CITY OF BRUSSELS (BRUSSEL / BRUXELLES) 1871 - 1945
The town of Brussel was founded in the 10th century. It became the capital of the Habsburg Netherlands in 1531 and remained so until 1795 when it was occupied by the French. In 1815 it became one of the seats of the Netherlands administration, jointly with The Hague and after the secession of the southern provinces in 1830, it became the capital of the new state of Belgium. (1) In 1917 - 1918 it also was the capital of the administrative Region of Flanders and formally also of Independent Flanders. (1) Like for Belgium, the modern history of Brussels is largely dominated by its linguistic evolution. Originally the town was an exclusively Flemish city and though its ruling elites started using French already in the middle ages, Brabants - the local form of Dutch - continued to be the language of the majority of its population until the end of the 18th century : according to an estimation of 1780 only 5% of the population was Francophone. Things changed very drastically after the French occupation and even more after the formation of the Belgian state : by 1846 the Francophones already numbered ca 39% and by the early 20th century they were a majority. This Francophone community was formed by : - the traditional ruling elites, - a large number of French speaking civil servants who had settle in the city after the formation of the Belgian state, - a growing number of locals who hoped to improve their social position by adopting the language of the ruling classes. __________________________________________________________________________________CHIEF EXECUTIVES
Mayors Bourgmestres Burgemeesters 1863 - 1879 Jules Victor Anspach 1829 - 1879 1879 - 1881 Felix Vanderstraeten 1881 - 1899 Charles Gommaire François Buls 1837 - 1914 1899 - 1909 Émile André Jean De Mot 1835 - 1909 1909 - 1914 Adolphe Max 1869 - 1939 1914 - 1917 Charles Jean Maurice Lemonnier* 1860 - 1930 1917 - 1939 Adolphe Max (2x) 1939 - 1941 Joseph "Jef" Van De Meulebroeck 1941 ... Croels* 1942 - 1944 Jan Grauls (2) 1887 - 1960 1944 - 1956 Joseph "Jef" Van De Meulebroeck (2) Mayor of Great Brussels (Groot Brussel - Grand Bruxelles), formed by the merger of the 17 municipalities of the agglomeration (s.b.) into one unit. It was abolished at the Liberation. (A first attempt to create an all-Flemish Groot Brussel - encompassing Brussels and some of the municipalities listed below - had been made in 1918 by the Council of Flanders, but nothing came of it). __________________________________________________________________________________THE BRUSSELS AGGLOMERATION
Since ancient times Brussels was surrounded by 22 villages : - Anderlecht* - Oudergem (Fr.: Auderghem) - Elsene (Fr. Ixelles)* - Schaarbeek (Fr.: Schaerbeek)* - Etterbeek* - Sint-Agatha-Berchem (Fr.: Berchem Sainte-Agathe) - Evere - Sint-Gillis (Fr.: Saint-Gilles)* - Ganshoren - Sint-Joost-ten-Node (Fr.: Saint-Josse-ten-Noode)* - Haren (Fr.: Haeren) - Sint-Lambrechts-Woluwe (Fr.: Woluwé-Saint-Lambert) - Jette* - Sint-Pieters-Woluwe (Fr.: Woluwé-Saint-Pierre) - Koekelberg* - Sint-Stevens-Woluwe (Fr.: Woluwé-Saint-Étienne) - Laken (Fr.: Laeken)* - Ukkel (Fr.: Uccle)* - Molenbeek* - Vorst (Fr.: Forest)* - Neder-Over-Hembeek - Watermaal-Bosvoorde (Fr.: Watermael-Boitsfort) (* = Municipality to be part of planned Groot Brussel in 1918) Like can be seen by the etymology of their names, they originally all were Flemish. But in the course of the 19th century - as a consequence of their integration into the Brussels economical, social and cultural system and despite the fact that most continued to exist as separate administrative units (3) - they all followed the same linguistic evolution as Brussels itself and like in this town, French had replaced Dutch as majority language in most of the municipalities by the early 20th century. A Brussels agglomeration - not a new administrative unit, but an area where special linguistic rules (4) were introduced - was formally defined for the first time by the Linguistic Law on Administrative Affairs of 1878. It then included only nine of the listed municipalities, but later others were added and by 1921 it included : - Anderlecht - Schaarbeek - Brussels - Sint-Gillis - Elsene - Sint-Joost-ten-Node - Etterbeek - Sint-Lambrechts-Woluwe - Jette - Ukkel - Koekelberg - Vorst - Molenbeek - Watermaal-Bosvoorde - Oudergem (Haren, Laken and Neder-Over-Heembeek having been annexed to Brussels) Later territorial changes in the covered period included : - Linguistic Law on Administrative Affairs of 1921 : two Flemish municipalities - Sint-Pieters-Woluwe and Sint-Stevens-Woluwe - where Frenchification had recently started were added to the agglomeration. - Linguistic Law on Administrative Affairs of 1932 : as the only municipality where the number of Francophones hadn't reached the qoota of 30% of the population - a condition to be included in the agglomeration - Sint-Stevsns-Woluwe was detached from it. It was also now that the Brussels agglomeration formally became a bilingual area. (Administratively the agglomeration remained however part of the Flemish district of Brussel of the Province of Brabant) MAYORS OF THE MUNICIPALITIES OF THE BRUSSELS AGGLOMERATION (Sint-Stevens-Woluwe not included. Possibly incomplete for the war period 1940 - 1944) Anderlecht 1919 - 1927 Félix Paulsen 1924 - 1933 T. Lambert 1933 - 1938 René Berrewaerts 1938 - 1946 Marius Renard 1869 - 1945 Brussel/Bruxelles See here Elsene/Ixelles 1921 - 1929 Adolphe Buyl 1929 - 1935 Armand Huysmans 1935 - 1956 Eungène Flagey Etterbeek 1918 - 1924 Eugène Godaux 1924 - 1932 Paul Plissart 1932 - 1942 Louis Schmidt 1... - 1944 1942 - 1944 ... 