Wallonia

History of a word

Invented in French 1844 by Joseph Grandgagnage (1797 - 1877) in his “wallonades”, the word Wallonia (, in Wallon Walonreye or Waloneye , in German Wallonien , in Dutch Wallonia ) is formed on the Walloon adjective which itself derives, like the English word welsh (to be brought closer to gallus, “Gallic” in Latin, whom one also finds in " Cornwall" ( corngal , Celtic corner), " Cornouailles" (France), " Portugal" ( Portus Callus , Celtic port), or Galicia (Spain)) and the Rumanian walha , of old the High-German walh or walah meaning: Celt, romanized foreigner. This name walah , become synonymous with Romance (in the Latin direction ), applied at the origin with the Gaulois North in opposition to the Germains of the West called Teutons or Thiois. It has a more political direction now since one speaks about Walloon region like institution with his Parliament, his government, his administration, and that some evoke the difficult one and slow birth of the concept even of Walloon people even of Walloon nation. The recent searchs for German Jean (see Notion of Wallonia at the XVIIe century), however make it possible to think that the word Wallonia which also Albert Henry announces to him has more report/ratio than one thinks it since the beginning of the 17th century with the French word invented in the middle of the 19th century. This would make almost as old as Wallons (which is very largely used as of the 16th century) the word Wallonia (certainly in Latin: Wallonia ). And that makes as older as it was thought a design known as identity of Wallonia (linguistic and cultural), with a space configuration near to that to today.

Albert Henry (1910 - 2002), thinking here of the Germanic invasions, written: During movements of people, the German ones transported in country romanized the word wlaha and its family. It was then transposed in Latin or novel in various forms, not always Walloon but wallois (or valois) for example.

In Latin it is attested since the 12th century, and started to exist (in the form Walloon ), in Former French or Romance at the 15th century, after having existed in other forms like valois for example. At the 16th century, the direction of the word is specified, ends up indicating under many feathers, the inhabitants of Romance language of the Netherlands (sometimes in a meaning almost identical to the Walloons of today). And, for example, the inhabitants of the Walloon countries which emigrate in Sweden at the 17th century (the Wallons of Sweden), were indicated and were designated by this term. At the 19th century after the creation of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1815, then Kingdom of Belgium in 1830, this name started to be asserted politically by the provinces of the south of Belgium - what Jules Michelet (1799 - 1874) among others calls as of 1840 the Walloon Pays - parallel to the institution of the word Flanders to indicate the north of Belgium. In the middle of the 19th century, the “Walloon” adjective thus could designate a French-speaking Belgian (with Brussels and in other towns of Flanders). Since then, the “Walloon” word thus designates generally an inhabitant of the Walloon region (whatever his language), except the German-speaking inhabitants of 9 communes out of 262 (70000 people).

If the “Walloon” term in its Germanic form goes back to Antiquity, the “Walloon” term in its final Romance form is more recent. Indeed, it dates only from the 15th century. As for the word “Wallonia”, it is about a neologism suggested in 1886 under its current form (i.e. “Wallonia” with only one letter “N”), by the writer Albert Mockel (1866 - 1945), for the needs for Walloon the separatist cause of which he was one of the first defenders. This name quickly became of a use completely running and was employed, as of the first decades of the 20th century, as well by the partisans of the autonomy of Wallonia as by those which were opposite there. The word “Wallonia” is of a rather recent use and forever indicated political entity before Wallonia does not become an entity identified like such at the 19th century, then an entity federated under the name of “Walloon region”, having within a federal constitutional framework capacities increasingly extended, including on the international plan.

Symbol of Wallonia

Towards its political significance

In 1932, the Flemish and Walloon claims led to the fixing of the linguistic Frontière separating common Flemish and Walloon. One usually used the term Wallonia to indicate the territories of the various Romance regional languages in Belgium (which became with the wire of increasingly French-speaking times, the regional languages keeping a real vitality), thus delimited including the extensions of the Province of Liege (Cantons of the East, annexed in 1919 by the Belgium under the terms of the Traité of Versailles which put an end to the Great War: part of this small annexed territory is the Wallonia malmédienne, the other constitutes today the German-speaking Communauté of Belgium).

