Liège ( , , ; wa, Lîdje ; nl, Luik ; german: Lüttich ) is a major
city
A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
and
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
of
Wallonia
Wallonia (; french: Wallonie ), or ; nl, Wallonië ; wa, Waloneye or officially the Walloon Region (french: link=no, Région wallonne),; nl, link=no, Waals gewest; wa, link=no, Redjon walone is one of the three regions of Belgium—alo ...
and the capital of the
Belgian
Belgian may refer to:
* Something of, or related to, Belgium
* Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent
* Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German
*Ancient Belgian language, an extinct languag ...
province of Liège.
The city is situated in the valley of the
Meuse
The Meuse ( , , , ; wa, Moûze ) or Maas ( , ; li, Maos or ) is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea from the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta. It has a t ...
, in the east of Belgium, not far from borders with the
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
(
Maastricht
Maastricht ( , , ; li, Mestreech ; french: Maestricht ; es, Mastrique ) is a city and a municipality in the southeastern Netherlands. It is the capital and largest city of the province of Limburg. Maastricht is located on both sides of the ...
is about to the north) and with
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
(
Aachen
Aachen ( ; ; Aachen dialect: ''Oche'' ; French and traditional English: Aix-la-Chapelle; or ''Aquisgranum''; nl, Aken ; Polish: Akwizgran) is, with around 249,000 inhabitants, the 13th-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia, and the 28th- ...
is about north-east). In Liège, the Meuse meets the river
Ourthe
The Ourthe (; Walloon: ''Aiwe d' Oûte'') is a long river in the Ardennes in Wallonia (Belgium). It is a right tributary to the river Meuse. The Ourthe is formed at the confluence of the ''Ourthe Occidentale'' (Western Ourthe) and the ''Ourthe ...
. The city is part of the ''
sillon industriel'', the former industrial backbone of Wallonia. It still is the principal economic and cultural centre of the region.
The
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
consists of the following
districts:
Angleur
Angleur (; wa, Angleûr) is a district of the city of Liège, Wallonia, located in the province of Liège, Belgium.
It was a municipality until 1977. It is located at the foot and on the slope of a hill in the southern part of Liège, locate ...
, ,
Chênée
discussions page -->
Chênée (; wa, Tchinnêye) is a district of the city of Liège, Wallonia, located in the province and arrondissement of Liège, Belgium. Chênée lays at the river mouth of the two rivers Vesdre and Ourthe. It had around ...
, ,
Grivegnée
Grivegnée ( wa, Grimgnêye) is a district of the city of Liège, Wallonia, located in the province of Liège, Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. ...
,
Jupille-sur-Meuse
Jupille or Jupille-sur-Meuse ( wa, Djoupeye) is a district of the city of Liège, Wallonia, located in the Liège Province, province of Liège, Belgium.
It was a municipality until 1977.
Jupille is the location of the brewery Piedboeuf Brewery, ...
, Liège,
Rocourt, and
Wandre. In November 2012, Liège had 198,280 inhabitants. The
metropolitan area
A metropolitan area or metro is a region that consists of a densely populated urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories sharing industries, commercial areas, transport network, infrastructures and housing. A metro area usually com ...
, including the outer commuter zone, covers an area of 1,879 km
2 (725 sq mi) and had a total population of 749,110 on 1 January 2008.
[Statistics Belgium; ''Population de droit par commune au 1 janvier 2008'' (excel-file)](_blank)
Population of all municipalities in Belgium on 1 January 2008. Retrieved on 2008-10-19.[Statistics Belgium; ''De Belgische Stadsgewesten 2001'' (pdf-file)](_blank)
Definitions of metropolitan areas in Belgium. The metropolitan area of Liège is divided into three levels. First, the central agglomeration (''agglomeratie'') with 480,513 inhabitants (1 January 2008). Adding the closest surroundings (''banlieue'') gives a total of 641,591. And, including the outer commuter zone (''forensenwoonzone'') the population is 810,983. Retrieved on 2008-10-19. This includes a total of 52 municipalities, among others,
Herstal
Herstal (; wa, Hesta), formerly known as Heristal, or Héristal, is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Liège, Belgium. It lies along the Meuse river. Herstal is included in the "Greater Liège" agglomeration, which c ...
and
Seraing
Seraing (; wa, Serè) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Liège, Belgium.
The municipality consists of the following districts: Boncelles, Jemeppe-sur-Meuse, Ougrée, and Seraing. With Liège, Herstal, Sai ...
. Liège ranks as the third most populous urban area in Belgium, after
Brussels
Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
and
Antwerp
Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504, , and the fourth municipality after Antwerp,
Ghent
Ghent ( nl, Gent ; french: Gand ; traditional English: Gaunt) is a city and a municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the East Flanders province, and the third largest in the country, exceeded in ...
and
Charleroi
Charleroi ( , , ; wa, Tchålerwè ) is a city and a municipality of Wallonia, located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. By 1 January 2008, the total population of Charleroi was 201,593. .
Etymology
The name is of Germanic origin and is reconstructible as *''liudik-'', from the Germanic word *''liudiz'' "people", which is found in for example Dutch ''lui(den)'', ''lieden'', Czech “lide”, German ''Leute'',
Old English
Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, Anglo ...
''lēod'' (English ''
lede
Lede may refer to:
* Lead paragraph (US English), the first paragraph of a composition
Places
* Lede, Belgium, a municipality in Flanders
* Lède, a river in France
* Lede Formation, a geologic formation in Belgium
People
* Marquess of Lede of ...
'') and Icelandic ''lýður'' ("people"). It is found in Lithuanian as ''liaudis'' ("people"), in Ukrainian as ''liudy'' ("people"), in Russian as ''liudi'' ("people"), in Latin as ''Leodicum'' or ''Leodium'', in Middle Dutch as ''ludic'' or ''ludeke''.
Until 17 September 1946, the city's name was written , with the
acute accent
The acute accent (), , is a diacritic used in many modern written languages with alphabets based on the Latin, Cyrillic, and Greek scripts. For the most commonly encountered uses of the accent in the Latin and Greek alphabets, precomposed ch ...
instead of a
grave accent
The grave accent () ( or ) is a diacritical mark used to varying degrees in French, Dutch, Portuguese, Italian and many other western European languages, as well as for a few unusual uses in English. It is also used in other languages using t ...
.
In French, Liège is associated with the epithet ''la cité ardente'' ("the fervent city"). This term, which emerged around 1905, originally referred to the city's history of rebellions against Burgundian rule, but was appropriated to refer to its economic dynamism during the
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was the transition to new manufacturing processes in Great Britain, continental Europe, and the United States, that occurred during the period from around 1760 to about 1820–1840. This transition included going f ...
.
History
Early Middle Ages
Although settlements already existed in
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...
times, the first references to Liège are from 558, when it was known as Vicus Leudicus. Around 705,
Saint Lambert of Maastricht is credited with completing the
Christianization
Christianization ( or Christianisation) is to make Christian; to imbue with Christian principles; to become Christian. It can apply to the conversion of an individual, a practice, a place or a whole society. It began in the Roman Empire, conti ...
of the region, indicating that up to the early 8th century the religious practices of antiquity had survived in some form.