1944 - 1970 René Piret Jette 1909 - 1926 P. Werrie 1927 - 1940 J. Van Huynegem 1940 - 1953 Jean Neybergh Koekelberg 1921 - 1926 Henri Vanhuffel 1926 - 1956 Oscar Jean Bossaert 1887 - 1956 Molenbeek (also : Sint-Jans-Molenbeek/Molenbeek-Saint-Jean) 1914 - 1938 Louis Mettewie 1939 - 1978 Edmond Machtens Oudergem/Auderghem 1921 - 1932 Gustave Demey 1933 - 1956 Gabriel-Émile Lebon Schaarbeek/Schaerbeek 1921 - 1927 Raymond Foucart 1827 - 1938 Jean Meiser 1857 - 1940 1938 - 1940 Fernand Blum 1940 - 1947 Albert Dejase Sint-Gillis/Saint-Gilles 1909 - 1929 Antoine Bréart 1929 Fernand Bernier 1929 - 1944 Arthur Diderich 1944 - 1947 Jules Hanses Sint-Joost-ten-Node/Saint-Josse-ten-Noode 1900 - 1926 Henri Frick 1926 - 1942 Georges Petre 1... - 1942 1942 - 1944 ... 1944 - 1947 J. Dery Sint-Lambrechts-Woluwe/Woluwé-Saint-Lambert 1921 - 1932 E. Lambert 1933 - 1946 A. Servait Sint-Pieters-Woluwe/Woluwé-Saint-Pierre) 1904 - 1947 Joseph N. H. Thielemans 18.. - 1952 Ukkel/Uccle 1921 - 1925 Xavier De Bue 1925 - 1926 Georges Ugeux 1926 - 1933 Jean Vander Elst 1933 - 1938 Joseph Divoort 1939 - 1952 Jean Herinckx Vorst/Forest 1904 - 1940 O. Denis 1940 - 1946 L. Wielemans Watermaal-Bosvoorde/Watermael-Boitsfort 1921 - 1948 Georges Benoidt 1865 - 1950 (3) Only Haren, Laken and Neder-Over-Hembeek lost their independence in 1921, when they were annexed to Brussels to facilitate the construction of its port. (4) More on these linguistic laws on administrative affairs - as well as on other linguistic laws - will be found under Flanders (to be added). Here it is sufficient to say that all these laws gradually gave the Flemish inhabitants of Brussels some more linguistic rights. Formally ar least, because in practice the actual situation changed very little until recent times and French remained the most - if not only - used administrative language, the municipal administrations and services being mostly manned by Francophones unable - or refusing - to use Dutch. Even now (2004) there still exist "Francophone bastions", where the use of Dutch is a good as non-existant, despite all existing laws. The most poignant example of these are perhaps the public health services. (See here for the report of Boris Cilevics, the Latvian rapporteur of the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on this matter).
BELGIAN PROVINCES 1871 - 1945
Until the end of the 18th century future Belgium was divided into several feudal principalities. (see each province for their names) In 1787 the Habsburgs did an attempt to regroup those under their rule into Circles (Kreise), but it failed and resulted into the revolt of 1789 - 1790. It was only after the French conquest of 1794 that the whole region was completely restructured and divided into 9 Departments, under the direct rule of the central administration. With some modifications - mostly as far as Limburg and Luxembourg were concerned - these departments would be the base of the future Belgian Provinces as they existed until the reforms of the 1990's : - Antwerpen - Luxembourg - Brabant - Namur - Hainaut - Oost-Vlaanderen - Liège - West-Vlaanderen - Limburg The provinces were headed by Governors (Gouverneurs) appointed by the Head of State. The Provinces during WWI After the German occupation in 1914 the provincial governors resigned, fled or were dismissed by the German authorities and replaced by : - a German military Governor (in the provinces part of the Government General) - a German President of the Civil Administration (Zivilpräsident) in all provinces. (The mayors of the cities and villages now were the only Belgian officials dealing directly with the German authorities) Also during WWI the Council of Flanders - highest authority of Independent Flanders - did an attempt to establish its own provincial administrations in the provinces (now styled Gouwen), he claimed to rule : - in a first stage Gouw Councils (Gouwraden) - with mainly advisory powers - were established. - just before the end of the war in 1918, the Germans allowed the appointment of a Delegate of the Council of Flanders (Afgevaardigde van de Raad van Vlaanderen) - intended to perform the tasks formerly exercised by the governors - for each Gouw. (None of them seems however to have actually taken office) The Provinces during WWII During WWII the provinces became subject to the Oberfeldkommandanturen created by the occupants. The office of governor continued to exist, but all governors appointed before the occupation soon resigned or were dismissed and replaced by more cooperative ones [= (W)]. (See also the formal structure of German Belgium in 1944 - 1945) The Provincial Capitals The provincial capitals were administered by Mayors (Burgemeesters - Bourgmestres) appointed by the Head of State from among the members of the majority party in the municipal council. Like for the Governors, they were in many cases replaced by more cooperative ones during the periods of German occupation. The Great Agglomerations of WWII Although the idea of regrouping - for administrative and economical reasons - the municipalities of the great agglomerations into one single unit already existed in Belgium before the war, it was only implemented during the German occupation. The formation of "Groot-Antwerpen" in 1941 was followed in 1942 by the successive creation of : - Groot-Gent - Grand-La Louvière (not a provincial capital, but an important economic center) - Grand-Charleroi (not a provincial capital, but an important economic center and the seat of an Oberfeldkommandantur) - Great Brussels (Groot-Brussel/Grand Bruxelles) - Groot-Brugge - Grand-Liège Commissioner of the Great Agglomerations Commissaris van de Grote Agglomeraties Commissaire des grandes Agglomérations (subordinated to the Secretary General of the Interior) 1941 - 1944 Hendrik Borginon (VNV until 1942) 1890 - 1985 Language use in the Provinces and their Capitals French remained - formally at least - the only official language of all municipal and provincial administrations of the whole country until the promulgation of the Linguistic Law on Administrative Affairs of 1921, which ruled that Dutch had also to be used. In 1932 a new Linguistic Law on Administrative Affairs imposed the exclusive use of - Dutch : the provinces of Antwerpen, Limburg, Oost-Vlaanderen and West-Vlaanderen and the districts (arrondissementen) of Brussel - except the formally bilingual Brussels agglomeration - and Leuven of the province of Brabant, - French : the provinces of Hainaut, Liège, Luxembourg and Namur and the district of Nivelles of the province of Brabant. (1) __________________________________________________________________________________ANTWERPEN
