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| History | |
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Further information: Fortifications of Brussels, Belgian Revolution, Frenchification of Brussels, and Brussels and the European Union#History
Charles of Lorraine founded what would become Brussels c. 979
The most common theory for the toponymy of Brussels is that it derives from the Old Dutch Broeksel or other spelling variants, which means marsh (broek) and home (sel) or "home in the marsh".[16] The origin of the settlement that was to become Brussels lies in Saint Gaugericus' construction of a chapel on an island in the river Senne around 580.[17] Saint Vindicianus, the bishop of Cambrai made the first recorded reference to the place "Brosella" in 695[18] when it was still a hamlet. The official founding of Brussels is usually situated around 979, when Duke Charles of Lower Lotharingia transferred the relics of Saint Gudula from Moorsel to the Saint Gaugericus chapel. Charles would construct the first permanent fortification in the city, doing so on that same island.
Lambert I of Leuven, Count of Leuven gained the County of Brussels around 1000 by marrying Charles' daughter. 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, Sablon/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 Dukes of Brabant at about this time (1183/1184). In the 13th century, the city got its first walls.[19]
Grand Place after the 1695 bombardment by the French army
After the construction of the first walls of Brussels, in the early 13th century, Brussels grew significantly. To let the city expand, 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.
In the 15th century, by means of the wedding of heiress Margaret III of Flanders with Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, a new Duke of Brabant emerged from the House of Valois (namely 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). Brabant had lost its independence, but Brussels became the Princely Capital of the prosperous Low Countries, and flourished.
Charles V, heir of the Low Countries since 1506, though (as he was only 6 years old) governed by his aunt Margaret of Austria until 1515, was declared King of Spain, in 1516, in the Cathedral of Saint Gudule in Brussels. Upon the death of his grandfather, Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor in 1519, Charles became the new archduke of the Habsburg Empire and thus the Holy Roman Emperor of the Empire "on which the sun does not set". It was in 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.
In 1695, King Louis XIV of France sent troops to bombard Brussels with artillery. Together with the resulting fire, it was the 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 the city centre, effected during subsequent years, profoundly changed the appearance of the city and left numerous traces still visible today. The city was captured by France in 1746 during the War of the Austrian Succession but was handed back to Austria three years later.
Brussels remained with Austria until 1795, when the Southern Netherlands was captured and annexed by France. Brussels became the capital of the department of the Dyle. It remained a part of France until 1815, when it joined the Kingdom of the United Netherlands. The former Dyle department became the province of South Brabant, with Brussels as its capital.
Episode of the Belgian Revolution of 1830, Wappers (1834)
In 1830, the Belgian revolution took place in Brussels after a performance of Auber's opera La Muette de Portici at the La Monnaie theatre. Brussels became the capital and seat of government of the new nation. South Brabant was renamed simply Brabant, with Brussels as its capital. On 21 July 1831, 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 course through the urban area was completely covered over. This allowed urban renewal and the construction of modern buildings and boulevards characteristic of downtown Brussels today.
The 1927 Solvay Conference in Brussels was the first world physics conference.
During the 20th century the city has hosted various fairs and conferences, including the fifth Solvay Conference in 1927 and two world fairs: the Brussels International Exposition of 1935 and the Expo '58. Brussels suffered damage from World War II, though it was minor compared to cities in Germany and the United Kingdom.
Throughout this time, Brussels remained mostly a Dutch-speaking city, though until 1921 French was the sole language of administration. However, in 1921, Belgium was formally split into three language regions--Dutch-speaking Flanders, French-speaking Wallonia and bilingual Brussels.
After the war, Brussels was modernized for better and for worse. The construction of the North–South connection linking the main railway stations in the city was completed in 1952, while the first Brussels premetro was finished in 1969, and the first line of the Brussels Metro was opened in 1976. Starting from the early 1960s, Brussels became the de facto capital of what would become the European Union, and many modern buildings were built. Unfortunately, development was allowed to proceed with little regard to the aesthetics of newer buildings, and many architectural gems were demolished to make way for newer buildings that often clashed with their surroundings, a process known as Brusselization.
