). Some ''premetro'' stations (see [[Brussels Metro]]) were built on that route. A little further out, a stretch numbered R22 leads from Zaventem to [[Sint-Job]].
 
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==Twin cities==
 
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[[Image:Brussels Zonienwoud.jpg|thumb|The [[Sonian Forest]] at the outskirts of Brussels]]
 
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{{Refimprovesect|date=June 2008}}
 
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Brussels is [[Town twinning|twinned]] with the following 14 cities:
 
 
{|
 
{|
−
| valign="top" |
+
|+
−
*{{flagicon|Turkey}} [[Akhisar]], [[Turkey]]
+
|-
−
*{{flagicon|USA}} [[Atlanta, Georgia|Atlanta]], [[United States]]
+
| valign="top"|
−
*{{flagicon|Germany}} [[Berlin]], [[Germany]]
+
[[Image:Bruxelles Grande-Place.jpg|thumb|175px|Old houses on Brussels' [[Grand Place]] or ''Grote Markt'']]
−
*{{flagicon|People's Republic of China}} [[Beijing]], [[People's Republic of China]]
+
| valign="top"|
−
*{{flagicon|Canada}} [[Montreal]], [[Canada]] {{Fact|date=February 2008}}
+
[[Image:Brussels - Grand Place, Floral Carpet - 20040813 modified.jpg|thumb|175px|The Floral Carpet on the Grand Place in 2004]]
−
*{{flagicon|Macau}} [[Macau]]
+
| valign="top"|
−
*{{flagicon|Venezuela}} [[Caracas]], [[Venezuela]]
+
[[Image:Palais de Justice Interior.jpg|thumb|175px|Interior of the Brussels Palace of Justice]]  
−
| valign="top" |
+
| valign="top"|
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*{{flagicon|Spain}} [[Madrid]], [[Spain]]
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[[Image:Manneke_pis_2_Sept2005.jpg|thumb|175px|The most famous statue: [[Manneken Pis]]]]
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*{{flagicon|USA}} [[Washington, D.C.]], [[United States]]
+
|-
−
*{{flagicon|Ukraine}} [[Kiev]], [[Ukraine]]
 
−
*{{flagicon|Netherlands}} [[Breda]], The [[Netherlands]]
 
−
*{{flagicon|Czech Republic}} [[Prague]], [[Czech Republic]]
 
−
*{{flagicon|Slovenia}} [[Ljubljana]], [[Slovenia]]
 
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*{{flagicon|Bulgaria}} [[Sofia]], [[Bulgaria]]
 
 
|}
 
|}
 +
</center>
  
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==See also==
+
==Notes==
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{{Brussels topics}}
+
<references/>
  
 
==References==
 
==References==
−
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}
+
* ''Brussels A Cultural and Literary History''. Gardners Books, 2008. ISBN 978-1904955474
 +
* Encyclopaedia Britannica Online. [http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/82364/Brussels#tab=active~checked%2Citems~checked&title=Brussels%20—%20Britannica%20Online%20Encyclopedia.htm Brussels.] Retrieved April 30, 2020.
 +
* Jacobs, Roel. ''Brussels: A City in the Making''. Brugge: Marc van de Wiele, 1994.
 +
* Plissart, Marie-Françoise, and Gilbert Fastenaekens. ''Change: Brussels, Capital of Europe''. Brussels: Prisme, 2005. ISBN 978-2960010381
  
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
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{{sisterlinks|Brussels}}
+
All links retrieved November 21, 2023.
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<!-- links to official and standard-reference sites only please. —>
+
 
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* [http://www.bruxelles.irisnet.be/ Brussels-Capital Region], official site
+
* [http://www.bruxelles.irisnet.be/ Brussels-Capital Region]  
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* {{wikitravel}}
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* [http://www.fine-arts-museum.be/ Royal Museums of Fine Art of Belgium]  
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* [http://www.ilotsacre.be/site/en/default_en.htm Interactive map]
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* [http://www.ilotsacre.be/site/en/default_en.htm Brussels interactive map]  
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* [http://brussels.360cities.net Interactive 360 virtual tour]
 
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* Virtual tour 360° From Brussels !
 
