You can helpexpand this article with text translated fromthe corresponding article in French. (December 2024)Click [show] for important translation instructions.
Machine translation, likeDeepL orGoogle Translate, is a useful starting point for translations, but translators must revise errors as necessary and confirm that the translation is accurate, rather than simply copy-pasting machine-translated text into the English Wikipedia.
Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low-quality. If possible, verify the text with references provided in the foreign-language article.
Youmust providecopyright attribution in theedit summary accompanying your translation by providing aninterlanguage link to the source of your translation. A model attribution edit summary isContent in this edit is translated from the existing French Wikipedia article at [[:fr:Liège]]; see its history for attribution.
You may also add the template{{Translated|fr|Liège}} to thetalk page.
The name is of Germanic origin and is reconstructible as *liudik-, from the Germanic word *liudiz "people", which is found in for example Dutchlui(den),lieden, Polishludzie, Czechlidé, GermanLeute,Old Englishlēod (Englishlede), Icelandiclýður ("people"), Latvianļaudis ("people"), Lithuanianliaudis ("people"). It is found in Ukrainian asliudy ("people"), in Russian asлюди, romanised:lyudi ("people"), in Latin asLeodicum orLeodium, and in Middle Dutch asludic orludeke.[7]
Until 17 September 1946, the city's name was writtenLiége, with theacute accent instead of agrave accent.[why?][8][9][10] Apparently, this official change did not extend to the demonym, which persists as Liégeois/Liégeoise.
In French,Liège is associated with the epithetla cité ardente ("the fervent city"). This term, which emerged around 1905, originally referred to the city's history of rebellions againstBurgundian rule, but was appropriated to refer to its economic dynamism during theIndustrial Revolution.[11]
Although settlements already existed inRoman times, the first references to Liège are from 558, when it was known as Vicus Leudicus. Around 705,Saint Lambert of Maastricht is credited with completing theChristianization of the region, indicating that up to the early 8th century the religious practices of antiquity had survived in some form.Christian conversion may still not have been quite universal, since Lambert was murdered in Liège and thereafter regarded as amartyr for his faith. To enshrine St. Lambert'srelics, his successor,Hubertus (later to become St. Hubert), built abasilica near the bishop's residence which became the true nucleus of the city.[citation needed]
A few centuries later, the city became the capital of aprince-bishopric, which lasted from 985 till 1794. The firstprince-bishop,Notger, transformed the city into a major intellectual and ecclesiastical centre, which maintained its cultural importance during theMiddle Ages. PopeClement VI recruited several musicians from Liège to perform in the Papal court atAvignon, thereby sanctioning the practice ofpolyphony in the religious realm. The city was renowned for its many churches, the oldest of which, St Martin's, dates from 682. Although nominally part of theHoly Roman Empire, in practice it possessed a large degree of independence.[citation needed]
The strategic position of Liège has made it a frequent target of armies and insurgencies over the centuries. It was fortified early on with a castle on the steep hill that overlooks the city's western side. During this medieval period, three women from the Liège region made significant contributions to Christian spirituality: Elizabeth ofSpalbeek,Christina the Astonishing, andMarie of Oignies.[12]
In 1345, the citizens of Liège rebelled against Prince-BishopEngelbert III de la Marck, their ruler at the time, and defeated him in battle near the city. Shortly after, a unique political system formed in Liège, whereby the city's 32guilds shared sole political control of the municipal government. Each person on the register of each guild was eligible to participate, and each guild's voice was equal, making it the most democratic system that theLow Countries had ever known. The system spread toUtrecht, and left a democratic spirit in Liège that survived the Middle Ages.[13]
During theCounter-Reformation, the diocese of Liège was split and progressively lost its role as a regional power. By the 17th century, the bishopric of Liège became a virtualSecundogeniture of the Bavarian royal house ofWittelsbach, with second sons of the Bavarian monarch ruling as prince-bishop. Beginning with the ascension ofErnest of Bavaria in 1581, Bavarian princes ruled overCologne,Münster, and other bishoprics in the northwest of the Holy Roman Empire in addition to Liège.Ferdinand of Bavaria (bishop) ruled from 1612 to 1650, andMaximilian Henry of Bavaria ruled from 1650 to 1688.[citation needed]
In 1636, during theThirty Years' War, the city was besieged by Imperial forces underJohann von Werth from April to July. The army, mainly consisting of mercenaries, extensively and viciously plundered the surrounding bishopric during the siege.[14]
In the middle of the eighteenth century the ideas of the FrenchEncyclopédistes began to gain popularity in the region. BishopFrançois-Charles de Velbrück (1772–84), encouraged their propagation, thus prepared the way for theLiège Revolution which started in the episcopal city on 18 August 1789 and led to the creation of theRepublic of Liège before it was invaded by counter-revolutionary forces of theHabsburg monarchy in 1791.
