Leuven
Leuven (
French Louvain,
German Löwen) is the capital of the
Belgian province of
Flemish Brabant. The actual
municipality comprises the historical
city of Leuven and the adjacent villages of
Heverlee,
Kessel-Lo, a part of
Korbeek-Lo,
Wilsele and
Wijgmaal. On the 1st of January, 2006 Leuven had a total population of 90,706 (44,739 males and 45,967 females). The total area amounts to
56.63 km², corresponding with a
population density of 1,601.73 inhabitants per km².
The first mention of Leuven goes back to
891 ('Loven'), when a Viking army was defeated by the German emperor
Arnulf of Carinthia (see:
Battle of Leuven). According to the city legend, its red-white-red colours depict the blood-stained shores of the river
Dijle after this battle. Situated at this river and nearby the stronghold of the Dukes of Brabant, Leuven became the most important centre of trade in the
duchy between the 11th and the 14th century. A token of its former importance as a centre of cloth manufacture, is nicely reflected in the typical Leuven linen cloth, known in late 14-15th century texts as
lewyn (other spellings:
Leuwyn,
Levyne,
Lewan(e),
Lovanium,
Louvain)[
1].
In the
15th century a new golden era begins with the founding of the largest and oldest university in the
Low Countries: the
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (K.U.Leuven, or
Catholic University Leuven) in 1425.
|
Destruction of the university library, 1915. |
In the
18th century Leuven became even more important because of a flourishing
brewery that would later become
Interbrew (recently renamed to
InBev), the largest brewery company in the world. In fact, InBev's
Stella Artois brewery and main offices dominate the entire north-eastern part of the town, between the
railway station and the
canal to
Mechelen.
In the 20th century, both world wars inflicted major damage to the city, destroying the university library twice. The world was outraged over this and the library was completely rebuilt after
World War I with American charity funds and German war indemnities. After World War II, the burnt down building had to be restored again. It still stands tall as a symbol of the terrible wars and the Allied solidarity afterwards.
* The
Town Hall, built by
Sulpicius van Vorst,
Jan II Keldermans and after both of them died,
Matheus de Layens between
1439 and
1463 in a
Brabantian late-
Gothic style. The reception hall dates from
1750.
* The Church of Saint Peter (
1425â€"
1500) was finished by
Jan Keldermans and
Matheus de Layens. During the
Second World War the church was damaged; during the restoration a
Romanesque crypt from the
11th Century was found. In the Church itself there are several paintings from the 17th and 18th centuries (amongst others
Dirk Bouts famous painting of
the last supper and the grave of
Duke Henry I of Brabant. The 50 meter high towerâ€"which was meant to be 169 meters but was never completedâ€"is home to a
carillon.
* The Linen-hall in an early-Gothic style, with baroque addition, is today the University Hall.
* The Church of Saint Michael was built in the typical
Jesuit Baroque Style.
* The Church of Saint Quinten incorporates remains of a Romanesque Church built in the 13th Century.
* The University Library was built by the
American architect Whitney Warren. The tower houses one of the largest carillions in the world.
* There is a ducal castle dating from the 12th century on the Keizersberg ("Emperor's Mountain") which was demolished in the 17th Century. Today there is a neo-romanesque Abbey where the castle once stood.
* The
beguinage is one of the world's best remaining examples.
* There are several other smaller churches and chapels around town.
*
"Fonske" is a statue near the centre of town. Its full name is
Fons Sapientiae, Latin for "fountain of wisdom." The statue represents a university student who, while reading a book, lets wisdom flow into his head as liquid from a glass. Just like
Manneken Pis in
Brussels, Fonske is from time to time dressed in costumes appropriate for the occasion.
Nowadays Leuven is a real "student city", as most citizens in its centre are students. Leuven sports one of the liveliest bar scenes in Belgium. Besides boasting the "longest bar" in Belgium, the Old Market, tens of bars and cafés crammed into a central square in Leuven, it's also the proud home city of Belgium's smallest bar, Onder den Toog in the Noormannenstraat, a must for every visitor to Leuven seeking adventure and folklore. The
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (Catholic University Leuven) is the oldest Catholic university still in existence. One of the orchestras formed by students is the "Arenbergorkest", allowing these young people to combine study and music. There are also a number of
hogescholen (Vocational university, literally translated: "high schools"). These
hogescholen include
Katholieke Hogeschool Leuven (Catholic
High School Leuven) and
GroepT (GroupT).
The
mayor of Leuven is currently
Louis Tobback, a socialist politician prominent on the national level who was once minister of internal affairs, among other things.
Relations with other cities
Leuven is twinned with
*
's Hertogenbosch (the
Netherlands),
*
Kraków (
Poland),
*
Lüdenscheid (
Germany), and
*
Rennes (
France).
Besides these twin cities, Leuven has friendly relations with other cities in the world, such as
*
Tainan (
Taiwan)
*
Stellenbosch (
South Africa)
Leuven has also "adopted"
Cristian (
Romania) since 1989.
Leuven is well known for its summer rock festival
Marktrock. The main
football club of the municipality is
Oud-Heverlee Leuven, the successor of
K. Stade Leuven.Leuven also has some orchestras, like the famous Arenberg Orchestra.
Image:Louvain1915.jpg|Leuven after the destructions of 1915Image:Fonske.jpg|FonskeImage:Universiteitsbibliotheek.jpg|University Library at nightImage:St-Pieterskerk-Leuven.jpg|Church of St. PeterImage:Leuven-Groot-Begijnhof.jpg|Great BeguinageImage:Station Leuven.jpg|Leuven StationImage:Castle arenberg leuven.jpg|Arenberg CastleImage:Leuven-Oude-Markt.jpg|Old Market*
"Louvain", chapter from
George Wharton Edwards 1911 book,
Some Old Flemish Towns. (Wikisource)
*
Official Leuven website*
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (University of Leuven)*
Katholieke Hogeschool Leuven (Catholic University College of Leuven)*
Groep T Hogeschool Leuven (Group T University College of Leuven)*
Marktrock site*
Lemmensinstituut (Lemmens Conservatory of Music, part of the Hogeschool voor Wetenschap en Kunst)
*
Wijgmaal website*
Drieduizend, Leuven Photoblog*
Leuven flickr group*
Most famous "toog" in Leuven*
Arenbergorkest 
