See also: Liege (homonymy)
Liege (in German Lüttich , in Dutch Luik , in Walloon Lîdje ) is a French-speaking city of Belgium located in Walloon region, chief town of the Province of Liege. Of 972 with 1795 it was the capital of the autonomous state of the Principauté of Liege.
With the 1e January 2007, it counts: 188907 inhabitants. Its agglomeration is populated of approximately: 600000 inhabitants and it is the the most important center from the economic and cultural point of view of the Wallonia of which it is the official economic capital. By the number of inhabitants, it is the third agglomeration of Belgium after Brussels and Antwerp and the fourth city after Antwerp, Ghent and Charleroi.
The morphological agglomeration of Liege covers approximately 265 km ² and counts: 476000 inhabitants, with one population density of: 1796 habitants/km ². The communes of Seraing, Saint Nicolas's Day, Years, Herstal, Beyne-Heusay, Fléron, Chaudfontaine, Esneux and Flémalle (out of orange on the chart of the province of Liege opposite) belong to this morphological agglomeration.
The great agglomeration inhabitant of Li2ege, which, contrary to the morphological agglomeration, can include/understand rural areas, counts approximately: 600000 inhabitants.
Weak the density of its population results as well from morphology dominant from the habitat as from the subsistence until proximity from the downtown area from many not urbanized spaces. These empty spaces are of three types: too stiff slopes, industrial parks (in the valley, but also to the plates where the Terril S mark the old coal exploitations) and vast areas wooded in the south of the morphological agglomeration (Sart-Tilman).
A comparison with other common Belgians is possible in the list of the common most populated Belgians.
In 1977, the commune of Liege amalgamated with other communes to form a new entity. Here the pattern of the settlement according to these old communes:
The principal districts constituting the center of Liege (old commune) are: Amercœur, Avroy, Burenville, the Square, Cointe, Coronmeuse, Droixhe, Fétinne, the Guillemins, Out-Castle, the Laveu, the Longdoz, Naimette-Xhovémont, Outremeuse, Stony, Saint-Gilles, the St. Lawrence, Saint-Léonard, Holy-Marguerite, Holy-Walburge, Sclessin, the Thier-with-Liege and the Vennes.
ImageSize = width: 800 height: 373
PlotArea = left: 50 bottom: 30 signal: 30 right: 30
DateFormat = x.y
Period = from: 0 till: 240000
TimeAxis = orientation: vertical
AlignBars = justify
ScaleMajor = gridcolor: B increment: 30000 start: 0
ScaleMinor = gridcolor: increment has: 6000 start: 0
BackgroundColors = canvas: C
BarData=
bar: 1806 text: 1806
bar: 1816 text: 1816
bar: 1830 text: 1830
bar: 1846 text: 1846
bar: 1856 text: 1856
bar: 1866 text: 1866
bar: 1876 text: 1876
bar: 1880 text: 1880
bar: 1890 text: 1890
bar: 1900 text: 1900
bar: 1910 text: 1910
bar: 1920 text: 1920
bar: 1930 text: 1930
bar: 1947 text: 1947
bar: 1961 text: 1961
bar: 1970 text: 1970
bar: 1977 text: 1977
bar: 1980 text: 1980
bar: 1990 text: 1990
bar: 2003 text: 2003
bar: 2007 text: 2007
PlotData=
color: D width: 20 align: left
bar: 1806 from: 0 till: 46983
bar: 1816 from: 0 till: 47215
bar: 1830 from: 0 till: 58087
bar: 1846 from: 0 till: 75961
bar: 1856 from: 0 till: 89411
bar: 1866 from: 0 till: 99129
bar: 1876 from: 0 till: 115851
bar: 1880 from: 0 till: 123131
bar: 1890 from: 0 till: 147660
bar: 1900 from: 0 till: 157760
bar: 1910 from: 0 till: 167521
bar: 1920 from: 0 till: 163298
bar: 1930 from: 0 till: 165631
bar: 1947 from: 0 till: 156208
bar: 1961 from: 0 till: 153240
bar: 1970 from: 0 till: 145573
bar: 1977 from: 0 till: 135347