Christian conversion
Conversion to Christianity is the religious conversion of a previously non-Christian person to Christianity. Different Christian denominations may perform various different kinds of rituals or ceremonies initiation into their community of belie ...
may still not have been quite universal, since Lambert was murdered in Liège and thereafter regarded as a
martyr
A martyr (, ''mártys'', "witness", or , ''marturia'', stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an externa ...
for his faith. To enshrine St. Lambert's
relic
In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains of a saint or the personal effects of the saint or venerated person preserved for purposes of veneration as a tangi ...
s, his successor,
Hubertus
Hubertus or Hubert ( 656 – 30 May 727 A.D.) was a Christian saint who became the first bishop of Liège in 708 A.D. He is the patron saint of hunters, mathematicians, opticians and metalworkers. Known as the "Apostle of the Ardennes", he w ...
(later to become St. Hubert), built a
basilica
In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica is a large public building with multiple functions, typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek East. The building gave its name ...
near the bishop's residence which became the true nucleus of the city.
A few centuries later, the city became the capital of a
prince-bishopric, which lasted from 985 till 1794. The first
prince-bishop,
Notger, transformed the city into a major intellectual and ecclesiastical centre, which maintained its cultural importance during the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
. Pope
Clement VI recruited several musicians from Liège to perform in the Papal court at
Avignon
Avignon (, ; ; oc, Avinhon, label=Provençal dialect, Provençal or , ; la, Avenio) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Vaucluse Departments of France, department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region of So ...
, thereby sanctioning the practice of
polyphony
Polyphony ( ) is a type of musical texture consisting of two or more simultaneous lines of independent melody, as opposed to a musical texture with just one voice, monophony, or a texture with one dominant melodic voice accompanied by chords, h ...
in the religious realm. The city was renowned for its many churches, the oldest of which, St Martin's, dates from 682. Although nominally part of the
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a Polity, political entity in Western Europe, Western, Central Europe, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its Dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, dissolution i ...
, in practice it possessed a large degree of independence.
Late Medieval and Early Modern Periods
![Map liege 1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7f/Map_liege_1.jpg)
The strategic position of Liège has made it a frequent target of armies and insurgencies over the centuries. It was fortified early on with a castle on the steep hill that overlooks the city's western side. During this medieval period, three women from the Liège region made significant contributions to Christian spirituality: Elizabeth Spaakbeek,
Christina the Astonishing
Christina the Astonishing (c.1150 – 24 July 1224), also known as Christina Mirabilis, was a Christian holy woman born in Brustem (near Sint-Truiden), Belgium. She was considered a saint in her own time, and for centuries following her deat ...
, and
Marie of Oignies
Marie of Oignies (''Maria Ogniacensis'', born Nivelles, now Belgium, 1177, died 1213) was a Beguine saint, known from the ''Life'' written by James of Vitry, for Fulk of Toulouse.
Marie "did not live a cloistered life following an approved rule, ...
.
In 1345, the citizens of Liège rebelled against Prince-Bishop
Engelbert III de la Marck
Engelbert III von der Mark (English: Engelbert III of the Mark) (1304 – 25 August 1368) was the Archbishop-Elector of Cologne from 1364 until 1368 and the Prince-Bishop of Liège (as Engelbert) from 1345 until 1364.
Engelbert was the secon ...
, their ruler at the time, and defeated him in battle near the city. Shortly after, a unique political system formed in Liège, whereby the city's 32
guild
A guild ( ) is an association of artisans and merchants who oversee the practice of their craft/trade in a particular area. The earliest types of guild formed as organizations of tradesmen belonging to a professional association. They sometimes ...
s shared sole political control of the municipal government. Each person on the register of each guild was eligible to participate, and each guild's voice was equal, making it the most democratic system that the
Low Countries
The term Low Countries, also known as the Low Lands ( nl, de Lage Landen, french: les Pays-Bas, lb, déi Niddereg Lännereien) and historically called the Netherlands ( nl, de Nederlanden), Flanders, or Belgica, is a coastal lowland region in N ...
had ever known. The system spread to
Utrecht
Utrecht ( , , ) is the List of cities in the Netherlands by province, fourth-largest city and a List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality of the Netherlands, capital and most populous city of the Provinces of the Netherlands, pro ...
, and left a democratic spirit in Liège that survived the Middle Ages.
At the end of the
Liège Wars
Liège ( , , ; wa, Lîdje ; nl, Luik ; german: Lüttich ) is a major city and municipality of Wallonia and the capital of the Belgian province of Liège.
The city is situated in the valley of the Meuse, in the east of Belgium, not far from b ...
, a rebellion took place against rule from
Burgundy
Burgundy (; french: link=no, Bourgogne ) is a historical territory and former administrative region and province of east-central France. The province was once home to the Dukes of Burgundy from the early 11th until the late 15th century. The c ...
. In 1468 Duke
Charles the Bold
Charles I (Charles Martin; german: Karl Martin; nl, Karel Maarten; 10 November 1433 – 5 January 1477), nicknamed the Bold (German: ''der Kühne''; Dutch: ''de Stoute''; french: le Téméraire), was Duke of Burgundy from 1467 to 1477.
...
of Burgundy, witnessed by King
Louis XI of France
Louis XI (3 July 1423 – 30 August 1483), called "Louis the Prudent" (french: le Prudent), was King of France from 1461 to 1483. He succeeded his father, Charles VII.
Louis entered into open rebellion against his father in a short-lived revo ...
, captured and largely destroyed the city after a bitter siege which was ended with a successful surprise attack. The rebellion figures prominently in the plot of
Sir Walter Scott
Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet, playwright and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European and Scottish literature, notably the novels '' Ivanhoe'', '' Rob Roy' ...
's 1823 novel ''
Quentin Durward
''Quentin Durward'' is a historical novel by Sir Walter Scott, first published in 1823. The story concerns a Scottish archer in the service of the French King Louis XI (1423–1483) who plays a prominent part in the narrative.
Compositi ...
''.
The
Prince-Bishopric of Liège
The Prince-Bishopric of Liège or Principality of Liège was an ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire that was situated for the most part in present-day Belgium. It was an Imperial Estate, so the bishop of Liège, as its prince, ...
was technically part of the
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a Polity, political entity in Western Europe, Western, Central Europe, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its Dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, dissolution i ...
which, after 1477, came under the rule of the
Habsburg
The House of Habsburg (), alternatively spelled Hapsburg in Englishgerman: Haus Habsburg, ; es, Casa de Habsburgo; hu, Habsburg család, it, Casa di Asburgo, nl, Huis van Habsburg, pl, dom Habsburgów, pt, Casa de Habsburgo, la, Domus Hab ...
s. The reign of prince-bishop
Érard de La Marck (1506–1538) coincides with the dawn of the
Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...
.
During the
Counter-Reformation
The Counter-Reformation (), also called the Catholic Reformation () or the Catholic Revival, was the period of Catholic resurgence that was initiated in response to the Protestant Reformation. It began with the Council of Trent (1545–1563) a ...
, the diocese of Liège was split and progressively lost its role as a regional power. By the 17th century, the bishopric of Liège became a virtual
Secundogeniture
A secundogeniture (from la, secundus "following, second," and "born") was a dependent territory given to a younger son of a princely house and his descendants, creating a cadet branch. This was a special form of inheritance in which the second a ...
of the Bavarian royal house of
Wittelsbach
The House of Wittelsbach () is a German dynasty, with branches that have ruled over territories including Bavaria, the Palatinate, Holland and Zeeland, Sweden (with Finland), Denmark, Norway, Hungary (with Romania), Bohemia, the Electorate ...
