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Leuven (often used in English, ) is the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant
Flemish Brabant

Flemish Brabant is a province of Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium. It borders on the Belgian provinces of Antwerp , Limburg , Li?ge , Walloon Brabant, Hainaut and East Flanders....
 in the Flemish Region
Flanders

Flanders is a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France, and the Netherlands. Over the course of history, the geographical territory that was called "Flanders" has varied....
, Belgium
Belgium

* A small German-speaking Community of Belgium exists in eastern Wallonia. Belgium's linguistic diversity and related political and cultural conflicts are reflected in the history of Belgium and a complex Communities and regions of Belgium....
. It is located about 30 kilometers east of Brussels
Brussels

Brussels , officially the Brussels Capital-Region, is the de facto capital city of the European Union and the largest urban area in Belgium....
, with as other neighbouring cities Mechelen
Mechelen

Mechelen is a Dutch-speaking city and municipality in the province of Antwerp , Flanders, Belgium. The municipality comprises the city of Mechelen proper, some quarters at its outskirts, the hamlets of Nekkerspoel and Battel , as well as the villages of Walem, Heffen, Leest, Hombeek, and Muizen....
, Aarschot
Aarschot

Aarschot is a city and municipality in the province of Flemish Brabant, in Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium. The municipality comprises the city of Aarschot proper and the towns of Gelrode, Langdorp and Rillaar....
, Tienen
Tienen

Tienen or Thienen is a city and municipality in the province of Flemish Brabant, in Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium. The municipality comprises the city of Tienen proper and the towns of Bost, Belgium, Goetsenhoven, Hakendover, Kumtich, Oorbeek, Oplinter, Sint-Margriete-Houtem and Vissenaken....
, and Wavre
Wavre

Wavre is a Wallonia city and Municipalities in Belgium located in the Belgium Provinces of Belgium of Walloon Brabant, of which it is the capital....
.

The township
Township

A township is a settlement which has the status and powers of a unit of local government. Specific use of the term to describe political subdivisions has varied by country....
 comprises the historical city
City

A city is an urban area with a high population density and a particular administrative, legal, or historical status.Large industrialized cities generally have advanced systems for sanitation, utilities, land usage, house, and transportation and more....
 of Leuven and the former municipalities
Municipality

A municipality is an administrative entity composed of a clearly defined territory and its population and commonly denotes a city, town, or village, or a small grouping of them....
 of Heverlee
Heverlee

Heverlee is a town in Belgium. It is a borough of the city of Leuven. Heverlee is bordered by Herent, Bertem, Oud Heverlee and several other municipalities that are part of Leuven ....
, Kessel-Lo
Kessel-Lo

Kessel-Lo is a town in Belgium. It is a borough of Leuven. Kessel-Lo is bordered by Holsbeek, Lubbeek, and several other municipalities that are part of Leuven ....
, a part of Korbeek-Lo, Wilsele
Wilsele

Wilsele is a commune of the city of Leuven, Flemish Brabant, Flanders, Belgium.A part of Wilsele is located on the "Emperor's Hill" , which is also the cite of a beautiful abbey ....
 and Wijgmaal.

It is home to Anheuser-Busch InBev
Anheuser-Busch InBev

Anheuser-Busch InBev Naamloze vennootschap is the multinational corporation parent company of Anheuser-Busch and InBev. It operates in over 30 countries and is based in Belgium and listed on Euronext Brussels....
, the world's largest brewer group and one of the top five largest consumer goods companies in the world; and to the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven

The Katholieke Universiteit Leuven is the Flemish offshoot of the oldest university in the Low Countries which was originally founded in 1425 ....
, the largest and oldest university of the Low Countries
Low Countries

The Low Countries, the historical region of de Nederlanden, are the country on low-lying land around the river delta of the Rhine, Scheldt, and Meuse River rivers....
 and the oldest Catholic university still in existence.

ound 1775)]] The earliest mention of Leuven ("Loven") is from 891 when a Viking army was defeated by the Frankish
Franks

The Franks or Frankish people were a West Germanic ethnic group first identified in the 3rd century as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River....
 king Arnulf of Carinthia
Arnulf of Carinthia

Arnulf of Carinthia was the Carolingian King of Germany from 887 and Holy Roman Emperor from 896 until his death. He was the illegitimate son of Carloman, King of Bavaria, and his concubine, Liutswind, of Carantanians origin, daughter of one Count Ernst....
 (see: Battle of Leuven
Battle of Leuven

The Battle of Leuven was fought in September 891 between the Franks and the Vikings, essentially ending the Viking invasions in the Low countries....
).






