Some historical background on the city and university

The following historical survey can be downloaded from http://www.trabel.com/leuven/leuven.htm. It has been completed by some additional pictures. You can also have a look at some additional high-resolution pictures of Leuven in Summer.

Introducing Leuven

  In the middle of the cross-section of roads, behind the choir of the St.Peter's church, a rather funny little statue can be spotted. This statue is quite recent and is nicknamed 'Fonske'. It represents a person (a student ?) reading a book whilst pouring liquid in his brain (probably beer ? ). The people and students have directly named this new statue 'Fonske'. It is a typical Flemish name (the diminutive of Alfons, Alphonse). In Latin 'fons' means 'fountain'. One look at 'Fonske' and you'll instantly know what Leuven and its inhabitants (also the students) think about the hardships of being young and having to waste the best years of your life with books (sic!!).

For those looking to find the most beautiful medieval building in the world : look no further ! You will find it in the Belgian city of Leuven (Louvain). The magnificent 15th century town hall of the city of Leuven alone is worth the trip.

Leuven is situated in the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium, at about 20 Km east of Brussels. With a total population of about 90.000 inhabitants it could have been a inauspicious little provincial town. Where it not that Leuven is renowned all over the world for its University (the K.U.L = Katholieke Universiteit Leuven -Catholic University of Louvain), one of the oldest still existing catholic universities in the world, founded in 1425. All through the year the city of Leuven presents a lively atmosphere because of the many students from all over Belgium  (and the world). Especially in the evening, and certainly at night, the many bars and students cafés, spread all over the town, guarantee that there is always something happening. Very popular is the area around the 'Oude Markt - Old Market'. Rumour goes (or is it a fact) that this old market place is the largest bar in the world, as it has the highest density of bars per square meter (every house is basically a café).

Leuven is a typical city of Brabant. Whereas the Flemish cities like Ghent, Bruges, Antwerp are situated in the flat low country of Northern Belgium, Leuven is more hilly. A part of the city lies in the valley of the river Dijle. Alongside this valley there are hills. Therefore the landscape around Leuven varies a lot (Note: you will find a similar situation in Brussels which is situated in the valley of the river Zenne). Around Leuven there are also lovely woods like the 'Heverleebos' and green areas belonging to the old medieval abbey of Park, the castle of Arenberg.

The city center looks like a very well preserved town with buildings from the 17th and 18th century. Unfortunately this is not due to a well organized protection but to a reconstruction of the old city. The center of Leuven was almost completely destroyed during the First World War and after the war carefully rebuilt.

Leuven would not be much of a student and university city if it were not at the same time a city of beer. Belgians will always associate the city with one of the most famous and popular lager beer brands in Belgium : STELLA ARTOIS. This brand of beer is now produced by the INTERBREW company, one of the largest beer brewing concerns in the world. The breweries are situated just outside of the center, near the canal towards the city of Mechelen.

For more information on belgian beers, please visit http://www.dma.be/p/bier/beer.htm .

We already mentioned the magnificent Town Hall, but Leuven presents a panoply of other beautiful monuments such as the St. Peter's Church (with the famous 15th century painting of Dirk Bouts ' The Last Supper ', the old Beguinage, the University Library, the St. Michael's Church and the University Hall.

Leuven is easy to reach by car as well as by train from Brussels. (only 20-25 minutes).

The history of Leuven

he city of Leuven appears in historical documents for the first time in the year 884. In that year, the plundering Vikings settled around an old fortification at the Dijle river, called 'Luvanium' in Latin or 'Lovon' in the local vernacular. They were conquered here by Arnulf of Carinthia in 891. After this victory, Arnulf had a new castle built on an island in the river. Furthermore he founded a chapter of canons in the already existing St. Peter's Church. This became the home of the Counts of Leuven who later also acquired the county of Brussels. In 1190 the counts of Leuven  came in the possession of the important title 'Dukes of Lower Lorraine', a title that give them the right to rule over the middle part of what is now Belgium.

rom then onwards Leuven became an important administrative and commercial center, and more or less the capital of the Duchy of Brabant. A stone wall was built around the city as well as the necessary meat, fish and bread halls. The cloth trade became the corner stone of Leuven's wealth and prosperity.