, with second sons of the Bavarian monarch ruling as prince-bishop. Beginning with the ascension of
Ernest of Bavaria
Ernest of Bavaria (german: Ernst von Bayern) (17 December 1554 – 17 February 1612) was Prince-elector-archbishop of the Archbishopric of Cologne from 1583 to 1612 as successor of the expelled Gebhard Truchsess von Waldburg. He was also bishop ...
in 1581, Bavarian princes ruled over
Cologne
Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western States of Germany, state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 m ...
,
Münster
Münster (; nds, Mönster) is an independent city (''Kreisfreie Stadt'') in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also a state di ...
, and other bishoprics in the northwest of the Holy Roman Empire in addition to Liège.
Ferdinand of Bavaria (bishop)
Ferdinand of Bavaria (german: Ferdinand von Bayern) (6 October 1577 – 13 September 1650) was Prince-elector archbishop of the Archbishopric of Cologne (Holy Roman Empire) from 1612 to 1650, as successor of Ernest of Bavaria. He was also prin ...
ruled from 1612 to1650, and
Maximilian Henry of Bavaria
Maximilian Henry of Bavaria (german: Maximilian Heinrich von Bayern: 8 October 1621 – 3 June 1688) was the third son and fourth child of Albert VI, landgrave of Leuchtenberg and his wife, Mechthilde von Leuchtenberg. In 1650, he was named A ...
ruled from 1650 to 1688.
In 1636, during the
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history
The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (80 ...
, the city was besieged by Imperial forces under
Johann von Werth
Johann von Werth (1591 – 16 January 1652), also ''Jan von Werth'' or in French ''Jean de Werth'', was a German general of cavalry in the Thirty Years' War.
Biography
Werth was born in 1591 most likely at Büttgen in the Duchy of Jülic ...
from April to July. The army, mainly consisting of mercenaries, extensively and viciously plundered the surrounding bishopric during the siege.
18th century to World War I
![Liege-Blaeu-00](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/01/Liege-Blaeu-00.jpg)
The
Duke of Marlborough
General John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, 1st Prince of Mindelheim, 1st Count of Nellenburg, Prince of the Holy Roman Empire, (26 May 1650 – 16 June 1722 O.S.) was an English soldier and statesman whose career spanned the reign ...
captured the city from the Bavarian prince-bishop and his French allies in 1704 during the
War of the Spanish Succession
The War of the Spanish Succession was a European great power conflict that took place from 1701 to 1714. The death of childless Charles II of Spain in November 1700 led to a struggle for control of the Spanish Empire between his heirs, Phil ...
.
In the middle of the eighteenth century the ideas of the French ''
Encyclopédistes
The Encyclopédistes () (also known in British English as Encyclopaedists, or in U.S. English as Encyclopedists) were members of the , a French writers' society, who contributed to the development of the ''Encyclopédie'' from June 1751 to Decembe ...
'' began to gain popularity in the region. Bishop
François-Charles de Velbrück
François Charles de Velbrück (1719, Chateau de Garath, near Düsseldorf – 1784, Château de Hex, near Tongres) was a German ecclesiastic. He was prince bishop of Liege from 16 February 1772 to 1784.
Early life
In 1735, Velbrück was made ...
(1772–84), encouraged their propagation, thus prepared the way for the
Liège Revolution
The Liège Revolution, sometimes known as the Happy Revolution (french: Heureuse Révolution; wa, Binamêye revolucion), against the reigning prince-bishop of Liège, started on 18 August 1789 and lasted until the destruction of the Republic ...
which started in the episcopal city on 18 August 1789 and led to the creation of the
Republic of Liège
The Republic of Liège (french: République liégeoise) was a short-lived state centred on the town of Liège in modern-day Belgium. The republic was created in August 1789 after the Liège Revolution led to the destruction of the earlier ecclesia ...
before it was invaded by counter-revolutionary forces of the
Habsburg monarchy
The Habsburg monarchy (german: Habsburgermonarchie, ), also known as the Danubian monarchy (german: Donaumonarchie, ), or Habsburg Empire (german: Habsburgerreich, ), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities ...
in 1791.
In the course of the
1794 campaigns of the French Revolution, the
French Revolutionary Army
The French Revolutionary Army (french: Armée révolutionnaire française) was the French land force that fought the French Revolutionary Wars from 1792 to 1804. These armies were characterised by their revolutionary fervour, their poor equipme ...
took the city and imposed strongly anticlerical regime, destroying
St. Lambert's Cathedral. The overthrow of the
Prince-Bishopric of Liège
The Prince-Bishopric of Liège or Principality of Liège was an ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire that was situated for the most part in present-day Belgium. It was an Imperial Estate, so the bishop of Liège, as its prince, ...
was confirmed in 1801 by the
Concordat
A concordat is a convention between the Holy See and a sovereign state that defines the relationship between the Catholic Church and the state in matters that concern both,René Metz, ''What is Canon Law?'' (New York: Hawthorn Books, 1960 st Edi ...
co-signed by
Napoléon Bonaparte
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
and
Pope Pius VII
Pope Pius VII ( it, Pio VII; born Barnaba Niccolò Maria Luigi Chiaramonti; 14 August 1742 – 20 August 1823), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 14 March 1800 to his death in August 1823. Chiaramonti was also a m ...
. France lost the city in 1815 when the
Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna (, ) of 1814–1815 was a series of international diplomatic meetings to discuss and agree upon a possible new layout of the European political and constitutional order after the downfall of the French Emperor Napoleon B ...
awarded it to the
United Kingdom of the Netherlands
The United Kingdom of the Netherlands ( nl, Verenigd Koninkrijk der Nederlanden; french: Royaume uni des Pays-Bas) is the unofficial name given to the Kingdom of the Netherlands as it existed between 1815 and 1839. The United Netherlands was cr ...
. Dutch rule lasted only until 1830, when the
Belgian Revolution led to the establishment of an independent, Catholic and neutral Belgium which incorporated Liège. After this, Liège developed rapidly into a major industrial city which became one of continental Europe's first large-scale steel making centres. The
Walloon Jacquerie of 1886
The Belgian strikes of 1886, occasionally known as the social revolt of 1886 (french: Révolte sociale de 1886), was a violent period of industrial strikes and riots in Belgium from 18 to 29 March 1886 and an important moment in Belgium's 19th-c ...
saw a large-scale working class revolt. No less than 6,000 regular troops were called into the city to quell the unrest, while strike spread through the whole
sillon industriel.
Liège's fortifications were redesigned by
Henri Alexis Brialmont
Henri-Alexis Brialmont (Venlo, 25 May 1821 – Brussels, 21 July 1903), nicknamed The Belgian Vauban after the French military architect, was a Belgian army officer, politician and writer of the 19th century, best known as a military archi ...
in the 1880s and a
chain of twelve forts was constructed around the city to provide
defence in depth
Defence in depth (also known as deep defence or elastic defence) is a military strategy that seeks to delay rather than prevent the advance of an attacker, buying time and causing additional casualties by yielding space. Rather than defeating ...
