![]() |
Home - City Guide - Brussels - History | ||
![]() |
||
History 695-712 The Bishop of Cambria and Arras, St Vindicien, lives his whole life on the site of Brussels 966 First written mention of Bruocsella (Brussels) in a decree from Emperor Otton the Great 1100 Brussels gains its first walled fortifications 1357 Work begins on the second walled fortifications and their seven gates (an area that is now covered by the inner ring road) 1402 The foundation stone for Brussels Town Hall (completed in 1455) is laid 1404 The Burgundian period commences, with Antoine, son of Philip the Good, proclaimed Regent of Brabant 1436 Rogier de la Pasture is made the official artist of Brussels 1467-77 Reign of Charles the Bold 1531 Brussels is made capital of the Spanish Netherlands 1568 The Counts of Egmont and Hornes are beheaded for high treason on the orders of the Duke of Alba, the Spanish viceroy 1569 Brueghel dies in his house in Rue Haute 1577 Supporters of the Prince of Orange rise up against Philip II 1585 A second uprising against the Spanish is unsuccessful 1599 Isabella (daughter of Philip II) and her husband Albert reside in Brussels 1617 Rue Neuve is laid out 1695 The Marshal de Villeroy orders French troops to bombard Brussels and Grand-Place 1703 Brussels Chamber of Commerce is founded 1715 The Treaty of Utrecht decrees that Brussels becomes Austrian 1719 Unsuccessful uprising againt Joseph II results in the beheading of the Dean of the Guilds, François Anneessens 1731 Coudenberg Palace is destroyed by fire 1794 The Directory annexes the Catholic Netherlands to France 1814-30 Brussels becomes joint capital with the Hague of the Kingdom of the Netherlands 1815 Following Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo, the Treaty of Vienna puts Belgium under Dutch control 1830 The Belgian Revolution leads to independence, with Brussels capital of the new kingdom 1831 LÉopold Saxe-Coburg rules over an independent Belgium of 100,000 inhabitants 1865 Following the death of LÉopold I, his son LÉopold II accedes to the throne 1866 Cholera epidemic in Brussels; the polluted Senne River is buried underground 1871 The great boulevards of Brussels are constructed 1880 International Exhibition in celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Belgian independence 1909 LÉopold II dies with no male heir; his nephew, Albert I, becomes king 1928 Victor Horta completes the Palais des Beaux Arts 1934 Albert I dies in a fatal rock-climbing accident; his son LÉopold III succeeds to the throne 1944 Charles, brother of LÉopold II, becomes Regent 1951 The Regent abdicates; his son Baudoin I accedes to the throne 1958 Expo 58 universal exhibition runs for six months at the Heysel 1959 Following the Treaty of Rome (1957), Brussels is nominated the headquarters of the European Community 1967 Nato establishes its headquarters in the city 1980 150th Independence Anniversary celebrations 1992 Belgium becomes a federal state 1993 King Badouin I dies, his brother Albert accedes to the throne 2000 Brussels is a European City of Culture |