Jubilation park
The Jubelpark (German / Dutch) or Park of the 50th Anniversary (French: "Parc du Cinquantenaire") is located about one and a half kilometers east of the Warandepark ( Parc de Bruxelles / Park van Brussel ) in the Belgian capital, Brussels . It covers an area of 37 hectares and is a popular place for people in Brussels to relax, especially in summer. It is also popular with recreational runners, as it not only invites you to exercise away from the traffic on a 2 km long path that runs past it on the outside, but also on numerous paths that cross the park.
history
In 1880 Belgium celebrated the 50th anniversary of its independence . On this occasion, King Leopold II wanted to organize a national exhibition in Brussels. For this purpose, a former military training area outside the city center was selected. The new park with its imposing buildings was intended to demonstrate the prosperity of Belgium to the world. During the Second World War , the park area was used to grow food.
Buildings
The most visible monument is the Triumphal Arch , which should illustrate the great history of Brussels and also serve as the entrance gate to the park for visitors who entered it from the east. The arch made of Belgian granite was planned for the World Exhibition of 1880, but was not completed until much later, after a violent dispute between the king and the government had broken out because the government did not do so much for what they saw as a useless building Wanted to spend money. The triumphal arch was only completed in 1905 by private donors (ultimately through the private fortune of the king) - just in time for the 75th anniversary of Belgian independence.
The arch is adorned with a quadriga symbolizing the province of Brabant . The other Belgian provinces are represented by allegorical statues at the foot of the columns. On both sides of the arch in columned galleries there are mosaics made between 1920 and 1932 that conjure up the “peace-loving Belgian nation”. The approximately 50 meter high arch looks like a mixture between the Brandenburg Gate and the Parisian Arc de Triomphe because of the quadriga . In good weather, a large part of the largest of the three passage arches is filled with a narrow Belgian national flag .
On either side of the triumphal arch there is a large exhibition hall , which replaced the original pavilions and exhibition halls of the exhibition from 1880. These two halls, which can themselves be regarded as architectural monuments, are now home to museums : the Autoworld Museum with a large collection of vintage cars is located in the southern hall . The military museum Musée Royal de l'Armée is housed in the northern hall . a. shows historical as well as modern warplanes.
The Bordiau halls , built by the architect Jules Bordiau, were the only buildings to be completed in time for the 1880 exhibition. They are an iron and glass construction typical of the late 19th century . After the end of the exhibition, museums were also housed here. The southern hall was destroyed by fire in 1946. The Brussels Royal Museums for Art and History are now located in the new building, which was constructed afterwards and not in the proper style .
See also
Web links
Coordinates: 50 ° 50 ′ 27 ″ N , 4 ° 23 ′ 30 ″ E