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Leuven (often used in English, ) is the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant
Flemish Brabant

Flemish Brabant is a province of Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium. It borders on the Belgian provinces of Antwerp , Limburg , Li?ge , Walloon Brabant, Hainaut and East Flanders....
 in the Flemish Region
Flanders

Flanders is a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France, and the Netherlands. Over the course of history, the geographical territory that was called "Flanders" has varied....
, Belgium
Belgium

* A small German-speaking Community of Belgium exists in eastern Wallonia. Belgium's linguistic diversity and related political and cultural conflicts are reflected in the history of Belgium and a complex Communities and regions of Belgium....
. It is located about 30 kilometers east of Brussels
Brussels

Brussels , officially the Brussels Capital-Region, is the de facto capital city of the European Union and the largest urban area in Belgium....
, with as other neighbouring cities Mechelen
Mechelen

Mechelen is a Dutch-speaking city and municipality in the province of Antwerp , Flanders, Belgium. The municipality comprises the city of Mechelen proper, some quarters at its outskirts, the hamlets of Nekkerspoel and Battel , as well as the villages of Walem, Heffen, Leest, Hombeek, and Muizen....
, Aarschot
Aarschot

Aarschot is a city and municipality in the province of Flemish Brabant, in Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium. The municipality comprises the city of Aarschot proper and the towns of Gelrode, Langdorp and Rillaar....
, Tienen
Tienen

Tienen or Thienen is a city and municipality in the province of Flemish Brabant, in Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium. The municipality comprises the city of Tienen proper and the towns of Bost, Belgium, Goetsenhoven, Hakendover, Kumtich, Oorbeek, Oplinter, Sint-Margriete-Houtem and Vissenaken....
, and Wavre
Wavre

Wavre is a Wallonia city and Municipalities in Belgium located in the Belgium Provinces of Belgium of Walloon Brabant, of which it is the capital....
.

The township
Township

A township is a settlement which has the status and powers of a unit of local government. Specific use of the term to describe political subdivisions has varied by country....
 comprises the historical city
City

A city is an urban area with a high population density and a particular administrative, legal, or historical status.Large industrialized cities generally have advanced systems for sanitation, utilities, land usage, house, and transportation and more....
 of Leuven and the former municipalities
Municipality

A municipality is an administrative entity composed of a clearly defined territory and its population and commonly denotes a city, town, or village, or a small grouping of them....
 of Heverlee
Heverlee

Heverlee is a town in Belgium. It is a borough of the city of Leuven. Heverlee is bordered by Herent, Bertem, Oud Heverlee and several other municipalities that are part of Leuven ....
, Kessel-Lo
Kessel-Lo

Kessel-Lo is a town in Belgium. It is a borough of Leuven. Kessel-Lo is bordered by Holsbeek, Lubbeek, and several other municipalities that are part of Leuven ....
, a part of Korbeek-Lo, Wilsele
Wilsele

Wilsele is a commune of the city of Leuven, Flemish Brabant, Flanders, Belgium.A part of Wilsele is located on the "Emperor's Hill" , which is also the cite of a beautiful abbey ....
 and Wijgmaal.

It is home to Anheuser-Busch InBev
Anheuser-Busch InBev

Anheuser-Busch InBev Naamloze vennootschap is the multinational corporation parent company of Anheuser-Busch and InBev. It operates in over 30 countries and is based in Belgium and listed on Euronext Brussels....
, the world's largest brewer group and one of the top five largest consumer goods companies in the world; and to the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven

The Katholieke Universiteit Leuven is the Flemish offshoot of the oldest university in the Low Countries which was originally founded in 1425 ....
, the largest and oldest university of the Low Countries
Low Countries

The Low Countries, the historical region of de Nederlanden, are the country on low-lying land around the river delta of the Rhine, Scheldt, and Meuse River rivers....
 and the oldest Catholic university still in existence.