The Flemish Province of Antwerpen (Antwerp) covered : - the central part of the former Duchy of Brabant (the Margraviate of Antwerpen) - the former Lordship of Mechelen. It also included the exclaves of Baarle-Hertog (s.b.) During WWI the province was part of the Government General, of the administrative region of Flanders (1917 - 1918) and formally also of Independent Flanders 1917 - 1918) During WWII the province was part of the Oberfeldkommandantur Brüssel. Governors Gouverneurs 1862 - 1887 Edward F. J., Chevalier Pycke d'Ideghem 1807 - 1892 1887 - 1888 Charles Louis du Bois de Vroylande 1835 - 1888 1889 - 1900 Edward J. F., Baron Osy de Zegwaart 1900 - 1907 Frédegand Patrice Joseph Marie, Baron Cogels "Cogels-De Gruben" 1850 - 1932 1907 - 1908 Florimond Louis, Comte de Brouchoven de Bergeyck 1839 - 1908 1908 - 1912 Joseph Ferdinand, Comte de Baillet-Latour 1850 - 1925 1912 - 1914 Gaston, Baron van de Werve et de Schilde 1867 - 1923 German Officials 1914 - 1918 Military Governors of the Province 1914 - 1916 Ltgen. Fritz von Weller 1848 - 1928 1916 - 1918 InfGen. Johann "Hans" von Zwehl 1851 - 1926 Military Governor of the port and the fortress 1914 - 1918 InfGen. Ernst Wilhelm Karl Freiherr von Hoiningen genannt Huene 1849 - 1924 Civil Presidents Zivilpräsidenten 1914 - 191. ... Sthamer 191. - 191. ... Schramm Administrators of the Flemish Gouw Antwerpen 1917 - 1918 President of the Gouw Council Voorzitter van de Gouwraad ... Delegate of the Council of Flanders Afgevaardigde van de Raad van Vlaanderen 1918 Albert van den Brande 1890 - 1964 Governors Gouverneurs 1918 - 1923 Gaston, Baron van de Werve et de Schilde s.a. 1923 - 1940 Georges Joseph Lamoral Marie Ghislain, Baron Holvoet 1874 - 1967 1940 - 1942 Jan Grauls (W), became Mayor of Great Brussels 1887 - 1960 1942 - 1944 Frans Wildiers (W) 1905 - 1944 - 1945 Georges Joseph Lamoral Marie Ghislain, Baron Holvoet (2x) Mayors of Antwerpen Burgemeesters 1863 - 1871 Jozef Cornelis van Put 1811 - 1877 1871 - 1872 Jean Félix François Vanden Berghe "Vandenberghe-Elsen"* 1807 - 1935 1872 - 1892 Leopold Charles Norbert de Wael 1823 - 1892 1892 Georges Gits* 1839 - 1923 1892 - 1906 Jan van Rijswijck 1853 - 1906 1906 Victor Desguin* 1838 - 1919 1906 - 1908 Peter Alfons Hertogs 1843 - 1908 1908 - 1909 Victor Desguin* (2x) 1909 - 1921 Jan Baptist De Vos 1844 - 1923 1921 Hector Lebon 1863 - 1935 1921 - 1932 Jan Frans Van Cauwelaert 1880 - 1961 1933 - 1940 Camille Huysmans 1871 - 1968 1940 - 1944 Leonard Herman Joseph Delwaide*, Mayor of Great Antwerp (Groot Antwerpen) since 1942 1897 - 1978 1944 - 1946 Camille Huysmans (2x) BAARLE-HERTOG AND BAARLE-NASSAU The Lordship of Baarle - located in the present-day Netherlands province of Noord- Brabant - was a possession of the Dukes of Brabant since the end of 10th century. In 1198 part of it was pawned to Breda and the territory was now divided into : - Baarle onder de Hertog (Baarle under the Duke or in short Baarle-Hertog) - Baarle onder Breda (Baarle under Breda or in short Baarle-Breda, later renamed Baarle-Nassau, when the Nassau became Lords of Breda in 1404) This division into two parts was later maintained and except for the period 1810 - 1830, both territories always had separate rulers, which since 1830 were : - Belgium for Baarle-Hertog (non-occupied by the Germans in 1914 - 1918) - the Netherlands for Baarle-Nassau As the ancient feudal frontiers between Baarle-Hertog and Baarle-Nassau were never really modified, none of the two zones covered/covers one single geographical area and both actually were/are no more than a collection of small enclaves. (2) By 1945 the situation was as follows : - the Belgian municipality of Baarle-Hertog (a part of the province of Antwerpen) included : - 20 parcels of land in and around Baarle, forming 20 enclaves within the Dutch province of Noord-Brabant - the Belgian frontier village of Zondereigen. - the Dutch municipality of Baarle-Nassau (a part of the province of Noord-Brabant) consisting of : - 7 parcels of land forming 7 Dutch enclaves within the 20 Belgian enclaves of Baarle - 1 parcel of land forming a Dutch enclave within the Belgian frontier village of Zondereigen - the Dutch villages of Castelré en Ulicoten. - 2 unassigned parcels of land, claimed by both states. Mayors of Baarle-Hertog Burgemeesters 1852 - 1900 Petrus van Gilse 1821 - 1900 1900 - 1933 Hendrik van Gilse, son 1862 - 1933 1931 - 1941 Adriaan Govaerts 1941 Adriaan van Beek 1941 H. Hendriks 1941 - 1944 Jules Loots 1... - 1974 1944 - 1946 Adriaan Govaerts (2x) __________________________________________________________________________________BRABANT