. This presented a major obstacle to the
Imperial German Army in 1914, whose
Schlieffen Plan
The Schlieffen Plan (german: Schlieffen-Plan, ) is a name given after the First World War to German war plans, due to the influence of Field Marshal Alfred von Schlieffen and his thinking on an invasion of France and Belgium, which began on ...
relied on being able to quickly pass through the Meuse valley and the
Ardennes en route to France. The
German invasion of Belgium on 5 August 1914 soon reached Liège, which was defended by 30,000 troops under General
Gérard Leman in the
Battle of Liège
A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and for ...
. The forts initially held off General
Alexander von Kluck
Alexander Heinrich Rudolph von Kluck (20 May 1846 – 19 October 1934) was a German general during World War I.
Early life
Kluck was born in Münster, Westphalia on 20 May 1846.
He was the son of architect Karl von Kluck and his wife Elisabeth ...
's
German First Army The 1st Army (german: 1. Armee) was a World War II field army. Combat chronicle
1939
The 1st Army was activated on 26 August 1939, in Wehrkreis XII with General Erwin von Witzleben in command. Its primary mission was to take defensive positions ...
of about 100,000 men but were pulverised into submission by a five-day bombardment by heavy artillery, including thirty-two 21 cm mortars and two German 42 cm
Big Bertha howitzers. Due to faulty planning of the protection of the underground defense tunnels beneath the main citadel, one direct artillery hit caused a huge explosion, which eventually led to the surrender of the Belgian forces. The Belgian resistance was shorter than had been intended, but the twelve days of delay caused by the siege nonetheless contributed to the eventual failure of the German invasion of France. The city was subsequently occupied by the Germans until the end of the war. Liège received the
Légion d'Honneur
The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...
for its resistance in 1914.
As part of Chancellor
Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg
Theobald Theodor Friedrich Alfred von Bethmann Hollweg (29 November 1856 – 1 January 1921) was a German politician who was the chancellor of the German Empire from 1909 to 1917. He oversaw the German entry into World War I. According to biog ...
's
Septemberprogramm
The ''Septemberprogramm'' (, literally "September Program") was a memorandum authorized by Chancellor Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg of the German Empire at the beginning of World War I (1914–18). It was drafted on 9 September 1914 by the Chancel ...
, Berlin planned to annexe Liege under the name Lüttich to the
German Empire
The German Empire (),Herbert Tuttle wrote in September 1881 that the term "Reich" does not literally connote an empire as has been commonly assumed by English-speaking people. The term literally denotes an empire – particularly a hereditary ...
in any post-war peace agreement.
World War II to the present
![Inauguration de la statue de Charlemagne à Liège](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3a/Inauguration_de_la_statue_de_Charlemagne_%C3%A0_Li%C3%A8ge.jpg)
The
Germans returned in 1940, this time taking the forts in only three days. Most
Jews
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
were saved, with the help of the sympathetic population, as many Jewish children and refugees were hidden in the numerous monasteries.
Liege was liberated by the
British Second Army
The British Second Army was a field army active during the First and Second World Wars. During the First World War the army was active on the Western Front throughout most of the war and later active in Italy. During the Second World War the army ...
in September 1944.
After the war ended, the
Royal Question came to the fore, since many saw King
Leopold III as collaborating with the Germans during the war. In July 1950,
André Renard, leader of the
Liégeois FGTB launched the
General strike against Leopold III of Belgium
Leopold III (3 November 1901 – 25 September 1983) was King of the Belgians from 23 February 1934 until his abdication on 16 July 1951. At the outbreak of World War II, Leopold tried to maintain Belgian neutrality, but after the German invasi ...
and "seized control over the city of Liège". The strike ultimately led to Leopold's abdication.
Liège began to suffer from a relative decline of its industry, particularly the coal industry, and later the steel industry, producing high levels of unemployment and stoking social tension. During the
1960-1961 Winter General Strike, disgruntled workers went on a rampage and severely damaged the central railway station Guillemins. The unrest was so intense that "army troops had to wade through
caltrop
A caltrop (also known as caltrap, galtrop, cheval trap, galthrap, galtrap, calthrop, jackrock or crow's foot''Battle of Alesia'' (Caesar's conquest of Gaul in 52 BC), Battlefield Detectives program, (2006), rebroadcast: 2008-09-08 on History Cha ...
s, trees, concrete blocks, car and crane wrecks to advance. Streets were dug up. Liège saw the worst fighting on 6 January 1961. In all, 75 people were injured during seven hours of street battles."
On 6 December 1985, the city's courthouse was heavily damaged and one person was killed in a
bomb attack by a lawyer.
Liège is also known as a traditionally
socialist
Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the e ...
city. In 1991, powerful Socialist
André Cools
André H.P. Cools (1 August 1927 – 18 July 1991) was a Belgian politician and a senior figure within the Walloon Socialist Party (PS) in the Liège region. He was assassinated in 1991 and the subsequent investigation uncovered widespread graft ...
, a former Deputy Prime Minister, was gunned down in front of his girlfriend's apartment. Many suspected that the assassination was related to a corruption scandal which swept the
Socialist Party
Socialist Party is the name of many different political parties around the world. All of these parties claim to uphold some form of socialism, though they may have very different interpretations of what "socialism" means. Statistically, most of t ...
, and the
Belgian Federal Government
The Federal Government of Belgium ( nl, Federale regering, french: Gouvernement fédéral, german: Föderalregierung) exercises executive power in the Kingdom of Belgium. It consists of ministers and secretary of state ("junior", or deputy-min ...
in general, after Cools' death. Two men were sentenced to twenty years in jail in 2004, for involvement in Cools' murder.
Liège has shown some signs of economic recovery in recent years with the opening up of borders within the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...
, surging steel prices, and improved administration. Several new shopping centres have been built, and numerous repairs carried out.
On 13 December 2011, there was a
grenade and gun attack at
Place Saint-Lambert
The Place Saint-Lambert is a square in the centre of Liège, Belgium. Until 1794, it was the site of St. Lambert's Cathedral. Remains of the foundations of the cathedral have been conserved, and are on display at the Archéoforum, under the squ ...
. An attacker, later identified as Nordine Amrani, aged 33, armed with grenades and an assault rifle, attacked people waiting at a bus stop. There were six fatalities, including the attacker (who shot himself), and 123 people were injured.
On 29 May 2018, two female police officers and one civilian—a 22-year-old man—were
shot dead by a gunman near a café on Boulevard d'Avroy in central Liège. The attacker then began firing at the officers in an attempt to escape, injuring a number of them "around their legs", before he was shot dead. Belgian broadcaster
RTBF said the gunman was temporarily released from prison on 28 May where he had been serving time on drug offences. The incident is currently being treated as terrorism.
Climate
In spite of its inland position Liège has a
maritime climate
An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ...
influenced by the mildening sea winds originating from the
Gulf Stream, travelling over Belgium's interior. As a result, Liège has very mild winters for its latitude and inland position, especially compared to areas in the
Russian Far East
The Russian Far East (russian: Дальний Восток России, r=Dal'niy Vostok Rossii, p=ˈdalʲnʲɪj vɐˈstok rɐˈsʲiɪ) is a region in Northeast Asia. It is the easternmost part of Russia and the Asian continent; and is admini ...
and fellow Francophone province
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
. Summers are also moderated by the maritime air, with average temperatures being similar to areas as far north as in
Scandinavia
Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion#Europe, subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, ...
