Early history , traditionally considered the founder of what would become Brussels, The history of Brussels is closely linked to that of
Western Europe. Traces of human settlement go back to the
Stone Age, with vestiges and place-names related to the civilisation of
megaliths,
dolmens and
standing stones (Plattesteen near the
Grand-Place/Grote Markt and
Tomberg in
Woluwe-Saint-Lambert, for example). During
late antiquity, the region was home to
Roman occupation, as attested by archaeological evidence discovered on the current site of
Tour & Taxis, north-west of the
Pentagon (Brussels' city centre). Following the decline of the
Western Roman Empire, it was incorporated into the
Frankish Empire. According to local legend, the origin of the settlement that was to become Brussels lies in Saint
Gaugericus' construction of a chapel on
an island in the river
Senne around 580. The official founding of Brussels is usually said to be around 979, when
Charles, Duke of Lower Lorraine, transferred the
relics of the
martyr Saint
Gudula from
Moorsel (located in today's province of
East Flanders) to Saint Gaugericus' chapel. When
Otto II, Holy Roman Emperor, appointed the same Charles to become Duke of
Lower Lotharingia in 977, Charles ordered the construction of the city's first permanent fortification, doing so on that same island.
Middle Ages Lambert I, Count of Louvain, gained the County of Brussels around 1000 by marrying Charles' daughter. Because of its location on the banks of the Senne, on an
important trade route between the
Flemish cities of
Bruges and
Ghent, and
Cologne in the
Kingdom of Germany, Brussels became a commercial centre specialised in the textile trade. The town grew quite rapidly and extended towards the upper town (Treurenberg,
Coudenberg, and
Sablon/Zavel areas), where there was a reduced risk of floods. As the town grew to a population of around 30,000, the surrounding marshes were drained to allow for further expansion. In 1183, the Counts of Leuven became
Dukes of Brabant. Brabant, unlike the county of Flanders, was not fief of the king of France but was incorporated into the
Holy Roman Empire. In the early 13th century, the
first walls of Brussels were built and after this, the city grew significantly. Around this time, work began on what is now the
Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula (1225), replacing an older
Romanesque church. To let the city expand,
a second set of walls was erected between 1356 and 1383. Traces of these walls can still be seen; the
Small Ring, a series of boulevards bounding the historical city centre, follows their former course.
Early modern In the 14th century, the marriage between heiress
Margaret III, Countess of Flanders, and
Philip the Bold,
Duke of Burgundy, produced a new Duke of Brabant of the
House of Valois, namely
Anthony, their son. In 1477, the Burgundian duke
Charles the Bold perished in the
Battle of Nancy. Through the marriage of his daughter
Mary of Burgundy (who was born in Brussels) to Holy Roman Emperor
Maximilian I, the
Low Countries fell under
Habsburg sovereignty. Brabant was integrated into this composite state, and Brussels flourished as the Princely Capital of the prosperous
Burgundian Netherlands, also known as the
Seventeen Provinces. After the death of Mary in 1482, her son
Philip the Handsome succeeded as Duke of Burgundy and Brabant. Philip died in 1506, and he was succeeded by his son
Charles V who then also became
King of Spain (crowned in the
Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula) and even Holy Roman Emperor at the death of his grandfather Maximilian I in 1519. Charles was now the ruler of a
Habsburg Empire "on which the sun never sets" with Brussels serving as one of his main capitals. It was in the
Coudenberg Palace that Charles V was declared of age in 1515, and it was there in 1555 that he abdicated all of his possessions and passed the
Habsburg Netherlands to King
Philip II of Spain. This palace, famous all over Europe, had greatly expanded since it had first become the seat of the Dukes of Brabant, but it was destroyed by fire in 1731. after
the 1695 bombardment by the French army In the 16th and 17th centuries, Brussels was a centre for the
lace industry. In addition,
Brussels tapestry hung on the walls of castles throughout Europe. In 1695, during the
Nine Years' War, King
Louis XIV of France sent troops to
bombard Brussels with artillery. Together with the resulting fire, it was the most destructive event in the entire history of Brussels. The Grand-Place was destroyed, along with 4,000 buildings—a third of all the buildings in the city. The reconstruction of
the city centre, effected during subsequent years, profoundly changed its appearance and left numerous traces still visible today. During the
War of the Spanish Succession Brussels fell in Anglo-Dutch hands following the
Battle of Ramillies in 1706. In 1708, Brussels again sustained a
French attack, which it repelled. Following the
Treaty of Utrecht in 1713, Spanish sovereignty over the Southern Netherlands was transferred to the Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg. This event started the era of the
Austrian Netherlands. Brussels
was captured by France in 1746, during the
War of the Austrian Succession, but was handed back to Austria three years later. It remained with Austria until 1795, when the Southern Netherlands were captured and annexed by France, and the city became the
chef-lieu of the
department of the Dyle. The French rule ended in 1815, with the defeat of
Napoleon on the
battlefield of Waterloo, located south of today's Brussels-Capital Region. With the
Congress of Vienna, the Southern Netherlands joined the
United Kingdom of the Netherlands, under King
William I of Orange. The former Dyle department became the province of
South Brabant, with Brussels as its capital.
