To be honest I didn't know much about Belgian culture before I planned to visit Gabriel in Brussels. I knew they had a good international soccer team and many players in the English Premier League such as, Eden Hazard, Vincent Kompany, Kevin De Bruyne, Maroune Fellani, etc but that's about it. I didn't know anything about their history, their food, their customs, or even what language they spoke. I never remember discussing Belgium in our World history classes or reading about it in the news. And I can only think of one movie I've seen, pertaining to Belgian culture, and that's the 2008 Colin Ferrell film, In Bruges.
My general consensus is that Belgium is a rather small and quiet nation that serves as a neutral buffer (along with the Netherlands) to it's 3 mighty neighbors France, Germany, and England. Throughout history Belgium has never dominated Europe the way Elizabeth did for England, Napoleon did for France, or Hitler did for Germany. Instead they have often been caught in the warpath of others or at least living in the shadows of others.
I never thought I'd be visiting Belgium or much less writing about it in this blog. However I spent 4 days in the nation, visiting the cities of Brussels and Bruges and came away with a very pleasant experience. Which is why I am now very interested in their culture and want to give a general outline as I've done before on other nations. So here is my general study of Belgian culture.
Belgian History
One thing to understand for starters is that the nation of Belgium is still a fairly new one, even younger than the United States. The Kingdom of Belgium was established in 1830 when a rebellion split away from the kingdom of Netherlands. Before that it was shared territory among the Dutch, German, and French. Therefore it's history prior to the Revolution of 1830 is shared with other nations.
The earliest tribes to inhabit the territory northwest of France, were known as the Belgae. They were conquered by Julius Caesar in 50 BC, and the Roman Provence of Gallia Belgica was established in 22 BC. It lasted for 5 centuries until the downfall of the Roman Empire. After which Clovis added the territory to his Kingdom of Francia. The territory was later divided between the Frank Kingdom and the Holy Roman Empire.
During the middle ages (the 11th and 12th centuries) the low land territory was somewhat uncontrolled and was ran by independent feudal states. The most notable and wealthy of these states was the County of Flanders. After the Hundred Years War, the low land territories became a part of Burgundy which was under the influence of France and later the Holy Roman Empire and later the Spanish Empire. During this time new cities such as Bruges, Brussels, Ghent, Ypres, and Antwerp began to thrive. By the 15th and 16th century these cities became centers of the Flemish Renaissance.
By the mid 1500s the low land territory had become predominately protestant which upset King Philip II of Spain. In an attempt to abolish Protestantism, the Dutch revolted against Spanish rule which led to the Eighty Years War. The lowland provinces were supported by England against the Spanish Empire in a war or religion. The aftermath resulted in a split of the lowlands, the northern part became the Dutch Republic under Protestant control, while the southern part (modern day Belgium) remained under Spanish Catholic control.
During the 1600s Spain was involved in a series of wars and territorial conflicts with France. After the War of Spanish Succession in 1714 the Spanish agreed to give their southern lowland territory to the Austrian Habsburg monarchy, which was a state of the Holy Roman Empire. In 1789 the Belgian people revolted against Austrian rule, simultaneously with the French Revolution, it what became known as the Brabant Revolution. They succeeded in establishing their own government known as the United States of Belgium. It lasted for only a year however until the Austrian monarchy regained power over the Belgian territory.
A few years later, in 1795 Napoleon conquered the lowland territories and made them a part of his French Empire for nearly ten years. He was finally defeated at the Battle of Waterloo, just south of the city of Brussels. The victorious European powers (England, Prussia, Austria, and Russia) agreed at the Congress of Vienna to establish a United Kingdom of Netherlands in 1815. However this upset the southern territory of catholic Belgians and in 1830 they revolted against the Dutch kingdom of King William.
The Belgian Revolution lasted from 1830-1831 at which point they gained their independence from the United Kingdom of Netherlands. The people established a national congress and a constitutional monarchy. They chose a German noble prince, Leopold, to ascend to the throne as their first leader. Leopold ruled for 30 years defending his borders against Dutch agitation and creating a new infrastructure for the Kingdom of Belgium.
During World War I and World War II, the land of Belgium became the prime territory of German aggression. From 1914 to 1918 their land was occupied and ravished by the German army in a series of war crimes that has become known as the Rape of Belgium. Before they could fully repair the damages down from World War I, they were once again invaded and occupied by the Germans in 1940. While they resisted as best they could, the land was mostly a German stronghold until it was liberated by the Allied forces.
