Woluwe-Saint-Pierre - Sint-Pieters-Woluwe
Encyclopedia
Woluwe-Saint-Pierre or Sint-Pieters-Woluwe (Dutch
, pronounced sɪnt ˈpitərs ˈwoːlywə) is one of the nineteen municipalities located in the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium
. It is mostly a well-to-do residential area, which includes the wide, park-lined, Avenue de Tervueren
and the numerous embassies located near the Montgomery Square. Of the three rivers that once crossed the municipality, only the Woluwe
, a tributary
of the Senne
, can still largely be seen today.
(Vorst in Dutch). At that time, the original hamlet and its farms were dependencies of the abbey of Park near Leuven
. The onset of difficulties can be traced to the middle of the 16th century, with the hostilities waged by Philip II of Spain
against the heretical Protestants and the ensuing poverty and famine took their toll on the entire population. Safety and prosperity returned under the reigns of Archdukes Albert
and Isabella
at the beginning of the 17th century. The first highway linking Tervuren
to Brussels
, then known as the “Street of the Duke”, dates from that period.
was also a troubled period for Woluwe-Saint-Pierre – Sint-Pieters-Woluwe. The roads became insecure; the religious freedoms were drastically curtailed; much of the local wild life was exterminated for food; and the lack of coal and wood forced people to use peat
for heating. The local administration gained its independence from Brussels, obtained its first mayor on May 26 and its first municipal council in 1819. The commercial opportunities that opened up to the new commune marked the start of a new era of wealth. The city did not expand very fast, however, until the last two decades of the 19th century. New roads, such as the Tervuren Avenue, a new train track, imposing mansions, such as the “Palais Stoclet
”, and the Woluwe Park were all built or designed between 1880 and 1910. An important race track, now demolished, was built in 1906. The residential areas came into being right after the First World War and further urbanization took place after the Second World War
. Today, agriculture and fisheries, common before 1918, have completely disappeared. The area lives nearly exclusively off the service sector of the economy.
: Gangnam
: New Iberia, Louisiana
: Pecica
: Chaoyang: chennai
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...
, pronounced sɪnt ˈpitərs ˈwoːlywə) is one of the nineteen municipalities located in the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. It is mostly a well-to-do residential area, which includes the wide, park-lined, Avenue de Tervueren
Avenue de Tervueren
Avenue de Tervueren or Tervurenlaan is a major thoroughfare in Brussels, Belgium. It runs from Merode in the west, connects with Montgomery Square, passes through Woluwe-Saint-Pierre and the Ring at Quatre Bras and finishes at the park in Tervuren.The avenue was commissioned by King Leopold II of...
and the numerous embassies located near the Montgomery Square. Of the three rivers that once crossed the municipality, only the Woluwe
Woluwe
The Woluwe is a stream that goes through several municipalities in the southeast and east of Brussels and is a right tributary of the Senne/Zenne . The Kleine Maalbeek is a tributary of the Woluwe . Many ponds formed along the stream over time, among which the Mellaerts Ponds still exist...
, a tributary
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the Senne
Senné
Senné is a village and municipality in the Veľký Krtíš District of the Banská Bystrica Region of southern Slovakia.-External links:*http://www.statistics.sk/mosmis/eng/run.html...
, can still largely be seen today.
Middle Ages to Albert and Isabella
The first appearance of the name Wolewe dates from 1117 and can be found in a charter from ForestForest, Belgium
Forest or Vorst is one of the nineteen municipalities located in the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium.The town is commonly known for its concert hall...
(Vorst in Dutch). At that time, the original hamlet and its farms were dependencies of the abbey of Park near Leuven
Leuven
Leuven is the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region, Belgium...