. Being inland though, Liège has a relatively low
seasonal lag
Seasonal lag is the phenomenon whereby the date of maximum average air temperature at a geographical location on a planet is delayed until some time after the date of maximum insolation (i.e. the summer solstice). This also applies to the minim ...
compared to some other maritime climates.
Demographics
On 1 January 2013, the municipality of Liège had a total population of 197,013. The metropolitan area has about 750,000 inhabitants. Its inhabitants are predominantly
French-speaking, with German and Dutch-speaking minorities. Like the rest of Belgium, the population of minorities has grown significantly since the 1990s. The city has become the home to large numbers of Algerian, Moroccan, Turkish, and Vietnamese immigrants. Liège also houses a significant
Afro-Belgian community.
The city is a major educational hub in Belgium. There are 42,000 pupils attending more than 24 schools. The
University of Liège
The University of Liège (french: Université de Liège), or ULiège, is a major public university of the French Community of Belgium based in Liège, Wallonia, Belgium. Its official language is French. As of 2020, ULiège is ranked in the 301 ...
, founded in 1817, has 20,000 students.
Main sights
![Lüttich Montagne](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/L%C3%BCttich_Montagne.jpg)
*
The vast palace of the
Prince-Bishops of Liège is built on the Place St Lambert, where the old
St. Lambert's Cathedral used to stand before the
French Revolution
The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...
. The oldest rooms date from the 16th century. An archeological display, the ''
Archéoforum
The Archéoforum is an archaeological museum on place Saint-Lambert in Liège in Belgium. It is centered on the ruins of Saint Lambert's Cathedral and also includes the remains of a Gallo-Roman
Gallo-Roman culture was a consequence of the ...
'', can be visited under the Place St Lambert.
*The ''
perron'' on the nearby Place du Marché was once the symbol of justice in the Prince-Bishopric and is now the symbol of the city. It stands in front of the 17th century city hall.
*The
seven collegiate churches of Liège
The seven collegiate churches of Liège (french: sept collégiales de Liège) were a group of 10th- and early-11th-century foundations in the city of Liège. Each of these collegiate churches was a privileged corporation within the city, with its o ...
:
** St Paul (raised to cathedral status as
Liège Cathedral
Liège Cathedral, otherwise St. Paul's Cathedral, Liège, in Liège, Belgium, is part of the religious heritage of Liège. Founded in the 10th century, it was rebuilt from the 13th to the 15th century and restored in the mid-19th century. It beca ...
in 1802, after the demolition of
St Lambert's Cathedral), It contains a treasury and Saint Lambert's tomb.
**
St James (raised to collegiate status after the demolition of
St Peter's Collegiate Church in 1811). Built in the
flamboyant
Flamboyant (from ) is a form of late Gothic architecture that developed in Europe in the Late Middle Ages and Renaissance, from around 1375 to the mid-16th century. It is characterized by double curves forming flame-like shapes in the bar-tr ...
gothic style, with an early Renaissance porch. The statues are by Liège sculptor
Jean Del Cour
Jean Delcour, or Del Cour (1627, in Hamoir – 1707), was a Baroque sculptor from Liège, in present-day Belgium.
Biography
At the age of 15 he became a sculpture pupil in Liege of the monk Arnold Henrard. After this training he traveled to Ro ...
. Saint-Jacques contains 29 14th-century
misericord
A misericord (sometimes named mercy seat, like the biblical object) is a small wooden structure formed on the underside of a folding seat in a church which, when the seat is folded up, is intended to act as a shelf to support a person in a par ...
s.
**
St Martin
**
St Denis
**
St John the Evangelist
**
Holy Cross
**
St Bartholomew
Bartholomew (Aramaic: ; grc, Βαρθολομαῖος, translit=Bartholomaîos; la, Bartholomaeus; arm, Բարթողիմէոս; cop, ⲃⲁⲣⲑⲟⲗⲟⲙⲉⲟⲥ; he, בר-תולמי, translit=bar-Tôlmay; ar, بَرثُولَماو ...
*The main museums in Liège are:
**
La Boverie
La Boverie is a museum in the city of Liège
Liège ( , , ; wa, Lîdje ; nl, Luik ; german: Lüttich ) is a major city and municipality of Wallonia and the capital of the Belgian province of Liège.
The city is situated in the valley of ...
(Musée des Beaux-Arts)
**Museum of
Walloon Life
**Museum of Walloon Art & Religious Art (
Mosan art
Mosan art is a regional style of art from the valley of the Meuse in present-day Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany. Although in a broader sense the term applies to art from this region from all periods, it generally refers to Romanesque ar ...
)
**The
Grand Curtius Museum is an elegantly furnished mansion from the 17th century along the river Meuse, housing collections of Egyptology, weaponry, archaeology, fine arts, religious art and Mosan art.
*Other sites of interest include the historical city centre (the ''Carré''), the Hors-Château area, the area, the parks and boulevards along the river Meuse, the
Citadel
A citadel is the core fortified area of a town or city. It may be a castle, fortress, or fortified center. The term is a diminutive of "city", meaning "little city", because it is a smaller part of the city of which it is the defensive core.
I ...
, the 374 steps stairway "
Montagne de Bueren", leading from Hors-Château to the Citadel, 'Médiacité' shopping mall designed by
Ron Arad Architects and the
Liège-Guillemins railway station
Liège-Guillemins railway station (french: Gare de Liège-Guillemins, nl, Station Luik-Guillemins, IATA code: XHN), officially Liège-Guillemins, is the main station in Liège, Belgium. It is one of the most important hubs in the country and i ...
designed by
Santiago Calatrava
Santiago Calatrava Valls (born 28 July 1951) is a Spanish architect, structural engineer, sculptor and painter, particularly known for his bridges supported by single leaning pylons, and his railway stations, stadiums, and museums, whose sculp ...
.
*Liège's pedestrian zone is the biggest
pedestrian zone
Pedestrian zones (also known as auto-free zones and car-free zones, as pedestrian precincts in British English, and as pedestrian malls in the United States and Australia) are areas of a city or town reserved for pedestrian-only use and in whi ...
of the
Walloon Region
Wallonia (; french: Wallonie ), or ; nl, Wallonië ; wa, Waloneye or officially the Walloon Region (french: link=no, Région wallonne),; nl, link=no, Waals gewest; wa, link=no, Redjon walone is one of the three regions of Belgium—alo ...
and the
Meuse-Rhine Euroregion; it is also the oldest in
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
. The pedestrian zone progressively has grown since 1965 to contain the majority of the
hypercentre of Liège. It continues to grow today with the addition of the Rue de la Casquette on 12 December 2014.
Folklore
![Tchantches2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/df/Tchantches2.jpg)
The "Le Quinze Août" celebration takes place annually on 15 August in Outremeuse and celebrates the
Virgin Mary
Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother o ...
. It is one of the biggest folkloric displays in the city, with a religious procession, a flea market, dances, concerts, and a series of popular games. Nowadays these celebrations start a few days earlier and last until the 16th. Some citizens open their doors to party goers, and serve "peket", the traditional local alcohol. This tradition is linked to the important folkloric character ''Tchantchès'' (
Walloon for ''François''), a hard-headed but resourceful
Walloon boy who lived during
Charlemagne
Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first Holy ...