After World War II Belgium was able to govern itself for the years to come. In 1958 it became a key member of the newly established European economic Union. In the year 2000 the city of Brussels became the official headquarters for the European Union. It is a very diverse area that shares 4 common languages; French, German, Dutch, and English. It is a perfect place to host the European Union as it sits in the center of so much culture.
Belgian Architecture
One of the things I was most impressed with Belgium was it's intricate Gothic architecture. From Brussels to Bruges many of it's buildings were designed with such careful detail and sculpting something you don't normally see here in the states. Many of the roads were bricks and cobblestones which gave the cities all the more character. They also had plazas, a general square of monumental buildings, such as the Grand Place in Brussels and the Markt square in Bruges. I was also very impressed with the Saint Michael cathedral in Brussels, which slightly resembled the Notre Dame cathedral of Paris. One of it's most modern icons is the Atomium which was built for the 1958 World's Fair.
Belgian Art
Some of the best Belgian art came during the Dutch and Flemish Renaissance Age of the 1500s-1600s much of which was incredible painting. New movements were born during this age such as the Northern Mannerism and the Antwerp Mannerism, which was a unique classical style of painting, separate from the Italian Renaissance style. The biggest names I've heard of from the Flemish region are Pieter Brughel the Elder and Peter Paul Rubens. These are actually two of my favorite painters. They both did much of their work in the city of Antwerp which was a booming center of artistic inspiration during the Northern Renaissance. Also of note on Belgian Art is one of Europe's most iconic sculpture's the Mannekin Pis which was built in 1610.
Belgian Sports
As with most of Europe the most popular national sport in Belgian is futbol. Their national team has a slew of talent playing in some of England's top clubs. Their national team finished 4th in the 1986 world cup and reached the quarter-finals in the 2014 World Cup. Their professional league is known as the Jupiler Pro League, currently ranked as the 9th best league in Europe according to UEFA's coefficients. Their two best clubs are Anderlecht and Club Brugge. Besides futbol Belgians are also known for their skill in cycling. They hosted the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp.
Belgian Cuisine
Off the top of my head I couldn't think of a staple Belgian meal however I did know that they made great beer such as Stella Artois. It was when I arrived in Brussels that Gabriel told me the staple meal was mussels and french fries. Surprisingly it's my understanding that the Belgians claim to be the founders of french fries and serve them with many of their meals (and often dip them in mayonnaise rather than ketchup). They also have a variety of stews such as the waterzooi (seafood stew) or the carbonade flamande (beef and onion stew). They are also known for their chocolate and their waffles, which are fried and served as a dessert.
My general consensus is that Belgium is a rather small and quiet nation that serves as a neutral buffer (along with the Netherlands) to it's 3 mighty neighbors France, Germany, and England. Throughout history Belgium has never dominated Europe the way Elizabeth did for England, Napoleon did for France, or Hitler did for Germany. Instead they have often been caught in the warpath of others or at least living in the shadows of others.I never thought I'd be visiting Belgium or much less writing about it in this blog. However I spent 4 days in the nation, visiting the cities of Brussels and Bruges and came away with a very pleasant experience. Which is why I am now very interested in their culture and want to give a general outline as I've done before on other nations. So here is my general study of Belgian culture.
Belgian History
One thing to understand for starters is that the nation of Belgium is still a fairly new one, even younger than the United States. The Kingdom of Belgium was established in 1830 when a rebellion split away from the kingdom of Netherlands. Before that it was shared territory among the Dutch, German, and French. Therefore it's history prior to the Revolution of 1830 is shared with other nations.
The earliest tribes to inhabit the territory northwest of France, were known as the Belgae. They were conquered by Julius Caesar in 50 BC, and the Roman Provence of Gallia Belgica was established in 22 BC. It lasted for 5 centuries until the downfall of the Roman Empire. After which Clovis added the territory to his Kingdom of Francia. The territory was later divided between the Frank Kingdom and the Holy Roman Empire.
During the middle ages (the 11th and 12th centuries) the low land territory was somewhat uncontrolled and was ran by independent feudal states. The most notable and wealthy of these states was the County of Flanders. After the Hundred Years War, the low land territories became a part of Burgundy which was under the influence of France and later the Holy Roman Empire and later the Spanish Empire. During this time new cities such as Bruges, Brussels, Ghent, Ypres, and Antwerp began to thrive. By the 15th and 16th century these cities became centers of the Flemish Renaissance.