The Brussels-Capital Region was formed on 18 June 1989 after a constitutional reform in 1988. Its bilingual status and it is one of the three federal regions of Belgium, along with Flanders and Wallonia.[5][6]
[edit] Tags:Belgium,Metro,French,Dutch,German,Capital,European Union,Dutch-speaking,Edit,Fortifications Of Brussels,Belgian Revolution,Frenchification Of Brussels,Charles Of Lorraine,Toponymy,Old Dutch,Saint Gaugericus,An Island,Senne,Saint Vindicianus,Duke Charles Of Lower Lotharingia,Moorsel,Lambert I Of Leuven,Count Of Leuven,Bruges,Ghent,Cologne,St. Michael And Gudula Cathedral,Coudenberg,Dukes Of Brabant,Its First Walls,The 1695 Bombardment,A Second Set Of Walls,Small Ring,Margaret Iii Of Flanders,Philip The Bold, Duke Of Burgundy,Valois,Antoine,Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor,Mary Of Burgundy,Low Countries,Charles V,Margaret Of Austria,Habsburg Empire,Holy Roman Emperor,On Which The Sun Does Not Set,The Palace Complex At Coudenberg,Louis Xiv,Bombard Brussels With Artillery,Grand Place,The City Centre,Was Captured,War Of The Austrian Succession,Department Of The Dyle,Kingdom Of The United Netherlands,Wappers,Auber's,La Muette De Portici,La Monnaie,Brabant,Leopold I,Health Hazard,Completely Covered Over,Urban Renewal,Solvay Conference, | |
| Municipalities | |
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The 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region
Anderlecht
Auderghem/Oudergem
Berchem-Sainte-Agathe/Sint-Agatha-Berchem
City of Brussels
Etterbeek
Evere
Forest/Vorst
Ganshoren
Ixelles/Elsene
Jette
Koekelberg
Molenbeek-Saint-Jean/Sint-Jans-Molenbeek
Saint-Gilles/Sint-Gillis
Saint-Josse-ten-Noode/Sint-Joost-ten-Node
Schaerbeek/Schaarbeek
Uccle/Ukkel
Watermael-Boitsfort/Watermaal-Bosvoorde
Woluwe-Saint-Lambert/Sint-Lambrechts-Woluwe
Woluwe-Saint-Pierre/Sint-Pieters-Woluwe
Main article: List of municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region
The 19 municipalities (communes) of the Brussels-Capital Region are political subdivisions with individual responsibilities for the handling of local level duties, such as law enforcement and the upkeep of schools and roads within its borders.[20][21] Municipal administration is also conducted by a mayor, a council, and an executive.[21]
The coat of arms of the City of Brussels
In 1831, Belgium was divided into 2,739 municipalities, including the 19 in the Brussels-Capital Region.[22] Unlike most of the municipalities in Belgium, the ones located in the Brussels-Capital Region were not merged with others during mergers occurring in 1964, 1970, and 1975.[22] However, several municipalities outside of the Brussels-Capital Region have been merged with the City of Brussels throughout its history including Laeken, Haren, and Neder-Over-Heembeek, which were merged into the City of Brussels in 1921.[23]
The largest and most populous of the municipalities is the City of Brussels, covering 32.6 square kilometres (12.6 sq mi) with 145,917 inhabitants. The least populous is Koekelberg with 18,541 inhabitants, while the smallest in area is Saint-Josse-ten-Noode, which is only 1.1 square kilometres (0.4 sq mi). Despite being the smallest municipality, Saint-Josse-ten-Noode has the highest population density of the 19 with 20,822 inhabitants per km2.
[edit] Tags:City Of Brussels,Municipalities,Anderlecht,Etterbeek,Evere,Ganshoren,Jette,Koekelberg, | |
| Climate | |
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Under the Köppen climate classification Brussels experiences an oceanic climate (Cfb). Brussels' proximity to coastal areas influences the area's climate by sending marine air masses from the Atlantic Ocean. Nearby wetlands also ensure a maritime temperate climate. On average (based on measurements the last 100 years), there are approximately 200 days of rain per year in the Brussels-Capital Region.[24] Snowfall is rare, generally occurring once or twice a year.
Climate data for Brussels
Month
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Year
Average high °C (°F)
5.6
(42.1)
6.4
(43.5)
9.9
(49.8)
13.1
(55.6)
17.7
(63.9)
20.0
(68.0)
22.4
(72.3)
22.5
(72.5)
18.7
(65.7)
14.4
(57.9)
9.1
(48.4)
6.5
(43.7)
13.9
(57.0)
Average low °C (°F)
0.7
(33.3)
0.6
(33.1)
2.9
(37.2)
4.8
(40.6)
8.9
(48.0)
11.5
(52.7)
13.6
(56.5)
13.4
(56.1)
10.8
(51.4)
7.6
(45.7)
3.7
(38.7)
1.9
(35.4)
6.7
(44.1)
Precipitation mm (inches)
71
(2.8)
53
(2.09)
73
(2.87)
54
(2.13)
70
(2.76)
78
(3.07)
69
(2.72)
64
(2.52)
63
(2.48)
68
(2.68)
79
(3.11)
79
(3.11)
821
(32.32)
Avg. precipitation days
13
10
13
11
11
11
10
9
10
10
13
13
134
Sunshine hours
59
77
114
159
191
188
201
190
143
113
66
45
1,546
Source: World Weather Information Service[25]
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| Government | |
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Main article: Government of the Brussels-Capital Region
Charles Picqué has since 2004 been Minister-President of the Brussels-Capital Region.
