Woluwe-Saint-Pierre

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Municipal flag Woluwe-Saint-Pierre (French)
Sint-Pieters-Woluwe (Dutch)
 
Location on map of Belgium
Coat of arms Woluwe-Saint-Pierre municipality in the Brussels-Capital Region
Geography
Country Belgium
Region Flag of Brussels-Capital Region Brussels-Capital Region
Community Flag of Wallonia French Community
Flag of Flanders Flemish Community
Arrondissement Brussels
Coordinates 50°50′N 04°28′E / 50.833, 4.467Coordinates: 50°50′N 04°28′E / 50.833, 4.467
Area 8.85 km²
Population (Source: NIS)
Population
– Males
– Females
- Density		 38,232 (January 1, 2006)
46.26%
53.74%
4319 inhab./km²
Economy
Unemployment rate 9.8% (January 1, 2006)
Mean annual income 14,857 €/pers. (2003)
Government
Other information
Postal codes 1150
Area codes 02
Web address www.woluwe1150.be

Sint-Pieters-Woluwe (Dutch) or Woluwe-Saint-Pierre (French) is one of the nineteen municipalities located in the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium. It is mostly a well-to-do residential area, which includes the wide, park-lined, Tervuren Avenue (French: Avenue de Tervueren, Dutch: Tervurenlaan) and the numerous embassies located near the Montgomery Square (Place Montgomery, Montgomeryplein). Of the three rivers that once crossed the municipality, only the Woluwe, a tributary of the Zenne, can still largely be seen today.

Contents

[edit] Spelling and pronunciation

The official Dutch name is Sint-Pieters-Woluwe, which reflects the original pronunciation ['wɔ.ly.wə]. Woluwe-Saint-Pierre is sometimes also spelled in French: Woluwé-Saint-Pierre with an accent on the first "e". Though the first version (without an accent) is the official version, the second one fits more the French pronunciation: [wɔ.ly.we]. Woluwe-Saint-Pierre is also often written in French: Woluwe-St-Pierre or abbreviated WSP.

Woluwe river
Woluwe river

[edit] History

[edit] Middle Ages to Albert and Isabella

The first appearance of the name Wolewe dates from 1117 and can be found in a charter from Forest (Vorst in Dutch). At that time, the original hamlet and its farms were dependencies of the abbey of Park near Leuven. The first period of trouble began in the middle of the 16th century, when the war of Philip II of Spain against the heretic Protestants and the ensuing poverty and famine took their toll on the whole population. Safety and prosperity came back under the reigns of Archdukes Albert and Isabella at the beginning of the 17th century. The first highway linking Tervuren to Brussels, then known as the “Street of the Duke”, dates from that period.

[edit] 18th century until now

The French Revolution was also a troubled period for Woluwe-Saint-Pierre – Sint-Pieters-Woluwe. The roads became insecure; the religious freedoms were drastically curtailed; much of the local wild life was exterminated for food; and the lack of coal and wood forced people to use peat for heating. The local administration gained its independence from Brussels, obtained its first mayor on May 26 and its first municipal council in 1819. The commercial opportunities that opened up to the new commune marked the start of a new era of wealth. The city did not expand very fast, however, until the last two decades of the 19th century. New roads, such as the Tervuren Avenue, a new train track, imposing mansions, such as the “Palais Stoclet”, and the Woluwe Park were all built or designed between 1880 and 1910. An important race track, now demolished, was built in 1906. The residential areas came into being right after World War I and further urbanization took place after the second war. Today, agriculture and fisheries, common before 1918, have completely disappeared. The city lives nearly exclusively off the service sector of the economy.

[edit] Sights

Woluwe’s town hall
Woluwe’s town hall
Palais Stoclet
Palais Stoclet
  • The extensive Woluwe Park includes giant sequoias, cypresses, and a variety of birds such as swans, gulls, and herons.
  • The imposing modern city hall is open to visitors.
  • The town’s main church (Saint Peter) was erected in 1755 on the site of a much older building and perpendicular to it, with funds from the abbey of Forest. Traces of the older building can still be seen on the left of the current church.
  • Several turn-of-the-century houses and manors can still be seen today, such as the Palais Stoclet, which was built between 1905 and 1909 on a design by Josef Hoffmann and contains mosaics and paintings by Gustav Klimt.

[edit] Famous inhabitants

Henri, comte de Paris, duc de France, pretender to the French throne (b. 1933)

[edit] Twin Cities

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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Municipalities in the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium
Authorities: Minister-President of the Brussels-Capital Region · Brussels Parliament · Governor of Brussels-Capital