he 14th century became the turning point of Leuven's destiny. The cloth trade lost its importance and Brussels aspired more and more successfully to the title of 'capital of the Duchy of Brabant'. By this time, the Dukes of Brabant  (or Dukes of Lower Lorraine) had moved their permanent residence from Leuven to the Coudenberg Hill in Brussels. The group of rich people that ruled over Leuven in the 14th century had not yet understood that their city was henceforth to play a secondary role. They continued to spend the city's financial means as if Leuven would continue to prosper. Between 1360 and 1383 the Guild of cloth manufacturers, led by mayor Pieter Couthereel, continued to oppose the policy of the 'happy few', which resulted in numerous uprisings of the population. In 1383, Duke Wenceslas rearranged the power balance between the rich families and the guilds. From then on, the guilds became a bit more powerful than the traditional rich families. This situation was to remain virtually unchanged until the French Revolution at the end of the 18th century.

lthough Leuven had lost its leading role in the 15th century, the city would witness some great events during that century. In 1425 Duke John IV founded the University of Leuven, which until today has remained the most important university in Belgium, and one of the leading catholic universities in the world. A few decades after its foundation it already counted with more than a thousand students. In the 16th century some important humanists and scientists would help spread the fame of the Leuven University over the rest of the world: Erasmus, Mercator, Jansenius, Vesalius, and others.Also, between 1439 and 1468 one of the most splendid gothic buildings in the world was constructed here : the town hall of Leuven (see picture above).

rom the middle of the 16th century onwards, Leuven did not escape the fate of most cities in the Low Countries : devastating religious wars, the plague and famine resulted in a decreasing number of inhabitants and a down-spiraling commercial and industrial activity. Furthermore, in the period of Austrian domination, the Austrian Emperor Joseph II moved the university from Leuven to Brussels and ordered many monasteries to be closed. The monasteries which continued to exist were later plundered during the French occupation  between 1794 and 1804. Only after the Belgian independence in 1830, the University of Leuven regained again its former importance.

ur century proved to be the most devastating era for the city. During the First World War, the city center (including the University Library) was burned by the German occupants. After the war the city was meticulously rebuilt. In the Second World War Leuven suffered again from heavy bombardments.Until the 1960's the Leuven University had been bilingual (French and Dutch). Between 1966 and 1968 the Flemish movement  demanded a separation of the University. This resulted in frequent student demonstrations (from both pro-Flemish student groups as well as from pro-francophone student groups). To end this deadpan situation the Belgian government and the University authorities decided to split the University. The Dutch-speaking part remained in Leuven and for the French-speaking students a new university campus was built in the new city of Louvain-La-Neuve (= 'New Leuven', south of Brussels).

ince the middle of the 1990's it looks as if Leuven has regained its role of capital of Brabant, a role it lost in the Middle-Ages. The former Belgian province of Brabant has been split in two parts: Flemish Brabant (with Leuven as capital city), and Walloon Brabant (with Wavre as capital city).

Monuments (small selection)

The town hall

The magnificent town hall of Leuven can be admired at the Grote Markt (Market Square). Since a few years this market square is free from traffic. Therefore, a visitor can take all the time it takes to fully stand in awe at the most perfect and beautiful expression of the Brabantine Gothic style : the Mayor's House.

The harmonious dimensions and rich decoration of the walls make the of the town hall a shrine of medieval splendor. The first stone was laid in 1439, the designer was the architect Sulpitius Van der Vorst. He died shortly afterwards and architect Keldermans continued his work. When Keldermans died in 1445 a third architect, Mathijs de Layens, continued the construction from 1447 until 1468. It was Mathijs de Layens who gave the flamboyant Gothic look to the building. He is therefore also considered the creator of the town hall. 

In 1706 the staircase at the entrance was added. The town hall was renovated for the first time in the 19th century. During the restoration new neo-gothic elements were added. A first restoration ran from 1829 until 1841. During the second half of the century the statues were added to further decorate the façade. This was due to the French writer Victor Hugo, who, during his stay in Leuven, insisted that statues would be made to fill out the empty niches because he found that such a splendid building could not be left unfinished. From 1893 until 1907 the beautifully sculptured pedestals on which the statues rest, were renovated too. During the bombings of 1944 the town hall suffered considerable damage which resulted in another renovation campaign from 1962 until 1983. In the 1990's the building, which had become very black, was thoroughly cleaned.

The town hall looks like a delicately wrought relic shrine. It shows the late gothic style at its most splendid. The elegant lines are accentuated by the proportions of the facades. The main facades count 10 bays , whereas the side facades count only 3. The vertical movement, which is so typical for the Gothic style, is reinforced by the slim towers on all four corners of the building. There is a total of 236 statues (made in the 19th century). They represent artists, scientists, historic persons and other people that played an important role in the history of the city. On the higher floors the Counts of Leuven and the Dukes of Brabant are shown.

