Vooruit (Ghent)
The Vooruit of Ghent is a cultural center and a listed historical building complex, which was once built as a people's home by the consumer cooperative Vooruit in Ghent .
history
Ferdinand Dierkens was the architect of the building, constructed between 1911 and 1914, which functioned as a symbol of the strength of the Belgian socialist movement in the interwar period until the 1930s. The namesake, the consumer cooperative Vooruit ("Forward") was founded in 1891 by Edward Anseele and existed until 1970. Today's Vooruit building was originally planned as a festival and cultural center, the actual company premises were located in a different location. The building had a ballroom, a movie theater, and it also housed a theater group. The building fell into disrepair after the Second World War, and after the war the cooperative ran into increasing economic difficulties. In 1982 the decision was finally made to keep the Vooruit pub as a public cultural center. The building, which has now been renovated, has been a listed building since 1983.
Web links
Coordinates: 51 ° 2 ′ 51.7 " N , 3 ° 43 ′ 38.2" E