|
|
|
|
| News article |
back to newsletter |
| |
 | Brussels; a big Grote Markt |
|
When I hear the name Brussels two things are coming into my mind: its connection with Europe and the Grote Markt (the Grand Place). Both seem to oppose each other: one of them has all the coldness of what could be seen as typical for a state with a huge and uniform style, the other one with its small and colorful characteristic buildings. Brussels is not only the location of the European Commission and the Council of European Union (and other European issues), but also the head quarter of the NATO. In fact Brussels is the political gateway to Europe. More than hundred thousend people are daily involved in this business. I don’t know why the choice was made for Brussels to be the political capital of Europe - probably its ‘neutral’ position to the big players in Europe: France. Germany and England is the reason. But you can imagine what this big machine can make of a city. The question is: can a city survive such a mass with keeping its character.
Brussels is a place that tries to do it. The so called de Grote Markt, the cities old central market square, is like an island in Brussels. The square is surrounded by many picturesk buildings, from which the Town Hall and the Bread House are the most important ones.
The Grand Place’s history dates back to the late Middle Ages. From the beginning the square was the central point for traders and craftsmen who can still be discovered in street names around the square: they are named after the sellers of bread, milk, bear, cheese…
When the square was almost totally bombed by the French in late 17th centry, the craftsmen, organized in what was called the guilds, were still active. Most of the buildings, like the Bread House, still show. Within a couple of years these guilders have rebuilt the Grote Markt using a mix of Gothic, Baroque and French influences. It’s new but still old character makes out the fresh appearance of this square. And it might be one of the most popular locations in North Western Europe.
There seems no better contrast in architecture than the one in Brussels: the taste of former craftsmen and traders against the flair of European bureaucrats of the 20th century. Visiting Brussels always brings up the question what kind of square Europe is creating. That this is far from the taste of the craftsmen, who once built the Grote Markt, might be sure.
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
