Halle, Belgium
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Halle (; , ) is a Belgian
city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...
and
municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...
in the Halle-Vilvoorde district (''arrondissement'') of the
province A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...
of Flemish Brabant. It is located on the Brussels–Charleroi Canal and on the Flemish side of the language border that separates
Flanders Flanders ( or ; ) is the Dutch language, Dutch-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, la ...
and
Wallonia Wallonia ( ; ; or ), officially the Walloon Region ( ; ), is one of the three communities, regions and language areas of Belgium, regions of Belgium—along with Flemish Region, Flanders and Brussels. Covering the southern portion of the c ...
. Halle lies on the border between the Flemish plains to the North (thick loam) and the undulating Brabant lands to the South (thinner loam). The city also borders on the Pajottenland to the west. It is about southwest of Brussels. The official language of Halle is Dutch, as in the rest of
Flanders Flanders ( or ; ) is the Dutch language, Dutch-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, la ...
. The municipality comprises the city of Halle proper and the towns of Buizingen and Lembeek. The neighboring towns are: Pepingen, Sint-Pieters-Leeuw, Beersel, Braine-l'Alleud, Braine-le-Château, and Tubize. The population of Halle has increased from 32,758 inhabitants in 1991 to 39,536 on 1 January 2019. The
mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...
is Eva Demesmaeker of the N-VA party.


History


Antiquity and Middle Ages

Borders have always played an important role in the history of Halle. Already in the prehistoric era, before the Roman conquests, a tribe of Nervii – either a Germanized
Celt The Celts ( , see Names of the Celts#Pronunciation, pronunciation for different usages) or Celtic peoples ( ) were a collection of Indo-European languages, Indo-European peoples. "The Celts, an ancient Indo-European people, reached the apoge ...
ic people or a Celticized
Germanic people The Germanic peoples were tribal groups who lived in Northern Europe in Classical antiquity and the Early Middle Ages. In modern scholarship, they typically include not only the Roman-era ''Germani'' who lived in both ''Germania'' and parts of ...
– lived in this region. In the 7th century, Saint Waltrude, the daughter of an important
Merovingian The Merovingian dynasty () was the ruling family of the Franks from around the middle of the 5th century until Pepin the Short in 751. They first appear as "Kings of the Franks" in the Roman army of northern Gaul. By 509 they had united all the ...
figure, gave some of her inherited land around Halle to the chapter of the abbey which she had just founded in Mons. From that time on and until the French Revolution, the region around Halle would depend to various degrees on the
County of Hainaut The County of Hainaut ( ; ; ; ), sometimes spelled Hainault, was a territorial lordship within the medieval Holy Roman Empire that straddled the present-day border of Belgium and France. Its most important towns included Mons, Belgium, Mons (), n ...
. In the 8th century, Hubertus, archbishop of Tongeren, founded a church dedicated to the
Blessed Virgin Mary Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...
. This may have been the start of the regional devotion that continues today. The town must have grown quickly since Jeanne, Countess of Flanders and Hainaut granted its freedom charters in 1225. The miraculous statue of the Virgin was sent to Halle in 1267 as a wedding gift to John II, Count of Holland and of Hainaut. The cult of Mary attracted important visitors, such as
Edward I of England Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots (Latin: Malleus Scotorum), was King of England from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he was Lord of Ireland, and from 1254 ...
and Ludwig the Bavarian, making Halle an important frontier town between Hainaut and Brabant. A larger church, dedicated to Mary, was completed in the 15th century. The death of Philipe Bold, Duke of Burgundy in Halle in 1404 benefitted the city. All subsequent ruling Dukes of Burgundy paid visits here to honor the duke's grave. In 1460
Louis XI of France Louis XI (3 July 1423 – 30 August 1483), called "Louis the 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 revolt known as the ...
decided to bury his stillborn son in the Halle church.


Renaissance and modern era

After the death of Mary of Burgundy,
Flanders Flanders ( or ; ) is the Dutch language, Dutch-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, la ...
and Brabant revolted against her husband Maximilian. Hainaut, and therefore Halle, remained loyal to the Holy Roman emperor. Two attempts by a
Brussels Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...
army to conquer Halle in 1489 failed. In the 16th century, Brussels and Halle were fighting again, this time over religion. Following the Protestant Reformation, the predominately Calvinistic Brabant tried to take over Catholic Hainaut. Again, two attempts failed, leading to an increased devotion among residents to the city's miraculous statue. In 1621, with the support of archdukes Albert and Isabella, the
Jesuits The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
were invited to establish educational institutions in the city, expanding their religious influence.
Philip IV of Spain Philip IV (, ; 8 April 160517 September 1665), also called the Planet King (Spanish: ''Rey Planeta''), was King of Spain from 1621 to his death and (as Philip III) King of Portugal from 1621 to 1640. Philip is remembered for his patronage of the ...
used his stake in Halle and the surrounding area as a warrant against a loan; in 1648 he was forced to cede the city to the Duke of Arenberg.
Louis XIV LouisXIV (Louis-Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His verified reign of 72 years and 110 days is the List of longest-reign ...
's wars at the end of the century resulted in serious losses. In the 18th century there was a resurgence in devotional and economic prosperity. The French Revolution at the end of the century suppressed much religious practice. But the pilgrimage site and the statue were spared confiscation thanks to the initiative of the inhabitants. When
Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...
gained power, his government restored religious services. The tradition of
Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...
princely visits to the church of Halle continues until this day. Today, Halle is a regional services and care center, offering trade, educational establishments, general hospital, and public services (61% of the active population works in the services sector). A train collision in February 2010 in Buizingen killed around 18 people.