The Province of Brabant covered the southern part of the former Duchy of Brabant. Although some other provinces also had linguistic minorities, Brabant was the only really bilingual one. In 1932 it was therefore divided into : - the Flemish districts (arrondissementen) of Brussel (including formally bilingual Brussels) and Leuven - the Walloon arrondissement of Nivelles. During WWI the province was part of the Government General. While Brussel and Leuven became part of the administrative region of Flanders (1917 - 1918) and formally also of Independent Flanders, (1917 - 1918), Nivelles became part of the administrative region of Wallonia (1917 - 1918). During WWII the province was part of the Oberfeldkommandantur Brüssel. Governors Gouverneurs 1862 - 1885 François Dubois-Thorn 1885 - 1906 Auguste-Frédéric Vergote 1818 - 1906 1906 - 1914 Henri Baron de Béco 1843 - 1928 German Officials 1914 - 1918 Military Governors 1914 - 1915 MajGen. August Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig von Schroeder 1842 - 1915 1915 - 191. Ltgen. ... hurt Civil Presidents Zivilpräsidenten 1914 - 191. ... Gerstein 191. - 191. ... Kranzbühler Administrators of the Flemish Gouw Brabant 1917 - 1918 (the districts Brussel - with the Brussels agglomeration - and Leuven) President of the Gouw Council Voorzitter van de Gouwraad ... Delegate of the Council of Flanders Afgevaardigde van de Raad van Vlaanderen 1918 Pieter Lodewijk Tack 1870 - 1943 Governors Gouverneurs 1918 - 1928 Henri Baron de Béco (2x) 1928 - 1935 François Anré Nens 1873 - 1935 - 1943 Albert Léon Marie, Baron Houtart 1887 - 1951 1943 M. Croonenberghs* (W) 1943 Frans Wildiers* (W) s.a. 1943 - 1944 A., Baron Gilles de Pélichy (W) 1944 - 1949 Albert Léon Marie, Baron Houtart (2x) Mayors of Brussels See here __________________________________________________________________________________HAINAUT
The Walloon Province of Hainaut covered the former county of that name, the former Lordship of Tournai and the Tournaisis and part of the former Principality of Liège. During WWI the province was divided between the Etappengebiete and the Government General. It also was part of the administrative region of Wallonia (1917 - 1918). During WWII the province was part of the Oberfeldkommandantur Charleroi. Governors Gouverneurs 1870 - 1878 Marie Guy Henri Philippe Joseph de Riquet, Prince de Chimay et de Caraman 1836 - 1892 1878 Auguste Wanderpepen* 1817 - 1879 1878 - 1884 Oswald Charles Eugène Marie Ghislain de Kerchove de Denterghem 1844 - 1906 1884 - 1885 Auguste Vergote s.a. 1885 - 1889 Marie Charles Joseph, Duc d'Ursel "d'Ursel et d'Hoboken" 1848 - 1903 1889 - 1893 Charles Comte d' Ursel 1893 - 1908 Raoul du Sart de Bouland 1908 - 1914 Maurice Damoiseaux 1866 - 1937 German Officials 1914 - 1918 Military Governors (of the part included in the Government General) (For the Commanders of the Etappengebieten see here) 1914 - 191. LtGen. Ernst Quintus Sigismund von Gladiss 1856 - 1920 191. - 191. LtGen. ... Bothe Civil Presidents Zivilpräsidenten 1914 - 1917 Franz Haniel 1917 - 191. ... von Le Suire Governors Gouverneurs 1918 - 1937 Maurice Damoiseaux (2x) 1937 - 1940 Henri Van Mol 1940 - 194. Albert Leroy (W) 1944 - 1967 Émile Cornez 1900 - 1967 Mayors of Mons Bourgmestres 1866 - 1879 Jean-Baptiste Adélaide François Dolez 1806 - 1883 1879 - 1880 ... 1880 - 1881 Louis Gustave Arthur Lescarts 1835 - 1918 1881 - 1885 ... 1885 - 1888 Léon Paternostre 1888 - 1905 Henri Sainctelette 1851 - 1905 1905 - 1925 Jean Lescarts 1851 - 1925 1926 - 1953 Victor Eugène Ange Jules Maistriau 1870 - 1962 __________________________________________________________________________________LIEGE
The Walloon province of Liège covered the heartland of the former Principality of that name, part of the former County of Dalhem (Fr.: Daelhem), the former Lordship of Sint-Pieters-Voeren (Fr.: Fourons-Saint-Pierre) and most of the former Duchy of Limburg (Fr.: Limbourg), the rest of this state going to Prussia. During WWI it was part of the Government General and of the administrative region of Wallonia (1917 - 1918), while during WWII most of the province was part of the Oberfeldkommandantur Lüttich. After WWI the province also included former Moresnet and the Eastern Cantons (s.b.) Governors Gouverneurs 1863 - 1882 Charles Joseph Pascal de Luesemans 1808 - 1882 1882 - 1908 Léon Théodore Marie Pety de Thozée 1841 - 1912 1908 - 1914 Henry Charles Marie Adolphe, Baron Delvaux de Fenffe 1863 - 1947 German Officials 1914 - 1918 Military Governors 1914 - 191. LtGen. Karl Hans Graf von der Schulenburg 1867 - 1950 191. - 191. InfGen. Leo Götz von Olenhusen 1855 - 1942 Civil President Zivilpräsident 1914 - 191. ... Horning Governors Gouverneurs 1918 - 1919 Henry Charles Marie Adolphe, Baron Delvaux de Fenffe (2x) 1919 - 1927 Charles Louis Gaston Grégoire 1860 - 1927 1927 - 1937 Henri Louis Joseph Pirard 1868 - 1948 1937 - 1940 Jules Joseph Jean Mathieu 1887 - 1943 1940 - 1942 Georges Doyen* 1942 - 1944 ... (W) 1944 - 1953 Joseph Leclercq 1886 - 1961 Mayors of Liège Bourgmestres 1870 - 1877 Guillaume Ferdinand Joseph Piercot (3x) 1797 - 1877 1878 - 1884 Gustave Mottard 1884 - 1885 Jean-Julien Warnant 1835 - 1910 1885 - 1891 Julien d'Andrimont (2x) 1891 - 1900 Léon Léopold Simon Joseph Gérard 1840 - 1922 1900 - 1921 Gustave Kleyer 1921 - 1927 Émile Digneffe 1927 - 1940 Grégoire Lambert François Xavier Neujean 1865 - 1940 1940 - 1942 Joseph Bologne 1942 Gérard Willems 1942 - 1944 Albert Dargent, Mayor of Great Liège (Grand Liège) 1944 - 1945 Joseph Bologne (2x) THE EASTERN CANTONS (See also Vennbahn) Eastern Cantons [Fr.: Cantons de l'Est, Germ.: Ostkantone, although Neubelgien - New Belgium - was also used to oppose this region to so-called "Altbelgien" (s.b.)] was the name given by the Belgians to the German territories (Eupen, Malmédy and Sankt Vith) that were ceded to them in 1919. Until the French conquest at the end of the 18th century these territories had been part of the feudal principalities existing in the region : - Eupen : part of the Duchy of Limburg - Malmédy : the heartland of the Principality of Stavelot-Malmédy - Sankt Vith : part of the Duchy of Luxembourg, the Electorate of Mainz, etc Following the French defeat they were assigned to Prussia by the Congress of Vienna in 1815 and later included in the Rheinprovinz, forming the two