Liège's fortifications were redesigned byHenri Alexis Brialmont in the 1880s and achain of twelve forts was constructed around the city to providedefence in depth. This presented a major obstacle to theImperial German Army in 1914, whoseSchlieffen Plan relied on being able to quickly pass through the Meuse valley and theArdennes en route to France. TheGerman invasion of Belgium on 5 August 1914 soon reached Liège, which was defended by 30,000 troops under GeneralGérard Leman in theBattle of Liège. The forts initially held off GeneralAlexander von Kluck'sGerman First Army of about 100,000 men but were pulverised into submission by a five-day bombardment by heavy artillery, including thirty-two 21 cm mortars and two German 42 cmBig Berthahowitzers.[17][18] Due to faulty planning of the protection of the underground defence tunnels beneath the main citadel, one direct artillery hit caused a huge explosion, which eventually led to the surrender of the Belgian forces. The Belgian resistance was shorter than had been intended, but the twelve days of delay caused by the siege nonetheless contributed to the eventual failure of the German invasion of France. The city was subsequently occupied by the Germans until the end of the war. Liège received theLégion d'Honneur for its resistance in 1914.
Inauguration of the statue of Charlemagne, 26 July 1868
TheGermans returned in 1940, this time taking the forts in only three days. MostJews were saved, with the help of the sympathetic population, as many Jewish children and refugees were hidden in the numerous monasteries.Liege was liberated by theBritish Second Army in September 1944.[20]
1944: Soldiers of the US Army 4185th Quartermaster Service Company loading aRed Ball Express truck at Liège.
Liège began to suffer from a relative decline of its industry, particularly the coal industry, and later the steel industry, producing high levels of unemployment and stoking social tension. During the1960–1961 Winter General Strike, disgruntled workers went on a rampage and severely damaged the central railway station Guillemins. The unrest was so intense that "army troops had to wade throughcaltrops, trees, concrete blocks, car and crane wrecks to advance. Streets were dug up. Liège saw the worst fighting on 6 January 1961. In all, 75 people were injured during seven hours of street battles."[22]
On 6 December 1985, the city's courthouse was heavily damaged and one person was killed in abomb attack by a lawyer.
Liège is also known as a traditionallysocialist city. In 1991, powerful SocialistAndré Cools, a former Deputy Prime Minister, was gunned down in front of his girlfriend's apartment. Many suspected that the assassination was related to a corruption scandal which swept theSocialist Party, and theBelgian Federal Government in general, after Cools' death. Two men were sentenced to twenty years in jail in 2004, for involvement in Cools' murder.
Liège has shown some signs of economic recovery in recent years with the opening up of borders within theEuropean Union, surging steel prices, and improved administration.[citation needed] Several new shopping centres have been built, and numerous repairs carried out.[citation needed]
On 13 December 2011, there was agrenade and gun attack atPlace Saint-Lambert. An attacker, later identified as Nordine Amrani, aged 33, armed with grenades and an assault rifle, attacked people waiting at a bus stop. There were six fatalities, including the attacker (who shot himself), and 123 people were injured.[23]
On 29 May 2018, two female police officers and one civilian—a 22-year-old man—wereshot dead by a gunman near a café on Boulevard d'Avroy in central Liège. The attacker then began firing at the officers in an attempt to escape, injuring a number of them "around their legs", before he was shot dead. Belgian broadcasterRTBF said the gunman was temporarily released from prison on 28 May where he had been serving time on drug offences. The incident is currently being treated as terrorism.[24]
In spite of its inland position Liège has amaritime climate influenced by the mildening sea winds originating from theGulf Stream, travelling over Belgium's interior. As a result, Liège has very mild winters for its latitude and inland position, especially compared to areas in theRussian Far East and the fellow Francophone province ofQuebec. Summers are also moderated by the maritime air, with average temperatures being similar to areas as far north as inScandinavia. Being inland though, Liège has a relatively low winterseasonal lag.
