History History

Although the "official" date for the birth of Brussels is 979, its origins remain uncertain. Some Roman remains attest to a presence well before the Middle Ages, but what was to become Brussels did not appear until 966 under the name Bruocsella, which in Germanic means "the house on the marsh", in reference to a building constructed on the islet of Saint-Gery, which was then surrounded by the arms of the river Senne. This is where the urban core of the future city was born.

The chapter of Saint Gudula was founded by Count Lambert II of Louvain and his wife Oda of Verdun, shortly after the transfer of his relics from the church dedicated to Saint Géry to a new collegiate church that would bear his name. The charter written for the occasion was the first official mention of Brussels. Saint Gudula became one of the two patron saints of the city along with Saint Michael.

Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa, of whom the region was a fief, made Brabant a duchy and appointed Henry I (1190-1235), Count of Brussels and Leuven, Duke of Brabant. Henry started building the first city walls of Brussels. It encompassed what was to become the historic centre of the city (Saint-Gery, the future Grand-Place, the Coudenberg, the chapter of Sainte-Gudule). Many remains are still visible today (the Black and Anneessens Towers and a large section of wall and a tower in the Rue de Villers, among others).

Thanks to its port, which is well connected to the river and canal networks, and to the reputation of its craftsmen, the little town prospers. The construction of the Collegiate Church of Saint Gudula, which replaced a Romanesque building, was started. In 1229, Brussels received a charter granting it freedoms and privileges. In 1306, a charter from the Duke of Brabant confirmed the authority of the "Seven Lineages of Brussels" over the administration of the city. These seven noble families governed the city until 1795, first on their own and then in association with the guilds (1390).

Signing of the "Joyeuse-entrée" which organises the division of power in Brabant between the Duke and the "States of Brabant" (nobility, clergy, third state). Nowadays, the term "Joyeuse entrée" is still used to designate the first visit to a city of a new sovereign who accedes to the throne.

In the same year, Duke John III of Brabant died and his daughter Joan took over. The Count of Flanders, Louis de Male, who wished to extend his territory, took advantage of this to challenge the legitimacy of Duchess Jeanne and invaded Brussels. The city was quickly retaken thanks to the alderman Éverard t'Serclaes. He came into conflict with the Sire of Gaasbeek who ambushed him. His henchmen attacked him and left him for dead, with his tongue torn out. Transported to Brussels, he died, but not before being visited by the Duchess Jeanne. In anger at this assassination, the people of Brussels rise up and march on the castle of Gaasbeek. With them, they took provisions, including many chickens. The inhabitants of Brussels earned their nickname of " kiekefretters" (chicken eaters). In the meantime, the city grew and a second wall was built between 1376 and 1379. Its course is equivalent to what we call the "Pentagon" or "small belt" and forms for the most part the current limits of the city of Brussels. Of the second wall and its seven gates, all that remains is the Hal Gate, now a museum. In 1401, the foundation stone of the town hall was laid. The construction was completed in 1455.

Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, inherits the Duchy of Brabant. This marked the beginning of a prestigious period for the city. As a result of a policy of alliances, purchases, conquests and marriages, started by Philip the Bold, the first of the Dukes of Burgundy, the Burgundian Netherlands were formed. They included Flanders, Artois, Brabant, Limburg, Hainaut, Namur, Luxembourg, Holland and Zeeland. Brussels became a capital of the duchy and the work went on. Philip had the Senne river enlarged to facilitate navigation and trade. The Coudenberg Palace was also enlarged to accommodate the duke and his court, the most prestigious in Western Europe. All that remains of this sumptuous palace are the underground ruins under the Place Royale, which can be visited. The duke also embarked on a centralist policy to administer his vast state, which created some friction with the cities of the Netherlands, which were used to their autonomy.

Marie de Bourgogne, granddaughter of Philip the Good and sole heiress of the Dukes of Burgundy, died of a fall from her horse. Mary married Maximilian of Austria, and the Burgundian Netherlands passed into the hands of a new family: the Habsburgs. The Burgundian era also saw the creation of the States General, representing the northern provinces. These Estates General, in which the nobility took pride of place, served as a representative body until the French Revolution.

