Brussels has grown from a 10th-century fortress town founded by a descendant of Charlemagne into a metropolis of more than one million inhabitants. The metropolitan area has a population of over 1.8 million, making it the largest in Belgium.
Since the end of the Second World War, Brussels has been a main center for international politics. Hosting principal EU institutions as well as the headquarters of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the city has become the polyglot home of numerous international organisations, politicians, diplomats and civil servants.
Although historically Dutch-speaking, Brussels became increasingly French-speaking over the 19th and 20th centuries. Today a majority of inhabitants are native French-speakers, and both languages have official status. Linguistic tensions remain, and the language laws of the municipalities surrounding Brussels are an issue of considerable controversy in Belgium.
History of Brussels
After the beginning of its charter, Brussels developed quickly from a town into a city. It was the centre of trade between the cities of Bruges, Ghent and Cologne where the Senne River met the economic route that stretched from the east to the west of the country. The first set of city walls were completed in the 11th century and with increased protection, it precipitated growth of its population. A second city wall was built shortly after to protect citizens and industry spilling outside the walls. From the 12th century Brussels became an important city under the administration of the Duke of Brabant. The Duke made Brussels the capital city of the Duchy of Brabant for several centuries, 12th, 13th and 14th.
At the height of economic development, Brussels exported luxury items such as fabrics and tapestries to Paris and Venice. It was home base for artists such as Rogier van der Weyden, whose paintings flourished and became the cartoon background for many tapestries woven from the finest silk and exported all over Europe to decorate the homes of royals and aristocrats. Tapestries can still be seen on display in European museums such as the Louvre. The Town Hall and the King’s House rose up over the Old Town at the Grand Place in the 1400s; these two opposing buildings still face each other in the current Grand Place.
Renaissance and Revolution 1500 – 1830
The period succeeding the 15th century was marked by rebellions and uprisings. At the end of the 15th century, Brussels temporarily lost favour and its title of capital after an uprising against the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I. It regained its status after Charles V took reign between 1519 and 1559. Ruled by the Calvinists in the mid 1500s and then reigned over by Archduke Albert I (1598–1633) the city had grown to a population of 50,000 by mid 16th century.
In 1695, the Bombardment of Brussels, by King Louis XIV of France, left the Grand Place in ruins and thousands of buildings all over the city were torn to the ground. The rebuilding of Brussels was undertaken by a number of craftsmen guilds; they left their historic mark with the building of the guildhalls which gave the Grand Place an enclosed rectangular shape. For the rest of the 1700s Brussels was equally the centre of economic development, occupations and revolts. French troops took hold again from 1746-48, the Brabant Revolt took place from 1788-90 and Brussels was overtaken again during the Napoleonic era. The current Capital of Brussels was established after the United Kingdom of the Netherlands (1815-1830) ended in 1830 with Belgium’s independence.
Modern history 1830 - present
Belgium’s last great revolt was in 1830 when it protested against King William of the Netherlands to gain independence. King Leopold I, who was the uncle of Queen Victoria, became the first King of the Kingdom of Belgium on 21 July 1831. The walls of the city were taken down during this period (1810-1840) and replaced by a set of boulevards in the shape of a pentagon following the original outline of the Old Town Brussels, called the Inner Ring Road. The current circle metro line weaves around this same ring road. Rapid growth of the population followed and by 1846 Brussels had 123,000 inhabitants.
The 20th century was a period of war and development. After World War I and World War II, Germany occupying Brussels on both occasions, Brussels was a part of the Brussels Pact (or Brussels Treaty) in 1948 which led to the initiation of the Western European defence cooperation. At present, the European Union, an economic cooperation, is still continuing to development. In the 1960s the first metro lines were built to ease urban congestion; in 1970s and 1980s further political reform created the Brussels Capital Region, expanding the City of Brussels to an urban agglomeration with a population of just over 1 million.
Brussels and the European Union
Brussels serves as capital of the European Union, hosting the major political institutions of the Union.The EU has not declared a capital formally, though the Treaty of Amsterdam formally gives Brussels the seat of the European Commission (the executive/government branch) and the Council of the European Union (a legislative institution made up from leaders of member states). It locates the formal seat of European Parliament in the French city of Strasbourg, where votes take place with the Council on the proposals made by the Commission. However meetings of political groups and committee groups are formally given to Brussels along with a set number of plenary sessions. Three quarters of Parliament now takes place at its Brussels hemicycle. Between 2002 and 2004, the European Council also fixed its seat in the city.
