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Leuven

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Leuven

Geography

Country

Community

Region

Province

Arrondissement

Coordinates

50°53′N 04°42′E / 50.883, 4.7Coordinates: 50°53′N 04°42′E / 50.883, 4.7

Area

56.63 km²

Population (Source: NIS)

Population
– Males
– Females
- Density

90,706 (January 1, 2006)
49.32%
50.68%
1602 inhab./km²

Age distribution
0–19 years
20–64 years
65+ years

(01/01/2006)
19.59%
63.45%
16.95%

Foreigners

9.43% (01/07/2005)

Economy

Unemployment rate

8.67% (January 1, 2006)

Mean annual income

15,183 €/pers. (2003)

Government

Mayor

Louis Tobback (SP.A)

Governing parties

SP.A-Spirit, CD&V-N-VA

Other information

Postal codes

3000, 3001, 3010, 3012, 3018

Area codes

016

Web address

www.leuven.be

Leuven listen (help·info) (Dutch Leuven, English Louvain, French Louvain, German Löwen) is the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant in Flanders, Belgium. It is located about 30 kilometers east of Brussels, with as other neighbouring cities Mechelen, Aarschot, Tienen, and Wavre.

It is one of the Flanders' Art Cities.

The municipality comprises the historical city of Leuven and the adjacent villages of Heverlee, Kessel-Lo, a part of Korbeek-Lo, Wilsele and Wijgmaal.

1 History
2 Sights
3 Student population
4 Mayor
5 Sister cities
6 Culture
7 Famous inhabitants
- 7.1 Born in Leuven
- 7.2 Lived in Leuven
8 References
9 External links

The first mention of Leuven goes back to 891 ('Loven'), when a Viking army was defeated by the Frankish king Arnulf of Carinthia (see: Battle of Leuven). According to the city legend, its red-white-red colours depict the blood-stained shores of the river Dijle after this battle.

Situated at this river and nearby the stronghold of the Dukes of Brabant, Leuven became the most important centre of trade in the duchy between the 11th and the 14th century. A token of its former importance as a centre of cloth manufacture, is nicely reflected in the typical Leuven linen cloth, known in late 14-15th century texts as lewyn (other spellings: Leuwyn, Levyne, Lewan(e), Lovanium, Louvain)^[1].

In the 15th century a new golden era began with the founding of the largest and oldest university in the Low Countries, the Catholic University of Leuven, in 1425.

Destruction of the university library, 1915.

In the 18th century Leuven became even more important because of a flourishing brewery that would later become Interbrew (recently renamed to InBev), the largest brewery company in the world. In fact, InBev's Stella Artois brewery and main offices dominate the entire north-eastern part of the town, between the railway station and the canal to Mechelen.

In the 20th century, both world wars inflicted major damage to the city, destroying the university library twice. The world was outraged over this and the library was completely rebuilt after World War I with American charity funds and German war indemnities. After World War II, the burnt down building had to be restored again. It still stands as a symbol of the wars and of Allied solidarity.

The Town Hall.

Fonske.

The Town Hall, built by Sulpitius van Vorst, Jan II Keldermans, and, after both of them died, Matheus de Layens between 1439 and 1463 in a Brabantian late-Gothic style. The reception hall dates from 1750.
The St. Peter's Church (1425–1500) was finished by Jan Keldermans and Matheus de Layens. During the Second World War the church was damaged; during the restoration a Romanesque crypt from the 11th Century was found. In the church itself there are several paintings from the 17th and 18th centuries (amongst others Dirk Bouts famous painting of the last supper and the grave of Duke Henry I of Brabant. The 50 meter high tower—which was meant to be 169 meters but was never completed—is home to a carillon. The tower was included in UNESCO's list of "Belfries of Belgium and France" in 1999.
Saint-Anthony's Chapel, Pater Damiaanplein, from the 17th to the 20th centuries, contains the tomb of Father Damien, the "leper priest" of Molokai, beatified by Pope John Paul II. The Catholic priest's remains were returned in Belgium with great fanfare in 1936 after having been originally buried on the Hawaiian Island of Molokai where he had served the outcast lepers and died.
The Linen-hall in an early-Gothic style, with baroque addition, is today the University Hall.
The Church of Saint Michael was built in the typical Jesuit Baroque Style.
The Church of Saint Quinten incorporates remains of a Romanesque church built in the 13th century.

The University Library.

The University Library was built by the American architect Whitney Warren. The tower houses one of the largest carillons in the world.
There is a ducal castle dating from the 12th century on the Keizersberg ("Emperor's Mountain") which was demolished in the 17th Century. Today there is a neo-romanesque Abbey where the castle once stood.
The Large Beguinage is one of the world's best remaining examples of its architectural type. It was recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1998.
There are several other smaller churches and chapels around town.
"Fonske" is a statue near the centre of town. Its full name is Fons Sapientiae, Latin for "fountain of wisdom." The statue represents a university student who, while reading a book, lets wisdom flow into his head as liquid from a glass. Just like Manneken Pis in Brussels, Fonske is from time to time dressed in costumes appropriate for the occasion.

Nowadays Leuven is a real "student city", as during the academic year most citizens in its centre are students.

Leuven sports one of the liveliest bar scenes in Belgium. Besides boasting the "longest bar" in Belgium, the Old Market, tens of bars and cafés crammed into a central square in Leuven, it's also the proud home city of Belgium's smallest bar, Onder den Toog in the Noormannenstraat.

The Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (Catholic University Leuven) is the oldest Catholic university still in existence and one of the biggest universities in Belgium.

One of the orchestras formed by students is the "Arenbergorkest", allowing these young people to combine study and music. There are also a number of hogescholen (Vocational university, literally translated: "high schools"). These hogescholen include Katholieke Hogeschool Leuven (Catholic High School Leuven) and Groep T (Group T).

The mayor of Leuven is currently Louis Tobback, a socialist politician prominent on the national level who was once minister of internal affairs and leader of the socialist fraction in the lower chamber of the Belgian parliament, among other things.

Leuven is twinned with:

Besides these sister cities, Leuven has friendly relations with:

Leuven is well known for its summer rock festival Marktrock. The main football club of the municipality is Oud-Heverlee Leuven, the successor of K. Stade Leuven. Leuven also has some orchestras, like the famous Arenberg Orchestra.