Atheneum Léonie de Waha

Main entrance, 2010.

Mosaics in the school swimming pool.

Paintings in the chemistry room.

Details of the relief at the main entrance.

The Atheneum Léonie de Waha (formerly Lyceum; in French: Athénee Léonie de Waha ) is a Belgian high school in the heart of Liège , on Avroy-Boulevard 96, known for its works of art .

history

Mayor Jules d'Andrimont asked the liberal feminist and educator Léonie de Waha to found a high school for young daughters, as there was no higher education for girls in the whole city. So she founded an Institut supérieur de demoiselles (1868) in Hazinelle-Straße , which was taken over by the city in 1878 and was named Lycée de Waha . The religious instruction took place according to the respective denomination, whereby a complete cancellation was also possible. The bishop threatened to excommunicate all those involved in the development of the school concept, since the simultaneous presence of the evangelical pastor and rabbi alongside the Catholic pastor on the teaching staff was unusual and unacceptable for some. The curse actually pronounced by Mgr de Montpellier on the opening day over the entire school community was lifted by his successor Doutreloux.

The new building at the current location took place between 1937 and 1940 according to the plans of the architect Jean Moutschen . Eighteen Walloon artists were commissioned with the artistic design. They created around 20 works especially for this school (frescoes, bas-reliefs, mosaics, drawings, window paintings). During the Second World War , the building housed the offices of the local Gestapo branch .

type of school

The school is public. The following languages are taught here: French, English, Dutch, Spanish, German and Chinese.

building

The building is typical of the modern age: monumentality, functionality and the installation of extraordinary rooms for the most diverse areas (work rooms, swimming pools, boarding school, ballroom, music hall, etc.), which caused a sensation. The artistic highlight are the 20 or so works of art by contemporary artists from the region. The swimming pool is adorned with mosaics by Adrien Dupagne . The glass windows are u. a. by Marcel Caron , a painting by Fernand Steven , a large picture on glass by Edgar Scauflaire , two frescoes by Auguste Mambour and Robert Crommelynck . There are also works by Auguste Donnay and Edmond Delsa and a mosaic by Oscar Berchmans . On May 17, 1999, the complex was declared a real estate heritage site in the Wallonia region.

Bas-reliefs

The facade is adorned with the following bas-reliefs: L'Etude by Adelin Salle and L'Insouciance de la jeunesse by Louis Dupont and Robert Massart .