Leuwen (in Dutch Leuven , in German Löwen , in Walloon Lovin ) is a common city university and Dutch-speaking of Belgium located in Flemish Région, chief town of the Province of the Flemish Brabant and chief town of district.

Leuwen is the historical seat of the oldest university of Belgium, founded in 1425, university which was divided into 1968, following a conflict between Flemish and French-speaking people, in a Flemish wing (the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven or KUL) which remained in Leuwen and a French-speaking wing (the catholic Université of Leuwen) which settled with Leuwen-the-New, a city created for the occasion, in the the Walloon Brabant.

Because of the secular presence of the brewery Artois (which formed the group Interbrew, now become InBev) and of animation coed, Leuwen also passes for the capital of beer to Belgium.

History

See also: History of Leuwen

The first mention of Leuwen goes up with 891 ( Loven ), when an army Viking was demolished there by the emperor of Germany Arnulf de Carinthie. According to the legend, the colors of the city, red-white-red, want to show banks of the river Dyle covered with blood after the battle. Located on this river and near the fortress of the dukes of the Brabant, Leuwen became the center of the most important trade of the duchy between XIe and the 14th century. A sign of its old importance like draping city, is marked well in the fabric of flax of Leuwen, known in the texts at the end of XIVe century and XVe century under the name of lewyn (orthographies: Leuwyn, Levyne, Lewan (E), Lovanium, Leuwen).

At the 15th century a new golden age begins in 1425 with the foundation of largest and the oldest university of the Netherlands: the catholic University of Leuwen ( Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Dutch).

At the 18th Leuwen century even grew in importance because of a flourishing brewery intended to become later Interbrew (renamed recently in InBev), the largest company of brewery of the world (in terms of brazed quantities). In fact the brewery Stella Artois which belongs to InBev dominates with its large offices all the north-eastern part of the city, between the station of channel and railroad towards Malines.

At the 20th century, each of the two world wars inflicted at the city of the enormous damage, destroying twice the library of the university. The whole world was made indignant and the library was completely rebuilt after the First World War thanks to funds collected with the the United States by subscription and war indemnities paid by the Germany. After the Second world war, the buildings which had entirely burned had to be rebuilt. Their large silhouette is always drawn up, like pointing out the terrible character of the wars and the solidarity of Allied which followed them.

Name and nicknames

The name Leuwen meets for the first time in 891 pennies the form Luvanium or Loven (see also the flag and the currency of the blazon). One can thus divide the word into two parts, namely Lo and Venn. “Lo” wanted to then say “forest” and “Venn” “marsh”. A possible explanation for Leuwen east thus “the marsh close to the forest”. The explanation is plausible, owing to the fact that, at the time of the occupation of Leuwen by the Vikings, the latter built a defensive wall around their camp, except marshy side which they considered insuperable.

The nicknames of the inhabitants are the “Pierrots” and the “gunners of cows”. The first returns to the inhabitants of the old parish (Saint-Pierre) and the second to a historical fact of 1691, on the occasion of which the inhabitants drew the night on silhouettes that they guessed. They were besieged at this time by the French and thought to shoot at enemy soldiers. In the next morning they realized that they had cannonaded a herd of cows.

Personalities

• Andre Antoine, was born there
• Dirk Bouts
• Gaston Eyskens
• Louis Tobback

Twinning

External bonds

• Site of the town of Leuwen (Leuven)
• Katholieke Universiteit Leuven

Random links:

Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Brazzaville | List Swadesh of Hebrew | Black Terret | Luc Schulz | John Murray (exploring)