Liège ( ; ; ; ; ) is a
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' ...
of
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 ...
, and the capital of the
province of Liège, Belgium. The city is situated in the valley of the
Meuse
The Meuse or Maas 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 total length of .
History
From 1301, the upper ...
, in the east of Belgium, not far from borders with the
Netherlands
, Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
(
Maastricht
Maastricht ( , , ; ; ; ) is a city and a Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the southeastern Netherlands. It is the capital city, capital and largest city of the province of Limburg (Netherlands), Limburg. Maastricht is loca ...
is about to the north) and with
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
(
Aachen
Aachen is the List of cities in North Rhine-Westphalia by population, 13th-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, 27th-largest city of Germany, with around 261,000 inhabitants.
Aachen is locat ...
is about north-east). In Liège, the Meuse meets the river
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 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' ...
consists of the following
sub-municipalities:
Angleur,
Bressoux,
Chênée,
Glain,
Grivegnée,
Jupille-sur-Meuse, Liège proper,
Rocourt, and
Wandre. In November 2012, Liège had 198,280 inhabitants. The
metropolitan area
A metropolitan area or metro is a region consisting of a densely populated urban area, urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories which share Industry (economics), industries, commercial areas, Transport infrastructure, transport network ...
, 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 and
Seraing. Liège ranks as the third most populous urban area in Belgium, after
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 ...
and
Antwerp
Antwerp (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province, and the third-largest city in Belgium by area at , after ...
, and the fourth municipality after Antwerp,
Ghent
Ghent ( ; ; historically known as ''Gaunt'' in English) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the Provinces of Belgium, province ...
and
Charleroi
Charleroi (, , ; ) is a city and a municipality of Wallonia, located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. It is the largest city in both Hainaut and Wallonia. The city is situated in the valley of the Sambre, in the south-west of Belgium, not ...
.
The city is part of the
Meuse-Rhine Euroregion.
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 (), , Polish , Czech , German ,
Old English
Old English ( or , or ), 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 developed from the languages brought to Great Britain by Anglo-S ...
(English ''
lede''), Icelandic ("people"), Latvian ("people"), Lithuanian ("people"). It is found in Ukrainian as ("people"), in Russian as , romanised: ("people"), in Latin as or , and in Middle Dutch as or .
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 alphabet, Latin, Cyrillic script, Cyrillic, and Greek alphabet, Greek scripts. For the most commonly encountered uses of the accen ...
instead of a
grave accent
The grave accent () ( or ) is a diacritical mark used to varying degrees in French, Dutch, Portuguese, Italian, Catalan and many other Western European languages as well as for a few unusual uses in English. It is also used in other ...
.
In French, is associated with the epithet ("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, sometimes divided into the First Industrial Revolution and Second Industrial Revolution, was a transitional period of the global economy toward more widespread, efficient and stable manufacturing processes, succee ...
.
History
Early Middle Ages
Although settlements already existed in
Roman 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 a term for the specific type of change that occurs when someone or something has been or is being converted to Christianity. Christianization has, for the most part, spread through missions by individu ...
of the region, indicating that up to the early 8th century the religious practices of antiquity had survived in some form.
Christian conversion may still not have been quite universal, since Lambert was murdered in Liège and thereafter regarded as a
martyr
A martyr (, ''mártys'', 'witness' Word stem, 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 external party. In ...
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 or personal effects of a saint or other person preserved for the purpose of veneration as a tangible memorial. Reli ...
s, his successor,
Hubertus (later to become St. Hubert), built 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 ...
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
A prince-bishop is a bishop who is also the civil ruler of some secular principality and sovereignty, as opposed to ''Prince of the Church'' itself, a title associated with cardinals. Since 1951, the sole extant prince-bishop has been the Bi ...
, which lasted from 985 till 1794. The first
prince-bishop
A prince-bishop is a bishop who is also the civil ruler of some secular principality and sovereignty, as opposed to '' Prince of the Church'' itself, a title associated with cardinals. Since 1951, the sole extant prince-bishop has been the ...
