The "passe-vite" : a Belgian invention
One of the most commonly used inventions for kitchen use is the passe-vite (a hand-crank rotating food sieve with milling disks) invented by Victor Simon from Belgium. (Victor Fernand Joseph Simon, born in Carnières, on March 22, 1888, son of Jean Baptiste Simon and Marie Cathérine Léonard)
In 1928, Simon applied for a patent for "a rapid action food sieve for vegetables and other edibles". The inventor stated that the device could cook in one minute the amount of vegetables needed for a meal for eight people, with the downward action of the compression spring leaving peel and skin in the sieve.
Simon decided to give it a try at the Brussels Trade Fair where his invention received an unexpected welcome with 500 pieces ordered. The success was overwhelming. After having transformed his small workshop for the production of prototypes, Simon joined forces with ironmonger Richard Denis to create the "Simon & Denis" company in 1929.
The passe-vite was so successful that the brand name became very well-known. A whole range of products was soon developed. Some seven other types of kitchen sieves and vegetable mils were patented. Simon & Denis should have seen, among other things, how their passe-vite was shamelessly copied just before the war by a Mr. Mantelet who would later operate under the name of Moulinex. The identical device conquered the American market. In 1978, fifty years after the invention, Simon & Denis ingloriously went bankrupt.
One of the most commonly used inventions for kitchen use is the passe-vite (a hand-crank rotating food sieve with milling disks) invented by Victor Simon from Belgium. (Victor Fernand Joseph Simon, born in Carnières, on March 22, 1888, son of Jean Baptiste Simon and Marie Cathérine Léonard)
In 1928, Simon applied for a patent for "a rapid action food sieve for vegetables and other edibles". The inventor stated that the device could cook in one minute the amount of vegetables needed for a meal for eight people, with the downward action of the compression spring leaving peel and skin in the sieve.
Simon decided to give it a try at the Brussels Trade Fair where his invention received an unexpected welcome with 500 pieces ordered. The success was overwhelming. After having transformed his small workshop for the production of prototypes, Simon joined forces with ironmonger Richard Denis to create the "Simon & Denis" company in 1929.
The passe-vite was so successful that the brand name became very well-known. A whole range of products was soon developed. Some seven other types of kitchen sieves and vegetable mils were patented. Simon & Denis should have seen, among other things, how their passe-vite was shamelessly copied just before the war by a Mr. Mantelet who would later operate under the name of Moulinex. The identical device conquered the American market. In 1978, fifty years after the invention, Simon & Denis ingloriously went bankrupt.
Burning Witches during Summer
The classical period of witch-hunts in Early Modern Europe took place about 1450 to 1750, resulting in thousands of executions, peaking during the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648). Witchcraft persecution took place in all areas of Europe, including in what is now called Belgium. Men and women accused of sorcery were in most cases officially questioned, subjected to torture, examined and trialled. Many died horrible death, sentenced to the stake, exposed to strangling, burned or drowned alive. A lot of these detailed official trials and lengthy examination records are kept in various city archives and can still be consulted.
Jeanne De Deyster, born in 1593 in Nieuwpoort, Flanders, Belgium was the daughter of Jan De Deyster and Cathelijne Goossen. In 1603 her father who was said to be a wizard was trialled and burned at the stake. That way she already carried a bad reputation at the tender age of 10. In 1617 she married Jan Panne, a baker with whom she had eleven children. Ten of them died early. It is said that Jeanne Panne was very ugly and that she had birthmarks on her face and on her thigh. People thought that she had supernatural powers. She could pinpoint secret repositories of money and she successfully predicted which arch would break during popular archery games. She was arrested in May 1650, charged of killing two people.
During the trial, several witnesses stated that Jeanne Panne had caused them sexual problems. A man declared that she had brushed against his pants and that he became impotent for six weeks. A woman came to testify that her husband was touched by Jeanne Panne at the start of their marriage causing him to lose his masculinity for ten weeks.
A "criminal expert" from Bruges investigated Jeanne Panne's body and discovered a spot that turned out to be insensitive to pin pricks. He decided that it was a devil's mark, the proof that Jeanne had made a covenant with the devil. On May 12 she was taken to the torture room and confessed that she had met the devil, that he had touched her breasts and that he had known her carnally. "He smelled musty and his limbs and his nature were as cold as ice." She repeated her confession the next day even without being tortured and she was sentenced to the stake. Two days later the verdict was executed.
In 2012, the Mayor of Nieuwpoort, on behalf of the municipality and the population, officially apologized for all witch-hunts that ever took place in the city, and 17 people who died on the witch’s pyre were posthumously acquitted of all blame. Ironically, a witch festival is organized in Nieuwpoort every three years in July. Jeanne Panne's life is re-enacted in various scenes, and a doll representing the witch is burned at the end of the evening.
The classical period of witch-hunts in Early Modern Europe took place about 1450 to 1750, resulting in thousands of executions, peaking during the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648). Witchcraft persecution took place in all areas of Europe, including in what is now called Belgium. Men and women accused of sorcery were in most cases officially questioned, subjected to torture, examined and trialled. Many died horrible death, sentenced to the stake, exposed to strangling, burned or drowned alive. A lot of these detailed official trials and lengthy examination records are kept in various city archives and can still be consulted.