The interior is also worth a visit. The different rooms are richly decorated with paintings  (amongst others paintings of the Mayors of Leuven since 1794). In the entrance hall are four statues by the 19th century Belgian sculptor Constantin Meunier.

The Saint Peter’s church

 In front of the town hall is the impressive St. Peter's church. Both buildings were constructed in Gothic style, although the church seems to be less elegant and flamboyant than its civil neighbor. This site was first occupied by a smaller Romanesque church. The new gothic church was built by the same architects who constructed the town hall. Sulpitius van Vorst erected the choir of the church before 1409-1410. After he died in 1439 architect Keldermans continued the work of his predecessor and afterwards architect Mathijs de Layens constructed the transept.

By the end of the 15th century the nave of the church was completed. In 1507 the construction of the towers started. This very important part remained unfinished. The soil under the church proved to be too unstable to carry the weight of the middle tower which should have reached an altitude of 165m. At the beginning of the 17th century the tower had to be partially demolished to prevent further destruction of the church.

During the 19th and 20th centuries different renovation campaigns were undertaken. The church suffered considerable damage during the bombing raids of the Second World War in 1944. Between 1945 and 1963 the Saint Peter's church was partially rebuilt. In 1992 the restoration of the Western facade was completed. Bij 1998 the restoration of the choir was finished. There are still renovations going on inside the church. The church is certainly worth a visit for the rich inside decoration. One can admire the beautiful rood loft from 1488 above which hangs a triumphal crucifix from around 1500. The chairs in the choir were sculpted by Nicolaas de Bruyne from 1438 until 1442. There is a magnificent 12m high sacraments tower (probably made by Mathijs de Layens around 1450). The baroque wooden pulpit (1742) in the nave originally belonged to the monastery of the Flemish city of Ninove. In the left aisle a wooden sculpture of the Madonna can be seen. This Madonna is called the 'Sedes Sapientiae' (Seat of wisdom) and is the symbol of the University of Leuven. It was sculptured in 1442 by De Bruyne. There are numerous paintings inside the church. However, the most important ones are by Dirk Bouts, one of the famous Flemish Primitives from the 15th century. One painting by Dirk Bouts is called 'The Martyrdom of Saint Erasmus' (before 1464).

The most important painting, however, is Dirk Bouts' 'The Last Supper' (painted between 1464 and 1468), painted for the altar of the Holy Sacrament of the church. The painting is a triptych.The last supper can be seen in the middle panel.  The four panels  around the center show  representations of the Eucharist in the Old Testament among which the Jewish Pasha, The sleep of the prophet Elias, The sacrifice by Abraham to Melchisedek. One of the other treasures of the church is a magnificent 'Head of Christ' in Romanesque style, a remainder of a 12th century Crucifix. Remarkable tombstones decorate the side chapels of the choir: the tombstone with lying statue of Henry I (Duke of Brabant who died in 1235), one of the oldest tombstones in Belgium. In the fifteenth chapel stand the tombstones of Machteld (Duchess of Brabant - died 1211) and her daughter Maria of Brabant (died 1260).

The Hortus Botanicus

  The Hortus Botanicus was founded in 1739. At first, it was property of the Faculty of Sciences and later of the Faculty of Biology. As a matter of fact, in Leuven, the botany professor was always automatically the director of the Hortus Botanicus. There are quite some rare (and old) plants here. Ideally suited if you want to spend a quiet or – who knows – romantic moment.

The great beguinage

Beguinages are very typical for Flemish cities. They are complexes of little houses around a square and  were created at the time of the crusades to house the widows of the crusaders. Later, they turned into an alternative female community system for women who wanted to lead a monastic life of prayer and service without being tied to a monastery with strict vows. These women became known as 'Beguines'.
The Leuven Beguinage was founded in 1232 for ladies and girls from the city and the surrounding area. It was closed in 1796 by the French occupants, but shortly afterwards it was re-opened. By 1962, the original function had long since ended and the entire complex was bought by the university of Leuven. Professor Raymond Lemaire started an important renovation campaign. The old 16th and 17th century houses were transformed into modern flats for students and academic staff.  Even after the transformation the Beguinage kept its original look as a city within the city. Most houses are still in brick and are decorated with a little garden on the outside. In-between the houses are cobble stone streets. The Beguinage church, dedicated to Saint John the Baptist has also been renovated. The church was built in the 14th and 15th centuries in Gothic style. The plain and austere exterior contrasts heavily with the lush Baroque interior that comes mostly from the 17th and 18th centuries. During renovations, wall paintings from the 14th and 17th centuries were discovered. Inside the church are about 90 tombstones of priests and beguines. 