Circles (Kreise) of Eupen and Malmédy within the Regierungsbezirk Aachen. (3) PRUSSIAN ADMINISTRATORS (Subordinated to the Oberpräsidenten of the Rheinprovinz) Regierungspräsidenten of Aachen 1866 - 1872 Moritz Heinrich Albrecht von Bardeleben 1814 - 1890 1873 - 1878 Adolf Hilmar von Leipziger 1825 - 1891 1878 - 1892 Franz Otto Theodor von Hoffmann 1892 - 1907 Julian Wolfgang Matthias Bruno von Hartmann 1907 - 1917 Maximilian Karl Peter Joseph von Sandt, also head of the Administration in occupied Belgium 1886 - 1918 1917 - 1922 Adolf Maximilian Freiherr von Dalwigk zu Lichtenfeld Landräte of Eupen 1871 - 1883 Alfred Theodor Sternickel 1884 - 1909 Alfred Jakob Bernhard Theodor Gülcher 1909 - 1917 Walter Karl Maria The Losen, also Prussian Royal Commissioner of Moresnet 1917 - 1920 Friedrich von Kesseler Landräte of Malmédy (Germ.: Malmünd) (including Sankt-Vith) 1865 - 1876 Eduard Freiherr von Broich 1876 - 1883 Bernhard Freiherr von der Herdt 1883 - 1889 Oswald von Frühburg 1889 - 1899 Karl Theodor Pastor 1900 - 1907 Karl Theodor Kaufmann 1908 - 1920 Bernhard Friedriech Anton Nepomuk Hubert Maria Freiherr von Korff After the German defeat of 1918 the region was occupied by Allied forces (first by British, then by Belgian) and by the Treaty of Versailles of 1919 it was formally ceded to Belgium. In 1925 - after a transitional period of military rule - it was fully integrated into the Belgian province of Liège (Cantons of Eupen, Malmédy and Sankt-Vith/Saint-Vith), even losing its separate church hierarchy. (4) ALLIED AND BELGIAN ADMINISTRATORS Commander of the British Forces 1918 - 1919 Gen. ... Hysler Commander of the Belgian Forces 1919 - 1920 LtGen. Auguste Édouard, Baron Michel du Faing d'Aigremont 1855 - 1951 Belgian Royal High Commissioner and Governor Haut Commissaire royal et Gouveneur (with nearly dictatorial powers under the Minister of the Interior) 1920 - 1925 LtGen. Herman Baltia 1863 - Nearly immediately after the German occupation of Belgium in 1940, Eupen, Malmédy and Sankt-Vith as well as the municpality of Kelmis/La Calamine (= former Neutral Moresnet) and parts of so-called "Altbelgien" were re-annexed to Germany and once again became part of the Prussian Rheinprovinz. Within this province they were part of the Regierungsbezirk Aachen with : - The Kreis Eupen covering Eupen, the Montzener Gebiet and former Moresnet - the Kreis Malmédy covering Malmédy, Sankt-Vith and part of Bocholz. (5) (During this period of German administration all German laws were introduced and German became once again the only tolerated language) GERMAN (PRUSSIAN) ADMINISTRATORS Regierungspräsident of Aachen 1940 - 1944 SS-Brigadeführer Franz Vogelsang 1899 - Landrat of Eupen 1940 - 1944 Felix Seuler Landräte of Malmédy 1940 - 1943 Heinz Ehmke 1943 - 1944 Felix Seuler, Landrat of Eupen* Party Leaders The two newly erected NSDAP Kreise for the annexed territories were part of the Gau Aachen-Köln Kreisleiter of Eupen 1940 - 194. Stefan Gierets Kreisleiter of Malmédy 1940 - 194. Gabriel Saal 1901 - In 1944 the area was liberated and re-integrated into Belgium, the area of Sankt- Vith being however briefly reoccupied by the Germans during the so-called "Battle of the Bulge”/“Von Rundstedt Offensive” in Dec 1944 - Jan 1945. THE "VENNBAHN" Linked to the Eastern Cantons was/is the so-called Vennbahn. In 1885 the Royal Prussian Railway Administration (Königlich Preussische Eisenbahn -Verwaltung) started exploiting a railway connecting Aachen with the towns of the Kreise of Eupen and Malmédy. As its southern part ran through an area of moors and heather lands - known as the Hohes Venn (High Fens, Fr.: Hautes Fagnes) - it became known as the Vennbahn (Fen Line). After the German defeat of 1918, Belgium claimed the whole Vennbahn area. For the part of the area in the ceded Kreise of Eupen and Malmédy this caused no problem, but for the parts situated in the Kreise of Aachen and Monschau there was a strong German opposition and by the agreement of 1922 only the railway tract itself, the stations and some other railway buildings along it were ceded to Belgium, in this way forming a Belgian exclave in German territory. (6) Except for the period 1940 - 1944 - when it was managed by the German Reichsbahn - the railway was managed firstly by the Belgian State Railways (Chemins de Fer de l'État belge) and then - since 1926 - by the National Society of Belgian Railways (Socièté nationale des Chemin de Fer belges/Nationale Maatschappij der Belgische Spoorwegen) __________________________________________________________________________________LIMBURG
The Belgian province of Limburg was established in 1830 when the insurgents occupied the Dutch province of that name, except its capital Maastricht. It was reduced to its present size in 1839 when the province was partitioned between Belgium and the Netherlands. The Belgian part now covered the former Lordship of Kessenich, most of the former County of Loon and the former County of Rekem. During WWI the province was part of the Government General, of the administrative region of Flanders (1917 - 1918) and formally also of Independent Flanders (1917 - 1918) During WWII the province was part of the Oberfeldkommandantur Brüssel. Governors Gouverneurs 1857 - 1871 Theodore Émile Dominique Charles Ghislain, Comte de T'Serclaes de Wommersom 1809 - 1880 1871 Pierre Jacques François de Decker 1812 - 1891 1872 - 1879 Joseph Bovy 1810 - 1879 1879 - 1894 Adolphe Emmanuel Louis Hubert Ghislain, Vicomte Goupy de Beauvolers 1825 - 1894 1894 - 1914 Henri Theodore Jules de Pitteurs-Hiégaerts 1834 - 1917 German Officials 1914 - 1918 Military Governor 1914 - 1918 LtGen. August Keim 1845 - 1926 Civil Preisdent Zivilpräsident 1914 - 1918 Wilhelm Bazille 1874 - 1934 Administrators of the Flemish Gouw Limburg 1917 - 1918 President of the Gouw Council Voorzitter van de Gouwraad ... Delegate of the Council of Flanders Afgevaardigde van de Raad van Vlaanderen 1918 Jan Bernard Quintens 1858 - 1923 Governors 1918 - 1919 ... 1919 - 1927 Jean Theodore Graaf de Renesse 1854 - 1927 1928 - 1940 Hubert Verwilghen 1889 - 1955 1940 - 1941 Gerard L. M. G. Romseé (W) 1901 - 1976 1941 - 1944 Jozef Lysens (W) 1896 - 1950 1944 - 1950 Hubert Verwilghen (2x) Mayors of Hasselt Burgemeesters To be added __________________________________________________________________________________LUXEMBOURG