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** [http://www.visitonweb.com/wikipedia/grand-place-bruxelles-uk.html Brussels Grand-Place]
 
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** [http://www.visitonweb.com/wikipedia/mannekenpis-uk.html Manneken Pis]
 
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** [http://www.visitonweb.com/wikipedia/bruxelles-cinquantenaire-uk.html Jubilee¨Park]
 
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** [http://www.visitonweb.com/wikipedia/sainte-gudule-uk.html St. Michael and Gudula Cathedral]
 
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** [http://www.visitonweb.com/wikipedia/galerie-du-roi-uk.html Royal Galleries of Saint-Hubert]
 
  
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[[Category:Geography]]
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[[Category:Cities]]
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[[Category:Europe]]
  
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{{credit|224568459}}
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{{credit|Brussels|142148771|Brussels-Capital_Region|224352494|Economy_of_Belgium|224549956|List_of_cities_by_GDP|224875581|}}

Latest revision as of 04:45, 22 November 2023

Brussels
Bruxelles
Brussel
—  Region of Belgium  —
Brussels-Capital Region
Région de Bruxelles-Capitale
Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest
Brussels City Hall
Brussels City Hall
Flag of Brussels
Flag		 Official logo of Brussels
Emblem
Nickname: Capital of Europe[1] Comic city[2]
Location of  Brussels (red) – in the European Union (brown  light brown) – in Belgium (brown)
Location of  Brussels (red)
– in the European Union (brown  light brown)
– in Belgium (brown)
Coordinates: {{#invoke:Coordinates|coord}}{{#coordinates:50|51|0|N|4|21|0|E|type:city
name= }}
Country Belgium
Settled c. 580
Founded 979
Region 18 June 1989
Municipalities
List
Government
 - Minister-President Charles Picqué (2004–)
 - Governor Jean Clément (acting) (2010–)
 - Parl. President Eric Tomas
Area
 - Region 161.38 km² (62.2 sq mi)
Elevation 13 m (43 ft)
Population (January 2010)
 - Region 1,089,538
 - Density 7,025/km² (16,857/sq mi)
 - Metro 1,830,000
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 - Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
ISO 3166 BE-BRU
Website: www.brussels.irisnet.be

Brussels (French: Bruxelles, pronounced [bʁysɛl]; Dutch: Brussel, pronounced [ˈbrɵsəɫ]), the largest city in Belgium, is also that nation's capital city and its administrative, commercial, and financial center, as well as the administrative heart of the European Union (EU). All services and institutions of national importance are based in the city. Today, the settlement of Brussels is effectively most often synonymous with the more recently established Brussels-Capital Region, which is one of Belgium's three regions.

Brussels has grown from a seventh century chapel into a metropolis of over one million inhabitants. The city’s colorful past is on display in the architectural gems of the medieval market known as the Grand Place, including the curious Manneken Pis urinating sculpture, in numerous churches, in the city’s 100 museums, and celebrated with the annual Ommegang parade featuring giant puppets, and scores of folkloric groups, dressed in medieval garb. A major tourist destination and cultural attraction—visual arts, film, music, literature, and theater institutions abound. Since the end of World War II the city has taken an international role, becoming the headquarters of NATO and the European Communities (now the European Union).

The City of Brussels in the Brussels-Capital Region is the capital of a nation divided along linguistic lines, resulting in a cultural divide as well. Compounding those difficulties, the public institutions in Brussels offer a bewildering complexity—with a regional parliament, a council and a board, a Common Community Commission, Flemish and French community commissions, 19 local municipal authorities, six inter-municipal policing zones, as well as national and international governmental bodies.

Geography

The name Brussels comes from the old Dutch Bruocsella, which means marsh (bruoc) and home (sella) or "home in the marsh." Brussels is located in the central plateau of Belgium, in the north-south oriented valley of the Zenne (or Senne) River, a small indirect tributary of the Scheldt, and spreading east and west over undulating plateaus separated by the tributaries of the Zenne.

Close to the North Sea, Brussels has a mild, moderate climate, with summer temperatures usually between 68°F and 77°F (20°C and 25°C), and winter temperatures rarely below 32°F (0°C). There are approximately 200 days of rain per year, with a total annual precipitation of 25.1 inches (637 mm).

The land area of Brussels totals 62.5 square miles (162 square kilometers). In the center of Brussels, the Zenne was covered up and boulevards were built over top in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, although it remains visible in the outskirts of Brussels. The Zenne was notorious for being one of Belgium's worst polluted rivers, since all effluents from the Brussels Capital Region went into it without treatment. This problem was solved in March 2007 with the completion of new sewage treatment plants.

