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"Made in Belgium :: Books"
"The Best Belgian Autors and Books about Belgium"
Search online for books, book reviews and summary,
novels and romans, discount on magazines subscriptions
Many history books, order and buy online at discount prices.
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"Brussels : Biography and Books"
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Brussels (Bruxelles in French, Brussel in Dutch) is the largest city and the capital of Belgium and the administrative centre of the European Union. Officially, the ‘City of Brussels’ is the capital and the role is divided among 19 municipalities. National institutions are not only sited in Brussels, but also in the other 18 municipalities.
The name Brussels came from the old Dutch ‘Broekzele’, which was spelled ‘Bruxelles’ in French. Broekzele means literally ‘home consisting of one room, in the march’ or better explained ‘marchland’. In Belgian French pronunciation as well as in Dutch, the ‘k’ eventually disappeared and ‘z’ became ‘s’, as reflected in the current Dutch spelling.
Brussels was already mentioned around 695, when Bishop Saint-Gery of Cambrai settled a chapel on a small island in the marches. In the 12th century, the small town became important on the trade route from Bruges and Ghent to Cologne. It developed into a center of the wool industry. The population of the town grew to 30,000 and the surrounding marches had to be drained for expansion. And in the second half of the 14th century a new city wall was constructed, because the old one was too small.
From the 14th to 19th century, Brussels has been under many rulers. It has been in control of the Duchess of Louvain (1356), the Count of Flanders (end of 14th century), and the Hapsburg dynasty (1477). Brussels changed hands several times during the French Revolutionary Wars; later, during the Waterloo campaign (1815), it was Wellington's headquarters. From 1815 to 1830 it was, with The Hague, the alternate meeting place of the Netherlands parliament. In 1830 it became the capital of independent Belgium. In 1831, Leopold I was declared king. Brussels expanded and the old city walls were demolished during the next centuries.
Brussels is officially bilingual (French and Dutch), but French is the mother tongue of the majority of the residents. The historical languages of Brussels were dialects of Brabant, related to Dutch. The Dutch language was most widely used until the French occupation (1793–1815). During the 19th century most dialect-speakers turned to the prestigious French language.
Brussels is also the de facto capital of the European Union. Two of the main institutions of the European Union (European Commission and Council of the European Union) have their headquarters in Brussels. The European Parliament also has a chamber in Brussels where plenary sessions are held (others are held in Strasbourg). Also the NATO, WEU and EUROCONTROL are situated in Brussels.
Nowadays, Brussels is a city of variety and contrast. Because the city was in many different hands, Brussels is an heirloom of northern culture. Architecture in different styles with Gothic cathedrals, classical facades and art nouveau or art deco houses. Brussels houses a diverse assortment of museums and galleries, from science exhibits to the Belgian Comic Strip Centre. And of course, it is also well known for its Grand-Place, its Atomium (is a remnant from the 1958 World Exposition), Manneken-Pis, beers, waffles and its chocolates…
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