The Walloon Province of Luxemnourg was created in 1830 when the Belgian insurgents occupied the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, except the capital of the same name. It was reduced to its present size in 1839, when most of the Letzeburgesche part of the Grand Duchy was returned to the Netherlands. Belgian Luxembourg now covered : - the Francophone (or rather Walloon) part of the Grand Duchy - Southern Old Belgium (Südlech Albelsch or Arelerland) : the region of Arel (Fr.: Arlon) already mentioned above, where Letzeburgesch and German were spoken. During WWI the province was divided between the Etappengebieten and the Government General and it was part of the administrative region of Wallonia (1917 - 1918). During WWII the province was part of the Oberfeldkommandantur Lüttich. Governors Gouverneurs 1862 - 1884 Charles Louis Van Damme 1884 - 1891 Paul de Gerlache 1891 - 1901 Édouard M. L. A., Baron Orban de Xivry 1858 - 1901 1802 - 1914 Marie Emmanuel Camille, Comte de Briey, Baron de Landres 1862 - 1944 German Officials 1914 - 1918 Military Governors (of the part included in the Government General) (For the Commanders of the Etappengebieten see here) 1914 - 191. Ltgen. ... hurt s.a. 1916 - 191. Ltgen. Fritz von Weller s.a. 191. - 191. MajGen. Leopold Friedrich Wilhelm Graf von Gessler 1862 - 1935 Civil President Zivilpräsident 1914 - 191. ... Strahl 191. - 191. ... Kaufmann Governors Gouverneurs 1918 - 1932 Marie Emmanuel Camille, Comte de Briey, Baron de Landres (2x) 1932 - 1940 Fernand Van den Corput 1940 - 1943 René Baron Greindl* 1943 - 1944 J. A. Devez (W) 1944 - 1945 Fernand Van den Corput (2x) Mayors of Arlon Bourgmestres Arlon was chosen as the capital in 1830 as Luxembourg itself remained under Dutch rule. 1843 - 1880 Pierre Hollenfeltz 1880 - 1901 Joseph Netzer 1901 - 1921 Charles Numa Enners "Ensch-Tesch" 1841 - 1929 1921 - 1949 Paul Reuter __________________________________________________________________________________NAMUR
The Walloon Province of Namur covered the former Counties of Fagnolle and of Namur and part of the former Principality of Liège. During WWI the province was part of the Government General and of the administrative region of Wallonia (1917 - 1918). During WWII the province was part of the Oberfeldkommandantur Charleroi. Governors Gouverneurs 1853 - 1875 Léon Charles, Comte de Baillet 1... - 1875 1876 - 1877 David, Baron de Mevius 1877 - 1881 A..., Comte de Beaufort 1881 - 1882 Léon Théodore Marie Pety de Thozée s.a. 1882 - 1884 Auguste Vergote s.a. 1884 - 1914 Charles Constant Ghislain de Montpellier 1830 - 1914 German officials 1914 - 1918 Military Governors 1914 - 191. ... Freiherr von Hirschberg 191. - 191. LtGen. ... Köhl Civil Presidents Zivilpräsidenten 1914 - 191. ... Kranzbühler s.a. 191. - 191. ... Freiherr von Hund und Alten-Grotkau Governors Gouverneurs 1918 - 1919 ... 1919 - 1937 Pierre, Baron de Gaiffier d'Hestroy 1937 - 1940 François Louis Charles Marie Bovesse 1890 - 1944 1940 - 1942 G. Devos* 1942 - 1944 Emmanuel Marie Joseph Pierre Gérard de Croÿ, Prince de Croy et de Solre (W) 1908 - 1997 1944 Henri Lambert De Rouvroit 1945 - 1968 Robert Gruslin 1900 - Mayors of Namur Bourgmestres During WWI Namur was also the capital of the administrative region of Wallonia. 1867 - 1876 Charles Xavier Eugène Lelièvre 1805 - 1876 1876 - 1879 Émile Célestin Joseph Piret 1827 - 1894 1879 - 1890 Philippe Henri Émile Cuvelier 1816 - 1890 1891 - 1895 Henri Charles Jospeh Lemaître 1822 - 1904 1895 - 1908 Ernest Alexandre Mélot 1840 - 1910 1908 - 1911 Joseph Antoine Saintraint 1852 - 1924 1911 - 1914 Arthur Constant Ghislain Procès 1857 - 1932 1914 - 1917 Fernand Joseph Marie Nicolas Golenvaux 1866 - 1930 1917 - 1921 Arthur Constant Ghislain Procès (2x) 1921 - 1924 Joseph Antoine Saintraint (2x) 1924 - 1930 Fernand Joseph Marie Nicolas Golenvaux (2x) 1931 - 19.. Louis, Baron Huart __________________________________________________________________________________OOST VLAANDEREN
The Flemish province of Oost-Vlaanderen encompassed the eastern part of the former County of Flanders. During WWI it was occupied by the Germans and divided between the Etappengebiet and the Government General. It was also part of the administrative region of Flanders (1917 - 1918) and formally also of Independent Flanders (1917 - 1918). During WWII the province was part of the Oberfeldkommandantur Gent. Governors Gouverneurs 1848 - 1871 Édouard Joseph Donatien De Jaegher 1806 - 1883 1871 François Joseph Pierre Bellemans* 1821 - 1881 1871 - 1879 Thédore Émile Dominique Charles Ghislain, Comte de T'Serclaes de Wommersom s.a. 1879 - 1884 Léon François Verhaeghe de Naeyer 1839 - 1906 1884 - 1885 Théophile Charles Marie Xavier Libbrecht* 1839 - 1907 1885 - 1914 Raymond Charles, Baron de Kerchove d'Exaerde 1847 - 1932 German Officials 1914 - 1918 For the military authorities see here Civil President Zivilpräsident 1914 - 1918 Friedrich Eckert Administrators of the Flemish Gouw Oost-Vlaanderen 1917 - 1918 President of the Gouw Council Voorzitter van de Gouwraad 1917 - 1918 Evarist Stocke 1872 - 1944 Delegates of the Council of Flanders Afgevaardigden van de Raad van Vlaanderen 1918 -Evarist Stocke s.a. -P. Goossens Governors Gouverneurs 1918 - 1919 Raymond Charles, Baron de Kerchove d'Exaerde (2x). 