By the mid 1500s the low land territory had become predominately protestant which upset King Philip II of Spain. In an attempt to abolish Protestantism, the Dutch revolted against Spanish rule which led to the Eighty Years War. The lowland provinces were supported by England against the Spanish Empire in a war or religion. The aftermath resulted in a split of the lowlands, the northern part became the Dutch Republic under Protestant control, while the southern part (modern day Belgium) remained under Spanish Catholic control.
A few years later, in 1795 Napoleon conquered the lowland territories and made them a part of his French Empire for nearly ten years. He was finally defeated at the Battle of Waterloo, just south of the city of Brussels. The victorious European powers (England, Prussia, Austria, and Russia) agreed at the Congress of Vienna to establish a United Kingdom of Netherlands in 1815. However this upset the southern territory of catholic Belgians and in 1830 they revolted against the Dutch kingdom of King William.
The Belgian Revolution lasted from 1830-1831 at which point they gained their independence from the United Kingdom of Netherlands. The people established a national congress and a constitutional monarchy. They chose a German noble prince, Leopold, to ascend to the throne as their first leader. Leopold ruled for 30 years defending his borders against Dutch agitation and creating a new infrastructure for the Kingdom of Belgium.During World War I and World War II, the land of Belgium became the prime territory of German aggression. From 1914 to 1918 their land was occupied and ravished by the German army in a series of war crimes that has become known as the Rape of Belgium. Before they could fully repair the damages down from World War I, they were once again invaded and occupied by the Germans in 1940. While they resisted as best they could, the land was mostly a German stronghold until it was liberated by the Allied forces.
After World War II Belgium was able to govern itself for the years to come. In 1958 it became a key member of the newly established European economic Union. In the year 2000 the city of Brussels became the official headquarters for the European Union. It is a very diverse area that shares 4 common languages; French, German, Dutch, and English. It is a perfect place to host the European Union as it sits in the center of so much culture.
Belgian Architecture
One of the things I was most impressed with Belgium was it's intricate Gothic architecture. From Brussels to Bruges many of it's buildings were designed with such careful detail and sculpting something you don't normally see here in the states. Many of the roads were bricks and cobblestones which gave the cities all the more character. They also had plazas, a general square of monumental buildings, such as the Grand Place in Brussels and the Markt square in Bruges. I was also very impressed with the Saint Michael cathedral in Brussels, which slightly resembled the Notre Dame cathedral of Paris. One of it's most modern icons is the Atomium which was built for the 1958 World's Fair.- Brussels Town Hall (Built in 1420; 315 ft high)
- Cathedral of Our Lady in Antwerp (Built in 1521; 404 ft high)
- Tournai Cathedral (Built in 1700; 272 ft high)
- Belfry of Bruges (Built in 1240; 272 ft high)
- Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula (Built in 1519; 210 ft high)
- Cinquantenaire (Built in 1880)
- Atomium (Built in 1958; 335 ft high)
Belgian Art
Some of the best Belgian art came during the Dutch and Flemish Renaissance Age of the 1500s-1600s much of which was incredible painting. New movements were born during this age such as the Northern Mannerism and the Antwerp Mannerism, which was a unique classical style of painting, separate from the Italian Renaissance style. The biggest names I've heard of from the Flemish region are Pieter Brughel the Elder and Peter Paul Rubens. These are actually two of my favorite painters. They both did much of their work in the city of Antwerp which was a booming center of artistic inspiration during the Northern Renaissance. Also of note on Belgian Art is one of Europe's most iconic sculpture's the Mannekin Pis which was built in 1610.Belgian Sports
As with most of Europe the most popular national sport in Belgian is futbol. Their national team has a slew of talent playing in some of England's top clubs. Their national team finished 4th in the 1986 world cup and reached the quarter-finals in the 2014 World Cup. Their professional league is known as the Jupiler Pro League, currently ranked as the 9th best league in Europe according to UEFA's coefficients. Their two best clubs are Anderlecht and Club Brugge. Besides futbol Belgians are also known for their skill in cycling. They hosted the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp.
Belgian Cuisine
Off the top of my head I couldn't think of a staple Belgian meal however I did know that they made great beer such as Stella Artois. It was when I arrived in Brussels that Gabriel told me the staple meal was mussels and french fries. Surprisingly it's my understanding that the Belgians claim to be the founders of french fries and serve them with many of their meals (and often dip them in mayonnaise rather than ketchup). They also have a variety of stews such as the waterzooi (seafood stew) or the carbonade flamande (beef and onion stew). They are also known for their chocolate and their waffles, which are fried and served as a dessert.
No comments:
Post a Comment