bar: 2003 from: 0 till: 106294
bar: 2007 from: 0 till: 112592
color: E width: 20 align: left
bar: 1977 from: 135347 till: 230805
bar: 1980 from: 0 till: 220183
bar: 1990 from: 0 till: 196825
bar: 2003 from: 106294 till: 184259
bar: 2007 from: 112592 till: 188907
PlotData=
bar: 1806 At: 46983 fontsize: S text: 46.983 shift: (- 10,5)
bar: 1816 At: 47215 fontsize: S text: 47.215 shift: (- 10,5)
bar: 1830 At: 58087 fontsize: S text: 58.087 shift: (- 10,5)
bar: 1846 At: 75961 fontsize: S text: 75.961 shift: (- 10,5)
bar: 1856 At: 89411 fontsize: S text: 89.411 shift: (- 10,5)
bar: 1866 At: 99129 fontsize: S text: 99.129 shift: (- 10,5)
bar: 1876 At: 115851 fontsize: S text: 115.851 shift: (- 10,5)
bar: 1880 At: 123131 fontsize: S text: 123.131 shift: (- 10,5)
bar: 1890 At: 147660 fontsize: S text: 147.660 shift: (- 10,5)
bar: 1900 At: 157760 fontsize: S text: 157.760 shift: (- 10,5)
bar: 1910 At: 167521 fontsize: S text: 167.521 shift: (- 10,5)
bar: 1920 At: 163298 fontsize: S text: 163.298 shift: (- 10,5)
bar: 1930 At: 165631 fontsize: S text: 165.631 shift: (- 10,5)
bar: 1947 At: 159208 fontsize: S text: 156.208 shift: (- 10,5)
bar: 1961 At: 153240 fontsize: S text: 153.240 shift: (- 10,5)
bar: 1970 At: 145573 fontsize: S text: 145.573 shift: (- 10,5)
bar: 1977 At: 135347 fontsize: S text: 135.347 shift: (- 10,5)
bar: 1977 At: 230805 fontsize: S text: 230.805 shift: (- 10,5)
bar: 1980 At: 220183 fontsize: S text: 220.183 shift: (- 10,5)
bar: 1990 At: 196825 fontsize: S text: 196.825 shift: (- 10,5)
bar: 2003 At: 106294 fontsize: S text: 106.294 shift: (- 10,5)
bar: 2003 At: 184259 fontsize: S text: 184.259 shift: (- 10,5)
bar: 2007 At: 112592 fontsize: S text: 112.592 shift: (- 10,5)
bar: 2007 At: 188907 fontsize: S text: 188.907 shift: (- 10,5)
The known oldest form is Luga, which gave to the 12th Lyge century (to pronounce Lidge) from where drift its name Wallon “ Lîdje ” which gave him even Liege. The name was written Liege (with the Acute accent) until 1946. The change towards the orthography with the Grave accent, in conformity with the local pronunciation, is contemporary beginning of the decline of the traditional industrial base (coal, iron) of the city and its area.
The late name of the brook, the Légia, drift of Liege, not the reverse. Just like the Latin name of Leodium, invention of the monks, who bent the old name preceltic, Celtic or Germanic in a sublime pun evoking the martyrdom of Saint Lambert, between 696 and 705, as if the owner of the City had been Leo Dei, “the Lion of God”!
It is also often called “Quoted burning”, this name comes from the title of a chivalrous Roman writes by Henry Carton of Wiart in 1904. This novel tells the bag of the town of Liege by the troops of Charles Bold the in 1468, in spite of resistance inhabitant of Li2ege (see also the 600 Franchimontois). The name of “burning City” is by no means former to the publication of this novel.
The occupation is however probably discontinuous.
See also: History of the Town of Liege
A small village exists as of the Top Moyen-âge. However, the foundation of the city as a such date of the surroundings of the year 700, following the assassination of Holy Lambert, then bishop of Maastricht. Following this event, its successor, Saint Hubert transfer, with the approval of the pope, the seat of évêché of Maastricht towards Liege. Hubert becomes the first bishop of Liege. Liege then becomes quickly an important place of pilgrimage and is transformed gradually into prestigious and powerful city, heart of the Diocèse of Liege before 1559, circoncription which is of all its weight on the history of Belgium and Wallonia.