History

(around 1775)]] The earliest mention of Leuven ("Loven") is from 891 when a Viking army was defeated by the Frankish
Franks

The Franks or Frankish people were a West Germanic ethnic group first identified in the 3rd century as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River....
 king Arnulf of Carinthia
Arnulf of Carinthia

Arnulf of Carinthia was the Carolingian King of Germany from 887 and Holy Roman Emperor from 896 until his death. He was the illegitimate son of Carloman, King of Bavaria, and his concubine, Liutswind, of Carantanians origin, daughter of one Count Ernst....
 (see: Battle of Leuven
Battle of Leuven

The Battle of Leuven was fought in September 891 between the Franks and the Vikings, essentially ending the Viking invasions in the Low countries....
). According to the city legend, its red-white-red colours depict the blood-stained shores of the river Dijle
Dijle

Dyle or Dijle is a river in central Belgium, left tributary of the Rupel. It is 86 km long. It flows through the Belgian provinces Walloon Brabant, Flemish Brabant and Antwerp ....
 after this battle.

Situated at this river and nearby the stronghold of the Dukes of Brabant
Duchy of Brabant

The Duchy of Brabant was a historical region in the Low Countries. It consisted of not only the three modern-day Belgium provinces of Flemish Brabant, Walloon Brabant and Antwerp as well as the Brussels-Capital Region, but also the present-day Netherlands province of North Brabant....
, Leuven became the most important centre of trade in the duchy
Duchy

A duchy is a territory, fiefdom, or domain ruled by a duke or duchess.Some duchies were sovereignty in areas that would become unified realms only during the Modern era ....
 between the 11th and the 14th century. A token of its former importance as a centre of cloth manufacture, is nicely reflected in the typical Leuven linen cloth, known in late 14-15th century texts as lewyn (other spellings: Leuwyn, Levyne, Lewan(e), Lovanium, Louvain).

In the 15th century a new golden era began with the founding of the by now largest and oldest university in the Low Countries
Low Countries

The Low Countries, the historical region of de Nederlanden, are the country on low-lying land around the river delta of the Rhine, Scheldt, and Meuse River rivers....
, the Catholic University of Leuven
Catholic University of Leuven

The Catholic University of Leuven, or Louvain, was the largest, oldest and most prominent university in Belgium. It was founded in 1425 by Pope Martin V, and refounded in 1835 after the disruptions of the French Revolutionary Wars....
, in 1425.

Louvain Library Wwi
In the 18th century Leuven became even more important as a result of the flourishing of the brewery
Brewery

A brewery is a dedicated building for the making of beer, though beer can be made in the home, and has been for much of beer's history. A company which makes beer is called either a brewery or a brewing company....
, that at the time being is named InBev
InBev

For the parent company, see Anheuser-Busch InBev.InBev is a subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev. The company existed independently for several years - since the merger between Interbrew and Ambev and until the acquisition of Anheuser-Busch....
.

In the 20th century, both world wars inflicted major damage to the city. Upon German entry in WW1, the town was heavily damaged due to German Schrecklichkeit
Schrecklichkeit

Schrecklichkeit was a military response of the German Army to civilian resistance in World War One during the invasion of Belgium, France and Poland as well as in Russia....
 policy. The Germans shot the burgomaster
Burgomaster

Burgomaster is the English form, rendering various terms in or derived from the German language word for the chief magistrate and/or chairman of the executive council of a sub-national level of administration All contemporary titles are commonly translated into English with the Anglo-Saxon equivalent of Town Mayor....
, university rector and all the city's police officers. The university library was deliberately destroyed by the German army on August 25 1914, using petrol and incendiary pastilles. Hundreds of thousands of irreplaceable volumes and Gothic and Renaissance manuscripts were lost. The world was outraged over this and the library was completely rebuilt after World War I
World War I

World War I, or the First World War , was a global military conflict which involved the Great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War I and the Central Powers....
 with American charity funds and German war indemnities. After World War II, the burnt down building had to be restored again. It still stands as a symbol of the wars and of Allied solidarity.

Economy

Given the presence of the KULeuven, an important European institution for academic research and education, much of the local economy is concentrated on spin-offs from academic research. There are several biotech and ICT companies; Gasthuisberg, the academic hospital and research center and a large number of private service providers in the medical and legal field.