Jeanne De Deyster, born in 1593 in Nieuwpoort, Flanders, Belgium was the daughter of Jan De Deyster and Cathelijne Goossen. In 1603 her father who was said to be a wizard was trialled and burned at the stake. That way she already carried a bad reputation at the tender age of 10. In 1617 she married Jan Panne, a baker with whom she had eleven children. Ten of them died early. It is said that Jeanne Panne was very ugly and that she had birthmarks on her face and on her thigh. People thought that she had supernatural powers. She could pinpoint secret repositories of money and she successfully predicted which arch would break during popular archery games. She was arrested in May 1650, charged of killing two people.
During the trial, several witnesses stated that Jeanne Panne had caused them sexual problems. A man declared that she had brushed against his pants and that he became impotent for six weeks. A woman came to testify that her husband was touched by Jeanne Panne at the start of their marriage causing him to lose his masculinity for ten weeks.
A "criminal expert" from Bruges investigated Jeanne Panne's body and discovered a spot that turned out to be insensitive to pin pricks. He decided that it was a devil's mark, the proof that Jeanne had made a covenant with the devil. On May 12 she was taken to the torture room and confessed that she had met the devil, that he had touched her breasts and that he had known her carnally. "He smelled musty and his limbs and his nature were as cold as ice." She repeated her confession the next day even without being tortured and she was sentenced to the stake. Two days later the verdict was executed.
In 2012, the Mayor of Nieuwpoort, on behalf of the municipality and the population, officially apologized for all witch-hunts that ever took place in the city, and 17 people who died on the witch’s pyre were posthumously acquitted of all blame. Ironically, a witch festival is organized in Nieuwpoort every three years in July. Jeanne Panne's life is re-enacted in various scenes, and a doll representing the witch is burned at the end of the evening.
The Perpetual Edict
Priests had kept records of sacraments in bound register books, including baptisms, marriage bans, marriages, burials, and confirmations, all in Latin. That is why we find very old parish registers in the archives, including the oldest surviving marriage register from the territory of what is now Belgium: a 1482 marriage register from the Church of Saint-Gudula in Brussel. Keeping parish records was in fact later imposed by the Council of Trent, held between 1545 and 1563, Italy.
But in 1611, the "Decree and Perpetual Edict for the Better Direction of Matters of Justice" was proclaimed by the Archdukes Albert and Isabella governing legal process in the Southern (Spanish) Netherlands. It consisted of 47 clauses laying out the basic rules of criminal and civil procedure. It was printed in both Dutch and French. The edict had a fundamental impact on the codification of customary law. More important for genealogists, it also placed a legal obligation on parish churches to register births, marriages and deaths, and on local magistrates to ensure that the secular authorities obtained a copy of these registers each year. That way, the government had access to basic data previously only known to the Church. On the front page we see the blazon of the Archduke, flanked by the allegories of Justitia (left) and Pax (Peace). Notice that there are differences between the two language versions: the closed crown and a blindfolded Lady Justice in the French version, and the open crown and Lady Justice without blindfold in the Dutch version. The document was reprinted many times and was included in numerous
law books and law collections.
Priests had kept records of sacraments in bound register books, including baptisms, marriage bans, marriages, burials, and confirmations, all in Latin. That is why we find very old parish registers in the archives, including the oldest surviving marriage register from the territory of what is now Belgium: a 1482 marriage register from the Church of Saint-Gudula in Brussel. Keeping parish records was in fact later imposed by the Council of Trent, held between 1545 and 1563, Italy.
But in 1611, the "Decree and Perpetual Edict for the Better Direction of Matters of Justice" was proclaimed by the Archdukes Albert and Isabella governing legal process in the Southern (Spanish) Netherlands. It consisted of 47 clauses laying out the basic rules of criminal and civil procedure. It was printed in both Dutch and French. The edict had a fundamental impact on the codification of customary law. More important for genealogists, it also placed a legal obligation on parish churches to register births, marriages and deaths, and on local magistrates to ensure that the secular authorities obtained a copy of these registers each year. That way, the government had access to basic data previously only known to the Church. On the front page we see the blazon of the Archduke, flanked by the allegories of Justitia (left) and Pax (Peace). Notice that there are differences between the two language versions: the closed crown and a blindfolded Lady Justice in the French version, and the open crown and Lady Justice without blindfold in the Dutch version. The document was reprinted many times and was included in numerous
law books and law collections.
Three Kings born in Roosendaal
While browsing through the records of the old parish of John the Baptist in Roosendaal, now The Netherlands, we find a christening record for triplets called Gaspar, Melchior and Balthazar Krüger. The three boys were born on Friday 8 May 1767, sons of Carolus Christophorus Krüger en Digna Van Ham. Their given names refer to three kings from the east. Epiphany or Three Kings' Day is a Christian feast day that celebrates the revelation of God incarnate as Jesus Christ. The traditional date for the feast is January 6. It commemorates the three "wise men", magi, or kings from the east who saw an ascending star and searched for the newborn king of the Jews. They arrived in Bethlehem and found Jesus. In old Greek they were called Apellius, Amerius and Damascus, in Hebrew Galgalat, Malgalat and Sarathin, but they became widely known under their latinized Persian names Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar. Popular Epiphany customs include the blessing of houses including chalking the front door with the initials C+M+B: the letters stand for the initials of the kings (Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar) but also the phrase Christus Mansionem Benedicat, which translates as "may Christ bless this house". In the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany, children in groups of three proceed in costume, carrying a star on a stick, going from house to house while singing songs typical for the occasion, and receiving coins or sweets.