1919 - 1921 Maurice Auguste Eugène Charles Marie Ghislain, Graaf Lippens 1875 - 1956 1921 - 1929 André Charles Eugène Oswald Rodolphe Auguste Léon Marie Ghislain, Graaf de Kerchove de Denterghem 1885 - 1945 1929 - 1935 Karel Weyler 1870 - 1935 1935 - 1938 Jules Ingenbleek 1876 - 1953 1938 - 1939 Louis Paul Simon, Baron Frédericq 1892 - 1981 1939 - 1940 Maurice Emile Cornelis Hippolyte Van den Boogaerde 1887 - 1956 1940 - 1943 Jozef Maria Prosper Antoon Devos* 1895 - 1988 1943 - 1944 Achiel Joseph Camiel Verstraete (W) 1898 - 1980 1944 - 1954 Maurice Emile Cornelis Hippolyte Van den Boogaerde (2x) Mayors of Gent Burgemeesters 1857 - 1882 Charles Constant Ghislain de Kerchove de Denterghem "de Kerchove de Limon" 1819 - 1882 1882 - 1895 Hippolyte Pierre Marie Lippens 1847 - 1906 1895 - 1918 Emile Braun, 1849 - 1927 1918 ... Kunzer (7) 1918 - 1921 Emile Braun (2x) 1921 - 1941 Alfred Vander Stegen 1869 - 1958 1941 - 1944 Hendrik Elias, Mayor of Great Gent (Groot-Gent)since 1942 1902 - 1973 1944 - 1946 Edward Anseele Jr. 1902 - 1981 __________________________________________________________________________________WEST VLAANDEREN
The Flemish province of West Vlaanderen encompassed the western part of the former County of Flanders. During WWI most of it was part of the German Etappengebiet, only its western part remaining under Belgian authority. The occupied area was also part of the administrative region of Flanders (1917 - 1918) and formally also of Independent Flanders (1917 - 1918). During WWII the province was part of the Oberfelkommandantur Gent. Governors Gouverneurs 1859 - 1877 Benoît Vrambout 1816 - 1877 1877 - 1878 Léon Emmanuel Marie Ghislain Ruzette 1836 - 1901 1878 - 1883 Theodore Heyvaert 1834 - 1907 1883 - 1884 Guillaume de Brouwer 1840 - 1892 1884 - 1901 Léon Emmanuel Marie Ghislain Ruzette (2x) 1901 Jean-Baptiste de Béthune* 1853 - 1907 1901 - 1903 Charles d'Ursel 1848 - 1903 1903 - 1907 Jean-Baptiste de Béthune (2x) 1907 - 1912 Albert Emmanuel Henri Maria Gjislain, Baron Ruzette 1866 - 1929 1912 - 1914 Léon Janssens de Bisthoven, continued as governor of the non-occipied part of the province 1859 - 1938 German Officials 1914 - 1918 For the military authorities see here Civil Presidents Zivilpräsidenten 1914 ... Leutwein 1914 - 1918 ... Küster Administrators of the Flemish Gouw West-Vlaanderen 1917 - 1918 President of the Gouw Council Voorzitter van de Gouwraad 1917 - 1918 Alfons Depla 1860 - 1924 Delegate of the Council of Flanders Afgevaardigde van de Raad van Vlaanderen 1918 C. Van Steenkisten Governors Gouverneurs 1918 - 1933 Léon Janssens de Bisthoven (2x) 1933 - 1940 Henri Baels 1878 - 1951 1940 - 1944 Michel Bulckaert (W) 1895 - 1968 1944 - 1945 Pierre van Outryve d'Ydewalle* 1912 - 1997 Mayors of Brugge Burgemeesters 1854 - 1876 Jules Charles Auguste Boyaval "Boyaval-Dujardin" 1814 - 1879 1876 - 1924 Amédée Charles Louis, Graaf (1886) Viscart de Bocarme 1835 - 1924 1924 - 1940 Victor Van Hoestenberghe 1868 - 1960 1940 - 1944 Jozef Devroe 1905 - 1976 1944 - 1956 Victor Van Hoestenberghe (2x) (1) More on these two linguistic laws on administrative affairs - as well as on other linguistic laws and on their actual application - will be found under Flanders (to be added). To be noted that before 1921, Dutch had already partly replaced French as administrative language in Flanders as a result of local initiatives. The principal of these perhaps was the decision of the municipal council of Antwerpen in 1867 to use Dutch as only administraive language of the city. Before the decision could fully be put into effect a newly elected council reintroduced French in 1872. The trend was however set and by the early 20th century only the municipal administration of Brugge (Bruges), the capital of West-Vlaanderen and the provincial governors - mostly members of the Francophone nobility - seem to to have remained real Francophone strongholds. (2) The frontiers were those of the ancient hereditary feudal lands. They runned - and still run - not only through the fields and the streets of Baarle, but in some cases also through the houses, resulting in situations whereby the kitchen was/is Belgian territory while the other rooms were/ are Dutch territory. (In these cases it was/is the location of the front door of the habitation that determinates the nationality : when the door is in Belgian territory, the inhabitants are considered as Belgians and vice versa...) An attempt to fix a more realistic frontier in 1843 failed and the Belgian -Netherlands frontier delimitation treaty of 1974 did explicitely exclude the Baarle area from the agreement... As to the two unassigned parcels of land, they were granted to Belgium : the first one in 1959, the second in 1995, in this way bringing the number of Belgian enclaves up to 22. (The agreement of 1995 and its slight frontier modification resulted in a somewhat bizar incident whereby one of the houses which had always been Belgian, suddenly became Dutch, the front door being in the Netherlands as a consequence of the modification. To avoid difficulties the inhabitant was allowed to consider the garage door - still in Belgian territory - as the front door for her lifetime) (3) Of the two areas only Malmédy (known as Preussische Wallonien, Wallonie prussienne, Prussian Wallonia) had a Francophone (Walloon) majority, which until 1880 - when German became the only authorized language - enjoyed the right to use French both in administrative and educational matters. To resist Germanization a "Club Wallon" was founded in 1898 by Nicolas Pietkin (1849 - 1921). (4) Like elsewhere in post-war Europe the formal cession was subject to the result of a popular consultation. But by the day the consultation was held, Francophone Belgian administrators had already replaced the Prussian ones (who had continued