La Hulpe
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La Hulpe (; nl, Terhulpen, ; wa, L’ Elpe) is a
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 ...
in 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
Walloon Brabant Walloon Brabant (french: Brabant wallon ; nl, Waals-Brabant ; wa, Roman Payis) is a province located in Belgium's French-speaking region of Wallonia. It borders on (clockwise from the North) the province of Flemish Brabant (Flemish Region) and ...
, 20 km south-east of the centre 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 ...
, but only about 3 km from the edge of the
Brussels-Capital Region 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 ...
. On January 1, 2007, La Hulpe had a total population of 7,309. The total area is 15.60 km², including 3 km² of the
Sonian Forest The Sonian Forest or Sonian Wood ( nl, Zoniënwoud, french: Forêt de Soignes, ) is a forest at the southeast edge of Brussels, Belgium. The Sonian Forest was a favorite hunting ground of the Habsburg Imperial family, and as such features promi ...
; this gives a
population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
of 463 inhabitants per km². La Hulpe still keeps two hamlets, Gaillemarde in the west and Malaise-Bakenbos in the east. The limits of the latter hamlet and of other parts of La Hulpe were modified when the linguistic border (between French and Dutch) was fixed in 1963. The
Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication Swift or SWIFT most commonly refers to: * SWIFT, an international organization facilitating transactions between banks ** SWIFT code * Swift (programming language) * Swift (bird), a family of birds It may also refer to: Organizations * SWIFT, ...
's (SWIFT) headquarters are located in La Hulpe.


History

The name of La Hulpe comes from the Celtic word ''helpe'', "the silver river". The brooks that water La Hulpe form a string of ponds that is called today L'Argentine. The site was already settled 10,000 years BC, as proved by an axe made of smooth flintstone found in Gaillemarde. The village was founded by the Duke of Brabant by clearing a hill separating the valleys of Argentine and Mazerine. La Hulpe was granted municipal rights by a charter signed by Henri I on 3 June 1320. It became a ''mairie'', where lower and higher justice was exercised, and kept its status until 1792. The pillory standing near the church was demolished under the French rule; it was partially restored and can be seen in the town hall. From 1795 to 1814, La Hulpe was the seat of a court with jurisdiction over some ten neighbouring municipalities, in an area spreading from Overijse to Waterloo. After the independence of Belgium, La Hulpe lost its administrative and political functions and was incorporated into the canton of Wavre. The church of La Hulpe was mentioned in a document dated 1226. It is shown on the oldest representation of La Hulpe, a
Brussels tapestry Brussels tapestry workshops produced tapestry from at least the 15th century, but the city's early production in the Late Gothic International style was eclipsed by the more prominent tapestry-weaving workshops based in Arras and Tournai. In 1 ...
from the ''Hunts of Maximilian'' suite kept in the Louvre Museum, showing a hunting scene emblematic of a month in Charles V's time. The church, except the tower and the central nave, were dramatically transformed, for the last time in 1906. The King Baudouin's Memorial was built behind the church, close to the oak commemorating the centenary of Belgium. For three centuries, the economy of La Hulpe has been driven by paper-making industry, favoured by the closeness to Brussels and the availability of pure water. The first paper mill was set up on the Grand Etang (Big Pond). In 1664, King of Spain Philip II allowed the foundation of the "Imperial and Royal Paper Manufacture" in La Hulpe. Paper-making industry was suppressed in 1970. The castle of La Hulpe, built in French style in 1842, was purchased by Count Ernest Solvay in 1893 and transferred to the Belgian state by his grandson, Ernest-John Solvay, in 1968. It is surrounded by a 227-ha domain with pastures, woods and ponds, known as Domaine Solvay. The castle and the domain are today managed by the Walloon Region and the Domaine Solvay association. The domain was protected for its aesthetic value by Royal Decree on 10 June 1963, then registered on the Walloon main heritage list in 1993, and eventually listed as a Natura 2000 site. In 1988, the movie Le Maître de musique (The Music Teacher) by Gérard Corbiau, starring José Van Dam, was made in the castle and park of La Hulpe. The farm of the castle, built in 1833, is the seat of the Folon Foundation, inaugurated on 27 October 2000.
Jean-Michel Folon Jean-Michel Folon (1 March 1934 – 20 October 2005) was a Belgian artist, illustrator, painter, and sculptor. Early life Folon was born on 1 March 1934 in Uccle, Brussels, Belgium in 1934. He studied architecture at the Institut Saint-Luc. C ...
(1934–2005) is mostly known as one of the most popular illustrators and poster designers of the second half of the 20th century. In the 1990s, Folon decided to create a foundation in the Solvay Domain, a place where he used to play when he was a young boy. He transferred to the foundation more than 300 of his works and organized their scenographic presentation in 15 rooms of the former farm. The foundation welcomed 80,000 visitors during its first year of existence.


Royal La Hulpe Sporting Club

La Hulpe is home to Royal La Hulpe Sporting Club.


Famous inhabitants

Dr. Patrick Hunout, the founder of The Social Capital Foundation, has long lived in La Hulpe. The first Belgian aviator, Baron
Pierre de Caters Baron Pierre de Caters (25 December 1875, in Berchem – 21 March 1944, in Paris) was a Belgian adventurer, aviator and car and motorboat racer. In 1908, he was the first Belgian to fly an aircraft. He was also the first Belgian to receive a ...
(1875–1944), lived in the estate known today as Domaine de Nysdam. Michael Klawans, basketball three-point sharpshooter. Nicknamed White Chocolate.


Image gallery

La Hulpe aerial photo A.jpg, Aerial view of La Hulpe Image:0 Château Solvay - La Hulpe.JPG, Château
Solvay Solvay may refer to: Companies and organizations * Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management, Brussels, Belgium * Solvay Conference, founded by Ernest Solvay, deals with open questions in physics and chemistry * Solvay Indupa, an Argen ...
(1842) File:La Hulpe - Argentine 101018 (1).JPG, L'Argentine river


References


External links

* {{Authority control Municipalities of Walloon Brabant