Brussels, along with Luxembourg and Strasbourg, began to host institutions in 1957, soon becoming the centre of activities as the Commission and Council based their activities in what has become the "European Quarter". Early building in Brussels was sporadic and uncontrolled with little planning, the current major buildings are the Berlaymont building of the Commission, symbolic of the quarter as a whole, the Justus Lipsius building of the Council and the Espace Léopold of Parliament. Today the presence has increased considerably with the Commission alone occupying 865,000 m2 within the "European Quarter" in the east of the city (a quarter of the total office space in Brusse). The concentration and density has caused concern that the presence of the institutions has caused a "ghetto effect" in that part of the city. However the presence has contributed significantly to the importance of Brussels as an international centre.
The Brussels Capital Region accounts for nearly 9% of all exports from Belgium, and service industries add another 9%. Some of the important companies include, Volkswagen manufacturing plant (thousands of people are working at its production plant), Toyota Motor and DaimlerChrysler. The foremost areas of production have been electronics, chemicals, printing, publishing, clothing, telecommunications, aircraft construction, and the food industry.
Quality of life in Belgium is said to be very high as it is listed in the world’s top 20 countries in relation to life expectancy and GDP. The average Belgian pays one of the highest rates of income tax but one must take into consideration that their health service is one of the best in the world, especially when compared to the UK’s NHS (National Health Service).
Brussels is known as the Capital of the European Union and is home to many national and multinational companies. There are approximately 50,000 businesses, of which around 2200 are foreign. This number is constantly increasing and can well explain the role of Brussels in the European subcontinent. Being the headquarters of the European Union, there has been a significant increase in job opportunities as well as foreigners fleeing to the capital. Many diplomats, civil servants, interpreters, consultants and many more professionals have made the city of Brussels their home.
Brussels holds more than 1,000 business conferences annually, making it the fourth most popular conference city in Europe. It is rated as the seventh most important financial centre in the world. The city’s infrastructure is very favourable in terms of staring up a new business. House prices have also increased in recent years, especially with the increase of young professionals settling down in Brussels making it the most expensive city to live in Belgium. Also for expatriates, the city is a blessing in terms of taxes, for every penny spent out of the city is tax deductible. About 60% of foreign companies have their headquarters in Brussels which include well-known companies like Delhaize, Besix, Sabca, etc.
Brussels’ EU involvement has placed the capital on the map and job opportunities have significantly increased; such as workers needed for the embassy, for the thousands of international companies erected in the last decade, as well as the work forces needed to accommodate one of the largest Press Medias in the world. One would assume that the local Belgians would be thriving amongst the bustling economic activities. However, considering that the French and Dutch locals are the majority inhabitants, it is surprising that they are in fact the minority working for the EU institutions which has caused some rifts in society.
Brussels has had to cope and will have to continue to cope with many teething problems in accommodating such a large and important role for the European Union. It is understandable that many will be against change, but without the EU involvement Brussels may have still been stuck in the past. The city has now become more vibrant and innovative, with better developments and transport services. The heavy investment since the late 1900’s has certainly paid off as the revolutionary city of Brussels has contributed to the county’s overall growth levels, with Belgium now being one of the world’s top economic performers.
Culture in Brussels
Belgium’s culture blends the Flemish North and the French South to produce something very closely resembling the Parisian style, but slightly off-beat. The Belgians have a particular affinity towards the visual arts and performances, and are invariably involved in multiple forms of theatre, opera, ballet and stage music. Being home to thirty independent theatres upholds Brussels’ name as a mecca of the performing arts. Thus, the National Orchestra and the National Opera House are a must-see upon a visit to this city. Apart from lively alternative rock venues, jazzy crowds and classical music halls, all varieties of cutting-edge arts are popular in this European capital.