Maximilian of Austria's grandson, Charles, was already Duke of Burgundy at the age of 16. He inherited a vast territory from his mother, Joan of Castile. Not only did he receive present-day Spain, but also all the territories of the newly-discovered New World, "the Empire where the sun never sets". Charles is crowned Holy German Emperor under the name of Charles V. He re-established Brussels as capital of the Netherlands, and the Coudenberg Palace became one of his principal residences. It was for him that Erasmus, who was staying in Anderlecht at the time, wrote The Institution of the Christian Prince. Brussels attracted artists, craftsmen, scientists and financiers, eclipsing all other cities in Brabant, including Leuven and Mechelen. This was the golden age of Brussels tapestry, with Pieter van Aelst's workshops producing works of art based on Raphael's cartoons. Charles V's reign was marked by two major black spots: his conflict with the kings of France, Francis ^I and then Henry II, and his struggle against the Protestant Reformation, an internal conflict that ultimately led to the split of the Spanish Netherlands. In 1549, the Emperor came to Brussels to introduce his son and successor, the future King Philip II. To mark the occasion, the city organized an Ommegang, a grand procession, hitherto religious, to welcome the prince. So lavish was this procession that it was revived in 1930. In 1555, tired by a long reign, Charles abdicated in a ceremony at the Coudenberg Palace and retired to the monastery of Yuste. His son Philip became sovereign of the Spanish lands and the Netherlands, while the Austrian states and the title of Emperor were ceded to his brother Ferdinand. The Habsburgs of Spain and Austria are therefore referred to as the "Habsburgs of Spain" and the "Habsburgs of Austria" respectively.

Even more fiercely opposed to Protestantism than his father, Philip tried to bring the Protestant rebels to heel by force and sent the Duke of Alba to spread terror throughout the Netherlands. The whole territory was plagued by religious conflicts. In Brussels, the main representatives of the nobility, supported by the majority of the population, presented their grievances to the ruler of the Netherlands, Margaret of Parma. Despised and called beggars by the king's supporters, these nobles organized a "beggars' banquet" on April 5, 1566, where they adopted the motto "beggars up to their sacks" in poor disguise. On 5 June 1568, the Counts of Egmont and Hornes, two Catholic nobles who were opposed to the king's repressive policy, were executed in the Grand Place after being convicted of treason. This event marked the beginning of the Eighty Years' War, which ended with the independence of the northern provinces, the present-day Netherlands. Brussels was even a Calvinist republic for a few years. In 1585, after a one-year siege, the Spanish took possession of it again.

Philip II cedes the sovereignty of the Netherlands to his nephew, Archduke Albert, and his wife Isabella. They worked on the triumph of Catholicism, economic reconstruction and major works (in particular the digging of the Brussels-Willebroek canal). However, as the Archduke, who died in 1621, did not leave an heir, the Southern Netherlands returned to Spain, and hostilities resumed. The cessions by treaty marked out the outline of present-day Belgium: loss of North Brabant and Zeeland Flanders to the United Provinces, abandonment of Artois, part of Flanders and Hainaut to France. The Treaty of Westphalia in 1648 separated it from the seventeen provinces.

This century of misfortune for the Spanish Netherlands ended with the bombardment of Brussels and its Grand-Place by the French king Louis XIV. From 13 to 15 August 1695, the troops of Marshal de Villeroy rained cannonballs on the city, destroying a third of its buildings. Miraculously, the town hall held, but the rest of the Grand-Place was in ruins. It took barely 3 years for the "Nations" (the recognized trades of Brussels, representing the bourgeois power) allied to the "Lignages" (the patrician families) under the authority of the prince-governor and the amman (the local high judge), to rebuild the Grand-Place.

With the Treaty of Utrecht, the Spanish sovereigns ceded the Southern Netherlands to the Habsburgs of Austria. Also wanting to impose a centralized system, the Austrian authority quickly came into conflict with the Nations, jealous of the freedoms granted since the Joyful Entrance. Even though trade developed thanks to a protectionist policy on the part of the Austrian sovereigns, discontent was growing. In 1731, the Coudenberg Palace, the sumptuous palace of Philip the Good and Charles V, was completely destroyed. It was never rebuilt. Empress Maria Theresa appointed her brother-in-law, Charles of Lorraine, governor of the Austrian Netherlands. A bon vivant, Charles enjoyed Brussels and launched works to embellish the city. We owe him most of the classical buildings that still exist: his palace on the present-day Place des Musées, the development of the Place Royale, the conversion of the "Warande", the former hunting reserve, into a park and what will become the Place des Martyrs. He remained governor until his death in 1780. This coincided with the death of Maria Theresa and the accession to the throne of Joseph II. An enlightened despot, he wanted to centralize and reform his state, which meant making decisions without consultation. These reforms carried out in a hurry will displease everyone: nobles, bourgeois, clergy ..