Part of the dynasty of the Mérovingiens and Carolingiens are originating in the basin inhabitant of Li2ege, more probably of Jupille or Herstal. A statue of Charlemagne, drawn up in 1867, is present in the center town. In the niches of the pedestal néo-novel, 6 statues represent the ancestors of the emperor, originating in the country of Liege: holy Begge, Pip of Herstal, Charles Martel, Bertrude, Pip of Landen and Pip the Brief. The first bishops of Liege are also related with the Carolingians.
See also: History of the Principality of Liege
One will attend the first steps of the Principauté of Liege when Notger was called with the episcopal throne of Liege by the Empereur Otton II into 972. It also accepted the privilege of general immunity into 980. The bishop of Liege is then the single Master of his grounds, becomes Prince-bishop and his field a ecclesiastical principality.
Liege was the capital of the Principauté of Liege as from the year 980 until in 1795; it was also one of the 23 Bonnes Cities .
Liege became at the 10th century, the capital of powerful a episcopal principality, thanks to the action of the bishops Éracle, Notger and Wazon. Its schools were famous until the 12th century. Seven Collégiale S rise then in the city (Saint-Pierre, Holy-Cross, Saint-Paul, Midsummer's Day, Saint-Denis, Saint Martin's day, St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre) in addition to the cathedral where holy Lambert is buried. Two bénédictines abbeys are added to it: Saint-Jacob and the St. Lawrence. Several Romance churches and of many parts of goldsmithery (Art mosan) testify still today to the efflorescence of this time, in particular the baptismal font of the city, preserved today at St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre.
Liege was very early town of industry. The Houille was extracted there from time immemorial. Jean Curtius will be one of the largest arms manufacturers of Europe. Of the inhabitants of Li2ege will be at the origin of the Swedish iron and steel industry.
The Inhabitants of Li2ege fight for the democracy, the Paix of Fexhe in is a stage. But the Ducs of Burgundy gather the Burgundian Netherlands. in a centralized and absolutist State: contradictory project. Laic principalities or ecclesiastics fall to the hands from the Dukes. Liege refuses the Prince that Philippe the Good imposes to them, is combined with Louis XI, but is beaten with Montenaken, subjected to a " Paix" humiliating (1465), still resist but their army is beaten with Brusthem by the son of Philippe, Charles Bold the, which removes the Country juridically. In spite of the 600 Franchimontois, Liege east taken and burned starting from November 3rd, 1468, atrocity which scandalizes Europe which will resist Bold and will lead to the fall of the House of Burgundy.
Liege thus becomes again the capital of an independent country and whose independence, certainly put at evil (neutrality liegeosy does not prohibit the belligerents from crossing its territory), will be again maintained propsère during the three next centuries through the revolts of the Rivageois, fights of the Chiroux and the Grignoux (17th century), birth of capitalism with Curtius, the opening to the Lumières at the 18th century which leads to a revolution inhabitant of Li2ege more radical than the French revolution at least in 1789. The existence of the Principauté of Liege finishes in blood, between 1789 and 1795, with this Révolution inhabitant of Li2ege.
In 1815, the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte with Waterloo puts an end to the French mode. The territory inhabitant of Li2ege, just like the remainder of future Belgium, then passes under Dutch supervision . The Dutch period will see the creation of the Université of Liege and the royal Opéra of Wallonia.
In 1830, the Belgian revolution bursts and Liege been part from now on of the kingdom of Belgium.
After 1830, the Inhabitants of Li2ege dominate the Belgian political life. Charles Rogier is one as of their and its role in the revolution is capital. It will be with the head of several Belgian governments.
Liege becomes the citadel of radical liberalism. William of Orange (via the General society of the Netherlands ), Jean-Jacques Dony and especially John Cockerill knows that Liege is the first town of Europe entered the Industrial revolution. Towards 1850, the steelworks and of steel construction of Cockerill with Seraing is largest of the world and Belgium (Wallonia in fact) the second economic power of the world behind the the United Kingdom. In order to protect Liege from the floods, of large work of dammings up of the Ourthe and the Meuse were realized at the 19th century, to channel the river and to create new boulevards (Avroy and Sauvenière).
The ideas of the liberals result from these deep changes, just as the labor movement which in 1885 causes, starting from Liege, a strike which gains all the industrial Sillon, repressed by the army. In 1893 another strike tears off the Vote for all at the frightened Parliament, then it is that of 1913 which Georges Simenon puts scene in Pédigrée .