Being the capital of the region of Flemish-Brabant means that there are many governmental institutions located in Leuven as well as the regional headquarters of transport corporations such as De Lijn
De Lijn

||-||-||}Vlaamse Vervoersmaatschappij De Lijn - usually known as De Lijn - is a company run by the Flemish government in Belgium to provide public transportation, similar to the way in which Belgian Rail transport or the postal system is run....
. As the largest and one of the oldest cities in the immediate Flemish vicinity Leuven, with a large palate of cafés, restaurants, cultural institutions and shopping neighouborhoods, the city also attracts people from nearby cities and villages.

Leuven is also the worldwide headquarters of Anheuser-Busch InBev
Anheuser-Busch InBev

Anheuser-Busch InBev Naamloze vennootschap is the multinational corporation parent company of Anheuser-Busch and InBev. It operates in over 30 countries and is based in Belgium and listed on Euronext Brussels....
, the largest beer company on the planet. In fact, InBev's Stella Artois
Stella Artois

Stella Artois is a 5% Alcohol by volume lager first brewed in Leuven, Belgium, in 1926 as a Christmas brew, and named Stella after the Latin for "star"....
 brewery and main offices dominate the entire north-eastern part of the town, between the railway station and the canal
Canal

Canals are artificial channels for water. There are two types of canals: Aqueduct canals, which are used for the conveyance and delivery of water, and waterways, which are navigable transportation canals used for passage of goods and people, often connected to existing lakes, rivers, or oceans....
 to Mechelen
Mechelen

Mechelen is a Dutch-speaking city and municipality in the province of Antwerp , Flanders, Belgium. The municipality comprises the city of Mechelen proper, some quarters at its outskirts, the hamlets of Nekkerspoel and Battel , as well as the villages of Walem, Heffen, Leest, Hombeek, and Muizen....
.

Population


Student population

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

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

The Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven

The Katholieke Universiteit Leuven is the Flemish offshoot of the oldest university in the Low Countries which was originally founded in 1425 ....
 (K.U.Leuven; Catholic University of Leuven) is the oldest Catholic university still in existence in the world and the biggest university in Belgium.

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

Group T is a university college in Leuven, Belgium. The school was formed by a fusion of an existing school for technical engineers and the Provinciale Normaalschool....
 (Group T).

Politics


Mayor

The mayor of Leuven is currently Louis Tobback
Louis Tobback

Louis Marie Joseph Tobback is a Belgium politician. Tobback is a Flanders socialist and member of the political party Socialist Party - Different ....
, a socialist politician prominent on the national level, formerly minister of internal affairs and leader of the socialist faction in the lower chamber of the Belgian
Belgium

* A small German-speaking Community of Belgium exists in eastern Wallonia. Belgium's linguistic diversity and related political and cultural conflicts are reflected in the history of Belgium and a complex Communities and regions of Belgium....
 parliament, among other positions held.

Culture

One of Belgium's finest conservatories is based in Leuven: the Lemmens Institute
Lemmensinstituut

The Lemmensinstituut is a Belgian conservatory named after Jacques-Nicolas Lemmens. It has been founded in 1879 and has been known for one of Europe's finest Music Therapy education....
, which is described as "Faculty of Music, Performing Arts and Education". It is known for its Music Therapy Education and its Wordart-Drama Education.

Leuven is well known for its summer rock festival Marktrock
Marktrock

Around the 15th of August, Marktrock is a popular crowd-puller music festival in the heart of the university town of Leuven, Belgium.There is also a smaller Marktrock festival in Poperinge which is held the last Saturday of August....
. The main football club of the municipality is Oud-Heverlee Leuven
Oud-Heverlee Leuven

Oud-Heverlee Leuven is a Belgium football club, from the municipality of Leuven. It has been in the Belgian Second Division since 2005-06 in Belgian football....
, the successor of K. Stade Leuven
K. Stade Leuven

Koninklijke Stade Leuven was a Belgium football club from the city of Leuven, Vlaams Brabant that existed between 1903 and 2002....
. Leuven also has some orchestras, like the famous Arenberg Orchestra.