French grenadiers steal Manneken Pis. He was soon found, but to appease the people of Brussels, King Louis XV had him made into a gentleman's costume of brocade and gold thread. The costume is accompanied by a sword. The king decorated him with the Order of Louis XIV and also granted him the title of Knight of the Order of Saint Louis. This costume is the oldest one that can be seen in the Costume Museum of Manneken Pis.

The French Revolution is soon echoed in Belgium. The Austrian garrisons were defeated in street battles. As a result, the United Belgian States was proclaimed in January 1790. This will be short-lived. The internal dissensions between "progressives" and "conservatives" are the reason of the young revolution. On 10 December 1790, the Austrian army regained control and the new emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, Leopold II, reigned once again over these lands.

Definitely defeated at the battle of Fleurus by the French revolutionary army, the Austrians capitulate. Assimilated to France, Belgium sees the application of the revolutionary principles and the Napoleonic code. Brussels entered the industrial revolution and a short period of prosperity, especially in the textile and chemical industries, despite its demotion to a simple "county town of the Dyle". The supremacy of the French language was established, as was the administrative centralization. The Grand Béguinage of Brussels is abolished and will disappear completely. The church of Saint-Gery was also destroyed in 1798. The space will remain empty until the construction of the halls. In 1801, Napoleon Bonaparte, then First Consul, ordered the creation of the Brussels Museum of Fine Arts, receiving many works from the Louvre

The Belgians participated in Napoleon's campaigns and in the Allied armies (English and Prussians) at Waterloo. Voices are raised against the crushing of Dutch culture in Flanders.

After the defeat of Napoleon's army at Waterloo, the Congress of Vienna decided to allocate the territories of Belgium to the United Provinces. The former Spanish Netherlands became known as the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. Brussels became co-capital of the new kingdom with The Hague. The industrial revolution gained momentum and the realisation of a very old project, a canal that would link Charleroi to Brussels, and thus to Antwerp via the Willebroek canal, was launched in 1827. In spite of a voluntarist policy on the part of William of Orange, the Dutch sovereign, the two centuries of separation between the south and the north forged deep differences between the industrial bourgeoisie (encouraged by the regime) in the south, and the merchant bourgeoisie in the north, religious differences, and linguistic differences.

On August 25, 1830, La Muette de Portici was performed at the Théâtre de la Monnaie. This opera by Daniel-François-Esprit Aubert, which tells the story of the Neapolitans' revolt against Spanish domination, includes an aria, "Amour sacré de la Patrie" (Sacred Love of the Fatherland), which will explode the frustrations accumulated since 1815. The revolution breaks out. Volunteers from other parts of the country (notably Liège) join the Brussels revolutionaries. The patriots drove out the Dutch army and a provisional government was formed under a constitutional monarchy. A National Congress voted the Constitution on 7 February 1831, guaranteeing many freedoms to citizens. With this constitution, the young Belgian state becomes one of the most liberal countries in Europe. On 21 July, Leopold I of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha took the oath of office on this new constitution and became the first King of the Belgians

Brussels became the capital and its face changed. Many French-speaking people, including French refugees, settle there. Little by little, the city became more and more French-speaking. Industrialisation spread to the suburbs of the capital, particularly Molenbeek, which, because of its position on the edge of the new Brussels-Charleroi canal, became a mushroom town. Although political life was marked by the Liberal Party and the Catholic Party, in Brussels the liberal trend dominated and in 1834 the Free University of Brussels, based on the principle of free examination, was founded by Pierre-Théodore Verhaegen.

During the reign of Leopold II, numerous major works were undertaken to modernise the young capital and completely change its appearance. Under the impetus of Mayor Jules Anspach, the river Senne was vaulted and the major boulevards were created on a Haussmannian model in 1867. In 1866, the construction of the Palace of Justice began and in 1880, the park and the arcades of the Cinquantenaire were completed to celebrate Belgium's birthday. The city is decorated with several large boulevards (such as Avenue Louise) and parks. Victor Horta gave his letters of nobility to Art Nouveau, which was established in Brussels.