While browsing through the records of the old parish of John the Baptist in Roosendaal, now The Netherlands, we find a christening record for triplets called Gaspar, Melchior and Balthazar Krüger. The three boys were born on Friday 8 May 1767, sons of Carolus Christophorus Krüger en Digna Van Ham. Their given names refer to three kings from the east. Epiphany or Three Kings' Day is a Christian feast day that celebrates the revelation of God incarnate as Jesus Christ. The traditional date for the feast is January 6. It commemorates the three "wise men", magi, or kings from the east who saw an ascending star and searched for the newborn king of the Jews. They arrived in Bethlehem and found Jesus. In old Greek they were called Apellius, Amerius and Damascus, in Hebrew Galgalat, Malgalat and Sarathin, but they became widely known under their latinized Persian names Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar. Popular Epiphany customs include the blessing of houses including chalking the front door with the initials C+M+B: the letters stand for the initials of the kings (Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar) but also the phrase Christus Mansionem Benedicat, which translates as "may Christ bless this house". In the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany, children in groups of three proceed in costume, carrying a star on a stick, going from house to house while singing songs typical for the occasion, and receiving coins or sweets.
The Difficult Birth of the Saxophone
Antoine-Joseph Sax was a musician born in 1814 in Dinant, Belgium. He invented the saxophone in the early 1840s. He also invented the contrabass clarinett, the saxotromba, saxhorn and saxtuba. While his given name was Antoine-Joseph, he was referred to as Adolphe from childhood. His parents were also instrument designers. Sax faced many near-death experiences. Over the course of his childhood, he fell from a height of three floors, hit his head on a stone and could barely stand afterwards. At the age of three he drank a bowl full of vitriolized water and later swallowed a pin, burnt himself seriously in a gunpowder explosion, fell onto a hot cast-iron frying pan, survived poisoning and suffocation in his own bedroom where varnished items were kept during the night, was hit on the head by a stone, and fell into a river barely surviving. Adolphe began to make his own instruments at an early age, entering two of his flutes and a clarinet into a competition at the age of 15. After leaving the Royal Conservatory of Brussels, Sax began to experiment with new instrument designs, while his parents continued to repair and construct conventional instruments to bring in money. He relocated permanently to Paris in 1842 and began working on a new set of instruments. The saxophone was Sax's signature accomplishment and created his reputation more than any other. This helped secure him a job teaching at the Paris Conservatory in 1857. He married in France and had two children. He suffered from lip cancer between 1853 and 1858 but made a full recovery. Rival instrument makers attacked the legitimacy of his patents and were in turn sued by Sax for patent infringement. The legal back-and-forth continued for over 20 years. He was driven into bankruptcy three times in 1852, 1873, and 1877. Adolphe Sax died in 1894 in complete poverty.
Of course in our days, Dinant has its own saxophone Interpretation Center called La Maison de Monsieur Sax: not a museum but a place where you can learn all about Sax and his musical instruments.
Regarding genealogical research: the Dinant parish and vital records range from 1500 to 1916, but the actual parish registers were destroyed due to a bombardment in 1914. Only the indexes survived. That is why we can show Sax' French death record but not his Belgian birth certificate. Other genealogical sources in Dinant are notary deeds, military papers, archives of the Bailiff, cadastre plans, etc.
Antoine-Joseph Sax was a musician born in 1814 in Dinant, Belgium. He invented the saxophone in the early 1840s. He also invented the contrabass clarinett, the saxotromba, saxhorn and saxtuba. While his given name was Antoine-Joseph, he was referred to as Adolphe from childhood. His parents were also instrument designers. Sax faced many near-death experiences. Over the course of his childhood, he fell from a height of three floors, hit his head on a stone and could barely stand afterwards. At the age of three he drank a bowl full of vitriolized water and later swallowed a pin, burnt himself seriously in a gunpowder explosion, fell onto a hot cast-iron frying pan, survived poisoning and suffocation in his own bedroom where varnished items were kept during the night, was hit on the head by a stone, and fell into a river barely surviving. Adolphe began to make his own instruments at an early age, entering two of his flutes and a clarinet into a competition at the age of 15. After leaving the Royal Conservatory of Brussels, Sax began to experiment with new instrument designs, while his parents continued to repair and construct conventional instruments to bring in money. He relocated permanently to Paris in 1842 and began working on a new set of instruments. The saxophone was Sax's signature accomplishment and created his reputation more than any other. This helped secure him a job teaching at the Paris Conservatory in 1857. He married in France and had two children. He suffered from lip cancer between 1853 and 1858 but made a full recovery. Rival instrument makers attacked the legitimacy of his patents and were in turn sued by Sax for patent infringement. The legal back-and-forth continued for over 20 years. He was driven into bankruptcy three times in 1852, 1873, and 1877. Adolphe Sax died in 1894 in complete poverty.
Of course in our days, Dinant has its own saxophone Interpretation Center called La Maison de Monsieur Sax: not a museum but a place where you can learn all about Sax and his musical instruments.
Regarding genealogical research: the Dinant parish and vital records range from 1500 to 1916, but the actual parish registers were destroyed due to a bombardment in 1914. Only the indexes survived. That is why we can show Sax' French death record but not his Belgian birth certificate. Other genealogical sources in Dinant are notary deeds, military papers, archives of the Bailiff, cadastre plans, etc.