Brussels’ history, although not so tumultuous, has left its mark. The most characteristic landmark is the town’s main square, Grote Markt, which has been noted to be one of the most beautiful squares in Europe. With its guild houses lining the cobbled square, the Gothic tracery of the Hôtel de Ville, and the peculiar architecture of the Maison du Roi, Grote Markt is one of the most popular attractions. Still, the emblem of Belgian culture, and the very symbol of the town, remains the Manneken Pis, a tiny statue of a young boy which is immediately associated with Brussels. Being home to architect Victor Horta, Brussels is the perfect place in Europe to hunt for Art Nouveau treasures. Horta’s vivid, organic-looking and colourful structures can be found throughout the city, while his former home, currently the Horta Museum, contains important memorabilia related to the artist.
Brussels’ culture is evident everywhere and displayed in the most uncanny variations. This is the case with the famous comic strip museum, where clever Belgian comic artists have accumulated a vast array of witty, sardonic, and sometimes morbid pieces, including the famous ‘Tintin’ by Herge. The city also boasts a gigantic model of an atom, which is constructed of wrought iron and comprises seven colossal spheres, with an observation gallery and a restaurant in the top most “electron.” The so-called ‘Atomium’ is estimated to be 165 billion times larger than an actual atom.
The city has had a renowned artist scene for many years. The famous Belgian surrealist René Magritte, for instance, studied in Brussels. The city was also home of Impressionist painters like Anna Boch from the Artist Group Les XX. 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. The totality of all these mural paintings is known as the Brussels' Comic Book Route. Also, the interiors of some Metro stations are designed by artists. The 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.
Brussels contains over 80 museums, including the Museum of Modern Art, and the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium. The museum has an extensive collection of various painters, such as the Flemish painters like Bruegel, Rogier van der Weyden, Robert Campin, Anthony van Dyck, and Jacob Jordaens. The recently opened Magritte Museum houses the world's largest collection of the works of the surrealist René Magritte.
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.
Brussels Weather
Brussels has a relatively mild maritime climate that brings a high incidence of wet, grey weather. July and August are the warmest months of the year, with temperatures reaching around 22oC, while winter temperatures are much more daunting, with so-called‘highs’ of between 4 and 7oC.
The most popular time of the year to visit Brussels is between May and September, when the weather is pleasantly temperate, but the downside to this peak season are that the city's sights are often overrun by crowds of tourists and accommodation is at its scarcest and most expensive. Between November and March, the weather is generally bitterly cold, with rain, slush and grey cloud.
However, the colder months have the advantage of fewer tourists and since most of the city's attractions are located indoors, there's really no need to spend much time outside.
Transport in Brussels
Brussels is served by Brussels Airport, located in the nearby Flemish municipality of Zaventem, and by the smaller Brussels South Charleroi Airport, located near Charleroi (Wallonia), some 50 km (30 mi) 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 (1hr 25 min) and Cologne by the Thalys; and to Cologne and Frankfurt by the German ICE.
Public transport
The Brussels Metro dates back 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.
An interticketing system means that a STIB 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 the Brussels RER network around the city.
Since 2003 Brussels has had a car-sharing service operated by the Bremen company Cambio in partnership with the STIB and local ridesharing company taxi stop. In 2006 shared bicycles were also introduced.
Road network
In medieval times Brussels stood at the intersection of routes running north-south (the modern Rue Haute/Hoogstraat) and east-west (Chaussée de Gand/Gentsesteenweg-Rue du Marché aux Herbes/Grasmarkt-Rue de Namur/Naamsestraat). The ancient pattern of streets radiating from the Grand Place in large part remains, but has been overlaid by boulevards built over the River Senne, over the city walls and over the railway connection between the North and South Stations.
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). Usually named chaussées/steenwegen, these highways normally run in a straight line, but on occasion lose themselves in a maze of narrow shopping streets.
The town is skirted by the European route E19 (N-S) and the E40 (E-W), while the E411 leads away to the SE. Brussels has an 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.
The city centre, sometimes known as "the pentagon", is surrounded by an inner ring road, the "small ring" (French: petite ceinture, Dutch: kleine ring ), 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.
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 Laeken (Laken) to Uccle (Ukkel). Some premetro stations (see Brussels Metro) were built on that route. A little further out, a stretch numbered R22 leads from Zaventem to Saint-Job.
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