Climate data for Liège (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1949−present)
On 1 January 2013, the municipality of Liège had a total population of 197,013. The metropolitan area has about 750,000 inhabitants. Its inhabitants are predominantlyFrench-speaking, with German and Dutch-speaking minorities. Akin to the rest of Belgium, the population of minorities has grown significantly since the 1990s.[28] The city has become the home to large numbers of Algerian, Moroccan, Turkish, and Vietnamese immigrants. Liège also houses a significantAfro-Belgian community.[29]
The city is a major educational hub in Belgium. There are 42,000 pupils attending more than 24 schools. TheUniversity of Liège, founded in 1817, has 20,000 students.
ThePerron of Liège on the nearby Place du Marché was once the symbol of justice in the Prince-Bishopric and is now the symbol of the city. It stands in front of the 17th century city hall.
St Paul (raised to cathedral status asLiège Cathedral in 1802, after the demolition ofSt Lambert's Cathedral), It contains a treasury and Saint Lambert's tomb.
TheGrand Curtius Museum is an elegantly furnished mansion from the 17th century along the river Meuse, housing collections of Egyptology, weaponry, archaeology, fine arts, religious art and Mosan art.
Liège's pedestrian zone is the biggestpedestrian zone of theWalloon Region and theMeuse-Rhine Euroregion;[32] it is also the oldest inBelgium. The pedestrian zone progressively has grown since 1965 to contain the majority of thehypercentre of Liège. It continues to grow today with the addition of the Rue de la Casquette on 12 December 2014.[33]
The "Le Quinze Août" celebration takes place annually on 15 August in Outremeuse and celebrates theVirgin Mary. It is one of the biggest folkloric displays in the city, with a religious procession, a flea market, dances, concerts, and a series of popular games. Nowadays these celebrations start a few days earlier and last until the 16th. Some citizens open their doors to party goers, and serve "peket", the traditional local alcohol. This tradition is linked to the important folkloric characterTchantchès (Walloon forFrançois), a hard-headed but resourcefulWalloon boy who lived duringCharlemagne's times.Tchantchès is remembered with a statue, a museum, and a number of puppets found all over the city.[citation needed]
The city is well known for its very crowded folk festivals. The 15 August festival ("Le 15 août") may be the best known. The population gathers in a quarter namedOutre-Meuse with plenty of tiny pedestrian streets and old yards. Many people come to see the procession but also to drink alcohol (mostlypeket) and beer, eat cooked pears,boûkètes or sausages or simply enjoy the atmosphere until the early hours.[34] TheSaint Nicholas festival around 6 December is organized by and for the students of the University; for a few days before the event, students (wearing very dirty lab-coats) beg for money, mostly for drinking.[35][36][37]
Liège is renowned for its nightlife.[38] Within the pedestrian zone behind the Opera House, there is a square city block known locally asLe Carré (the Square) with many lively pubs which are reputed to remain open until the last customer leaves (typically around 6 am). Another active area is the Place du Marché.
The "Batte" market is where most locals visit on Sundays.[citation needed] The outdoor market goes along the river Meuse and also attracts many visitors to Liège. The market typically runs from early morning to 2 o'clock in the afternoon every Sunday year long. Produce, clothing, and snack vendors are the main concentration of the market.
Liège is home to the Opéra Royal de Wallonie (English:Royal Opera of Wallonia) and the Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège (OPRL) (English:Liège Royal Philharmonic Orchestra).
The city annually hosts a significant electro-rock festivalLes Ardentes and jazz festivalJazz à Liège.
Liège has active alternative cinemas, Le Churchill, Le Parc and Le Sauvenière. There are also two mainstream cinemas, theKinepolis multiplexes.
Liège also has a particularWalloon dialect, sometimes said to be one of Belgium's most distinctive. There is a large Italian community, and Italian can be heard in many places.
The city has a number of football teams, most notablyStandard Liège, which has won several championships and which was previously owned byRoland Duchâtelet; andR.F.C. de Liège, one of the oldest football clubs in Belgium, known for having refused to release playerJean-Marc Bosman, a case which led to theBosman ruling.
In spring, Liège hosts the start and finish of the annualLiège–Bastogne–Liègecycling race, one of thespring classics and the oldest of thefive monuments of cycling. The race starts in the centre of Liège, before heading south toBastogne and returning north to finish in the industrial suburb ofAns. Traveling through the hillyArdennes, it is one of the longest and most arduous races of the season.[39]
Liège is the only city that has hosted stages of all three cyclingGrand Tours. It staged the start of the1973 and2006Giro d'Italia; as well as theGrand Départ of the2004,2012,[40][41][42] and2017[43]Tour de France making it the first city outside France to host theGrand Départ twice or more times.[44] In2009, theVuelta a España visited Liège after four stages in the Netherlands, making Liège the first city that has hosted stages of all three cycling Grand Tours.[45]
Pont de FragnéeLiège at night, photography taken from theISS in December 2012[47]
Liège is the most important city of the Walloon region from an economic perspective. In the past, Liège was one of the most important industrial centres in Europe, particularly in steel-making. Starting in 1817,John Cockerill extensively developed the iron and steel industry. The industrial complex ofSeraing was the largest in the world. It once boasted numerousblast furnaces and mills. Liège has also been an important centre forgunsmithing since theMiddle Ages and thearms industry is still strong today, with the headquarters ofFN Herstal andCMI Defence being located in Liège.
