Guillemins (Liege)

The Guillemins is a district of Liege, in Belgium.

Origins of the district

At the 13th century, Gerard de Bierset, cantor of Saint-Lambert, have, with the site of the current place of Guillemins, a Manoir surrounded by water, in the middle of wood, of meadows and cultivated fields. The castle is also called “House of the Mound”, because it is established on a Tertre.

In his property, Gerard de Bierset makes build a asylum for old priests. In 1287, of the monks about the Guillemites settle there; the residence becomes a convent which will give its name to the district: Guillemins.

Some stages of the history of this convent

In 1568, the troops of Orange-Nassau Guillaume pass by Liege, where they intend to cross the Meuse to flee the army of the pile cluster tracking the calvinists. They plunder the convent of Guillemites (just like besides the abbey of the St. Lawrence).

In first half of the 17th century, the principality of Liege is marked by the opposition between Chiroux (partisans of the capacity in place) and Grignoux (followers of a more liberal mode). In 1649, the prince-bishop Ferdinand of Bavaria subdues the popular insurrection; of the pursued Inhabitants of Li2ege take refuge in the convent surrounded by ditches, which out of water the brooks feed going down from Cointe.

At the beginning of the 18th century, the convent of Guillemites and its about thirty monks know prosperity. But since 1770, the monastic discipline is slackened, the buildings are degraded, the debts accumulate so much so that silverware is put at the Mont of Piety.

Ten years later, the monastery makes place with a Pensionnat where one teaches the Langue S German E, French E, Latin E, as all that has report/ratio with best education, like the Musique, the Arme S, the Danse, the horsemanship, the Dessin (Gazette of Liege of the time).

In 1795, when the ex-principality of Liege is integrated into France, these old religious buildings are confiscated and sold; they will be destroyed in the middle of the 19th century progressively of the alteration work, at this place, of a Gare of railroad.

Beginnings of the railroad

In the middle of the 19th century, the district urbanizes following the development of the railroads.

Since 1838, a railway connects Brussels to Ans, but the trains cannot reach the basin inhabitant of Li2ege because of the too strong declivity. It is thanks to the tilted plane imagined by engineer Henri Maus that the problem is solved and that a first station is built in 1842 in the district. , It is necessary to reduce confidence with the brakes of the convoy; to go up, it is a whole system of Treuil and cables which is requested, single example at the time.

The street of Guillemins

As of the creation of the station in 1842, it proves to be essential that a street connects it to the Avroy in full expansion. The “Avreû” (of Latin arboretum , “planted place of trees”) is an old embanked arm of the Meuse and convert in walk leading to the downtown area. It is about the current boulevard where the fair is held of October.

At the beginning completely logically, this street leading to the station is called street of the station; it will become the street of Guillemins only in 1863. In 1864, it is bordered of two lines of Arbre S, but those will be cut down in 1881 for hindrance to traffic. It is true that Tramway S circulate there since 1871.

The place of Guillemins

From 1842 to 1899, space in front of the railway buildings was called place of the Station.

It is the current place Joseph de Bronckart which initially bore the name of place of Guillemins, before being renamed name of this politician inhabitant of Li2ege having work for the development of primary school education.

The fact that the place of Bronckart was originally called place of Guillemins is certainly due, again, with the old convent of Guillemites, which extended to this place.

At the time of didn't the building site, a digger discover there, in 1877, a purse containing of the coins dating from the 15th century, with the supposed site of a house occupied formerly by the monks?

The street of the Tilted Plan

It is about the street which connects the station to the highway strap A602.

This street is thus named, of course, because it leads to the tilted plane conceived in 1842 by the engineer Henri Maus.

The future installation of the district

The appearance of the district changes of course as building site TGV evolves/moves.

Rue du Plan Incliné, important a Parking was built (on the right on the first photograph below), and of many buildings are in the process of repair. It is urgent to improve the aspect which the access to the station presents while coming from the highway.

On the other side of the station, in direction of Fragnée, the street Varin was partly shaven, and the remainder is less easy access. An hard blow for this street traditionally dedicated to the Prostitution, where remain some “trade specialized” in spite of the disturbances caused by work TGV. But it is side “Paradise” which the landscape undergoes the deepest modifications.

The street Paradis connects the Blonden avenue to the place of Guillemins. It holds its name of an old vault, known as of the “Paradise”, located with the corner of the quay and street of Fragnée. This vault was demolished in 1881 after the construction of the Sainte-Marie church of the Angels of the place of the Franknesses (1874). It had been thus called, not for a religious reason, but because the place, before, was named the “Terrestrial Paradise” because of a closed house. Nowadays, name evokes the seat of the tax authorities.

The street Jonckeu, a few meters of roadway system in a dilapidated district, with a dead end of the same name on other side of the street Paradise. It is all that remains Large Jonckeu (meaning low-Latin “planted snap rings”), very important artery of the old city of Liege, which went from the street Grandgagnage to Fragnée while passing by the current street Louvrex.

See too

Source of this article

illustrated Little story of the district of Guillemins, Claude Warzee

Station of Liege-Guillemins, for the evolution of its buildings

External bond

Official site concerning the evolution of work TGV

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