The capital and the largest city of the province is the city of the same name,Liège. The province has an area of 3,857 km2 (1,489 sq mi), and a population of 1.12 million as of January 2024.[8]
The modern borders of the province of Liège date from 1795, which saw the unification of the Principality of thePrince-Bishopric of Liège with therevolutionary French Department of theOurthe (sometimes spelled Ourte). (Parts of the old Principality of Liège also went into new French départementsMeuse-Inférieure, andSambre-et-Meuse.)
The province of Ourthe, as it was known then, was underFrench control during the reign ofNapoleon, who visited the city during one of his campaigns. Napoleon ordered the destruction of its vineyards in order to prevent the Liège wine industry from competing with those elsewhere in France.[citation needed].
FollowingNapoleon's fall from power in 1815, Liège became part of theKingdom of the Netherlands, while eastern half of modernVerviers became part of theKingdom of Prussia. Liège University scholars helped to write the new Dutch constitution after theNapoleonic Wars.[citation needed] Despite these contributions there was a widespread perception among the people of Liège that they were discriminated against by the Dutch government due to religious and language differences.
In September 1830, rumors spread of a revolt in Brussels to expel the Dutch. Liège intellectuals responded to these events by contacting Walloon scholars living in Paris to discuss Belgian independence. A militia was formed to press these demands led by Charlier "Wooden Leg" leading (eventually) to theformation of an independent Kingdom of Belgium.
In the 19th century, the province was an early center of theIndustrial Revolution. Its rich coal deposits and steel factories helped Belgium to form the basis of the region's increasing economic power.
During the 20th century, due to Liège's borders with Germany, it saw fierce fighting in both World Wars. InWorld War I, Liège's strong line of reinforced concrete military forts temporarily halted theGerman advance through Belgium, giving time to construct trenches in Flanders which subsequently saw some of the worst fighting of that war. It also saw some of the war's worst civilian casualties as theImperial German Army performedcollective punishments against local villagers for acts of resistance.[9] In 1925 theEast Cantons andNeutral Moresnet, that had become part of Belgium as a result of theTreaty of Versailles, were absorbed into the province of Liège.[10]
InWorld War II, Liège was the site of major fighting during theBattle of the Bulge. There, the Germans orchestrated their final offensive move against the combined Allied armies. Malmedy andSaint-Vith in particular saw intense battles against theNazis. Malmedy was the site of aWaffen-SSmassacre ofU.S. Army prisoners of war.
Liège's heavy industry thrived in the 1950s and 1960s,[citation needed] but has been in decline since that time. Nevertheless, Liège remains the last city of Wallonia to maintain a functioning steel industry.[citation needed]
Liège continues to be the economic and cultural capital of Wallonia, with its university, medieval heritage and heavy industry.[citation needed]
TheGross domestic product (GDP) of the province was 31.6 billion € in 2018, accounting for 6.9% of Belgium's economic output. GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power was 25,200 € or 84% of the EU27 average in the same year. GDP per person employed was 108% of the EU27 average.[12]
The province has an area of 3,857 square kilometres (1,489 sq mi), which is divided into fouradministrative districts (arrondissements inFrench) containing a total of 84 municipalities.
Nine municipalities of Liège form theGerman-speaking Community of Belgium. From north to south they are: Kelmis (43), Lontzen (48), Raeren (60), Eupen (27), Bütgenbach (17), Büllingen (14), Amel (2), Sankt Vith (64), and Burg-Reuland (16) municipalities. Malmedy (49) and Waimes (80) aremunicipalities with language facilities for German speakers. The other municipalities of Liège are part of theFrench Community of Belgium.
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