The economy of the region is now diversified; the most important centres are: Mechanical industries (Aircraft engine andSpacecraft propulsion), space technology,information technology,biotechnology and the production ofwater,beer, andchocolate. Liège has an important group of headquarters dedicated to high-technology, such asTechspace Aero, which manufactures pieces for theAirbus A380 or the rocketAriane 5. Other stand-out sectors includeAmós which manufactures optical components fortelescopes andDrytec, which produces compressed air dryers. Liège also has many other electronic companies such asSAP,EVS,Gillam,AnB,Balteau,IP Trade. Other prominent businesses are the global leader in light armamentFN Herstal, thebeer companyJupiler, the chocolate companyGaller, and the water and soda companiesSpa andChaudfontaine. A science park southeast of the city, near the University of Liège campus, housesspin-offs and high technology businesses.
In 1812, there were three coal pits (Bure) in close proximity just outside the city gates: Bure Triquenotte, Bure de Beaujone and Bure Mamonster. The first two shafts were joined underground, but the last one was a separate colliery. The shafts were 120 fathoms (720 ft; 220 m) deep. Water was led to a sump (serrement) from which it could be pumped to the surface. At 11:00 on 28 February 1812 the sump in the Beaujone mine failed and flooded the entire colliery. Of the 127 men down the mine at the time 35 escaped by the main shaft, but 74 were trapped. [These numbers are taken from the report, the 18 miner discrepancy is unexplained.] The trapped men attempted to dig a passageway into Mamonster. After 23 feet (7.0 m) there was afiredamp explosion and they realised that they had penetrated some old workings belonging to an abandoned mine, Martin Wery. The overseer, Monsieur Goffin, led the men to the point in Martin Wery which he judged closest to Mamonster and they commence to dig. By the second day they had run out of candles and dug the remainder of a 36 feet (11 m) gallery in darkness.
On the surface the only possible rescue was held to be via Mamonster. A heading was driven towards Beaujone with all possible speed, including blasting. The trapped miners heard the rescuers and vice versa. Five days after the accident communication was possible and the rescuers worked in darkness to avoid the risk of a firedamp explosion. By 7pm that evening an opening was made, 511 feet (156 m) of tunnel had been dug by hand in five days. All of the 74 miners in Goffin's part survived and were brought to the surface.[48]
Liège is served byLiège Airport, located in Bierset, a few kilometres west of the city. It is the principal axis for the delivery of freight and in 2011 was the world's 33rd busiest cargo airport.[49] Passenger services are very few. It is owned by theWalloon government along with some private investors.
ThePort of Liège, located on the riverMeuse, is the 3rd largestriver port in Europe. Liège also has direct links toAntwerp through theAlbert Canal and to Rotterdam via the river Meuse. It stretches over a distance of 26 kilometres and comprises 32 port areas and covers 3.7 square kilometres.
Liège was once home to anetwork of trams. However, they were removed by 1967 in favour of the construction of a new metro system. A prototype of the metro was built and a tunnel was dug underneath the city, but the metro was never built. Later, it was decided to build a modern tramway. By 2019, construction of the line was underway, but would experience various setbacks and delays.[50] The new tramway opened on 28 April 2025.[51]
^abStatistics Belgium;De Belgische Stadsgewesten 2001 (pdf-file)Archived 29 October 2008 at theWayback Machine Definitions of metropolitan areas in Belgium. The metropolitan area of Liège is divided into three levels. First, the central agglomeration (agglomeratie) with 480,513 inhabitants (1 January 2008). Adding the closest surroundings (banlieue) gives a total of 641,591. And, including the outer commuter zone (forensenwoonzone) the population is 810,983. Retrieved on 2008-10-19.
^Brown, Jennifer N. Three women of Liège : a critical edition of and commentary on the Middle English lives of Elizabeth of Spalbeek, Christina Mirabilis and Marie d'Oignies. Turnhout: Brepols, 2008.
.jpg)
