The Place du Luxembourg (
French) or Luxemburgplein (
Dutch
Dutch commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
* Dutch people ()
* Dutch language ()
Dutch may also refer to:
Places
* Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States
* Pennsylvania Dutch Country
People E ...
), meaning "Luxembourg Square", is a
square
In Euclidean geometry, a square is a regular quadrilateral, which means that it has four equal sides and four equal angles (90-degree angles, π/2 radian angles, or right angles). It can also be defined as a rectangle with two equal-length adj ...
in the
European Quarter of
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 ...
, Belgium.
It is better known by local European
bureaucrat
A bureaucrat is a member of a bureaucracy and can compose the administration of any organization of any size, although the term usually connotes someone within an institution of government.
The term ''bureaucrat'' derives from "bureaucracy", ...
s and journalists by one of its
nickname
A nickname is a substitute for the proper name of a familiar person, place or thing. Commonly used to express affection, a form of endearment, and sometimes amusement, it can also be used to express defamation of character. As a concept, it is ...
s, ''Place Lux'' or ''Plux''.
The square is mostly located in the
City of Brussels
The City of Brussels (french: Ville de Bruxelles or alternatively ''Bruxelles-Ville'' ; nl, Stad Brussel or ''Brussel-Stad'') is the largest municipality and historical City centre, centre of the Brussels, Brussels-Capital Region, as well a ...
with a small part in the municipality of
Ixelles
( French, ) or (Dutch, ), is one of the 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium. Located to the south-east of Brussels' city centre, it is geographically bisected by the City of Brussels. It is also bordered by the muni ...
, between the / and the /. In its centre stands statue of
John Cockerill. It is also flanked by the
European Parliament
The European Parliament (EP) is one of the legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it adopts ...
, as well as some of the main
European Institutions
European integration is the process of industrial, economic integration, economic, political, legal, social integration, social, and cultural Regional integration, integration of states wholly or partially in Europe or nearby. European integrat ...
in the city. It is served by
Brussels-Luxembourg railway station
Brussels-Luxembourg railway station (french: Gare de Bruxelles-Luxembourg, nl, Station Brussel-Luxemburg), officially Brussels-Luxembourg (french: Bruxelles-Luxembourg, link=no, nl, Brussel-Luxemburg, link=no), is a railway station in the Eu ...
.
History
Early history
The / was a central feature of the
Leopold Quarter
The Leopold Quarter (french: Quartier Léopold, Dutch: ) is a quarter of Brussels, Belgium. Today, the term is sometimes confused with the European Quarter, as the area has come to be dominated by the institutions of the European Union (EU) an ...
, a neighbourhood developed in the first few decades after the
Belgian Revolution
The Belgian Revolution (, ) was the conflict which led to the secession of the southern provinces (mainly the former Southern Netherlands) from the United Kingdom of the Netherlands and the establishment of an independent Kingdom of Belgium.
T ...
, and the most prestigious residential area in the capital for the bulk of the 19th century. The district had been designed in 1838 by the architect
Tilman-Francois Suys, but the original design did not include provisions for a train station.
When the new
Leopold Quarter railway station was built in 1854–55, the architect was commissioned to draw up plans for a large public square leading to the station. The / was then in an embryonic state, and the square was created as its end point. The square was designed in a
neoclassical style and to be as symmetrical as possible. Construction was carried out primarily between 1855 and 1861. The square was popular among merchants, as well as restaurant and café owners, due to its proximity to the station. One house on the corner of the / was, at one time, the home of
Auguste Beernaert
Auguste Marie François Beernaert (26 July 1829 – 6 October 1912) was the prime minister of Belgium from October 1884 to March 1894, and the 1909 Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
Life
Born in Ostend in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands 1829, h ...
,
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
from 1884 to 1894.
During the 19th century, the station was divided into sections to differentiate the three different classes of travel. The station was extended in 1899 and 1921 with single storey pavilions, which were then amalgamated in 1934, when the facade was standardised.
1980s to present
The station was the central feature of the square for much of its existence. However, with the construction of the
Espace Léopold
The Espace Léopold (French; commonly used in English) or Leopoldruimte (Dutch; ) is the complex of parliament buildings in Brussels, Belgium, housing the European Parliament, a legislative chamber of the European Union (EU). It consists of a ...
(which now houses the
European Parliament
The European Parliament (EP) is one of the legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it adopts ...
) starting in 1989, the character of the square changed significantly. Designs changed frequently, amidst much legal and political wrangling, but ultimately the tracks of the previously open air station were covered over by the flagstone mall that is now seen outside the parliament. The bulk of the station building itself was torn down in 2004, and rebuilt underground, leaving only the central entrance which now serves as an information office. By 2008, the European Parliament complex was complete.
Residents' associations and cultural heritage promoters have been critical of many aspects of the construction of the Parliament and redesign of the train station. Some believe that the scale of the complex is simply too large for the area, and that efforts have not been adequate to integrate it with its largely neoclassical surroundings. While many have praised the originality and professionalism of the design of the buildings, the design has also faced criticism for being too large, cold, and remote.
In recent years, the Place du Luxembourg has become a hotspot for after-work nightlife activity in the
European Quarter, primarily on Thursday and Friday nights. The square is colloquially known as ''Place Lux'' or ''Plux'' by local European bureaucrats and journalists. The trash left on the square by the Thursday night revellers has become an irritant for local residents, and Brussels politicians have threatened to shut down the party.
