Avenue Louise
Encyclopedia
Avenue Louise or Louizalaan (Dutch
) is a major thoroughfare in Brussels
. It runs southeast from Louise Square to the Bois de la Cambre
, covering a distance of 2.7 kilometres (1.7 mi).
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The construction of Avenue Louise was commissioned in 1847 as a monumental avenue bordered by chestnut trees that would allow easy access to the popular recreational area of the Bois de la Cambre. It was also to be the first Haussmann
-esque artery of the city. The name was chosen in honor of King Leopold II's
eldest daughter, Princess Louise-Marie
.
However, fierce resistance to the project was put up by the town of Ixelles - then, as now, a separate commune (local authority) from the City of Brussels
- through whose territory the avenue was to run. After years of fruitless negotiations, Brussels finally annexed
the narrow band of land needed for the avenue plus the Bois de la Cambre itself in 1864. That decision accounts for the unusual shape of today's City of Brussels and for Ixelles being split in two separate parts.
, following the Nazi invasion of Belgium, Brussels was occupied by the German military
. The Nazi security organisation, the Sicherheitspolizei
-Sicherheitsdienst
, of which the Gestapo
was a part, set up their Brussels headquarters on Avenue Louise.
They occupied numbers 347, 418, 453 and 510; initially their headquarters were in number 453, the "Résidence Belvédère".
On 20 January 1943, Jean de Sélys Longchamps
, a Belgian (born in Brussels) who had become a fighter pilot in the Royal Air Force
, mounted a solo attack on the headquarters at number 453. Benefiting from the wide avenues, and the large height of the apartment block relative to the neighbouring buildings, he flew his Hawker Typhoon
at a low altitude straight towards the building, firing the plane's 20mm cannons, before returning to England.
Following this attack, the SD
moved their headquarters to number 347 Avenue Louise. The cellars at this address were used to detain and interrogate captured members of the Belgian resistance. The torture which took place here brought the name of Avenue Louise considerable infamy at the time.
A monument to Baron de Selys Longchamps now stands in front of 453 Avenue Louise.
Tramway line 94
runs the entire length of the avenue, all on segregated track except in the short "goulet Louise" section.
The nearly-completed, vast tramway tunnel under the Louise bottleneck remains unused as of 2009. Various solutions to the traffic problem have been considered. One proposes pedestrianizing the whole segment, with trams running on the surface and only delivery vehicles authorized at certain hours. Another, much more costly, involves finishing the tunnel and diverting all trams underground.
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
) is a major thoroughfare in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
. It runs southeast from Louise Square to the Bois de la Cambre
Bois de la Cambre
Ter Kamerenbos or Bois de la Cambre is an urban public park on the edge of the Sonian Forest in Brussels, Belgium. It has an area of 1.23 square kilometres. The park lies in the south of the Brussels-Capital Region, and in the municipality of the City of Brussels...
, covering a distance of 2.7 kilometres (1.7 mi).
History
Haussmann's renovation of Paris
Haussmann's Renovation of Paris, or the Haussmann Plan, was a modernization program of Paris commissioned by Napoléon III and led by the Seine prefect, Baron Georges-Eugène Haussmann, between 1853 and 1870...
-esque artery of the city. The name was chosen in honor of King Leopold II's
Leopold II of Belgium
Leopold II was the second king of the Belgians. Born in Brussels the second son of Leopold I and Louise-Marie of Orléans, he succeeded his father to the throne on 17 December 1865 and remained king until his death.Leopold is chiefly remembered as the founder and sole owner of the Congo Free...
eldest daughter, Princess Louise-Marie
Princess Louise-Marie of Belgium
Louise Marie of Belgium , princess of Belgium, was the eldest daughter of Leopold II, king of the Belgians, and his wife Marie Henriette, archduchess of Austria.-Marriage and issue:...
.
However, fierce resistance to the project was put up by the town of Ixelles - then, as now, a separate commune (local authority) from the City of Brussels
City of Brussels
The City of Brussels is the largest municipality of the Brussels-Capital Region, and the official capital of Belgium by law....
- through whose territory the avenue was to run. After years of fruitless negotiations, Brussels finally annexed
Annexation
Annexation is the de jure incorporation of some territory into another geo-political entity . Usually, it is implied that the territory and population being annexed is the smaller, more peripheral, and weaker of the two merging entities, barring physical size...
the narrow band of land needed for the avenue plus the Bois de la Cambre itself in 1864. That decision accounts for the unusual shape of today's City of Brussels and for Ixelles being split in two separate parts.
Gestapo headquarters
During World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, following the Nazi invasion of Belgium, Brussels was occupied by the German military
German–occupied Europe
German–occupied Europe or Nazi Empire refers to the countries of Europe which were occupied by the military forces of Nazi Germany at various times between 1938 and 1945....
. The Nazi security organisation, the Sicherheitspolizei
Sicherheitspolizei
The Sicherheitspolizei , often abbreviated as SiPo, was a term used in Nazi Germany to describe the state political and criminal investigation security agencies. It was made up by the combined forces of the Gestapo and the Kripo between 1936 and 1939...
-Sicherheitsdienst
Sicherheitsdienst
Sicherheitsdienst , full title Sicherheitsdienst des Reichsführers-SS, or SD, was the intelligence agency of the SS and the Nazi Party in Nazi Germany. The organization was the first Nazi Party intelligence organization to be established and was often considered a "sister organization" with the...
, of which the Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
was a part, set up their Brussels headquarters on Avenue Louise.
They occupied numbers 347, 418, 453 and 510; initially their headquarters were in number 453, the "Résidence Belvédère".
