Brussels History, Belgium

Brussels history showed more and more important events as time went by, but the actual origin of this city is said to have begun around the 6th century, when Saint Gorik built a chapel near the city. The first mention of Brussels in print was in 977, when the island was still known as Saint-Gorik. And Brussels was officially born when Carl of France built a fortress there in 979.

Brussels History – The 11th - 16th Century

Within the 11th century, a new fortress was built in Brussels and the very first city walls were built, as well. Brussels history took a turn in the 13th century, when a big revolution took place between the rich Citizens and the Guilds. The Citizens won and with Duchess Joan holding power over the city, Brussels grew and developed very well until the 14th century. After this, an economic recession went on for fifty years. However, Brussels was strong enough to live through it and even began to manufacture and sell top luxury goods. By the 15th century, the Hapsburgians held power over the city. Around the 16th century, the official representative of Philip II named Duke of Alva took rule over Brussels and a revolution was started against his merciless hand by William of Orange. The Duke of Alva was successfully chased away, but eight years later, he returned for his revenge and Brussels history and the economy suffered again.

Brussels History – The 17th – 19th Century

Louis XIV, King of France, attacked Brussels in 1695 and thousands of houses, including the Grand Palace, were destroyed. By the 18th century, Austrian emperors had taken over the city and, although the citizens fought back, they lost and surrendered. The very last foreign emperor to rule over Brussels was William I of the Netherlands. He left in 1830 and Brussels struggled hard to maintain independence within their city. In 1831, Belgian king Leopold I took over the throne and Brussels was coined the capital of the new kingdom of Belgium. People started rebuilding what was lost and bigger and better buildings were built. The city walls were eradicated and the overall city was increased with more than just buildings. International congresses started to take place, scientific organizations started up, and a lot of foreign philosophers, artists and scientists found refuge in Brussels, such as Proudhon, Karl Marx and Victor Hugo.

Brussels History – The World Wars

Both World Wars could not stop Brussels from developing further, in any way. In fact, Brussel's architectural prowess could almost be compared to that of Amsterdam. Belgium was separated into two regions after the Second World War: the Walloon Provinces and Flanders, but Brussels has its own individual government. It even became the capital of the European Union, in which Luxembourg also played a big part. NATO built its headquarters within the famed city.

email to a friendAsk our travel experts a question about Brussels
ask now

Things about Brussels you may be interested in

• Brussels Guide Books
• Brussels Reviews
• Brussels Travel tips

 

+ list your site

 

ReviewsTravel TipsWrite a reviewWrite a travel tip

 

 

Read our members' reviews about Brussels

• One-day trip in Brussels
  review by danpop posted more then 30 days ago
  Maybe the first thing I want to point out from the beginning is that Bruxelles is not a one day city to visit. In my opinion, 2 or 3 days is minimum to see what’s more important in this splendid capital. But let’s say you don’t have much of a choice, and you have to limit...

view all

 

Read our members' travel tips about Brussels

• Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie, Brussels
  travel tip by danpop posted more then 30 days ago
  Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie (Royal Theatre of the Mint) is a theatre in Bruxelles and today is also the National Opera of Belgium. The theater is located in the historic heart of Bruxelles, close to Grand Place. The De Brouckère...

view all

 

 

Community

Members Who Have Been to Brussels

See who has been to Brussels and ask them a question (membership required)

RennyBA ask a question add to friends

gokulraj ask a question add to friends

skier60 ask a question add to friends

sharonmbu ask a question add to friends

 

show all

 

Community Galleries About Brussels

Browse our members' Brussels galleries to get a better impression of the place

view gallery

view gallery

 

show alladd gallery

 

 

the best travel deals provided by TravelZoo...