. The onset of difficulties can be traced to the middle of the 16th century, with the hostilities waged by Philip II of Spain
Philip II of Spain
Philip II was King of Spain, Portugal, Naples, Sicily, and, while married to Mary I, King of England and Ireland. He was lord of the Seventeen Provinces from 1556 until 1581, holding various titles for the individual territories such as duke or count....
against the heretical Protestants and the ensuing poverty and famine took their toll on the entire population. Safety and prosperity returned under the reigns of Archdukes Albert
Albert VII, Archduke of Austria
Archduke Albert VII of Austria was, jointly with his wife, the Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia, sovereign of the Habsburg Netherlands between 1598 and 1621, ruling the Habsburg territories in the southern Low Countries and the north of modern France...
and Isabella
Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia of Spain
Isabella Clara Eugenia of Austria was sovereign of the Spanish Netherlands in the Low Countries and the north of modern France, together with her husband Albert. In some sources, she is referred to as Clara Isabella Eugenia...
at the beginning of the 17th century. The first highway linking Tervuren
Tervuren
Tervuren is a municipality in the province of Flemish Brabant, in Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium. The municipality comprises the villages of Duisburg, Tervuren, Vossem and Moorsel. On January 1, 2006, Tervuren had a total population of 20,636...
to 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...
, then known as the “Street of the Duke”, dates from that period.
18th century until now
The French RevolutionFrench Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
was also a troubled period for Woluwe-Saint-Pierre – Sint-Pieters-Woluwe. The roads became insecure; the religious freedoms were drastically curtailed; much of the local wild life was exterminated for food; and the lack of coal and wood forced people to use peat
Peat
Peat is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation matter or histosol. Peat forms in wetland bogs, moors, muskegs, pocosins, mires, and peat swamp forests. Peat is harvested as an important source of fuel in certain parts of the world...
for heating. The local administration gained its independence from Brussels, obtained its first mayor on May 26 and its first municipal council in 1819. The commercial opportunities that opened up to the new commune marked the start of a new era of wealth. The city did not expand very fast, however, until the last two decades of the 19th century. New roads, such as the Tervuren Avenue, a new train track, imposing mansions, such as the “Palais Stoclet
Palais Stoclet
The Stoclet Palace is a private mansion built by architect Josef Hoffmann between 1905 and 1911 in Brussels, Belgium, for banker and art lover Adolphe Stoclet. Considered Hoffman's masterpiece, the Stoclet's house is one of the most refined and luxurious private houses of the twentieth century.The...
”, and the Woluwe Park were all built or designed between 1880 and 1910. An important race track, now demolished, was built in 1906. The residential areas came into being right after the First World War and further urbanization took place after the Second World War
World 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...
. Today, agriculture and fisheries, common before 1918, have completely disappeared. The area lives nearly exclusively off the service sector of the economy.
Sights
- The extensive Woluwe Park includes giant sequoias, cypressesCupressaceaeThe Cupressaceae or cypress family is a conifer family with worldwide distribution. The family includes 27 to 30 genera , which include the junipers and redwoods, with about 130-140 species in total. They are monoecious, subdioecious or dioecious trees and shrubs from 1-116 m tall...
, and a variety of birds such as swanSwanSwans, genus Cygnus, are birds of the family Anatidae, which also includes geese and ducks. Swans are grouped with the closely related geese in the subfamily Anserinae where they form the tribe Cygnini. Sometimes, they are considered a distinct subfamily, Cygninae...
s, gullGullGulls are birds in the family Laridae. They are most closely related to the terns and only distantly related to auks, skimmers, and more distantly to the waders...
s, and heronHeronThe herons are long-legged freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae. There are 64 recognised species in this family. Some are called "egrets" or "bitterns" instead of "heron"....
s. - The imposing modern city hall is open to visitors.
- The town’s main church (Saint Peter) was erected in 1755 on the site of a much older building and perpendicular to it, with funds from the abbey of ForestForest, BelgiumForest or Vorst is one of the nineteen municipalities located in the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium.The town is commonly known for its concert hall...
. Traces of the older building can still be seen on the left of the current church. - Several turn-of-the-century houses and manors can still be seen today, such as the Palais StocletPalais StocletThe Stoclet Palace is a private mansion built by architect Josef Hoffmann between 1905 and 1911 in Brussels, Belgium, for banker and art lover Adolphe Stoclet. Considered Hoffman's masterpiece, the Stoclet's house is one of the most refined and luxurious private houses of the twentieth century.The...