The Brussels-Capital Region is one of the three Regions of Belgium, while the French Community of Belgium and the Flemish Community do exercise, each for their part, their cultural competencies on the territory of the Region. French and Dutch are the official languages; most public services are bilingual (exceptions being education and a couple of others). The Capital Region is predominantly French-speaking—about 60–85%[26][27][28] of the population are French-speakers (including migrants and second language speakers), and about 10–15%[28][29] are native Dutch-speakers. In January 2006, of its registered inhabitants, 73.1% are Belgian nationals, 4.1% French nationals, 12.0% other EU nationals (usually expressing themselves in either French or English), 4.0% Moroccan nationals, and 6.8% other non-EU nationals.[30]
[edit] Tags:Minister-president,French Community Of Belgium,Flemish Community, | |
| Institutions | |
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Because of how the federalisation was handled in Belgium, but also because the municipalities in the region did not take part in the merger that affected municipalities in the rest of Belgium in the seventies, the public institutions in Brussels offer a bewildering complexity. The complexity is more apparent in the lawbooks than in the facts, since the members of the Brussels Parliament and Government also act in other capacities, for example, as members of the council of the Brussels agglomeration or the community commissions. One distinguishes:
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Main article: Parliament of the Brussels-Capital Region
Brussels Parliament building
The region, with a regional parliament of 89 members (72 French-speaking, 17 Dutch-speaking, parties are organised 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. This parliament can enact ordinances (French: ordonnances, Dutch: ordonnanties), which have equal status as a national legislative act.
The agglomeration, with a council and a board, with the same membership as the organs of the Brussels Region. This is a decentralised administrative public body, assuming competences that elsewhere in Belgium are exercised by municipalities or provinces (fire brigade, waste disposal). The by-laws enacted by it do not have the status of a legislative act.
A bi-communitarian public authority, Common Community Commission (French: Commission communautaire commune, COCOM, Dutch: Gemeenschappelijke Gemeenschapscommissie, GGC), with a United Assembly (i.e. the members of the regional parliament) and a United Board (the ministers—not the secretaries of state—of the region, with the minister-president not having the right to vote). This Commission has two capacities: it is a decentralised administrative public body, responsible for implementing cultural policies of common interest. It can give subsidies and enact by-laws. In another capacity it can also enact ordinances, which have equal status as a national legislative act, in the field of the welfare competencies of the communities: in the Brussels-Capital Region, both the French Community and the Flemish Community can exercise competencies in the field of welfare, but only in regard to institutions that are unilingual (for example, a private French-speaking retirement home or the Dutch-speaking hospital of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel). The Common Community Commission is competent for policies aiming directly at private persons or at bilingual institutions (for example, the centra for social welfare of the 19 municipalities). Its ordinances have to be enacted with a majority in both linguistic groups. Failing such a majority, a new vote can be held, where a majority of at least one third in each linguistic group is sufficient.
The Brussels Region is not a province, nor does it belong to one. Within the Region, 99% of the provincial competencies are assumed by the Brussels regional institutions. Remaining is only the governor of Brussels-Capital and some aides.
6 inter-municipal policing zones
intercommunal societies created freely by the municipalities
Also the federal state, the French Community and the Flemish Community exercise competencies on the territory of the region. 19 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 6 directly elected members of the Flemish Parliament.
Due to the multiple capacities of single members of parliament, there are parliamentarians who are at the same time members of the Brussels Parliament, members of the Assembly of the Common Community Commission, members of the Assembly of the French Community Commission, members of the Parliament of the French Community of Belgium and "community senators" in the Belgian Senate. At the moment, this is the case for Mr. François Roelants du Vivier (for the Mouvement Réformateur), Mrs. Amina Derbaki Sbaï (since June 2004 for the Parti Socialiste, but beforehand, since 2003, for the Mouvement Réformateur) and Mrs Sfia Bouarfa (since 2001 for the Parti Socialiste).
[edit] Tags:Governor, | |
| In Belgian politics | |
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The Royal Palace of Brussels
Despite what its name suggests, the Brussels-Capital Region is not the capital of Belgium in itself. Article 194 of the Belgian Constitution establishes that the capital of Belgium is the City of Brussels, a smaller municipality within the capital region that once was the city's core.[31]
However, although the City of Brussels is the official capital, the funds allotted 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 only the City of Brussels itself officially carries the title of capital of Belgium, in practice the entire capital region plays this role, and the national institutions of the Belgian state are spread loo Tags: | |
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