Layout
The Place du Luxembourg largely consists of restaurants and bars which dominate the wide pavements, with some banks and other retail services, serving the
civil servant
The civil service is a collective term for a sector of government composed mainly of career civil servants hired on professional merit rather than appointed or elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political leaders ...
s and
member
Member may refer to:
* Military jury, referred to as "Members" in military jargon
* Element (mathematics), an object that belongs to a mathematical set
* In object-oriented programming, a member of a class
** Field (computer science), entries in ...
s of the neighbouring
European Parliament
The European Parliament (EP) is one of the legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it adopts ...
, as well as the other
European Institutions
European integration is the process of industrial, economic integration, economic, political, legal, social integration, social, and cultural Regional integration, integration of states wholly or partially in Europe or nearby. European integrat ...
and associated organisations which are mostly located close by.
In the centre of the square is a statue of
John Cockerill, a prominent British-Belgian 19th-century
industrialist
A business magnate, also known as a tycoon, is a person who has achieved immense wealth through the ownership of multiple lines of enterprise. The term characteristically refers to a powerful entrepreneur or investor who controls, through perso ...
, which is a copy of the statue outside
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, Saint ...
's Town Hall in
Liège Province
Liège (; wa, Lîdje ; nl, Luik ; german: Lüttich ) is the easternmost province of the Wallonia region of Belgium.
Liège Province is the only Belgian province that has borders with three countries. It borders (clockwise from the north) the Du ...
(
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 ...
). The figure of Cockerill is leaning against an
anvil
An anvil is a metalworking tool consisting of a large block of metal (usually forged or cast steel), with a flattened top surface, upon which another object is struck (or "worked").
Anvils are as massive as practical, because the higher th ...
and surrounded by an industrial figures from period: a glassmaker, a mechanic, a
puddler and a miner. Cockerill's
motto
A motto (derived from the Latin , 'mutter', by way of Italian , 'word' or 'sentence') is a sentence or phrase expressing a belief or purpose, or the general motivation or intention of an individual, family, social group, or organisation. Mot ...
, ''Work and Intelligence'', are engraved upon the statue.
Directly behind the statue on the eastern side of the square is the square's principle structure. The former entrance to Leopold Quarter railway station (now the subterranean
Brussels-Luxembourg railway station
Brussels-Luxembourg railway station (french: Gare de Bruxelles-Luxembourg, nl, Station Brussel-Luxemburg), officially Brussels-Luxembourg (french: Bruxelles-Luxembourg, link=no, nl, Brussel-Luxemburg, link=no), is a railway station in the Eu ...
with its entrance moved east) is a listed building and was taken over by the European Parliament and Belgian authorities as a joint information office and museum.
It now houses the "infopoint" of the Parliament.
The building forms part of Parliament's
Espace Léopold
The Espace Léopold (French; commonly used in English) or Leopoldruimte (Dutch; ) is the complex of parliament buildings in Brussels, Belgium, housing the European Parliament, a legislative chamber of the European Union (EU). It consists of a ...
(the complex of Parliamentary buildings in Brussels) along with two new buildings either side which border the square. The whole complex of Parliamentary buildings dominate the eastern view of the square, with the dome of Parliament's Paul-Henri Spaak building mirroring the clock at the top of the station facade, creating a popular shot of Parliament from the square. Openings each side of the old station building lead directly to the
Esplanade of the European Parliament
The Esplanade of the European Parliament, or simply the mall, with its most representative part Solidarność 1980 Esplanade, (french: L'esplanade du Parlement européen, or , nl, Esplanade van het Europees Parlement , the pedestrian mall running the length of the Parliament.
;Map of the square
Future
In plans to rebuild parts of the European Quarter, the Place du Luxembourg would become one of three main pedestrian squares, each focusing on a different theme. Due to its proximity to the
European Parliament
The European Parliament (EP) is one of the legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it adopts ...
, the Place du Luxembourg would focus on citizens.
Also planned is the potential clearing of space between the / and the / for a new square,
possibly as a long extension of the Place du Luxembourg creating a vast boulevard-like public space. The Brussels transportation authority,
STIB/MIVB
The Brussels Intercommunal Transport Company (french: Société des Transports Intercommunaux de Bruxelles or ; nl, Maatschappij voor het Intercommunaal Vervoer te Brussel or ) is the local public transport operator in Brussels, Belgium. It is u ...
, has provisional plans to build a
metro
Metro, short for metropolitan, may refer to:
Geography
* Metro (city), a city in Indonesia
* A metropolitan area, the populated region including and surrounding an urban center
Public transport
* Rapid transit, a passenger railway in an urba ...
extension with a stop on the square at
Brussels-Luxembourg railway station
Brussels-Luxembourg railway station (french: Gare de Bruxelles-Luxembourg, nl, Station Brussel-Luxemburg), officially Brussels-Luxembourg (french: Bruxelles-Luxembourg, link=no, nl, Brussel-Luxemburg, link=no), is a railway station in the Eu ...
.
In 2011, plans were announced in partnership between the municipality of Ixelles and the Parliament to try to reduce the "mess" left by revellers on busy nights, which the local authority deemed to be "totally unacceptable."
See also
*
Neoclassical architecture in Belgium
Neoclassical architecture ( nl, Neoclassicistische architectuur, french: Architecture néo-classique) appeared in Belgium during the period of Austrian occupation in the mid-18th century and enjoyed considerable longevity in the country, survivi ...
*
History of 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 ...
*
Belgium in "the long nineteenth century"
In the history of Belgium, the period from 1789 to 1914, dubbed the " long 19th century" by the historian Eric Hobsbawm, includes the end of Austrian rule and periods of French and Dutch occupation of the region, leading to the creation of the ...
References
Notes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Place Du Luxembourg
Squares in Brussels
City of Brussels
European quarter of Brussels