in office under British occupation) in many places and the consultation itself became known as "la petite farce belge" (the little Belgian joke) as there never was a real secret consultation, the opponents to annexation simply being asked to place their name under a protest list! Under these circumstances it can hardly be surprising that only 271 of the 33700 registered voters were courageous enough to oppose annexation (and to endure punishment for it). As forseen in the Belgian constitution German formally was allowed to be used as a local administrative and educational language, but in practice the situation evolved into one which can more or less be compared to the one existing in Flanders. Tne result was the growth of local opposition groups, firstly (1929) the Christliche Volkspartei (Christian People's Party) headed by Josef Dehottay and thereafter (1935) the so-called Heimatreue Front, which entered in relation with the German NSDAP and for a moment was the leading party in the area. (It has to be noted that in Belgium itself there was some opposition to the annexation as it was quite a financial charge. And for some time until ca 1926 - when French pressure ended them - there were negociations about a possible retrocession of the area to Germany in exchange of an indemnity) (5) Altbelgien (Old Belgium) or Albelsch (in the local form) was the name given by the Germans to some German speaking regions which were already part of Belgium before 1919 : - Northern Altbelgien (Nordlech Albelsch) : a part of the former Duchy of Limburg - also known as the Montzener Gebiet - which was assigned to the Netherlands in 1815 and came to Belgium in 1830 as part of the Province of Liège. - Central Altbelgien (Mettelst Albelsch) : a region in the northern part of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg - also known as Bocholz - occupied by Belgium in 1830 (part of the Province of Liège) - Southern Altbelgien (Südlech Albelsch) : a region in the central part of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg - also known as the Arelerland - occupied by Belgium in 1830. As the Belgian constitution of 1831 had proclaimed the free use of the three languages, the use of German as an administrative and educational language formally continued to be allowed in these areas. In practice however the situation was quit the same as in Flanders and French gradually became the ruling language. To resist this Frenchification a Deutscher Verein zur Hebung und Pflege der Muttersprache (German Association for the Elevation and Care of the Native Language) was founded by Godefroid Kurth (1847 - 1916) in 1893. It was disbanded at the outbreak of WWI. (6) As a result five German municipalities (Konzen, Lammersdorf, Mützenich, Rötgen and Ruitzhof) were cut off the rest of Germany forming a German enclave - part of the Prussian Rheinprovinz - within Belgium. The complicated agreement of 1922 - whose main aim seems to have been the prevention of smuggling - forsaw among others that : - although formally in Belgian territory the five stations of the tract (Kaltecherberg, Konzen, Lammersdorf, Monschau and Rötgen) would keep their German names, - only trains of the Belgian State Railway/National Society were allowed to use the tract, - Belgian and German currency could be used, - German train reglementation remained in vigor along with the Belgian, - German police and customs laws remained in vigor in the area for non- Belgian citizens, only Belgians working or living in the area being subject to Belgian law, - passengers and goods travelling to Germany or to the Vennbahn zone were subject to common customs control, - passengers towards a Belgian station outside the Vennbahn area were to be transported by special trains or in sealed vehicles and were subject to Belgian customs control only, - goods trains between two Belgian stations outside the Vennbahn area paasing through the area were not to stop in one of the five stations and were subject to common customs control at the end of the tract, (7) Gent was one of the Flemish towns where the Council of Flanders tried to replace the existing municipal administrations by its own. As a transitional measure Kunzer, second mayor of Prussian Pozen was appointed Mayor by the German authorities. Before a Flemish mayor could be appointed, war ended... In the period of the revolt against Dutch rule in 1830, Gent also was the major center of the Orangists. It was also the place were they remained longest in power. Its Orangist mayor Joseph Jean Van Crombrugghe (1770 - 1872 - proposed as head of a briefly planned provisional government of a restored County of Flanders, to be proclaimed in opposition to the secessionist government of Belgium) remained in power until Jul 1831, when he was deposed and the city administration was taken over by the Belgian military [Military Gov. : Gen. Charles Niellon (1795 - 1871) of French origin]
BELGIAN OVERSEA DEPENDENCIES 1900 - 1945
Belgian oversea dependencies in the period 1900 - 1945 included : Belgian Congo since 1908 (1) Belgian East Africa since 1916 Ruanda-Urundi, a Mandated Territory since 1916/1920/1924 Tianjin (Tïen-Tsin), a concession in China 1900 - 1929 During WWI Congo and Tianjin remained subject to the Belgian authorities. Likewise Congo and Ruanda-Urundi remained subject to the Belgian government in exile in 1940 - 1944. (1) Though the Head of State and most other ofiicials were Belgians and though most of the country's economy was controlled by Belgian societies, the Congo Free State (1885 - 1908) was formally not a Belgian dependency but an entirely independent state. [During his reign King Leopold II (1835 - 1909, r. 1965 - 1909) made some other attempts to establish Belgian colonies (in Argentine, in Borneo, in the Philippines, in China, etc) but all failed]