, which was built between 1905 and 1909 on a design by Josef HoffmannJosef HoffmannJosef Hoffmann was an Austrian architect and designer of consumer goods.- Biography :...
and contains mosaics and paintings by Gustav KlimtGustav KlimtGustav Klimt was an Austrian Symbolist painter and one of the most prominent members of the Vienna Secession movement. His major works include paintings, murals, sketches, and other art objects...
. - The Bibliotheca Wittockiana houses one of the most prestigious bookbindingBookbindingBookbinding is the process of physically assembling a book from a number of folded or unfolded sheets of paper or other material. It usually involves attaching covers to the resulting text-block.-Origins of the book:...
collections in the world.
Famous inhabitants
- Henri, comte de Paris, duc de FranceHenri, comte de Paris, duc de FranceHenri d'Orléans is a member of the former French ruling dynasty of the House of Bourbon, and one of the current pretenders to the defunct French crown. A descendant of King Louis-Philippe , he is the current head of the Orléans line of the Bourbon dynasty...
, pretenderPretenderA pretender is one who claims entitlement to an unavailable position of honour or rank. Most often it refers to a former monarch, or descendant thereof, whose throne is occupied or claimed by a rival, or has been abolished....
to the FrenchFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
throne (b. 1933) - Eddy MerckxEddy MerckxEdouard Louis Joseph, Baron Merckx , better known as Eddy Merckx, is a Belgian former professional cyclist. The French magazine Vélo called him "the most accomplished rider that cycling has ever known." The American publication, VeloNews, called him the greatest and most successful cyclist of all...
(not currently residing), professional cyclist, multiple winner of the Tour de FranceTour de FranceThe Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
and Giro d'ItaliaGiro d'ItaliaThe Giro d'Italia , also simply known as The Giro, is a long distance road bicycle racing stage race for professional cyclists held over three weeks in May/early June in and around Italy. The Giro is one of the three Grand Tours , and is part of the UCI World Ranking calendar...
in the 1960s and 1970s.
Twin Cities
: Ruyumba, Gitarama ProvinceGitarama Province
Gitarama was one of the former twelve provinces of Rwanda and was situated in the centre of the country, to the west of the capital Kigali....
: Gangnam
Gangnam
Gangnam or Kangnam is a Sino-Korean place name meaning "south of the river". It may refer to:*Gangnam-gu, local government district south of the Han River in Seoul, South Korea*Kangnam-gun, county of North Hwanghae, North Korea...
: New Iberia, Louisiana
New Iberia, Louisiana
New Iberia is a city in and the parish seat of Iberia Parish, Louisiana, United States, 30 miles southeast of Lafayette. In 1900, 6,815 people lived in New Iberia; in 1910, 7,499; and in 1940, 13,747...
: Pecica
Pecica
Pecica is a town in Arad County, Romania. In ancient times it was a Dacian fortress called Ziridava and today it is an important archeological site. Situated at from Arad, it was declared a town in 2004. Its administrative territory extends into the Aradului Plateau...
: Chaoyang: chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
See also
- Woluwe-Saint-LambertWoluwe-Saint-LambertWoluwe-Saint-Lambert or Sint-Lambrechts-Woluwe is one of the nineteen municipalities located in the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium...
or Sint-Lambrechts-Woluwe, an adjacent municipality - Woluwe RiverWoluweThe Woluwe is a stream that goes through several municipalities in the southeast and east of Brussels and is a right tributary of the Senne/Zenne . The Kleine Maalbeek is a tributary of the Woluwe . Many ponds formed along the stream over time, among which the Mellaerts Ponds still exist...
- Sint-Stevens-WoluweSint-Stevens-WoluweSint-Stevens-Woluwe is a town located near Brussels, the capital of Belgium. It is part of Zaventem municipality, in the Flemish Brabant province.-See also:*Woluwe River, the river flowing through the town....
External links
- Official site of the municipality, in FrenchFrench languageFrench is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, DutchDutch languageDutch 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...
, and EnglishEnglish languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... - Official website of the Bibliotheca Wittockiana