Late modern of 1830'',
Gustaf Wappers, 1834 In 1830, the
Belgian Revolution began in Brussels, after a performance of
Auber's opera
La Muette de Portici at the
Royal Theatre of La Monnaie. The city became the capital and seat of government of the new nation. South Brabant was renamed simply
Brabant, with Brussels as its administrative centre. On 21 July 1831,
Leopold I, the first
King of the Belgians, ascended the throne, undertaking the destruction of the city walls and the construction of many buildings. Following independence, Brussels underwent many more changes. It became a financial centre, thanks to the dozens of companies launched by the
Société Générale de Belgique. The
Industrial Revolution and the opening of the
Brussels–Charleroi Canal in 1832 brought prosperity to the city through commerce and manufacturing. The
Free University of Brussels was established in 1834 and
Saint-Louis University in 1858. In 1835, the
first passenger railway built outside England linked the municipality of
Molenbeek-Saint-Jean with
Mechelen. in the late 19th century During the 19th century, the population of Brussels grew considerably; from about 80,000 to more than 625,000 people for the city and its surroundings. The Senne had become a serious
health hazard, and from 1867 to 1871, under the tenure of the
city's then-mayor,
Jules Anspach, its entire course through the urban area was
completely covered over. This allowed
urban renewal and the construction of modern buildings of
Haussmann-esque style along grand
central boulevards, characteristic of downtown Brussels today. Buildings such as the
Bourse Palace (1873), the
Palace of Justice (1883) and
Saint Mary's Royal Church (1885) date from this period. This development continued throughout the reign of King
Leopold II. The
International Exposition of 1897 contributed to the promotion of the infrastructure. Among other things, the
Palace of the Colonies, today's
Royal Museum for Central Africa, in the suburb of
Tervuren, was connected to the capital by the construction of
an grand alley. Brussels was one of the major European centres of the
Art Nouveau style in the 1890s and early 1900s. The architects
Victor Horta,
Paul Hankar, and
Henry van de Velde, among others, were known for their designs, many of which survive today. although the
interwar period would still see a significant amount of (re)construction. In November 1918, after the
German Revolution had broken out, Brussels was embroiled in street battles between revolutionary soldiers who wanted to end the occupation and their imperialist counterparts; additionally, explosives left behind by retreating German troops damaged infrastructure and around 2,300 houses. During
World War II, Brussels was
occupied by German forces once again. While it was again spared major damage, a deadly bombing took place on 7 September 1943. It was carried out by the
American airforce, which had tried to aim at
SABCA facilities in
Haren, but accidentally struck an area in
Ixelles, killing 282 civilians. The city was liberated by the British
Guards Armoured Division on 3 September 1944.
Brussels Airport, in the suburb of
Zaventem, traces its roots to
a German military airport that was built in nearby
Melsbroek. on 4 September 1944, ending the
German occupation After World War II, Brussels underwent extensive modernisation. The construction of the
North–South connection, linking the main railway stations in the city, was completed in 1952, while the first
premetro (underground tram) service was launched in 1969, and the first
Metro line was opened in 1976. Starting from the early 1960s, Brussels became the
de facto capital of what would become the
European Union (EU), and many modern offices were built. Development was allowed to proceed with little regard to the aesthetics of newer buildings, and numerous architectural landmarks were demolished to make way for newer buildings that often clashed with their surroundings, giving name to the process of
Brusselisation.
Contemporary The Brussels-Capital Region was formed on 18 June 1989, after a constitutional reform in 1988. It is one of the three
federal regions of Belgium, along with
Flanders and
Wallonia, and has bilingual status. In the 21st century, Brussels has become an important venue for international events. In 2000, it was named
European Capital of Culture alongside eight other European cities. In 2013, the city was the site of the
Brussels Agreement. In 2014, it hosted the
40th G7 summit, and in 2017, 2018 and 2021 respectively the
28th,
29th and
31st NATO Summits.
On 22 March 2016, three coordinated
nail bombings were detonated by
ISIL in Brussels—two at
Brussels Airport in
Zaventem and one at
Maalbeek/Maelbeek metro station—resulting in 32 victims and three
suicide bombers killed, and 330 people were injured. It was the deadliest act of
terrorism in Belgium. ==Geography==