's times. ''Tchantchès'' is remembered with a statue, a museum, and a number of puppets found all over the city.
Liège hosts one of the oldest and biggest
Christmas Market
A Christmas market, also known as ''Christkindlmarkt'' (literally: ''Christ Child Market'', but the term "Christkind" usually refers to an angel-like "spirit of Christmas" rather than literally the Christ Child), ''Christkindlesmarkt'', ''Chris ...
s in Belgium, and the oldest
kermesse, the
Foire de Liège
Liège Fair (in French ''Foire de Liège'' or ''foire d'octobre'', "October Fair"), founded in 1594, is the oldest Belgian '' kermesse'' still celebrated today. It originally started in November but since 1871 has started in October. It is also th ...
held each year from 28 October.
Culture
![La Batte Liège](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/51/La_Batte_Li%C3%A8ge.JPG)
The city is well known for its very crowded folk festivals. The 15 August festival ("Le 15 août") may be the best known. The population gathers in a quarter named ''Outre-Meuse'' with plenty of tiny pedestrian streets and old yards. Many people come to see the procession but also to drink alcohol (mostly
peket {{unreferenced, date=April 2016
Peket, also pékèt or pèket is an eau de vie (fruit brandy) aromatised with juniper berries, similar to Dutch gin. The drink originates from Belgium and its name is derived from the Walloon word for juniper.
Ety ...
) and beer, eat cooked pears,
boûkètes or sausages or simply enjoy the atmosphere until the early hours. The
Saint Nicholas
Saint Nicholas of Myra, ; la, Sanctus Nicolaus (traditionally 15 March 270 – 6 December 343), also known as Nicholas of Bari, was an early Christian bishop of Greeks, Greek descent from the maritime city of Myra in Asia Minor (; modern-da ...
festival around 6 December is organized by and for the students of the University; for a few days before the event, students (wearing very dirty lab-coats) beg for money, mostly for drinking.
Liège is renowned for its nightlife. Within the pedestrian zone behind the Opera House, there is a square city block known locally as ''Le Carré'' (the Square) with many lively pubs which are reputed to remain open until the last customer leaves (typically around 6 am). Another active area is the Place du Marché.
The "Batte" market is where most locals visit on Sundays. The outdoor market goes along the river Meuse and also attracts many visitors to Liège. The market typically runs from early morning to 2 o'clock in the afternoon every Sunday year long. Produce, clothing, and snack vendors are the main concentration of the market.
Liège is home to the Opéra Royal de Wallonie ( en, Royal Opera of Wallonia) and the Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège (OPRL) ( en, Liège Royal Philharmonic Orchestra).
The city annually hosts a significant electro-rock festival ''
Les Ardentes
Les Ardentes is a Belgian multi-day electro- rock music festival which yearly takes place in Liège, in early July. The last edition of the event took place in the district of Rocourt. Les Ardentes is organised ever since 2006, with Fabrice Lamp ...
'' and jazz festival ''Jazz à Liège''.
Liège has active alternative cinemas, Le Churchill, Le Parc and Le Sauvenière. There are also two mainstream cinemas, the
Kinepolis
The Kinepolis Group is a Belgian-French cinema chain with 110 theaters in Europe and North America. It is Europe’s third-largest cinema chain.
History
The Kinepolis Group is a Belgian cinema chain formed in 1997 as a result of the merger of t ...
multiplexes.
Liège also has a particular
Walloon dialect, sometimes said to be one of Belgium's most distinctive. There is a large Italian community, and Italian can be heard in many places.
Sports
![Standard liege kaerjeng02](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a6/Standard_liege_kaerjeng02.jpg)
The city has a number of football teams, most notably
Standard Liège
Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège (; nl, Standard Luik ; german: Standard Lüttich ) or simply Standard in Belgium, is a Belgian professional football club based in the city of Liège.
They are one of the most ...
, who have won several championships and which was previously owned by
Roland Duchâtelet
Roland Duchâtelet (; born 14 November 1946) is a Belgian businessman and politician. He is the owner of football clubs Carl Zeiss Jena and Újpest. He is the founder of the social-liberal political party Vivant in Belgium.
Business
In 1990 ...
, and
R.F.C. de Liège, one of the oldest football clubs in Belgium. It is also known for being the club who refused to release
Jean-Marc Bosman
Jean-Marc Bosman (; born 30 October 1964) is a Belgian former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. His judicial challenge of the football transfer rules led to the Bosman ruling in 1995.
This landmark judgement, which was handed ...
, a case which led to the
Bosman ruling.
In spring, Liège hosts the start and finish of the annual
Liège–Bastogne–Liège
Liège–Bastogne–Liège, also known as ''La Doyenne'' ("The Old Lady"), is a one-day classic cycling race in Belgium.Cycling Weekly, UK, 13 March 1993 First run in 1892, it is the oldest of the five '' Monuments'' of the European professional ...
cycling race
Cycle sport is competitive physical activity using bicycles. There are several categories of bicycle racing including road bicycle racing, cyclo-cross, mountain bike racing, track cycling, BMX, and cycle speedway. Non-racing cycling s ...
, one of the
spring classics
The classic cycle races are the most prestigious one-day professional road cycling races in the international calendar. Some of these events date back to the 19th century. They are normally held at roughly the same time each year. The five most ...
and the oldest of the
five monuments of cycling. The race starts in the centre of Liège, before heading south to
Bastogne
Bastogne (; nl, Bastenaken, ; german: Bastnach/Bastenach; lb, Baaschtnech) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Luxembourg in the Ardennes, Belgium.
The municipality consists of the following districts: Bastogn ...
and returning north to finish in the industrial suburb of
Ans
Ans or ANS or ''variation'', may refer to:
Places
* Ans, Belgium, a municipality in Belgium
* Ans, Denmark, a village in Denmark
* Angus, Scotland, UK; a council area by its Chapman code
* Ainsdale railway station, England, UK (by station code ...
. Traveling through the hilly
Ardennes, it is one of the longest and most arduous races of the season.
Liège is the only city that has hosted stages of all three cycling
Grand Tours
In road bicycle racing, a Grand Tour is one of the three major European professional cycling stage races: Giro d'Italia, Tour de France, and Vuelta a España. Collectively they are termed the ''Grand Tours'', and all three races are similar in ...
. It staged the start of the
1973 and
2006
File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
Giro d'Italia; as well as the ''Grand Départ'' of the
2004,
2012, and
2017 Tour de France
The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage bicycle race primarily held in France, while also occasionally passing through nearby countries. Like the other Grand Tours (the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España), it consists ...
making it the first city outside France to host the ''Grand Départ'' twice or more times.
In
2009, the
Vuelta a España
The Vuelta a España (; en, Tour of Spain) is an annual multi-stage bicycle race primarily held in Spain, while also occasionally making passes through nearby countries. Inspired by the success of the Tour de France and the Giro d'Italia, the ...
visited Liège after four stages in the Netherlands, making Liège the first city that has hosted stages of all three cycling Grand Tours.
Liège is also home to boxer
Ermano Fegatilli
Ermano Fegatilli (born 19 August 1984) is a Netherlands-based Italian Boxing, boxer.
He is the former European Boxing Union Super Featherweight champion.
Personal life
Fegatilli holds a master's degree in Economics with the highest honours from ...
