| Seraing | |||
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| City Hall and statue of John Cockerill | |||
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Seraing
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| Coordinates: | |||
| Country | Belgium | ||
| Region | Wallonia | ||
| Community | French Community | ||
| Province | Liège | ||
| Arrondissement | Liège | ||
| Government | |||
| • Mayor | Alain Mathot (PS) | ||
| • Governing party/ies | PS | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 35.34 km2 (13.6 sq mi) | ||
| Population (1 January 2010)[1] | |||
| • Total | 62,698 | ||
| • Density | 1,774.1/km2 (4,595/sq mi) | ||
| Demographics | |||
| • Foreigners | 14.70% (7 January 2005) | ||
| Postal codes | 4100, 4101, 4102 | ||
| Area codes | 04 | ||
| Website | www.seraing.be | ||
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Map of Seraing
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Seraing is a Walloon municipality of Belgium in Province of Liege. The municipality of Seraing includes the old communes of Boncelles, Jemeppe-sur-Meuse, and Ougrée. With Liège, Herstal, Saint-Nicolas, Ans, and Flémalle it forms the greater Liège agglomeration (600,000 inhabitants). To the south of Seraing are the Condroz, followed by the Ardennes region.
In addition to its steel factories, Seraing counts a famous crystal manufacture at Val Saint Lambert, which has been operating on the site of an old Cistercian abbey since 1826. The site of the Arcelor steel company, previously known as Cockerill-Sambre, is the former summer residence of the prince-bishops of Liège.
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Several skeletons, potshards, weapons, and jewels were discovered here, dating from the 5th and 6th century, attesting to Seraing being inhabited in Frankish times. The first mention of Saran dates from 956, when a Carolingian farming domain extending on both sides of the Meuse River and owned by someone named Saran was donated to the abbey of Sint-Truiden. The whole territory soon passed to the Bishopric of Liège. In the 11th century, Prince-Bishop Henri I of Verdun used a house in Seranus to entertain guests. Throughout the Middle Ages, the inhabitants of Seraing owed allegiance to Liège, pledging to defend the fluvial approach to the city in case of invasion, in exchange for tax exonerations. The first wooden bridge across the river, which replaced the ferry, was built in 1381.
The name of the town changed several times throughout its history, with the current spelling only being set in the 18th century. At around that time, various factors combined to attract industrial investors to Seraing: the advent of the Industrial Revolution, the proximity of the Meuse River, and the discovery of coal at Ougrée. The first ironworks were founded there in 1809. John Cockerill revolutionized the steel industry by using blast furnaces and coke instead of traditional charcoal. These inventions would be the basis for his new company founded in Seraing in 1817. Over the next decades, many more metallurgical plants and foundries were built in this area, which became an integral part of Wallonia's industrial backbone, the sillon industriel. Glassworkers found the proximity of a cheap source of coal attractive. The Val Saint Lambert started its operations in 1826.
Seraing was the first location in Belgium where The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints built in Belgium. Work began on the building in 1927 and completed before the end of 1930.[2]
Seraing is twinned with:
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