The city center is enclosed by an inner ring road, which follows the course of the medieval city fortifications. The Upper Town has the city's grand museums and is where the main government buildings are located. The Lower Town has the city’s medieval heart, including the Grand Place medieval market, as well the commercial quarter.

History

A 1555 map of the city.

Brussels was first mentioned when Bishop Saint-Gery of Cambrai settled a chapel on a small island there around 695 C.E. Saint Vindicianus, also a bishop of Cambrai, is said to have died in the neighborhood of Brussels.

The founding of Brussels is usually situated around 979, because Charles, Duke of Lower Lotharingia (953–993), transferred the relics of Saint Gudula from Moorsel to the Saint Gery chapel in Brussels. The Holy Roman Emperor Otto II gave the duchy of Lower Lotharingia to Charles, the banished son of King Louis IV of France in 977. Charles built the first permanent fortification in the city, doing so on that same island.

The founding of the county of Brussels was attributed to Lambert I of Leuven, count of Leuven around 1000. In 1047, his son Lambert II of Leuven founded the Saint Gudula religious chapter.

In the twelfth century the small town became an important stop on the trade route from Bruges (Brugge) and Ghent to Cologne. The village benefited from this favorable position and, as it grew to a population of around 30,000, the surrounding marshes were drained to allow for further expansion. The Counts of Leuven became Dukes of Brabant at about this time (around 1184).

Brussels became one of the main towns of the duchy of Brabant. The manufacture of luxury fabrics that were exported to Paris, Venice and other towns, became the main source of wealth, enriching a few merchant families who gained the right to exercise power as magistrates.

The Count of Flanders invaded and briefly occupied Brussels. After Flemish troops left, from 1357 to 1379, a new city wall was constructed: The inner ring, or "pentagon" now follows its course.

By 1430, after the wedding of heiress Margaret III of Flanders with Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy in 1369, the duke of Burgundy gained control of the duchy of Brabant. Brussels became the princely capital of the prosperous Low Countries, and flourished.

Artists, including Rogier van der Weyden (1400–1464), and craftsmen, produced paintings, wooden sculptures, large historical tapestries, plate, jewelry, that were exported from Brussels. At this time the Town Hall, with its tall steeple, various Gothic churches and cathedrals, and the impressive Coudenberg Palace, were built.

Charles V (1500-1558) was declared King of the unified Spain, in 1516, in the Cathedral of Saint Gudule in Brussels. After a prolonged political crisis, it was in the Coudenberg Palace that Charles V abdicated in 1555. At that time, the city’s population grew to nearly 50,000. The Willebroek canal, linking Brussels with the port of Antwerp, was dug in 1561.

The first two Low Countries Protestant martyrs died at the stake in Brussels in 1523, the first of many. Calvinists ruled the city from 1578 until 1585, during the Revolt of the Netherlands (Eighty Years’ War) from 1568-1648. Fine Italo-Flemish Baroque churches were built there during the reign of Archduke Albert and Isabella (1598–1633).

Grand Place after the 1695 bombardment by the French army.

In 1695, Brussels was attacked by troops of King Louis XIV of France, one of a series of invasions. A bombardment destroyed the city's heart: More than 4000 houses were set on fire, including the medieval buildings on the Grand Place. New guildhalls, the existing architectural landmarks surrounding the Grand Place, were built after this destruction.

French troops occupied Brussels from 1746 to 1748, although the city revived with an economic upturn in the late eighteenth century. The Place Royale and Brussels Park was built at this time, as was much of the upper town.

In 1789, a popular revolt broke out in the Austrian Netherlands, in reaction against the centralizing policies of Emperor Joseph II (1741-1790). French republican troops invaded, annexing Belgian principalities to France. Brussels became a chief town of a French département.

After Napoleon was defeated at Waterloo, in present-day Belgium, on June 18, 1815, the victorious powers at the Congress of Vienna created the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, which was to serve as a buffer state against any future French invasions. Brussels shared the status of capital with The Hague.

The Belgian Revolution began with a riot in Brussels in August 1830 and led to the establishment of an independent, Roman Catholic and neutral Belgium, with Brussels as its capital. Under Leopold II, who ascended the throne on July 21, 1831, the city walls were replaced by tree-lined boulevards, the Zenne was culverted (as it brought diseases), the Brussels-Charleroi canal was dug, and the Tervuren Avenue was laid out.