Thanks to coal mining, industry and the wealth extracted from the Congo (first owned by Leopold II before becoming a colony of Belgium in 1908), Belgium became one of the richest countries in the world.

The German Empire violates Belgian neutrality on 2 August 1914. The country is quickly invaded and the government withdraws to France, to Le Havre. King Albert I (1909-1934), maintains the resistance and his sovereignty over the territorial reduction in the north-west of the country delimited by the Yser. This is done during a terrible trench war. Meanwhile, Brussels was under German occupation. Although the city did not suffer any major fighting or significant destruction, the occupation was harsh: rationing, deportation of inhabitants for forced labour, etc. From the beginning of the occupation, the mayor, Adolphe Max, refused to collaborate with the Germans. He spent the entire duration of the war in prison. Reinstalled in 1918, he remained at the head of the City of Brussels until his death in 1939. The war made the linguistic injustice felt towards Flemish soldiers, who did not understand or misunderstood the orders of their French-speaking superiors. This sowed the seeds of a Flemish nationalist movement.

At the end of the Great War, the Treaty of Versailles gave Belgium the German cantons of Eupen and Malmedy. It adopts universal suffrage and social measures on hiring conditions, wages and strikes. In Brussels, Art Nouveau was replaced by Art Deco, a style that left its mark on the capital

The great economic crisis of the 1930s provoked the emergence of fascist movements such as Rex on the French side and the VNV on the Flemish side, which provided the political framework for collaboration with the German occupier.

Belgium is invaded again and once again Brussels suffers deprivation not only from a material point of view but also from the point of view of freedom. The Free University of Brussels sabotaged itself before becoming illegal, and resistance was organised. Despite the opposition of Mayor Jules Coelst, the anti-Semitic laws of Nazi Germany were applied and the Jews of Brussels were rounded up and deported to concentration camps. During the war, Brussels was bombed three times and before leaving the city in the face of the Allies' advance, the Germans burned down the Palais de Justice where the occupying forces' archives were kept.

After the war, Belgium managed to recover fairly quickly. To support the reconstruction, especially in the coal mines, the country called on foreign labour, especially Italian labour, under a "arms for coal" contract. In 1958, the Universal Exhibition was organised in Brussels on the Heysel plateau, during the young King Baudouin's early reign. This exhibition was the setting for an urban upheaval not seen since the great works of the end of the 19th century. Numerous districts and valuable buildings (including Horta's Maison du Peuple and the Halles centrales) were razed to the ground to make way for modern buildings, viaducts, car parks, etc. The railway junction between the Gare du Nord and the Gare du Midi literally gutted the city. This unbridled real estate madness under the guise of necessary modernization will take on a name in the vocabulary of urban planning: "bruxellisation". The exhibition takes place during the euphoria of the "Trente Glorieuses" and theAtomium remains from this period of "joyful Belgium".

Following the signing of the Treaty of Rome which created the EEC and Euratom communities, their institutions moved to Brussels. This marked the beginning of the international destiny of Brussels, which became one of the European capitals. In 1967, NATO transferred its headquarters from Paris to Brussels.

Still in need of manpower, Belgium signed agreements with Morocco and Turkey to encourage the immigration of a new workforce. While Turkish immigrants tend to settle in Schaerbeek and Saint-Josse, Moroccans are found in Molenbeek, Anderlecht and the southwestern part of Brussels. This immigration contributed to the multicultural character of the city.

Since 1977 and the signing of the Egmont Pact, Belgium has been reforming itself to better reflect the linguistic and social-economic realities of the country. Belgium is divided into communities and regions. The 19 communes of Brussels become a region in their own right. A French community commission, a Flemish community commission and a common commission were created to manage community aspects (notably education) in the young region. In 1993, Belgium officially became a federal state.

On March 22, Brussels was hit by an Islamist attack. An hour and a quarter after two bombs exploded at Brussels airport, a suicide bomber blew himself up in a metro train at Maelbeek station, in the heart of the European quarter, killing 18 and 17 people respectively and injuring nearly 200. The city was traumatised and a thousand soldiers were deployed in the streets.

Work on the downtown pedestrian precinct is finally complete. The icing on the cake: the reopening of the Palais de la Bourse and the installation of Belgian Beer World, the beer "museum", in 2023. In the first half of 2024, Belgium successfully took over the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union. This six-month period ended not only with the European elections, but also with federal and regional elections, the outcome of which had still not produced a new government at the time of writing.