On 20 January 1943, Jean de Sélys Longchamps
Jean de Sélys Longchamps
Baron Jean Michel P.M.G. de Selys Longchamps was a Belgian nobleman and World War II RAF fighter pilot remembered for his attack in 1943 on the Gestapo headquarters in Brussels in occupied Belgium....
, a Belgian (born in Brussels) who had become a fighter pilot in the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
, mounted a solo attack on the headquarters at number 453. Benefiting from the wide avenues, and the large height of the apartment block relative to the neighbouring buildings, he flew his Hawker Typhoon
Hawker Typhoon
The Hawker Typhoon was a British single-seat fighter-bomber, produced by Hawker Aircraft. While the Typhoon was designed to be a medium-high altitude interceptor, and a direct replacement for the Hawker Hurricane, several design problems were encountered, and the Typhoon never completely satisfied...
at a low altitude straight towards the building, firing the plane's 20mm cannons, before returning to England.
Following this attack, the SD
Sicherheitsdienst
Sicherheitsdienst , full title Sicherheitsdienst des Reichsführers-SS, or SD, was the intelligence agency of the SS and the Nazi Party in Nazi Germany. The organization was the first Nazi Party intelligence organization to be established and was often considered a "sister organization" with the...
moved their headquarters to number 347 Avenue Louise. The cellars at this address were used to detain and interrogate captured members of the Belgian resistance. The torture which took place here brought the name of Avenue Louise considerable infamy at the time.
A monument to Baron de Selys Longchamps now stands in front of 453 Avenue Louise.
Landmarks
Today, Avenue Louise is home to many upmarket shops, restaurants and offices. From north to south, notable landmarks include:- Louise Square, a crucial transportation nexus including a tramTramA tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
way and metroBrussels MetroThe Brussels Metro is a rapid transit system serving a large part of the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium. It consists of a network with four metro line services with some shared sections. The metro has 49.9 km of network and 59 stations...
station. The Law Courts of BrusselsLaw Courts of BrusselsThe Law Courts of Brussels or Brussels Palace of Justice is the most important Court building in Belgium, and is a notable landmark of Brussels. It was built between 1866 and 1883 in the eclectic style by architect Joseph Poelaert...
are nearby. - Stéphanie Square, another extremely busy square surrounded by luxury shops. The tree-bordered part of the avenue begins here.
- The Louise Tower, also known as the Generali Tower, one of the tallest office buildings in Brussels.
- The intersection with the Chaussée de Vleurgat / Vleurgatsteenweg (which leads downhill to the nearby Flagey SquareFlagey SquarePlace Eugène Flagey , is a square in the Brussels municipality of Ixelles, Belgium. It was named in honour of Eugène Flagey, mayor of Ixelles from 1935 to 1953...
) dominated by the Blue Tower skyscraper. - The scenic King's Garden (Tuin van de Koning or Jardin du Roi), a garden descending toward the nearby Ixelles PondsIxelles PondsThe Ixelles Ponds are two freshwater ponds in the Brussels municipality of Ixelles...
. - Olivier StrebelleOlivier StrebelleOlivier Strebelle is a Belgian sculptor born in Brussels on 20 January 1927.His monumental sculptures adorn many public places in Brussels as well as in Germany, Israel, Italy, Russia, singapore, Switzerland, and the United States....
's 16-ton bronze sculpture "Le Phénix 44" which commemorates the anniversary of the liberation of Brussels, which stands athwart the roundabout at King's Garden. - The Sélys Longchamps Square, which features several statues, the entrance to the La Cambre AbbeyLa Cambre AbbeyThe Abbey of La Cambre or Ter Kameren Abbey is a former Cistercian abbey in Ixelles, Brussels, Belgium. It is located in the Maelbeek valley between the Bois de la Cambre and the Ixelles Ponds...
, and the massive IT Tower. - A roundaboutRoundaboutA roundabout is the name for a road junction in which traffic moves in one direction around a central island. The word dates from the early 20th century. Roundabouts are common in many countries around the world...
flanked by two twin neoclassicalNeoclassical architectureNeoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
pavilions ending the avenue. Beyond it lies the Bois de la CambreBois de la CambreTer Kamerenbos or Bois de la Cambre is an urban public park on the edge of the Sonian Forest in Brussels, Belgium. It has an area of 1.23 square kilometres. The park lies in the south of the Brussels-Capital Region, and in the municipality of the City of Brussels...
.
Tramway line 94
Brussels trams
The Brussels tram system is one of the ten largest in the world, carrying some 75.6 million passengers in 2009. Its development demonstrates many of the quandaries that face local public transport planners...
runs the entire length of the avenue, all on segregated track except in the short "goulet Louise" section.
The "Louise bottleneck"
The 250-meter (830 ft)- long part of Avenue Louise between the Louise and Stephanie squares is called "le goulet Louise" ("the Louise bottleneck"). With two tramway lines and thousands of cars sharing this narrow segment of the avenue, large traffic jams occur here during rush hours. The problem was already obvious in the early 1980s, so a tram tunnel under the bottleneck was built along with the metro station on Louise Square. However, construction was abandoned toward its end due to protests of local businesses fearing losses if patrons were to be diverted through a tunnel.The nearly-completed, vast tramway tunnel under the Louise bottleneck remains unused as of 2009. Various solutions to the traffic problem have been considered. One proposes pedestrianizing the whole segment, with trams running on the surface and only delivery vehicles authorized at certain hours. Another, much more costly, involves finishing the tunnel and diverting all trams underground.
External links
- History and architecture of Avenue Louise (St Gilles) - on the irismonument site - l'inventaire du patrimoine architectural de la Région de Bruxelles-Capitale
- History and architecture of Avenue Louise (Brussels southern extension) - on the irismonument site -l'inventaire du patrimoine architectural de la Région de Bruxelles-Capitale