During the First World War, Germans occupied Belgium from August 1914 to November 1918. The mayor of Brussels, Adolphe Max (1869-1939), became famous for resisting abuses at the hands of German forces. After the war, non-payment of reparations from Germany harmed the Belgium economy, as did soaring exchange rates, which generated a serious flight of capital, an imbalance of payments, and rampant inflation.

Photograph of the fifth conference in 1927.

Brussels hosted the famous fifth Solvay Conference in 1927, where physicists including Albert Einstein, Planck, Curie, Lorentz, Dirac, De Broglie, Bohr, Schrödinger, Pauli, and Heisenberg discussed the path of the modern physics, specifically the new Quantum Theory.

Greater Brussels became officially bilingual in 1932. A world fair took place in Brussels in 1935. During World War II, the German army bombed Brussels from May 10, 1940, and took control of the city on May 18. The Nazis appointed a governing council headed by pro-Nazi Flemish nationalist Jan Grauls, and sought to divide Belgium by backing Flemish autonomy supporters. British troops liberated Brussels on September 3, 1944. Most of the war damage to the city was done from 1944 to 1945.

Huge Flemish protests against “Frenchification” took place in Brussels in 1961 and 1962. Flemings demanded bilingualism in the public services and opposed the expansion of the French-speaking urban area into surrounding Flemish areas. Legislation was passed in 1963 limiting the capital to 19 bilingual municipalities. The Francophone Democratic Front appeared in 1964, to resist perceived Flemish interference in Brussels municipal affairs.

A constitutional reform enacted on December 24, 1970, created a Flemish region, a Walloon region, and the Brussels region. The parliament gave cultural autonomy to the Flemish and Walloon regions in 1971, and the constitution was revised in 1980 to create an independent administration within each region, extended from 1988 to 1989, to cover the economy and education.

On May 29, 1985, at the final of the 1985 European Cup tournament, football hooligans caused the collapse of a retaining wall at the Heysel Stadium in Brussels, killing 39 people.

Saint Michael and Gudula's Cathedral.
The Church of the Chapel at Brussels, drawing by Léon van Dievoet.

Government

One of the European Parliament buildings.

Although the City of Brussels, a smaller municipality within the capital region, is the official capital of Belgium, Brussels-Capital Region is the de facto capital. Brussels is also the capital of both the French Community of Belgium and of Flanders. The Brussels-Capital Region is divided into 19 municipalities, of which the City of Brussels is the largest and most populous.

Due to the method of federalization, and because the municipalities did not take part in the merger that affected municipalities in the rest of Belgium, the public institutions in Brussels offer a bewildering complexity. The Brussels-Capital Region has:

  • A regional parliament of 89 members (72 French-speaking, 17 Dutch-speaking, parties are organized on a linguistic basis), plus a regional government, consisting of an officially linguistically neutral, but in practice French-speaking minister-president, two French-speaking and two Dutch-speaking ministers, one Dutch-speaking secretary of state and two French-speaking secretaries of state.
  • A council and a board, with the same membership as the organs of the Brussels Region. This is a decentralized administrative public body, assuming competences that elsewhere in Belgium are exercised by municipalities or provinces (fire brigade, waste disposal).
  • The Common Community Commission, with a United Assembly (that is, the members of the regional parliament) and a United Board (the ministers of the region, with the minister-president not having the right to vote). This commission is responsible for implementing cultural policies, can give subsidies, enact by-laws, and ordinances in the field of welfare.
  • The Flemish Community Commission for the Flemings in Brussels, and the French Community Commission, each with an assembly (that is, the members of parliament of the linguistic group) and a board (the ministers and secretaries of state of the linguistic group).
  • Nineteen local, municipal authorities with a 600-odd municipal councillors
  • Six inter-municipal policing zones
  • Intercommunal societies created freely by the municipalities

Some legislative competencies of the French Community have been devolved to the French language Walloon Region, and to the French Community Commission (for the bilingual language area). The Flemish Community merged the Flemish Region into the Flemish Community.

The Brussels Region is neither a province, nor does it belong to one. Within the region, 99 percent of the provincial competencies are assumed by the Brussels regional institutions. Remaining is only the governor of Brussels-Capital and some aides.

The Royal Palace of Brussels

Nineteen of the 72 French-speaking members of the Brussels Parliament are also members of the Parliament of the French Community of Belgium, and until 2004, this was also the case for six Dutch-speaking members, who were at the same time members of the Flemish Parliament. Now, people voting for a Flemish party have to vote separately for six directly elected members of the Flemish Parliament.