The Belgians are the Bravest
At the time of his conquests in 58-51 BC, Gaius Julius Caesar wrote a firsthand account of the battles and intrigues that took place in the nine years he spent fighting the Germanic and Celtic peoples in Gaul who opposed Roman conquest. The result a was book split in eight sections, called "Commentarii de Bello Gallico" (Commentaries on the Gallic War). The reason for writing this was that he needed the support of the Roman plebeians, particularly the Tribunes of the Plebs, on whom he chiefly relied for help in carrying out his agenda. His victories in Gaul had increased the alarm and hostility of his aristocratic enemies in Rome who were spreading rumors about Caesar's intentions once he returned from Gaul with his army. The Commentaries were an effort by Caesar to directly communicate with the plebeians by circumventing the usual channels of communication that passed through the Senate. Of course his vivid account of the battles is of great importance to historians. In the Commentaries Caesar mentioned several leaders of the Gallic tribes, including Ambiorix, Diviciacus and Vercingetorix. He also provided his audience with a picture of Germanic lifestyle and culture. The Germans were seen as primitive hunter-gatherers with a diet mostly consisting of meat and dairy products, and who worshipped earthly gods such as the sun and the moon. Caesar also wrote about the importance of Druids and the superstitions of the Gallic nations. Among them were the Belgae, a large Gallic-Germanic confederation of tribes living in northern Gaul, between the English Channel, the west bank of the Rhine, and northern bank of the river Seine. Caesar noted "horum omnium fortissimi sunt Belgae" (of them all, the Belgians are the bravest). A citation in our days cherished by the Belgians. But if we read the whole sentence their strength is less flattering: "Horum omnium fortissimi sunt Belgae, propterea quod a cultu atque humanitate provinciae longissime absunt, minimeque ad eos mercatores saepe commeant atque ea quae ad effeminandos animos pertinent important, proximique sunt Germanis, qui trans Rhenum incolunt, quibuscum continenter bellum gerunt": of them all, the Belgians are the bravest, because they are furthest from the civilization and refinement of our [Roman] Province, and merchants least frequently travel to them, and import those things which tend to effeminate the mind; and they are the nearest to the Germans, who dwell beyond the Rhine, with whom they are continually waging war". Caesar's books were reproduced and printed throughout the centuries.
At the time of his conquests in 58-51 BC, Gaius Julius Caesar wrote a firsthand account of the battles and intrigues that took place in the nine years he spent fighting the Germanic and Celtic peoples in Gaul who opposed Roman conquest. The result a was book split in eight sections, called "Commentarii de Bello Gallico" (Commentaries on the Gallic War). The reason for writing this was that he needed the support of the Roman plebeians, particularly the Tribunes of the Plebs, on whom he chiefly relied for help in carrying out his agenda. His victories in Gaul had increased the alarm and hostility of his aristocratic enemies in Rome who were spreading rumors about Caesar's intentions once he returned from Gaul with his army. The Commentaries were an effort by Caesar to directly communicate with the plebeians by circumventing the usual channels of communication that passed through the Senate. Of course his vivid account of the battles is of great importance to historians. In the Commentaries Caesar mentioned several leaders of the Gallic tribes, including Ambiorix, Diviciacus and Vercingetorix. He also provided his audience with a picture of Germanic lifestyle and culture. The Germans were seen as primitive hunter-gatherers with a diet mostly consisting of meat and dairy products, and who worshipped earthly gods such as the sun and the moon. Caesar also wrote about the importance of Druids and the superstitions of the Gallic nations. Among them were the Belgae, a large Gallic-Germanic confederation of tribes living in northern Gaul, between the English Channel, the west bank of the Rhine, and northern bank of the river Seine. Caesar noted "horum omnium fortissimi sunt Belgae" (of them all, the Belgians are the bravest). A citation in our days cherished by the Belgians. But if we read the whole sentence their strength is less flattering: "Horum omnium fortissimi sunt Belgae, propterea quod a cultu atque humanitate provinciae longissime absunt, minimeque ad eos mercatores saepe commeant atque ea quae ad effeminandos animos pertinent important, proximique sunt Germanis, qui trans Rhenum incolunt, quibuscum continenter bellum gerunt": of them all, the Belgians are the bravest, because they are furthest from the civilization and refinement of our [Roman] Province, and merchants least frequently travel to them, and import those things which tend to effeminate the mind; and they are the nearest to the Germans, who dwell beyond the Rhine, with whom they are continually waging war". Caesar's books were reproduced and printed throughout the centuries.
400 Years of Piety
A Mount of Piety is a kind of low-interest loan bank, in fact an institutional pawnbroker run as an organized charity. It originated in Europe in the fifteenth century and still exists today. Originally, the public office was organized and operated by the Catholic Church and offered financial loans at a moderate interest to those in need. The organizing principle, based on the benefit of the borrower and not the profit of the lender, was viewed as a benevolent alternative to the loans provided by moneylenders.
In Belgium, this form of pledging is only permitted to the Mount of Piety and is forbidden for other persons or institutions since 1848. Mounts were founded as early as 1543 (in Ypres) and 1572 (in Bruges).
The Brussels Mont de Piété (in French) or Berg van Barmhartigheid (in Dutch) was founded 28 September 1618, and is the only one left: it is still an active institution. The founder was Wenceslas Cobergher, who established fifteen such institutions in different towns in the Spanish Southern Netherlands, like Antwerp and Ghent. You can still bring a property, mostly jewellery or silverware, to the Mount of Piety to get a minimum loan of 30 Euros and lend 50%-70% of the estimated value in public sale. No questions are asked, although of course you have to prove that the item you are pawning is yours. After 400 years, the Brussels Mount still offers an alternative to questionable commercial credit practices, and you can repay at your own pace.