Sights

Leuven Stadhuis
* The Town Hall
Leuven Town Hall

The Town Hall of Leuven, Belgium, is a landmark building on that city's Grote Markt square, across from the monumental St. Peter's Church, Leuven....
, built by Sulpitius van Vorst, Jan II Keldermans, and, after both of them died, Matheus de Layens
Matheus de Layens

Matheus de Layens was a Duchy of Brabant architect from the 15th century.He was employed in Leuven from 1433, first under the architect Sulpitius van Vorst , and afterwards under Jan Keldermans II, whom he succeeded in 1445 as master mason....
 between 1439 and 1463 in a Brabantian
Duchy of Brabant

The Duchy of Brabant was a historical region in the Low Countries. It consisted of not only the three modern-day Belgium provinces of Flemish Brabant, Walloon Brabant and Antwerp as well as the Brussels-Capital Region, but also the present-day Netherlands province of North Brabant....
 late-Gothic
Gothic architecture

Gothic architecture is a style of architecture which flourished during the high and late Middle Ages. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
 style. The reception hall dates from 1750.
  • The St. Peter's Church
    St. Peter's Church, Leuven

    The Saint Peter's Church of Leuven, Belgium, is situated on that city's Grote Markt , across from the ornate Leuven Town Hall. Built mostly in the 15th century in Gothic architecture style, the church is in the form of a cross with a low bell tower that has never been completed....
     (1425–1500) was finished by Jan Keldermans and Matheus de Layens
    Matheus de Layens

    Matheus de Layens was a Duchy of Brabant architect from the 15th century.He was employed in Leuven from 1433, first under the architect Sulpitius van Vorst , and afterwards under Jan Keldermans II, whom he succeeded in 1445 as master mason....
    . During the Second World War
    World War II

    World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a Participants in World War II, including all of the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers....
     the church was damaged; during the restoration a Romanesque
    Romanesque architecture

    Romanesque architecture is the term that is used to describe the architecture of Middle Ages Europe which evolved into the Gothic architecture style beginning in the 12th century....
     crypt
    Crypt

    In terms of European architecture, a crypt is a stone chamber or vault beneath the floor of a church usually used as a chapel or burial vault possibly containing sarcophagus, coffins or relics....
     from the 11th century was found. In the church itself there are several paintings from the 17th and 18th centuries (amongst others Dirk Bouts
    Dirk Bouts

    Dieric Bouts, also spelled Dirk, Dierick and Dirck was an Early Netherlandish painter.According to Karel van Mander in his Het Schilderboeck of 1604, Bouts was born in Haarlem and was mainly active in Leuven , where he was city painter from 1468....
     famous painting of the last supper) and the grave of Duke
    Duke

    A duke is a member of the nobility, historically of highest rank below the monarch, and historically controlling a duchy or a dukedom. The title comes from the Latin language Dux Bellorum, which had the sense of "military commander" and was employed by both the Germanic peoples themselves and by the Ancient Rome authors covering them to r...
     Henry I of Brabant
    Henry I, Duke of Brabant

    Henry I of Brabant , named "The Courageous", was born in 1165 in Leuven and died in the German city of Cologne on September 5, 1235. He became Duke of Brabant in 1183/1184 and succeeded his father as Duke of Lower Lotharingia in 1190....
    . The 50 meter high tower—which was meant to be 169 meters but was never completed—is home to a carillon
    Carillon

    A carillon is a musical instrument consisting of at least 23 cast bronze cup-shaped bell s which are played one after the other or sounded together ....
    . The tower was included in UNESCO
    UNESCO

    United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on 16 November 1945....
    's list of "Belfries of Belgium and France
    Belfries of Belgium and France

    An unequalled ensemble of fifty-six Belfry of Belgium and France is designated by UNESCO as World Heritage Site, in recognition of an architectural manifestation of emerging civic independence in County of Flanders and neighbouring regions from feudal and religious influences, leading to a degree of local democracy of great significance in t...
    " in 1999.
  • Saint-Anthony's Chapel, Pater Damiaanplein, from the 17th to the 20th centuries, contains the tomb of Father Damien
    Father Damien

    Damien de Veuster, Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary , born Jozef de Veuster and also known as Blessed Damien of Molokai , was a Roman Catholic Church priest from Belgium and member of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, a missionary religious order....
    , the "leper priest" of Molokai
    Molokai