Meanwhile, Brussels hosts two of the main institutions of the European Union—the European Commission and the Council of the European Union. The European Parliament, also has a parliamentary chamber in Brussels (the other plenary sessions are held in Strasbourg, and its administrative headquarters are in Luxembourg).

Brussels is also the political seat of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the Western European Union (WEU) and EUROCONTROL, the European Organization for the Safety of Air Navigation. Due to this, some countries have three ambassadors present in Brussels: the normal bi-lateral ambassador, the EU-ambassador, and finally the NATO-ambassador.

Economy

Platforms at Brussels North station.
Brussels metro (actually here premetro), de Brouckère station.

The postwar boom years, enhanced by the establishment of the European Union and NATO headquarters in Brussels, contributed to the rapid expansion of light industry throughout most of Flanders, particularly along a corridor stretching between Brussels and Antwerp (now the third-largest port in Europe after Rotterdam and Hamburg), where a major concentration of petrochemical industries developed.

Being the de facto European capital, the economy of Brussels is heavily dominated by regional headquarters of multinationals, by European institutions, by the still heavily (over)populated Belgian administrations, and by related services. Brussels also has more commuters coming mainly from Flanders, closely followed by commuters from Wallonia (and far smaller numbers of commuters from the Netherlands and France), than local employment. Within Brussels, the unemployment rate is higher than in the other Belgian regions (above 20 percent in 2008). This is because of: Higher taxation rates, a high percentage of mono-lingual French-speakers, a mismatch between education and labor market needs, a high percentage of immigrants with a low education level, and local political institutions showing sub-standard performance.

Brussels is served by Brussels Airport, located in the nearby Flemish municipality of Zaventem, and by the much smaller Brussels South Airport, located near Charleroi (Wallonia), some 30 miles (50km) from Brussels. Brussels is also served by direct high-speed rail links: to the United Kingdom by the Eurostar train via the Channel Tunnel; to Amsterdam, Paris and Cologne by the Thalys; and to Cologne and Frankfurt by the German ICE.

The Brussels metro dates to 1976, but underground lines known as premetro have been serviced by tramways since 1968. A comprehensive bus and tram network also covers the city. Brussels also has its own port on the Willebroek canal located in the northwest of the city.

Since 2003, Brussels has had a car-sharing service and local ridesharing company taxi stop. In 2006, shared bicycles were introduced. The ancient pattern of streets radiating from the Grote Markt/Grand'Place in large part remains, but has been overlaid by boulevards built over the River Zenne, and the city walls.

Brussels is the hub of the fan of old national roads. Usually named steenwegen/chaussées, these highways normally run straight as a die, but on occasion lose themselves in a labyrinth of narrow shopping streets. The city center, sometimes known as "the pentagon," is surrounded by the "small ring," a sequence of boulevards built upon the site of the second set of city walls.

Demographics

Bilingual signs in Brussels.
Université Libre de Bruxelles

The Brussels capital region had a population of 1,031,215 in 2007, for 161.382 km² which gives a population density of 6238 inhabitants per square kilometer. The municipality had a population of about 140,000 in 2006. The metropolitan area had about 2,090,000 inhabitants.

In January 2006, 73.1 percent of its registered inhabitants were Belgian nationals, 4.1 percent French nationals, 12 percent other EU nationals (usually expressing themselves in either French or English), 4 percent Moroccan nationals, and 6.8 percent other non-European Union nationals.

Brussels lies just north of the “language boundary” that separates Flanders region in the north, where the Flemish variant of Dutch is spoken, from the French-speaking Walloon region in the south. Brussels is officially bilingual, French, and Dutch, although about 85 percent to 90 percent of the population are French-speakers (including migrants), and about 10 percent to 15 percent are Dutch-speakers.

The historical indigenous language of Brussels were Brabantian dialects particular to Brussels and related to Dutch. During the nineteenth century however, as literacy progressed, most dialect-speakers turned to French rather than to Dutch as their language of culture.

A linguistic curiosity is the "Marollien" dialect, based on the Walloon of Liège and heavily influenced by the general (Dutch) Brussels dialect, which was once spoken mostly in a central section of the city, the "Marolles/Marollen." Today, all Brussels dialects are on the verge of extinction, although there are some attempts at revival.