A Mount of Piety is a kind of low-interest loan bank, in fact an institutional pawnbroker run as an organized charity. It originated in Europe in the fifteenth century and still exists today. Originally, the public office was organized and operated by the Catholic Church and offered financial loans at a moderate interest to those in need. The organizing principle, based on the benefit of the borrower and not the profit of the lender, was viewed as a benevolent alternative to the loans provided by moneylenders.
In Belgium, this form of pledging is only permitted to the Mount of Piety and is forbidden for other persons or institutions since 1848. Mounts were founded as early as 1543 (in Ypres) and 1572 (in Bruges).
The Brussels Mont de Piété (in French) or Berg van Barmhartigheid (in Dutch) was founded 28 September 1618, and is the only one left: it is still an active institution. The founder was Wenceslas Cobergher, who established fifteen such institutions in different towns in the Spanish Southern Netherlands, like Antwerp and Ghent. You can still bring a property, mostly jewellery or silverware, to the Mount of Piety to get a minimum loan of 30 Euros and lend 50%-70% of the estimated value in public sale. No questions are asked, although of course you have to prove that the item you are pawning is yours. After 400 years, the Brussels Mount still offers an alternative to questionable commercial credit practices, and you can repay at your own pace.
325 Years ago: France bombs Brussels
The bombardment of Brussels by troops of Louis XIV of France in August 1695, and the resulting fire were together the most destructive event in the entire history of Brussels. Incendiary bombs were destroying the Grand Place and a third of the buildings in the city. The reconstruction of the city centre profoundly changed the appearance of the city and left numerous traces that are still visible today.
The bombardment was part of the Nine Years' War (1688-1697). France began its policy of territorial expansion in 1695. This expansion resulted in the gradual annexation of parts of the Spanish (Southern) Netherlands. Wars were fought, alliances made and broken, and fortresses continuously changed hands. Opposing France was a large European coalition, the Grand Alliance, with William III of Orange, leader of the (Northern) Netherlands, and soon to be king of England. Alongside William stood Spain, Sweden, and the Holy Roman Empire.
In July 1695, the city of Namur, then occupied for three long years by the French, was besieged by William III at the head of an allied army. The French king, irritated at the turn of events, urged his generals to do something and destroy Brugge or Gent in a surprise attack. They instead suggested that bombarding Brussels would have more of an effect in drawing the enemy to a place in which the French could attack them strategically. But that strategy proved to be unsuccessful, and no military gain whatsoever came of the bombardment. However, Louis XIV's reputation suffered heavily for such a barbarous act.
The French themselves were surprised at the success of the operation, which was well beyond what they had anticipated. Marchal Villeroi wrote: "The disorder that we have caused in this city is incredible, and although the people menace us with many threats of reprisal, and I don't even doubt they have the will to do so, but I don't see how they have the means." The Duke of Berwick, a future Marshal of France who was present, disapproved, and stated that "a more appalling spectacle has never been seen".
The bombardment of Brussels by troops of Louis XIV of France in August 1695, and the resulting fire were together the most destructive event in the entire history of Brussels. Incendiary bombs were destroying the Grand Place and a third of the buildings in the city. The reconstruction of the city centre profoundly changed the appearance of the city and left numerous traces that are still visible today.
The bombardment was part of the Nine Years' War (1688-1697). France began its policy of territorial expansion in 1695. This expansion resulted in the gradual annexation of parts of the Spanish (Southern) Netherlands. Wars were fought, alliances made and broken, and fortresses continuously changed hands. Opposing France was a large European coalition, the Grand Alliance, with William III of Orange, leader of the (Northern) Netherlands, and soon to be king of England. Alongside William stood Spain, Sweden, and the Holy Roman Empire.
In July 1695, the city of Namur, then occupied for three long years by the French, was besieged by William III at the head of an allied army. The French king, irritated at the turn of events, urged his generals to do something and destroy Brugge or Gent in a surprise attack. They instead suggested that bombarding Brussels would have more of an effect in drawing the enemy to a place in which the French could attack them strategically. But that strategy proved to be unsuccessful, and no military gain whatsoever came of the bombardment. However, Louis XIV's reputation suffered heavily for such a barbarous act.
The French themselves were surprised at the success of the operation, which was well beyond what they had anticipated. Marchal Villeroi wrote: "The disorder that we have caused in this city is incredible, and although the people menace us with many threats of reprisal, and I don't even doubt they have the will to do so, but I don't see how they have the means." The Duke of Berwick, a future Marshal of France who was present, disapproved, and stated that "a more appalling spectacle has never been seen".
How falling into a Pond changed History
Prince Leopold of Belgium was the second child and only son of King Leopold II of Belgium and his wife, Marie Henriette of Austria, and heir apparent to the Belgian throne.
His father was worried about his poor health, but Leopold was considered a happy child and spent much of his time with his Shetland pony. In the summer of 1868 he fell into a pond near the castle of Laken and contracted pneumonia. The 9-year-old crown prince died on January 22, 1869. This loss hit his father badly. Leopold's funeral was the only occasion on which the king wept in public.
Due to the death of Leopold, the monarchy no longer had a male successor in a straight line, as women were excluded from the throne. The king and queen did have another child, and expectations for a male heir to the throne were high but were not met with the birth of Princess Clementine.
As a result, the succession remained with Philip, Count of Flanders, the younger brother of Leopold II. But Leopold did not see his brother Philip as the suitable heir to the throne: Philip was deaf and had no ambition to rule. That is why King Leopold set his hopes on Prince Baudouin born 1869, the eldest son of Philip. Early 1891 Baudouin's sister Henriette became seriously ill with pneumonia. However, Baudouin insisted to stay with her and prayed for her recovery in the cold corridors of the palace, becoming ill himself. Henriette recovered but Prince Baudouin died of pulmonary edema on January 23. His father Philip died in 1905, so it was his brother who in 1909 took the throne as Albert I.