, the current
European Boxing Union Super Featherweight
Super featherweight, also known as junior lightweight, is a boxing weight classes, weight division in professional boxing, contested between and .
The super featherweight division was established by the New York Walker Law in 1920, although firs ...
champion.
Economy
![Liege by night](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a8/Liege_by_night.jpg)
Liège is the most important city of the Walloon region from an economic perspective. In the past, Liège was one of the most important industrial centres in Europe, particularly in
steel
Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant ty ...
-making. Starting in 1817,
John Cockerill extensively developed the iron and steel industry. The industrial complex of
Seraing
Seraing (; wa, Serè) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Liège, Belgium.
The municipality consists of the following districts: Boncelles, Jemeppe-sur-Meuse, Ougrée, and Seraing. With Liège, Herstal, Sai ...
was the largest in the world. It once boasted numerous
blast furnace
A blast furnace is a type of metallurgical furnace used for smelting to produce industrial metals, generally pig iron, but also others such as lead or copper. ''Blast'' refers to the combustion air being "forced" or supplied above atmospheric ...
s and mills. Liège has also been an important centre for
gunsmithing
A gunsmith is a person who repairs, modifies, designs, or builds guns. The occupation differs from an armorer, who usually replaces only worn parts in standard firearms. Gunsmiths do modifications and changes to a firearm that may require a very ...
since the
Middle ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
and the
arms industry
The arms industry, also known as the arms trade, is a global industry classification, industry which manufacturing, manufactures and sells weapons and military technology. It consists of a commerce, commercial Private industry, industry involved ...
is still strong today, with the headquarters of
FN Herstal and
CMI Defence
John Cockerill, formerly Cockerill Maintenance & Ingénierie (CMI), is a mechanical engineering group headquartered in Seraing, Belgium. It produces machinery for steel plants, industrial heat recovery equipment and boilers, as well as shunting l ...
being located in Liège. Although from 1960 on the
secondary sector
In macroeconomics, the secondary sector of the economy is an economic sector in the three-sector theory that describes the role of manufacturing. It encompasses industries that produce a finished, usable product or are involved in constructi ...
is going down and now is a mere shadow of its former self, the manufacture of steel goods remain important.
The economy of the region is now diversified; the most important centres are: Mechanical industries (
Aircraft engine
An aircraft engine, often referred to as an aero engine, is the power component of an aircraft propulsion system. Most aircraft engines are either piston engines or gas turbines, although a few have been rocket powered and in recent years many ...
and
Spacecraft propulsion
Spacecraft propulsion is any method used to accelerate spacecraft and artificial satellites. In-space propulsion exclusively deals with propulsion systems used in the vacuum of space and should not be confused with space launch or atmospheric e ...
), space technology,
information technology
Information technology (IT) is the use of computers to create, process, store, retrieve, and exchange all kinds of data . and information. IT forms part of information and communications technology (ICT). An information technology system (I ...
,
biotechnology
Biotechnology is the integration of natural sciences and engineering sciences in order to achieve the application of organisms, cells, parts thereof and molecular analogues for products and services. The term ''biotechnology'' was first used b ...
and the production of
water
Water (chemical formula ) is an inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms (in which it acts as a ...
,
beer
Beer is one of the oldest and the most widely consumed type of alcoholic drink in the world, and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches, mainly derived from ce ...
or
chocolate
Chocolate is a food made from roasted and ground cacao seed kernels that is available as a liquid, solid, or paste, either on its own or as a flavoring agent in other foods. Cacao has been consumed in some form since at least the Olmec civ ...
. Liège has an important group of headquarters dedicated to high-technology, such as
Techspace Aero, which manufactures pieces for the
Airbus A380
The Airbus A380 is a large wide-body airliner that was developed and produced by Airbus. It is the world's largest passenger airliner and only full-length double-deck jet airliner.
Airbus studies started in 1988, and the project was annou ...
or the rocket
Ariane 5
Ariane 5 is a European heavy-lift space launch vehicle developed and operated by Arianespace for the European Space Agency (ESA). It is launched from the Centre Spatial Guyanais (CSG) in French Guiana. It has been used to deliver payloads int ...
. Other stand-out sectors include
Amós which manufactures optical components for
telescope
A telescope is a device used to observe distant objects by their emission, absorption, or reflection of electromagnetic radiation. Originally meaning only an optical instrument using lenses, curved mirrors, or a combination of both to observ ...
s and Drytec, which produces compressed air dryers. Liège also has many other electronic companies such as SAP AG, SAP, EVS Broadcast Equipment, EVS, Gillam (company), Gillam, AnB, Balteau, IP Trade. Other prominent businesses are the global leader in light armament
FN Herstal, the
beer
Beer is one of the oldest and the most widely consumed type of alcoholic drink in the world, and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches, mainly derived from ce ...
company Jupiler, the chocolate company Galler, and the water and soda companies Spa (mineral water), Spa and Chaudfontaine. A science park south east of the city, near the University of Liège campus, houses Research spin-off, spin-offs and high technology businesses.
1812 mine accident
In 1812 there were three coal pits (''Bure'') in close proximity just outside the city gates: Bure Triquenotte, Bure de Beaujone and Bure Mamonster. The first two shafts were joined underground, but the last one was a separate colliery. The shafts were deep. Water was led to a sump (''serrement'') from which it could be pumped to the surface. At 11:00 on 28 February 1812 the sump in the Beaujone mine failed and flooded the entire colliery. Of the 127 men down the mine at the time 35 escaped by the main shaft, but 74 were trapped. [These numbers are taken from the report, the 18 miner discrepancy is unexplained.] The trapped men attempted to dig a passageway into Mamonster. After there was a firedamp explosion and they realised that they had penetrated some old workings belonging to an abandoned mine, Martin Wery. The overseer, Monsieur Goffin, led the men to the point in Martin Wery which he judged closest to Mamonster and they commence to dig. By the second day they had run out of candles and dug the remainder of a gallery in darkness.
On the surface the only possible rescue was held to be via Mamonster. A heading was driven towards Beaujone with all possible speed, including blasting. The trapped miners heard the rescuers and vice versa. Five days after the accident communication was possible and the rescuers worked in darkness to avoid the risk of a firedamp explosion. By 7pm that evening an opening was made, of tunnel had been dug by hand in five days. All of the 74 miners in Goffin's part survived and were brought to the surface.
Transport
Air
Liège is served by Liège Airport, located in Bierset, a few kilometres west of the city. It is the principal axis for the delivery of freight and in 2011 was the world's 33rd busiest cargo airport. Passenger services are very few.
Maritime
The Port of Liège, located on the river
Meuse
The Meuse ( , , , ; wa, Moûze ) or Maas ( , ; li, Maos or ) is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea from the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta. It has a t ...
, is the 3rd largest river port in Europe. Liège also has direct links to
Antwerp
Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504, through the Albert Canal and to Rotterdam via the river Meuse.
Rail
Liège is served by many direct rail links with the rest of Western Europe. Its three principal stations are
Liège-Guillemins railway station
Liège-Guillemins railway station (french: Gare de Liège-Guillemins, nl, Station Luik-Guillemins, IATA code: XHN), officially Liège-Guillemins, is the main station in Liège, Belgium. It is one of the most important hubs in the country and i ...