There are several universities in Brussels. The two main universities are the Université Libre de Bruxelles, a French-speaking university with about 20,000 students in three campuses in the city (and two others outside), and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, a Dutch-speaking university with about 10,000 students. Other universities include the Facultés Universitaires Saint Louis (FUSL), the Katholieke Universiteit Brussel (KUB) and the Royal Military Academy (RMA). A satellite campus of the Université Catholique de Louvain, called CL-Brussels, which hosts the faculty of medicine, is located in Brussels. The Conservatoire Royal and the Koninklijk Conservatorium are drama schools in the city.

Society and culture

Don Quijote & Sancho Panza statue at Place d’Espagne/Spanjeplein: Don Quijote.

Brussels has well over 100 museums. They include the BOZAR-PMSK (The Palace of Fine Arts), the Film Museum, the Musical Instrument Museum, the National Army Museum, the Royal Museums of Art and History, the Belgian Center for Comic Strip Art, the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences. Places of interest include:

  • The Grand Place (Dutch: Grote Markt), the central market square, which has the Gothic Town Hall and the Baroque late seventeenth-century guildhouses with the sculptures of Peter van Dievoet surrounding the square.
  • The Royal Palace of Laeken and the Royal Palace of Brussels.
  • The Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium combining four interconnected sections of old masters and modern art collections, which include works by Pieter Bruegel, Rubens, Paul Delvaux and René Magritte.
  • On the site of the Heysel/Heizel are the Atomium, a remnant of the 1958 World Exposition in Brussels, and Mini-Europe, a park which hosts miniature models of famous European buildings.
  • Several churches, such as the Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Koekelberg, and the Saint Michael and Saint Gudula Cathedral.

Brussels is famous for being home to many Belgian comics characters, including The Smurfs, Largo Winch, Tintin, and Lucky Luke to name a few. Throughout Brussels, (also nicknamed Comic City) there are many murals, frescos, and even statues celebrating the city's many cartoon heroes.

Notable people from Brussels include: Actress Audrey Hepburn, painter René Magritte, jazz musician Toots Thielemans, actor "The Muscles from Brussels" Jean-Claude Van Damme, and painters Rogier van der Weyden(1400-1465) and Barend van Orley (1488-1541), among others.

Folklore

Brussels' identity owes much to its rich folklore and traditions, among the liveliest in the country:

  • The Manneken Pis (Dutch for little man pee), is a Brussels landmark. It is a small bronze fountain sculpture depicting a naked little boy urinating into the fountain's basin. On many occasions the statue is dressed in a costume, which are changed—often accompanied by brass band music. The sculpture recalls a legend that in 1142, the troops of the two-year-old Duke Godfrey III of Leuven, while battling against the troops of the Berthouts, in Ransbeke (now Neder-over-Heembeek), put the infant lord in a basket and hung it in a tree, to encourage them. From there, he urinated on the troops of the Berthouts, who eventually lost the battle.
  • An introduction to the Brussels dialect and way of life can be obtained at the House of Toone, a theater of marionettes that delivers slapstick comedy a stone's throw away from the Grand Place.
  • The Ommegang (Dutch: Walking around), which started in the 14th-century as a religious procession, takes place every July, commemorating Charles V's Joyous Entry in the city in 1549. The colorful parade includes floats, traditional giant puppets, and scores of folkloric groups, either on foot or on horseback, dressed in medieval garb.
  • The Meyboom (Dutch: Tree of May), which dates from 1308, in which a young beech tree is paraded with brusseleir songs and giant puppets, and planted, takes place annually on August 9.
Old houses on Brussels' Grand Place or Grote Markt
The Floral Carpet on the Grand Place in 2004
Interior of the Brussels Palace of Justice
The most famous statue: Manneken Pis

Notes

  1. ↑ Brussels. City-Data.com. Retrieved March 20, 2012.
  2. ↑ Cheap flights to Brussels. Easyjet. Retrieved March 20, 2012.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Brussels A Cultural and Literary History. Gardners Books, 2008. ISBN 978-1904955474
  • Encyclopaedia Britannica Online. Brussels. Retrieved April 30, 2020.
  • Jacobs, Roel. Brussels: A City in the Making. Brugge: Marc van de Wiele, 1994.
  • Plissart, Marie-Françoise, and Gilbert Fastenaekens. Change: Brussels, Capital of Europe. Brussels: Prisme, 2005. ISBN 978-2960010381

External links

All links retrieved November 21, 2023.

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