Prince Leopold of Belgium was the second child and only son of King Leopold II of Belgium and his wife, Marie Henriette of Austria, and heir apparent to the Belgian throne.
His father was worried about his poor health, but Leopold was considered a happy child and spent much of his time with his Shetland pony. In the summer of 1868 he fell into a pond near the castle of Laken and contracted pneumonia. The 9-year-old crown prince died on January 22, 1869. This loss hit his father badly. Leopold's funeral was the only occasion on which the king wept in public.
Due to the death of Leopold, the monarchy no longer had a male successor in a straight line, as women were excluded from the throne. The king and queen did have another child, and expectations for a male heir to the throne were high but were not met with the birth of Princess Clementine.
As a result, the succession remained with Philip, Count of Flanders, the younger brother of Leopold II. But Leopold did not see his brother Philip as the suitable heir to the throne: Philip was deaf and had no ambition to rule. That is why King Leopold set his hopes on Prince Baudouin born 1869, the eldest son of Philip. Early 1891 Baudouin's sister Henriette became seriously ill with pneumonia. However, Baudouin insisted to stay with her and prayed for her recovery in the cold corridors of the palace, becoming ill himself. Henriette recovered but Prince Baudouin died of pulmonary edema on January 23. His father Philip died in 1905, so it was his brother who in 1909 took the throne as Albert I.
Old Newspapers as a Genealogical Source
In 1667, Maximiliaen Graet founded a neutral news and advertisement magazine called Ghendtsche Post-Tydingen. It was printed in Dutch. In 1723, new owners gave the newspaper its final name, Gazette van Ghendt (with spelling changes over time: (1749) Gazette van Gendt, (1765) Gazette van Gend). By order of the French government, France having annexed what is now Belgium, the exclusively Dutch publication had to be discontinued in 1809, and a bilingual Gazette de Gand appeared, which disappeared again in 1811, merging with the Journal du Commerce. After some more name changes, the original name reappeared in 1814, becoming a daily newspaper in 1854. Only during the First World War (1914-1918) publication was stopped. However, in 1940, the Gazette van Gent disappeared for good. At that time, it was probably the oldest surviving newspaper in the world. For genealogists, there are interesting articles to be found, resembling the "miscellaneous" local newspaper articles of our time. For instance, in the March 3, 1766 issue we find the obituary of a 104 year old woman from Aalter: Marguerite Supon widow of Louis Carton, who is said to have walked a mile to church till the age of 100, and who "kept her senses and mental health" till the end. And indeed, the Parish Registers (in Latin) confirm her old age as it is mentioned in the burial record.
In 1667, Maximiliaen Graet founded a neutral news and advertisement magazine called Ghendtsche Post-Tydingen. It was printed in Dutch. In 1723, new owners gave the newspaper its final name, Gazette van Ghendt (with spelling changes over time: (1749) Gazette van Gendt, (1765) Gazette van Gend). By order of the French government, France having annexed what is now Belgium, the exclusively Dutch publication had to be discontinued in 1809, and a bilingual Gazette de Gand appeared, which disappeared again in 1811, merging with the Journal du Commerce. After some more name changes, the original name reappeared in 1814, becoming a daily newspaper in 1854. Only during the First World War (1914-1918) publication was stopped. However, in 1940, the Gazette van Gent disappeared for good. At that time, it was probably the oldest surviving newspaper in the world. For genealogists, there are interesting articles to be found, resembling the "miscellaneous" local newspaper articles of our time. For instance, in the March 3, 1766 issue we find the obituary of a 104 year old woman from Aalter: Marguerite Supon widow of Louis Carton, who is said to have walked a mile to church till the age of 100, and who "kept her senses and mental health" till the end. And indeed, the Parish Registers (in Latin) confirm her old age as it is mentioned in the burial record.
Bakelite: a Belgian Invention
Bakelite owes its name to Leo Hendrik Baekeland, an American chemist of Belgian origin. He was born on November 14, 1863 in Gent, son of working class parents Charles Baekeland and Rosalia Merchie. From an early age he showed academic brilliance. At evening classes he won medals in chemistry, physics, mechanics and economics. At the age of 17, he was awarded a scholarship to the Gent University and by the age of 21 had obtained his Doctor of Science degree.
He was interested in photography and had undertaken numerous experiments with chemicals. This resulted in the invention of Velox photographic paper which transformed the world of popular photography and led to his selling the process to Kodak Eastman for a huge sum of money. He was then financially secure and able to pursue whatever scientific or business interest took his fancy.
At the beginning of the twentieth century he experimented with mixtures of phenol and formaldehyde. The result was ultimately polyoxybenzylmethyleneglycolanhydride: later known under the brand name Bakelite. A patent was granted in 1909.
The characteristics of the synthetic resin Bakelite made it very suitable as a molding compound, an adhesive or binding agent, a varnish, and a protective coating. Bakelite was particularly suitable for the emerging electrical and automobile industries because of its extraordinarily high resistance to electricity and heat. The substance was later also extensively used to make door handles, radio cabinets and telephones, heat-resistant handles, lids and utensils.
When Baekeland died on February 23, 1944 in Beacon, New York, his products were in use by nearly every industry and his life's work had been recognized by numerous scientific and academic bodies throughout the world.