The ‘Tafelrond’ 

Between the Saint Peter's Church and the town hall a medieval-looking building can be spotted. It's the 'Tafelrond'. This neogothic replica of a 15th century guild hall is now used as the Leuven branch of the Belgian National Bank. It was built in 1927 after the original one had been destroyed during the First World War.

The university library

Another newly constructed 'old' building is the City Library at the Monseigneur Ladeuzeplein. The impressive building in Flemish Renaissance style was constructed between 1921 and 1928. It was designed by the American architects Warren and Wetmore and built thanks to donations of American Colleges and Universities. It replaces the former university library which used to be in the university halls in the Naamsestraat. The library had been destroyed in 1914. The present building also suffered damage during a fire in 1940. Numerous important tomes were lost forever (also the Papal document  for the creation of the Leuven University in 1425). In the high-rising tower  is a 'beiaard' (carillon) that was donated by the Americans.

Saint Michael’s church  

This former Jesuit church was erected as from 1650 by the Antwerp Jesuit Willem Hesius. The church was finished in 1671 and consecrated to Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception. After the order of Jesuits had been abolished by Pope Clement XIV in 1773, the church became the parish church of Saint Michael. In 1944, the church was almost completely demolished. Only the facade survived. The nave of the church was rebuilt after the war. The facade draws its inspiration from the Gesu-church in Rome, and is one of the Baroque masterpieces of Belgium. The interior of the church is reminiscent of the Gothic style but the decoration is unmistakably Baroque. There is a set of beautifully sculptured wooden confessionals and a communal bench. The pulpit, made in 1765 by Du Roy, comes from the Saint Michael and Saint Gudula cathedral in Brussels.

The Arenberg Castle

Located within walking distance from the city walls, is the Arenberg Castle, built by the families De Croÿ and Arenberg. In the 16^th century it was the castle of Willem De Croÿ,  who was the prime advisor (today we would call him the ‘chief-of-staff’) of Emperor Charles V,  who  ruled  Europe  and  the  Americas.  It  was  donated  to  the  university in 1918 by the then Duke of Arenberg.  Today  it  is  home to the  department of Architecture and the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering. The Sports Facilities of the University, the Departments of Agricutural and Bio-Engineering, Electrical, Civil, Chemical and Material Science Engineering are all located in the parc of the Castle. The Departments of Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, Chemistry and Physics are located just outside the parc.

The Abbey of the Parc

Within walking distance – but to the other side of the Arenberg Castle – one can visit the Abbey of the Parc (‘Abdij van ‘t Park’), which in 1129 was founded by the Duke ‘Godfried with the beard’. There is also an impressive cimetry, where many Leuven scientists and people of influence are buried.

The university

Leuven is not a very large city. The number of inhabitants amounts to more or less 90.000 people. The number of students that study at the University (K.U.L), however, is awesome to European standards : around 22.000. The entire city lives off and with the University.

The university was founded in 1425 (on December the 9th by Pope Martin V). Just in time to give the city a new passport to future wealth and fame. By the beginning of the 15th century the cloth industry (once Leuven's prime source of prosperity) had lost its importance. The first academic year started on September the 7th in the presence of 12 professors.

The creation of the Leuven University was not a unique fact in late Medieval Europe. All over the Christian countries universities were founded so that higher education in Christianity could be divulged and controlled in a universal way (for instance : by using one common language (Latin) for studies. Very symbolic for the situation in Leuven is the Main hall of the University. This building used to be the cloth hall of the city.

In 1679 the city sold the building to the university and a second floor was added above the Gothic ground floor. At the start of the university four faculties were created : artes, civil justice, religious justice and medicine. The university had to pass through a trial period before it could open a theological faculty, which it received after 5 years (despite Rome and Paris trying to preserve that right for themselves). From then on the City and the University walked hand in hand to the future. All through the centuries new buildings were constructed were the colleges were housed (colleges are buildings were seminars were given  and were students could live at the same time). It has, however, always been a tradition for Leuven students to rent rooms in the houses of private citizens, a tradition which still goes on today.

The Leuven University is considered to be the oldest catholic university in the world. Some don't agree with this. Mainly because the University was abolished in 1797 by the French Republic (after the annexation of the Austrian Netherlands to France). Only in 1817, during the Dutch Regime, the university was re-opened, but this time as one of the 6 state universities in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands.  After the Belgian independence in 1830, the Belgian Bishops recreated the Catholic University in 1834 in the city of Mechelen (at 20 miles from Leuven). One year later, the Catholic University returned home to Leuven.