, Liège-Carré, and Liège-Saint-Lambert. The InterCity Express and Thalys call at Liège-Guillemins, providing direct connections to
Cologne
Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western States of Germany, state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 m ...
and Frankfurt and Paris-Nord respectively.
Liège was once home to a network of Trams in Liège, trams. However, they were removed by 1967 in favour of the construction of a new metro system. A prototype of the metro was built and a tunnel was dug underneath the city, but the metro was never built. The construction of a new modern tramway has been ordered and was once scheduled to open by 2017; however the first rails were only laid in April 2021.
Road
Liège sits at the crossroads of a number of highways including the European route E25, the European route E42, European Route E42, the European route E40, European Route E40 and the European route E313, European Route E313.
Notable people
![Charlemagne-liege-2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/83/Charlemagne-liege-2.jpg)
* Alger of Liège (11th century), learned priest
* Nicolas Ancion (born 1971), writer
* Jacques Arcadelt (16th century), composer
* Nacer Chadli (born 1989), football player
*
Charlemagne
Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first Holy ...
(birth in Liège uncertain, 8th century), King of the Franks, then crowned emperor
* Johannes Ciconia (14th century), composer, Master of the Ars Nova
* Steve Darcis, (born 1984), tennis player
* Jean d'Outremeuse (14th century), writer and historian
* Benoît Debie (born 1968), cinematographer
* Theodor de Bry (1528–1598), engraver
* Louis De Geer (1587–1652), Louis De Geer (1587–1652), introducer of Walloon blast furnaces in Sweden
* Gérard de Lairesse (1640–1711), painter
* Jean-Maurice Dehousse (born 1936), politician, Walloon movement activists, first List of Ministers-President of the Walloon Region, Minister-President of the Walloon Region
* Serge Delaive (born 1965), writer
* Marie Delcourt (1891–1979), professor at the University, expert of the ancient Greek religion, Walloon movement activist
* Louis Dewis (1872–1946), pseudonym for the Post-Impressionist painter born Louis Dewachter, leading retailer who managed the first chain stores, chain department stores
* Emile Digneffe (1858–1937), lawyer and politician
* José Dupuis (1833–1900), creator of many roles in Offenbach's opéras-bouffes
*
Ermano Fegatilli
Ermano Fegatilli (born 19 August 1984) is a Netherlands-based Italian Boxing, boxer.
He is the former European Boxing Union Super Featherweight champion.
Personal life
Fegatilli holds a master's degree in Economics with the highest honours from ...
(born 1984), boxer
* César Franck (1822–1890), composer
* Hubert Joseph Walther Frère-Orban (1812–1896), statesman
* Marie Gillain (born 1975), international actress
* David Goffin, (born 1990), tennis player
* Anton Gosswin (16th century), composer
* Zénobe Gramme (1826–1901), inventor
* André Ernest Modeste Grétry (1741–1813), composer
* Groupe µ, team of scientists
* Gary Hartstein, M.D. (born 1955), Formula 1 delegate
* Richard Heintz (1871–1929), Post-Impressionist painter
* Justine Henin (born 1982), top ranked female tennis player
* Axel Hervelle (born 1983), basketball player
* Georges Ista (1874–1939), writer
* Joseph Jongen (1873–1953), organist, composer, and educator
* Sandra Kim (born 1972), winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 1986 for Belgium
* Caroline Lamarche (born 1955), French-speaking writer
* Philippe Léonard (born 1974), football player
* Linus of Liège (1595–1675), Counter-reformation critic of Isaac Newton
* Lambert Lombard (1505–1566), painter
* Charles Magnette (1863–1937), lawyer and politician
* Georges Malempré (1944), retired UNESCO official
* Georges Nagelmackers (1845–1905), founder of the Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits
* Hubert Naich (16th century), composer
* Jacques Ochs (1883–1971), artist and Olympic fencing champion
* Pippin the Younger (in french: Pépin le Bref; born in Jupille, 8th century), King of the Franks
* Henri Pousseur (1929–2009), composer
* Armand Rassenfosse (1862–1934), painter, graphic artist
* Jean Rey (politician), Jean Rey (1902–1983), Old Minister, Walloon movement activist List of Presidents of the European Commission, second President of the European Commission
* Philippe-Charles Schmerling, prehistorian, founder of paleontology
* Gustave Serrurier-Bovy (1858–1910), architect and furniture designer
* Georges Simenon (1903–1989), novelist
* Stanislas-André Steeman (1908–1970), writer
* Haroun Tazieff (1914–1998), volcanologist and geologist
* William of St-Thierry (11th century), theologian and mystic
* Violetta Villas (1938–2011), Polish singer and actress
* Axel Witsel (born 1989), football player
* Eugène Ysaÿe (1858–1931), composer and violinist
International relations
Twin towns - Sister cities - Partner cities
Liège is Twin towns and sister cities, twinned with (including partner cities):
Sister Cities
* Nancy, France, Nancy, France (1954)
*
Cologne
Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western States of Germany, state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 m ...
, Germany (1958)
* Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg (1958)
* Lille, France (1958)
* Rotterdam, Netherlands (1958)
* Turin, Italy (1958)
* Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo (1961)
* Plzeň, Czech Republic (1965)
* Porto, Portugal (1977)
* Kraków, Poland (1978)
* Saint-Louis, Senegal, Saint-Louis, Senegal (1980)
* Szeged, Hungary (2001)
Volgograd, Russia (1959) Suspended due to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
Partner cities
*
Aachen
Aachen ( ; ; Aachen dialect: ''Oche'' ; French and traditional English: Aix-la-Chapelle; or ''Aquisgranum''; nl, Aken ; Polish: Akwizgran) is, with around 249,000 inhabitants, the 13th-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia, and the 28th- ...
, Germany
* Abidjan, Ivory Coast
* Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Baton Rouge, United States
* Bilbao, Spain
* Elbasan, Albania
* Hasselt, Belgium
* Heerlen, Netherlands
*
Maastricht
Maastricht ( , , ; li, Mestreech ; french: Maestricht ; es, Mastrique ) is a city and a municipality in the southeastern Netherlands. It is the capital and largest city of the province of Limburg. Maastricht is located on both sides of the ...
, Netherlands
* Port-au-Prince, Haiti
* Quebec City, Canada
* Samarkand, Uzbekistan
* Taiyuan, China
* Tangier, Morocco
See also
*
University of Liège
The University of Liège (french: Université de Liège), or ULiège, is a major public university of the French Community of Belgium based in Liège, Wallonia, Belgium. Its official language is French. As of 2020, ULiège is ranked in the 301 ...
*Liège Science Park
*Prince-Bishopric of Liège, Bishop of Liège
*
Liège–Bastogne–Liège
Liège–Bastogne–Liège, also known as ''La Doyenne'' ("The Old Lady"), is a one-day classic cycling race in Belgium.Cycling Weekly, UK, 13 March 1993 First run in 1892, it is the oldest of the five '' Monuments'' of the European professional ...
*Ratherius
*Liège Island, Antarctica, named after the city
Citations
Bibliography
External links
Official website of the city of LiègeLiège congres
Leodium: the touristic and cultural networkCoat of arms of Liège
{{DEFAULTSORT:Liege
Liège,
Sub-municipalities of Liège
Cities in Wallonia
Municipalities of Liège Province
Provincial capitals of Wallonia
Capitals of former nations