Bakelite owes its name to Leo Hendrik Baekeland, an American chemist of Belgian origin. He was born on November 14, 1863 in Gent, son of working class parents Charles Baekeland and Rosalia Merchie. From an early age he showed academic brilliance. At evening classes he won medals in chemistry, physics, mechanics and economics. At the age of 17, he was awarded a scholarship to the Gent University and by the age of 21 had obtained his Doctor of Science degree.
He was interested in photography and had undertaken numerous experiments with chemicals. This resulted in the invention of Velox photographic paper which transformed the world of popular photography and led to his selling the process to Kodak Eastman for a huge sum of money. He was then financially secure and able to pursue whatever scientific or business interest took his fancy.
At the beginning of the twentieth century he experimented with mixtures of phenol and formaldehyde. The result was ultimately polyoxybenzylmethyleneglycolanhydride: later known under the brand name Bakelite. A patent was granted in 1909.
The characteristics of the synthetic resin Bakelite made it very suitable as a molding compound, an adhesive or binding agent, a varnish, and a protective coating. Bakelite was particularly suitable for the emerging electrical and automobile industries because of its extraordinarily high resistance to electricity and heat. The substance was later also extensively used to make door handles, radio cabinets and telephones, heat-resistant handles, lids and utensils.
When Baekeland died on February 23, 1944 in Beacon, New York, his products were in use by nearly every industry and his life's work had been recognized by numerous scientific and academic bodies throughout the world.
Giants
The first Belgian giants can be found in parades from the 14th century, with a first mention in Antwerp in 1324. The parades had a religious character. The earliest giants often referred to figures or events from the Bible, such as Saint George and the dragon, and David defeating Goliath.
The 16th century was a golden age for the giants. The oldest Antwerp giant we still know today is Druoon Antigoon. He has a large head with a black beard, and a helmet with a bird figure on it. The head was designed by a famous artist called Pieter Coecke van Aalst in 1535. According to the city legend of Antwerp, the giant Druoon Antigoon levied a toll on the river Scheldt in Antwerp. The Roman warrior Brabo overcame him, cutting off his hand and throwing it into the Scheldt. (Hence the name Antwerpen, or Hand-Werpen: "throwing the hand"). Antwerp then flourished thanks to free trade. Druoon Antigoon became a symbol of evil.
From the 17th century onwards, the giants gradually separated from religious processions. The giants were part of a larger giant train, which depicted animal giants in addition to human beings, such as a whale, an elephant and a huge camel. It was not until the middle of the 18th century that Druoon Antigoon had a wife: Pallas Athena. The ideals of the Enlightenment and the French Revolution ensured that many giants in our regions were banned or destroyed, because they did not fit into the laicized picture of the enlightened revolutionaries.
In 1872 the giants went around with the authentic heads for the last time. The old heads have been restored and can be viewed in the MAS-Museum. A more recent version of the giant head of Antigoon and Athena are used for the current annual celebrations in August.
The first Belgian giants can be found in parades from the 14th century, with a first mention in Antwerp in 1324. The parades had a religious character. The earliest giants often referred to figures or events from the Bible, such as Saint George and the dragon, and David defeating Goliath.
The 16th century was a golden age for the giants. The oldest Antwerp giant we still know today is Druoon Antigoon. He has a large head with a black beard, and a helmet with a bird figure on it. The head was designed by a famous artist called Pieter Coecke van Aalst in 1535. According to the city legend of Antwerp, the giant Druoon Antigoon levied a toll on the river Scheldt in Antwerp. The Roman warrior Brabo overcame him, cutting off his hand and throwing it into the Scheldt. (Hence the name Antwerpen, or Hand-Werpen: "throwing the hand"). Antwerp then flourished thanks to free trade. Druoon Antigoon became a symbol of evil.
From the 17th century onwards, the giants gradually separated from religious processions. The giants were part of a larger giant train, which depicted animal giants in addition to human beings, such as a whale, an elephant and a huge camel. It was not until the middle of the 18th century that Druoon Antigoon had a wife: Pallas Athena. The ideals of the Enlightenment and the French Revolution ensured that many giants in our regions were banned or destroyed, because they did not fit into the laicized picture of the enlightened revolutionaries.
In 1872 the giants went around with the authentic heads for the last time. The old heads have been restored and can be viewed in the MAS-Museum. A more recent version of the giant head of Antigoon and Athena are used for the current annual celebrations in August.
The Battle of Waterloo: Teeth and Bones
The Battle of Waterloo, some 20km south of Brussels, was fought on Sunday, 18th of June 1815. The region was at time part of the newly formed United Kingdom of the Netherlands. A French army under the command of Napoleon Bonaparte was defeated by two of the armies of the Seventh Coalition: a British-led allied army under the command of the Duke of Wellington, a Prussian army under the command of Field Marshal Blücher, Dutch/Belgian troops.
Napoleon chose to attack his opponents separately in the hope of destroying them before they could join in a coordinated invasion of France with other members of the coalition. On 16 June, he successfully attacked the bulk of the Prussian army at the Battle of Ligny with his main force, while a portion of the French army simultaneously attacked an Anglo-allied army at the Battle of Quatre Bras. Despite holding his ground at Quatre Bras, the defeat of the Prussians forced Wellington to withdraw north to Waterloo on the 17th. Napoleon sent a third of his forces to pursue the Prussians, who had withdrawn parallel to Wellington in good order. This resulted in the separate and simultaneous Battle of Wavre with the Prussian rear-guard. Upon learning that the Prussian army was able to support him, Wellington decided to offer battle on the Mont-Saint-Jean escarpment across the Brussels road. Here he withstood repeated attacks by the French throughout the afternoon of the 18th, aided by the progressively arriving Prussians. In the evening, Napoleon committed his last reserves, the senior battalions of the French Imperial Guard infantry. The desperate final attack of the Guard was narrowly beaten back. With the Prussians breaking through on the French right flank, Wellington's Anglo-allied army counter-attacked in the centre, and the French army was defeated.