The resistance of the strong inhabitants of Li2ege in 1914 is worth at the city (first foreign city in this case) the French Légion of honor the August 7th 1919, the Military Cross Italy in 1923, the Military decoration for the bravery of the Royaume of Serb, Croatian and Slovenien the in 1926, the Belgian Military Cross in 1940. Several exposures proceeded in Liege: the World Fair of 1905 for the 75 years of the Belgium, the international exhibition of 1930 for the centenary of the country (specialized on sciences and industry) and the Exposure of the water of 1939 marking the completion of work of the Channel Albert allowing to connect Liege to the port of Antwerp. Liege directed by burgomasters who are for the majority of the militant Walloons, question the policy of neutrality wanted by Léopold III with Jean Rey, Fernand Dehousse, Georges Truffaut, in the press and at the Parliament. The Belgian Résistance is strongest there: the monument which commemorates it there is built. The agents of the post office, for example, destroy the letters of denunciation sent to the Germans.
When the royal Question walk towards its outcome (1950), Paul Gruselin Joseph Merlot, André Renard takes part in the project of Walloon Gouvernement separatist outlined following the serious incidents of Grace-Berleur (July 31st), that the withdrawal of the king makes null and void. At the same time social movement and separatist, the General strike of the winter 1960-1961 reaches in Liege its paroxysm with the bag of the Gare of Guillemins (January 1961) by strikers exasperated by the failure to reply of the Government of Gaston Eyskens with their claims. The Socialists inhabitant of Li2ege are again very present in Belgian policy with Jean-Joseph Merlot in the government Lefèvre - Spaak (1961-1965), but forces Merlot with the resignation following the vote of the laws on the maintenance of law and order and the linguistic Frontière. Pierre Harmel is one of rare the Prime Ministers Wallons of the last century (of 1965 to 1966). Jean-Joseph Merlot again with the capacity with Gaston Eyskens as from 1968, then André Cools (after the accidental death of Merlot) will provide the foundations of the Belgian Fédéralisme that this government sets up. From 1978 to 1986, the iron and steel industry inhabitant of Li2ege is threatened of bankruptcy and causes a maximum mobilization with the serious demonstrations of February and March 1982 in Brussels. Liege becomes the economic capital of Wallonia and the role of Jean-Maurice Dehousse with the head of the first Walloon Gouvernement is decisive.
Center of the Art mosan, Liege, with Xe, XIe, XIIe centuries, with its schools, rayon on all Europe, develops techniques in parallel with the works of art like the Baptismal font of St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre. At the 13th century is born with Sainte Julienne de Cornillon (1191-1258), a strong spirituality (Corpus Christi in the universal Church) at the origin of the Béguinages which attracts a François d' Assise.
At the university founded after 1830, illustrates Marcel Florkin, Zénon Bacq, linguistics with the Groupe µ. Jean d' Outremeuse , the Walloon versions of the Legend of the Four wire Aymon Jean Lebel incrivent Liege in the French literature of the Middle Ages and Georges Simenon, Caroline Lamarche, Gabriel Ringlet in that of today. The Walloon cinema shines with Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne. It is in Liege also that the workshop of production of films Wallonia Image Production settled (WIP), public structure whose formula is single in Europe.
This explains why Liege constitutes also an arts center of first importance, whose French-speaking radiation is all the more remarkable as it is located very close to the German-speaking world (the Province of Liege account of the remainder a German-speaking community autonomous). One finds in Liege, in addition to three major cultural institutions - the Royal Opéra of Wallonia, the Philharmonic orchestra of Liege and the French Community and most important of the dramatic centers of Wallonia, the Théâtre of the Place - a radio operator production center and television, a crowd of various and varied cultural institutions (dance, folklore, dialectal theater, puppet show…), four cultural hearths, most important of the cinematographic complexes of the Eurorégion the Meuse-Rhine, the museums of international prestige pilot of the patrimonial richness of the City.
It belongs today to a transborder area, “the Eurorégion the Meuse-Rhine”, zone of privileged influence which counts a few 3,7 million inhabitants.
This situation concerns nevertheless a long tradition since, without mentioning the Roman epoch, this transborder area constituted a single State as of the Carolingian period. After 843, at the time when the Empire of Charlemagne is dismembered by the Traité of Verdun, the area constituted part of the Lotharingie, in a quite temporary way since in 962, Othon I {{er}} the Large one reaches the imposing intention to restore the Christian order in large a Germanic Empire.