    Molokai or Molokai ) is an island in the Hawaiian Islands. It is 38 by 10 miles in size with a land area of 260.0 square miles , making it the fifth largest of the main Hawaiian Islands and the List of islands of the United States by area....
    , beatified by Pope John Paul II
    Pope John Paul II

    Pope John Paul II John Paul II is widely acclaimed as one of the most influential leaders of the twentieth century. He has been Pope_John_Paul_II#Role_in_the_fall_of_Communism in bringing down communism in Eastern Europe, as well as significantly improving the Roman Catholic Church's relations with Judaism, the Eastern Orthodox Church, and A...
    . The Catholic priest
    Priest

    A priest or priestess is a person having the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities....
    's remains were returned in Belgium with great fanfare in 1936 after having been originally buried on the Hawaii
    Hawaii

    File:Pahoehoe and Aa flows at Hawaii.jpgThe State of Hawaii is a U.S. state in the United States, located on an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of Australia....
    an Island of Molokai
    Molokai

    Molokai or Molokai ) is an island in the Hawaiian Islands. It is 38 by 10 miles in size with a land area of 260.0 square miles , making it the fifth largest of the main Hawaiian Islands and the List of islands of the United States by area....
     where he had served the outcast lepers and died.
  • The Linen-hall in an early-Gothic style, with baroque addition, is today the University Hall.
  • The Church of Saint Michael was built in the typical Jesuit Baroque
    Baroque

    In the the arts, the Baroque was a Western cultural Epoch , starting roughly at the beginning of the 17th century in Rome, Italy. It was exemplified by drama and grandeur in Baroque sculpture, Baroque painting, literature, Baroque dance, and Baroque music....
     Style.
  • The Church of Saint Quinten incorporates remains of a Romanesque church built in the 13th century.
  • The University Library on the Ladeuzeplein
    Ladeuzeplein

    .The Mgr. Ladeuzeplein is a square in the center of Leuven. The square was named after a former rector of the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Monseigneur Paulin Ladeuze....
     was built by the American
    United States

    The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
     architect
    Architect

    An architect is trained and licenced in planning and designing buildings, and participates in supervising the construction of a building. Etymologically, architect derives from the Latin architectus, itself derived from the Greek arkhitekton , i.e....
     Whitney Warren. It was a gift from the American people to Leuven after World War I
    World War I

    World War I, or the First World War , was a global military conflict which involved the Great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War I and the Central Powers....
     during which the Germans burned down the original library, causing much outroar in the USA. The tower houses one of the largest carillons in the world.
  • There is a ducal castle dating from the 12th century on the Keizersberg ("Emperor's Mountain") which was demolished in the 17th Century. Today there is a neo-romanesque Abbey where the castle once stood.
  • The Large Beguinage
    Grand Béguinage, Leuven

    The Grand B?guinage of Leuven is a well preserved and completely restored historical quarter containing a dozen of streets in the south of downtown Leuven....
     is one of the world's best remaining examples of its architectural type. It was recognized by UNESCO
    UNESCO

    United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on 16 November 1945....
     as a World Heritage Site
    World Heritage Site

    A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site that is on the list maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 Sovereign state which are elected by their General Assembly for a four-year term....
     in 1998.
  • There are several other smaller churches and chapels around town.
  • "Fonske" is a statue near the centre of town . Its full name is Fons Sapientiae, Latin for "fountain of wisdom." The statue represents a university student who, while reading a book, lets wisdom flow into his head as liquid from a glass. Just like Manneken Pis
    Manneken Pis

    Manneken Pis , also known in French language as the petit Julien, is a very famous Brussels landmark. It is a small bronze fountain sculpture depicting a naked little boy urinating into the fountain's basin....
     in Brussels
    Brussels

    Brussels , officially the Brussels Capital-Region, is the de facto capital city of the European Union and the largest urban area in Belgium....
    , Fonske is from time to time dressed in costumes appropriate for the occasion.
  • Lerkeveld: An abbey


Famous inhabitants


Born in Leuven

  • Most Dukes of Brabant
    Duke of Brabant

    The Duchy of Brabant was formally erected in 1183/1184. The title "Duke of Brabant" was created by the German Emperor Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor in favor of Henry I, Duke of Brabant, son of Godfrey III of Leuven ....
     in the 12th and 13th century
  • Maria of Brabant
    Maria of Brabant