What was left on the terrifying battlefield were thousands of dead soldiers and officers (estimated at 50,000), thousands of dead horses, thousands of wounded and maimed soldiers. The night after the battle and the following days, not all of the wounded had been evacuated. Looters moved about. They emptied the pockets of the fallen and stripped them of their clothes - and teeth. The naked dead were quickly placed in graves that were too shallow.
The site of the Waterloo battlefield is nowadays dominated by the monument of the Lion's Mound, surrounded by museums. But there are no soldier's graves, no memorial cemetery.
The remains of one soldier were discovered in 2012 during archaeological excavations. The discovery is unique, as no other skeletons have been found on the battlefield site so far. The one skeleton is kept at the Memorial of Waterloo 1815. So, where dit all those corpses go?
The reason, if true, is gruesome: after Waterloo, the bones of the dead were removed and freighted en masse to Hull to be grinded and used as fertiliser: a military mulch from the 1815 battlefield. The young soldier's also yielded fresh teeth to be reused as dentures for the living.
During the 18th and 19th centuries the reputation of dentistry was challenged by the demand for dental prosthesis and the practice of recycling teeth became popular. It hit its highest level of prominence after the Battle at Waterloo.
When artificial materials (dentures carved out of ivory or bone) proved to be ineffective for chewing, people would use teeth extracted from animals, executed criminals and unearthed bodies. Dentists would buy those teeth to create dentures. The dentures that were made with the teeth of the soldiers that died in the Battle of Waterloo came to be known as “Waterloo Teeth.”
The Battle of Waterloo, some 20km south of Brussels, was fought on Sunday, 18th of June 1815. The region was at time part of the newly formed United Kingdom of the Netherlands. A French army under the command of Napoleon Bonaparte was defeated by two of the armies of the Seventh Coalition: a British-led allied army under the command of the Duke of Wellington, a Prussian army under the command of Field Marshal Blücher, Dutch/Belgian troops.
Napoleon chose to attack his opponents separately in the hope of destroying them before they could join in a coordinated invasion of France with other members of the coalition. On 16 June, he successfully attacked the bulk of the Prussian army at the Battle of Ligny with his main force, while a portion of the French army simultaneously attacked an Anglo-allied army at the Battle of Quatre Bras. Despite holding his ground at Quatre Bras, the defeat of the Prussians forced Wellington to withdraw north to Waterloo on the 17th. Napoleon sent a third of his forces to pursue the Prussians, who had withdrawn parallel to Wellington in good order. This resulted in the separate and simultaneous Battle of Wavre with the Prussian rear-guard. Upon learning that the Prussian army was able to support him, Wellington decided to offer battle on the Mont-Saint-Jean escarpment across the Brussels road. Here he withstood repeated attacks by the French throughout the afternoon of the 18th, aided by the progressively arriving Prussians. In the evening, Napoleon committed his last reserves, the senior battalions of the French Imperial Guard infantry. The desperate final attack of the Guard was narrowly beaten back. With the Prussians breaking through on the French right flank, Wellington's Anglo-allied army counter-attacked in the centre, and the French army was defeated.
What was left on the terrifying battlefield were thousands of dead soldiers and officers (estimated at 50,000), thousands of dead horses, thousands of wounded and maimed soldiers. The night after the battle and the following days, not all of the wounded had been evacuated. Looters moved about. They emptied the pockets of the fallen and stripped them of their clothes - and teeth. The naked dead were quickly placed in graves that were too shallow.
The site of the Waterloo battlefield is nowadays dominated by the monument of the Lion's Mound, surrounded by museums. But there are no soldier's graves, no memorial cemetery.
The remains of one soldier were discovered in 2012 during archaeological excavations. The discovery is unique, as no other skeletons have been found on the battlefield site so far. The one skeleton is kept at the Memorial of Waterloo 1815. So, where dit all those corpses go?
The reason, if true, is gruesome: after Waterloo, the bones of the dead were removed and freighted en masse to Hull to be grinded and used as fertiliser: a military mulch from the 1815 battlefield. The young soldier's also yielded fresh teeth to be reused as dentures for the living.
During the 18th and 19th centuries the reputation of dentistry was challenged by the demand for dental prosthesis and the practice of recycling teeth became popular. It hit its highest level of prominence after the Battle at Waterloo.
When artificial materials (dentures carved out of ivory or bone) proved to be ineffective for chewing, people would use teeth extracted from animals, executed criminals and unearthed bodies. Dentists would buy those teeth to create dentures. The dentures that were made with the teeth of the soldiers that died in the Battle of Waterloo came to be known as “Waterloo Teeth.”
Coming soon:
- The Battle of Lekkerbeetje
- The French Revolutionary Calendar
- 540 years ago: how a Horse changed the History of Burgundy
- What if your Great Great Grandfather turns out to have been a Thief...
- Mapping the Austrian Netherlands
- Getting rid of the Past: Liège Cathedral completely demolished in 1794
- More than 100 years later: unexploded Poison Gas Grenades still found scattered throughout Flanders Fields
- Emperor Joseph II Edict of 1784: no more burials inside churches