Until the Revolution inhabitant of Li2ege, the regional entity remains plain.
Today, the traditional transborder relations are restored.
The city is also located at the crossroads of three natural geographical areas: in north, the Hesbaye (160 to 200 m), one of the principal agricultural zones of Belgium; in the east, the Country of Herve (200 to 320 m), a more undulating and raised landscape, great fruit-bearing area; in the south, plates of the Condroz (200 to 280 m), doors of the Ardenne where moors and forests dominate and, the top of its 694 m, the point moreover high-altitude in Belgium, the Signal of Botrange.
The territory of the city is formed for an important part of the alluvial plains of a large European river, the Meuse, which unrolls its meanders of the plate of Langres in France with lowland of the Netherlands, where it joined the the Rhine to throw itself in the the North Sea (950 km) as well as plains of her two affluents, the Ourthe and the Vesdre.
The Meuse crosses Liege according to a south-western/north-eastern head office, over a length of a few 12 km entirely channeled. On the level of the old city, the alluvial plain of the Meuse remains narrow (average width of 1,3 km). In addition to these water ways, one will note an artificial derivation of the Meuse and three channels: the channel of Ourthe, a small nonnavigable channel and finally, the beginning of the Channel Albert inaugurated in 1939 and which was carried now to: 9000 tons.
The Port authority of Liege profits from this privileged situation where the city is seen connected by water way to the France, with the Flanders and the Netherlands. Besides the activity of the port does not cease growing. With more than 22 million tons handled in 2004, the port is the second European river port for tonnage, behind the Rhenish port of Duisbourg (Germany) and in front of the Port authority of Paris.
Since its fusion in 1976, ten common neighbors, the Town of Liege takes into account a surface of: 6939 hectares occupied with 28% by habitat various (including the trade, offices…), to 22% by not registered zones (river and public roadway systems), to 21% by wooded areas, 11% by agricultural zones and 5% by industrial parks.
the plain of the Meuse was a high place of the Walloon mining activity: one notes there today the total disappearance of this mining industry after twelve centuries of extraction of the coal and the maintenance of an iron and steel center of first importance, but also, the installation of mechanical and metal building firms (in particular in arms manufacture), aircraft industry and space but so agro-alimentary (beers, water, lemonades…).
See also: Saving in Liege
Liege is the most important city of the Walloon region from an economic standpoint.
Liege was a long time an industrial big city (in the middle of the 19th century, the industrial Sillon Walloon is the first industrial area of the continent) but as of the years 1960, it undergoes a long decline, the factories becoming decayed.
Particularly dynamic, Liege has good number of companies of high technology: Techspace Aero, which manufactures parts for the Airbus A380 or the rocket ARIANE V many companies of electronics: EVS, world leader of the televisual idles in real-time, Gillam, AnB, Balteau, Dinh Telecom. or the world leader of the light armament: FN Herstal but also agro-alimentary: beers (Jupiler), water and lemonades (Spa and Chaudfontaine) or chocolate (Galler).
Liege put also much on transport and the multimodality.
The University of Liege point of disjunction also many “Spin-off” and one finds not far from there very many companies of high technology (e.g. EVS). Liege is also a decision-making center. That implies a great representation of the head offices in the city.
Lastly, more half of the paid inhabitants of Li2ege are civils servant. That is explained by the high number of the institutions inhabitants of Li2ege like the university, the museums, the rooms of arts or transport and also by the fact why Liege has all the institutions of the Province of Liege.
the Port authority of Liege, second European river port.
Liege also has a network of bus which covers at the same time the center town and the agglomeration. See also the detailed article Transport in commun runs in Liege.
Aquarium and museum of zoology
Of course, this list is incomplete, you will find more name in the categories Personnalité inhabitant of Li2ege and Political personality inhabitant of Li2ege, Artiste inhabitant of Li2ege, Prince-bishop of Liege or Histoire of Liege.
It has agreements of co-operation and friendship with:
| Random links: | Massy (Seine-Maritime) | Deduct paralympic medals with the Plays of winter 1988 | Tracy Austin | Siphlurella scarlata | Historical Moravie |