    Maria of Brabant , Queen consort of France.She was a daughter of Henry III, Duke of Brabant and Adelaide of Burgundy, daughter of Hugh IV, Duke of Burgundy....
    , queen consort
    Queen consort

    A queen consort is the title given to the wife of a reigning Monarch. Queens consort usually share their husbands' Royal and noble ranks and hold the feminine equivalent of their husbands' monarchical titles....
     of France
    France

    France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....
     (1256-1321)
  • Martin Margiela
    Martin Margiela

    Martin Margiela is a Belgian fashion designer. He studied at Antwerp's Royal Academy of Fine Arts along with the legendary avantgarde fashion collective the Antwerp Six....
    , fashion designer (b. 1957)
  • Quentin Matsys
    Quentin Matsys

    Quentin Matsys was a painter in the Flemish tradition and a founder of the Antwerp school. He was born at Leuven, where he was trained as an ironsmith....
    , painter (1466-1530)
  • Petrus van der Aa
    Petrus van der Aa

    Petrus van der Aa, also called Vanderanus was a Duchy of Brabant jurist. His father, Johann van der Aa, was a descendant of a well-known Brabantine family of patricians, which had settled in Leuven, Mechelen and Antwerpen....
    , jurist
    Jurist

    A jurist or jurisconsult is a professional who studies, develops, applies, or otherwise deals with the law. The term is widely used in American English, but in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth of Nations countries it has only historical and specialist usage....
     (1530-1594)
  • Adriaan van Roomen
    Adriaan van Roomen

    Adriaan van Roomen , also known as Adrianus Romanus, was a Belgium mathematician. He was born in Leuven, where he became professor, but then travelled extensively in Europe....
    , mathematician
    Mathematician

    A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study and/or research is the field of mathematics....
     (1561-1615)
  • Charles de Bériot
    Charles de Bériot

    Charles Auguste de B?riot was a Belgian violinist.Born in Leuven, where there is now a street named in his honour, he studied violin with Jean-Francois Tiby, a pupil of Giovanni Battista Viotti....
    , violin
    Violin

    The violin is a Bow string instrument with four strings usually tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest and highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which also includes the viola and cello....
    ist (1802-1870)
  • Eugène Prévinaire
    Eugène Prévinaire

    Eug?ne Marie Ignace Pr?vinaire was a Belgium businessman, liberal politician, civil servant, and former governor of the National Bank of Belgium from 1870 until 1877....
    , (1805-1877), second governor of the National Bank of Belgium
    National Bank of Belgium

    The National Bank of Belgium has been the central bank of Belgium since 1850. The National Bank of Belgium was established by a law of 5 May 1850 as a S.A....
    .
  • Laurent-Guillaume de Koninck
    Laurent-Guillaume de Koninck

    Laurent-Guillaume de Koninck was a Belgium palaeontologist and chemist, born at Leuven.He studied medicine in the Catholic University of Leuven, and in 1831 he became assistant in the chemical schools....
    , palaeontologist and chemist
    Chemist

    A chemist is a scientist trained in the science of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties such as density, acidity, size and shape....
     (1809-1887)
  • Jean Stas
    Jean Stas

    Jean Servais Stas was a Belgium analytical chemistry.Stas was born in Leuven and trained initially as a physician. He later switched to chemistry and worked at the ?cole Polytechnique in Paris under the direction of Jean-Baptiste Dumas....
    , analytical chemist (1813-1891)
  • Arthur De Greef
    Arthur De Greef

    File:Arthur De Greef.jpgArthur De Greef was a Belgium pianist and composer.Born in Leuven, he studied piano at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels under Louis Brassin, a student of Ignaz Moscheles....
    , pianist
    Pianist

    A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an musical ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers....
     and composer
    Composer

    A composer is a person who creates music, usually in the medium of musical notation, for interpretation and performance. The level of distinction between composers and other musicians varies, which affects issues such as copyright and the deference given to individual interpretations of a particular piece of music....
     (1862-1940)
  • Christian de Duve
    Christian de Duve

