Bombing of Brussels
Palatinate War of Succession (1688–1697)
Philippsburg - Koblenz - Walcourt - Bantry Bay - Mainz - Bonn - Fleurus - Beachy Head - Boyne - Staffarda - Québec - Mons - Cuneo - Leuze - Aughrim - Barfleur / La Hougue - Namur 1 - Steenkerke - Lagos - Neerektiven - Marsaglia - Charleroi - Torroella - Camaret - Texel - Sant Esteve d'en Bas - Gerona - Dixmuyen - Namur 2 - Brussels - Ath - Cartagena - Barcelona
The bombing of Brussels by French troops between August 13 and 15, 1695 took place during the Nine Years' War . A large part of the city and in particular the Grand-Place / Grote Markt was destroyed.
course
Dutch and English ships had shelled French coastal cities in August 1695. This served as the reason for the attack on Brussels . The actual goal was by the threat from Brussels Wilhelm III. to call off the siege of Namur in order to come to the aid of the main Allied base.
A large French army of around 70,000 men under François de Neufville, duc de Villeroy camped near Anderlecht . The marshal himself set up his headquarters in a monastery. Gun batteries were deployed on the heights near the Tors de Ninove.
The bombing of the city with cannons and mortars began on the evening of August 13th and continued until August 15th. In addition to bullets, incendiary bombs were also used. Around 4,000 buildings in Brussels were destroyed. In particular, the center of the city around the Grand Place was affected. Only the tower and some walls of the town hall and the Maison de Roi remained on the square. Remnants of some other houses could be used in the reconstruction.
reconstruction
The city drew in foreign workers and limited the price of building materials. Donations from other cities contributed to the reconstruction. When rebuilding the Grand Place, two concepts faced each other. The governor- general Maximilian Emanuel von Bayern wanted to build a square with symmetrical buildings, uniform facades and symbols of power. The models were places in Paris or Madrid.
The private owners and the local guilds opted for an individual design of the building. This was largely achieved. However, the city council influenced a certain uniform construction method. On the southeast side of the square there had been six similar houses since the 15th century and the owners refused to agree to a uniform facade based on the model of a palace, as the governor general had in mind. Overall, a remarkable, closed baroque building ensemble was created, which is now a World Heritage Site .
literature
- Paul F. State: Historical Dictionary of Brussels. Oxford, 2004 p. 38
Web links
- History of the Grand-Place (PDF file)