,
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 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...
. Pope
Clement VI recruited several musicians from Liège to perform in the Papal court at
Avignon
Avignon (, , ; or , ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of southeastern France. Located on the left bank of the river Rhône, the Communes of France, commune had a ...
, 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 chord ...
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, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...
, in practice it possessed a large degree of independence.
Late medieval and early modern periods

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 of
Spalbeek,
Christina the Astonishing, and
Marie of Oignies.
In 1345, the citizens of Liège rebelled against Prince-Bishop
Engelbert III de la Marck, 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 territory. The earliest types of guild formed as organizations of tradespeople belonging to a professional association. They so ...
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 Low Countries (; ), historically also known as the Netherlands (), is a coastal lowland region in Northwestern Europe forming the lower Drainage basin, basin of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta and consisting today of the three modern "Bene ...
had ever known. The system spread to
Utrecht
Utrecht ( ; ; ) is the List of cities in the Netherlands by province, fourth-largest city of the Netherlands, as well as the capital and the most populous city of the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of Utrecht (province), Utrecht. The ...
, and left a democratic spirit in Liège that survived the Middle Ages.
At the end of the
Liège Wars, a rebellion took place against rule from
Burgundy
Burgundy ( ; ; Burgundian: ''Bregogne'') 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. ...
. In 1468 Duke
Charles the Bold of Burgundy, witnessed by King
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 ...
, 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 and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European literature, European and Scottish literature, notably the novels ''Ivanhoe'' (18 ...
's 1823 novel ''
Quentin Durward''.
The
Prince-Bishopric of Liège was technically part of the
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...
which, after 1477, came under the rule of the
Habsburgs. The reign of prince-bishop
Érard de La Marck (1506–1538) coincides with the dawn of 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 ...
.
During the
Counter-Reformation
The Counter-Reformation (), also sometimes called the Catholic Revival, was the period of Catholic resurgence that was initiated in response to, and as an alternative to or from similar insights as, the Protestant Reformations at the time. It w ...
, 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 of the Bavarian royal house of
Wittelsbach, with second sons of the Bavarian monarch ruling as prince-bishop. Beginning with the ascension of
Ernest of Bavaria in 1581, Bavarian princes ruled over
Cologne
Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...
,
Münster
Münster (; ) is an independent city#Germany, 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 ...
, and other bishoprics in the northwest of the Holy Roman Empire in addition to Liège.
Ferdinand of Bavaria (bishop) ruled from 1612 to 1650, and
Maximilian Henry of Bavaria ruled from 1650 to 1688.
In 1636, during the
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in History of Europe, European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine ...
, the city was besieged by Imperial forces under
Johann von Werth 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

The
Duke of Marlborough 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 fought between 1701 and 1714. The immediate cause was the death of the childless Charles II of Spain in November 1700, which led to a struggle for control of the Spanish E ...
.
In the middle of the eighteenth century the ideas of the French ''
Encyclopédistes'' began to gain popularity in the region. Bishop
François-Charles de Velbrück (1772–84), encouraged their propagation, thus prepared the way for the
Liège Revolution which started in the episcopal city on 18 August 1789 and led to the creation of the
Republic of Liège before it was invaded by counter-revolutionary forces of the
Habsburg monarchy
The Habsburg monarchy, also known as Habsburg Empire, or Habsburg Realm (), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities (composite monarchy) that were ruled by the House of Habsburg. From the 18th century it is ...
in 1791.
In the course of the
1794 campaigns of the French Revolution, the
French Revolutionary Army took the city and imposed strongly anticlerical regime, destroying
St. Lambert's Cathedral. The overthrow of the
Prince-Bishopric of Liège 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 co-signed by
...
co-signed by Napoléon Bonaparte and Pope Pius VII">Napoléon Bonaparte"> ...