In the Years 1960, the Walloon economy, based primarily on the work of metals and the extraction of the Coal (metallurgy, Iron and steel industry, mechanics, Coal mining), gives serious signs of breathlessness. The structural reforms necessary are made difficult by the unit structure of the Belgian State. In same time the Flanders made a success of its take-off, in particular while turning to the international business, and adds to the numerical preponderance that she for a long time exerted the weight dominating of her economic success. In 1970 and 1980, walk with the Belgian Fédéralisme leads to creation two type of federated entities, the Communautés and the Régions. The Communities concrete in 1970 the territorial agreements of 1932 and 1963, which satisfies the Flemish requirements centered on the cultural one and the defense of the language. In 1980, after one decade of engagements, the Walloons obtain that the Areas are also autonomous. The Areas receive the authority on what is territorial and economic (economy, environment, energy, agriculture, public works, organization of the local authorities, National Forestry Commission, town and country planning, town planning, waterways etc), and the communities as regards cultural: teaching, sport, public mediums, culture. The Flemings make coincide Région and the Community. The Walloons obtained that part of the cultural matters (in the broad sense) are entrusted to Wallonia (tourism, the inheritance, part of the sport, certain aspects of teaching), and that the Areas are the only federate entities which directly elect their representatives in the respective autonomous Parliaments, Parlements with increasingly wide competences (in particular, in addition to internal competences, the ratification of the international treaties signed either by Wallonia, or by Belgium, like recently the European Constitutional treaty), and whose capacities obey (like the Parliaments of the Communities elected with the second degree), with two great principles: the Exclusive competences and the équipollence of the standards.

Geography

Provinces of Wallonia

Cities and communes of Wallonia

List of the communes of Wallonia
List of the communes before fusion of Wallonia
List of the towns of Wallonia

Policy

History

Before 1830

One can speak about a Histoire of Wallonia before 1830 (date of foundation of the Belgian State), not of a Wallonia existing since millenia, but of space which-correspond-with-the-Wallonia-to today . Two features and facts characterize this passé :

the conquest of the Gaulle by Jules César determines the romanisation space corresponding to current Wallonia, become Latin enclave in the Germanic countries with the Early middle ages. Within this framework, opens out the Art mosan (800-1600).
the early Industrialization, with the use of the coal (initially of the charcoal), to transform iron, it will make Walloons of the specialists in the industrie : Walloon of Sweden, Walloon in German industry, then the rest of the world…
a history of sciences and techniques in connection with this continuity, in particular to see History of sciences in Wallonia from 900 to 1800 and History of the techniques in Wallonia from 900 to 1800.

From 1830 to 1914

1830 prolongs in a direction this past, by various aspects :

the Industrial revolution in Wallonia is completed before the Belgian Révolution of 1830. She announces the strength of the Labor movement in Wallonia.
This revolution is assumed (or confiscated according to the point of view) by a French-speaking Bourgeoisie which made its unit in 1828 (the “Union makes the Force” of the unionism), against the Holland, although divided into Catholiques and Libéraux. This middle-class of Flanders, Brussels and Wallonia imposes French both in Wallonia and in Flanders, where it will be rejected like official language.
an incipient Flemish Nationalism, with the support (constrained) of the political elites and social (French-speaking) of Flanders, reforms the linguistic legislation gradually. A Walloon Mouvement is born because these aimings worsen the weight dominating (clerical and preserving) of the Flanders vis-a-vis Wallonia - always minority - on the left and more Laïque, the first to claim the Fédéralisme, with the Lettre with the King on the separation of Wallonia and the Flanders of Jules Destrée (1863 - 1936). The First World War redistributes the charts.

