Leuven is the capital of
the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish part of Belgium. It is situated around
more than 20 kilometres East of Brussels capital city. Leuven is neighbouring to other towns such as
Mechelen, Aarschot, Tienen, and Wavre.
Leuven Belgian Beer Cafe
on Featherston Street is a little touch of Europe in the heart of Wellington
City. Set in a fully refurbished historic building erected in 1907 Leuven
offers a tantalising mix of genuine Belgian beers, the finest local wines and a
well-regarded menu of traditional Belgian and French inspired dishes.
It is home to
Anheuser-Busch InBev, the world's largest brewing group and one of the five
largest consumer-goods companies in the world; and to the Katholieke
Universiteit Leuven, the largest and oldest university of the Low Countries and
the oldest Catholic university still in existence. It is also home to the UZ
Leuven, one of the largest hospitals of Europe.
The earliest mention of
Leuven ("Loven") is from 891, when a Viking army was defeated by the
Frankish king Arnulf of Carinthia (see: Battle of Leuven). According to a
legend its red-white-red colours depict the blood-stained shores of the river
Dijle after this battle.
Situated beside this
river, and near to the stronghold of the Dukes of Brabant, Leuven became
between the 11th and 14th centuries the most important centre of trade for
dutch people and European. Leuven was wellknown as the great place for cloth
manufacture and where to spread its culture to the rest.
In the 15th century a new
golden era began with the founding of what is now the largest and oldest
university in the Low Countries, the Catholic University of Leuven, in 1425.
In the 18th century the
brewery Den Horen (meaning "the horn") flourished. In 1708 Sebastien
Artois became the master brewer at Den Horen, and gave his name to the brewery
in 1717, now part of AB InBev, whose flagship beer, Stella Artois, is brewed in
Leuven and sold in many countries.
Leuven has several times
been besieged or occupied by foreign armies; these include the Battle of Leuven
(891), Siege of Leuven (1635) and Battle of Leuven (1831).
Both world wars in the
20th century inflicted major damage upon the city. Upon Germany's entry into
World War I, the town was heavily damaged by rampaging soldiers. Some German
soldiers shot the burgomaster, the university rector and all of the city's
police officers. In all, about 300 civilians lost their lives. The university
library was also destroyed on 25 August 1914, using petrol and incendiary
pastilles. 230,000 volumes were lost in the destruction, including Gothic and
Renaissance manuscripts, a collection of 750 medieval manuscripts, and more
than 1,000 incunabula (books printed before 1501). The destruction of the
library shocked the world, with the Daily Chronicle describing it as war not
only against civilians but also against "posterity to the utmost
generation." It was rebuilt after the war, and much of the collection was
replaced. Great Britain (on the initiative of the John Rylands Library, Manchester)
and the United States were major providers of material for the replenishment of
the collection. The new library building was financed by the National Committee
of the United States for the Restoration of the University of Louvain and built
to the design of architect Whitney Warren; it was officially opened on 4 July
1928.