Flag and arms

The flag of Halle was adopted on 1 October 1991; it is quartered as saltire (argent and azure). Its proportions are 2:3. If you cut the flag in two vertically and flip both sides, you get a blue lozenge, hinting at
Bavaria Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...
. On the municipal coat of arms, the first quarter shows an argent-coloured Virgin with Child on an azure background. The fourth quarter is the coat of arms of the Wittelsbach family. The second and third quarters are the coat of arms of Hainaut, accentuating Halle's position on the language border.


Notable buildings

* The ''Sint-Martinusbasiliek'' (Basilica of Saint Martin), also known as the ''Gothic Church of Our Lady'', is a
basilica In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica (Greek Basiliké) was a large public building with multiple functions that was typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek Eas ...
in
High Gothic High Gothic was a period of Gothic architecture in the 13th century, from about 1200 to 1280, which saw the construction of a series of refined and richly decorated cathedrals of exceptional height and size. It appeared most prominently in France ...
style that has been a popular pilgrimage site since the 14th–15th century. The church contains a celebrated miraculous image of the Holy Virgin, that of a
Black Madonna The term ''Black Madonna'' or ''Black Virgin'' tends to refer to statues or paintings in Western Christendom of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Infant Jesus, where both figures are depicted with dark skin. The Jungian scholar, San Begg publ ...
. * The former city hall on the main market square (''Grote Markt'') dates from the
Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...
City Hall. * The former college of the
Jesuit The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
s houses a music and dance academy. For a period it had housed the museum described below. * The
South-West Brabant Museum The South-West Brabant Museum (Dutch: ''Zuidwestbrabants Museum'') is a local museum in Halle, Belgium, Halle, Flemish Brabant, Belgium. From 1981, the museum was housed in a former college of Society of Jesus, Jesuits from the 17th century. After ...
moved to Den AST in Halle in 2014. Among its holdings are items related to the life and work of Adrien-François Servais and his son-in-law, Polish sculptor Cyprian Godebski. He created the monument to Servais that stands before the town hall.


Events

* Annually at the beginning of
Lent Lent (, 'Fortieth') is the solemn Christianity, Christian religious moveable feast#Lent, observance in the liturgical year in preparation for Easter. It echoes the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert and enduring Temptation of Christ, t ...
,
Carnival Carnival (known as Shrovetide in certain localities) is a festive season that occurs at the close of the Christian pre-Lenten period, consisting of Quinquagesima or Shrove Sunday, Shrove Monday, and Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras. Carnival typi ...
is celebrated for three days. This is a colourful event, where various groups make floats and costumes or perform dances. The Halle carnival has been organized since 1905 and has grown to be one of the biggest carnivals in Belgium. * On Easter Monday, the ''Sint-Veroonprocessie'' takes place. This is a religious
procession A procession is an organized body of people walking in a formal or ceremonial manner. History Processions have in all peoples and at all times been a natural form of public celebration, as forming an orderly and impressive ceremony. Religious ...
where the relics of the saint are being carried around the village of Lembeek. * Halle is the site of a popular pilgrimage to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The present format of this devotion is at least seven centuries old. * The Hallerbos, the nearby forest named after the town, is known for the prolific bluebell carpet which covers the forest floor for a few weeks each spring, attracting many visitors.


Notable people

* Jozef Cardijn (1882–1967), founder of the
Young Christian Workers The Young Christian Workers (YCW; ) is an international youth organization founded by the Catholic priest Joseph Cardijn in Belgium as the Young Trade Unionists. The organization adopted its present name in 1924. Is it regarded as the most influent ...
and
cardinal Cardinal or The Cardinal most commonly refers to * Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **''Cardinalis'', genus of three species in the family Cardinalidae ***Northern cardinal, ''Cardinalis cardinalis'', the common cardinal of ...
*
Justus Lipsius Justus Lipsius (Joest Lips or Joost Lips; October 18, 1547 – March 23, 1606) was a Flemish Catholic philologist, philosopher, and humanist. Lipsius wrote a series of works designed to revive ancient Stoicism in a form that would be compatibl ...
(1547–1606) wrote his first historical work about Halle. * Philip II, Duke of Burgundy (1342–1404) died in Halle. * Adrien-François Servais (1807–1866), composer and cellist. He is commemorated by a statue on Halle's main square. It was created by his son-in-law Cyprian Godebski, a noted Polish sculptor who taught at the Institute of Imperial Art in St. Petersburg before the Revolution. * Koen Wauters (born 1967), singer, television presenter and racing driver


Notable products

* Duivelsbier, a local beer, is now brewed by the Boon Brewery. * The famous
Lambic Lambic ( , ; ) is a type of beer brewed in the Pajottenland region of Belgium southwest of Brussels since the 13th century. Types of lambic beer include gueuze, kriek lambic, and framboise. Lambic differs from most other beers in that it is Bre ...
beer is conjectured to take its name from the village of Lembeek, now part of Halle. * Halle used to have its own newspaper, named ''the future of Halle''. (''l'Avenir de Hal)''


International relations


Twin towns – Sister cities

Halle is twinned with:


See also

* Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde electoral district * The Blue Forest of Halle, Belgium * Church of Our Lady of Hal,
Camden Town Camden Town () is an area in the London Borough of Camden, around north-northwest of Charing Cross. Historically in Middlesex, it is identified in the London Plan as one of 34 major centres in Greater London. Laid out as a residential distri ...
, London, England


References

* Clement, Raymond & Decreton, Jan: "Halle: een Bourgondisch feest", Lannoo, Tielt, 1991, 144 pp., .


External links


Official website
Only available in Dutch {{Authority control Municipalities of Flemish Brabant