Since 1914

the First World War, one of the most important events of the 20th century, explains the continuation of the events. Wallonia saw some time the illusion of Belgium gathered around Albert I {{er}} (1875 - 1934), then worries about a left Flemish movement reinforced war. The linguistic Frontière in 1932 is a compromise. But the Walloon objections are exacerbated when Léopold III (1901 - 1983) pushes with the rupture with the Alliance fran1caises and English at one time when Adolf Hitler does not make any more mystery of its intentions.
the Second world war will divide even more deeply. At the time of the German attack in May 1940, certain Flemish regiments make defection. The Flemish soldiers captive facts the May 28th 1940 are released, the Walloon soldiers maintained in captivity. The attitude of the king engages the low register “royal Question”. A Popular consultation (on the return of Léopold III to the capacity) hardens the oppositions. During events of 1950 and 1960, the Walloon, anxious working class of the economic of Wallonia, concerned regression of democracy, intervenes more massively.
Starting from 1970, Flanders and Wallonia (Brussels also), cut a broad autonomy with the favor of the Belgian Fédéralisme, under the push of various factors and actors. The survival even of the country is concerned, even if the Sentiments of membership in Belgium and Wallonia reveal that remains an attachment in Belgium, compound with the Walloon feeling (or Flemish) and European.

History of sciences and technology

History of sciences in Wallonia from 900 to 1800
History of the techniques in Wallonia from 900 to 1800

Culture

Languages

See also: linguistic Situation of Wallonia

Plus of 96% of the communes of the Walloon region (253 out of 262) has like single official language French. Among those four of them organize linguistic Facilités for their inhabitants using of Dutch: Comines-Warneton (Komen-Wasten), Enghien (Edingen), Flobecq (Vloesberg), Mouscron (Moeskroen). Three grant Dutch and German facilities only as regards teaching (the administrative matter facilities could theoretically be required by the town council and approved by a royal decree, and then by a law): Baelen, Plombières (in German: Bleyberg ), Welkenraedt. Two organize German facilities: Waimes (in German: Weismes ), Malmedy (sometimes written incorrectly with an acute accent: Malmédy ).
the 9 German-speaking communes of the Walloon region organize all of the French facilities for their Walloon or French-speaking inhabitants: Amblève (in German: Amel ), Bullange (in German: Büllingen ), Burg-Reuland, Bütgenbach (in French sometimes without Umlaut: Butgenbach ), Eupen, Calamine (in German: Kelmis ), Lontzen, Raeren, Saint-Vith (in German without Hyphen: Sankt Vith or St Vith ). These 9 communes form the linguistic area of German language; the 253 other communes form the linguistic area of French language which includes/understands approximately 98% of the population of the Walloon region. The nine German-speaking communes and the communes of Waimes and Malmedy form an area called Cantons of the East, that is to say the Prussian territories annexed by Belgium in 1919 following the Traité of Versailles.
the regional language of these 253 communes is mainly the Wallon. The Picard is spoken (in the triangle Mons-Ath-Turned), that is to say most of the Hainaut, the Lorrain (or Gaumais) in Gaume (the area of Virton), and the Champenois in three small villages of which Sugny. In some common close relations of the Flemish, German field or Luxemburgish of the regional languages Germanic like the Luxembourg (in the district of Arlon and the canton of Saint-Vith), the dialects Flemish S and Limbourgeois is still practiced, by some people or villages according to the place. The Walloon cultural Union has like objective the defense of the Walloon, Picardy, Lorraine, Champagne and the Francique (or Luxemburgish). It belongs to the AIDLCM (the international association of the languages and threatened cultures).
the languages of immigration - especially Italian - have an important place, as in all the countries of the world, but French is the only language who is currently understood and spoken by the unit by the population, with some exceptions.

Craft industry

Crystal manufactures of the Valley-Saint-Lambert
Dinanderie (work of the Copper) with Dining
Lace at the point on Binche
Sandstone of Rock-in-Ardenne
Pottery of Bouffioulx
objects out of tin of Potstainiers hutois (Huy)

Traditions and folklore

the Carnival of Binche and its Gille S, classified by UNESCO like masterpiece of the Oral and Immaterial Inheritance of Humanity.
carnivals in the Cantons of the East (Stavelot and its Moussis White, Malmedy, Eupen, Calamine,…)
the Marches of the Between-Sambre-and-Meuse
the Ducasse of Mons
ravel Them Géants at the time of the Carnaval S
the Festival of the August 15th in Outremeuse with Liege
the tournaments on stilts with Namur: Échasseurs of Namur
the Macrale S

Gastronomy

Famous Walloons and personalities

Random links:

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