    Christian Ren? de Duve is an internationally acclaimed cytologist and biochemist. De Duve was born in Thames-Ditton, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, as a son of Belgium immigrants....
    , cytologist and biochemist
    Biochemist

    Biochemists are scientists who are trained in biochemistry. Typical biochemists study chemical processes and chemical transformations in living organisms....
    , recipient of the 1974 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine (b. 1917)
  • Arthur Berckmans
    Arthur Berckmans

    Arthur Berckmans , better known as Berck, is a Belgium comics author, best known for Sammy ....
    , comics
    Comics

    Comics is a graphic Mass media in which are utilized in order to convey a sequential narrative; the term, derived from massive early use to convey comic themes, came to be applied to all uses of this medium including those which are far from comic....
     author (b. 1929)
  • Mark Eyskens
    Mark Eyskens

    'Marc Maria Frans, Viscount Eyskens' , shortly known as , is a Belgium economist and politician in the Christian People's Party , now called Christian Democratic and Flemish....
    , politician
    Politician

    A politician is an individual who is involved in influencing public decision making through the influence of politics or a person who influences the way a society is governed....
     and former Prime Minister of Belgium (b. 1933)
  • Louis Tobback
    Louis Tobback

    Louis Marie Joseph Tobback is a Belgium politician. Tobback is a Flanders socialist and member of the political party Socialist Party - Different ....
    , politician and mayor (b. 1938)
  • Emiel Puttemans
    Emiel Puttemans

    Emiel Puttemans was a middle- and long-distance runner who set world records for 3000 m. in 1972, for 2 miles in 1971, and for 5000 m. in 1972....
    , middle- and long-distance runner (b. 1947)
  • Peter Van Lancker, boat designer (b. 1952)
  • Jaak Pijpen, media personality (b. 1952)
  • Frank Vandenbroucke, politician (b. 1955)
  • Kim Gevaert
    Kim Gevaert

    Kim Gevaert is a former Belgium Sprint Athletics .Her closest brush with a world title came in running 4/100 of a second behind three-time champion Gail Devers at the 2004 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics....
    , sprint athlete, Olympic silver medalist in 4x100 relay (b.1978)


Lived in Leuven
  • Dirk Bouts
    Dirk Bouts

    Dieric Bouts, also spelled Dirk, Dierick and Dirck was an Early Netherlandish painter.According to Karel van Mander in his Het Schilderboeck of 1604, Bouts was born in Haarlem and was mainly active in Leuven , where he was city painter from 1468....
    , painter
    Painting

    Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . In art, the term describes both the act and the result, which is called a painting....
     (c. 1410/20-1475)
  • Matheus de Layens
    Matheus de Layens

    Matheus de Layens was a Duchy of Brabant architect from the 15th century.He was employed in Leuven from 1433, first under the architect Sulpitius van Vorst , and afterwards under Jan Keldermans II, whom he succeeded in 1445 as master mason....
    , architect
    Architect

    An architect is trained and licenced in planning and designing buildings, and participates in supervising the construction of a building. Etymologically, architect derives from the Latin architectus, itself derived from the Greek arkhitekton , i.e....
     (d.1483)
  • Desiderius Erasmus
    Desiderius Erasmus

    Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus was a Netherlands Renaissance humanist and Roman Catholic Church Christian theology. His scholarly name Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus comprises the following three elements: the Latin noun desiderium ; the Greek adjective ???s???? meaning "desired", and, in the form Erasmus, also the name of a St....
    , humanist
    Humanism

    Humanism is a broad category of ethics that affirm the dignity and worth of all people, based on the ability to determine right and wrong by appealing to universal human qualities, particularly rationalism, without resorting to the supernatural or alleged divine authority from religious texts....
     and theologian (1466-1536)
  • Adrian VI
    Pope Adrian VI

    Pope Adrian VI , born Adriaan Florenszoon Boeyens, served as Bishop of Rome from 9 January 1522 until his death some 18 months later. He was the last non-Italian pope until John Paul II, 456 years later....
    , pope
    Pope

    The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church and head of state of Vatican City. The current pope is Pope Benedict XVI, who was elected April 19, 2005 in Papal conclave, 2005....
     and theologian (1459-1523)
  • Eustace Chapuys
    Eustace Chapuys

    Eustace Chapuys served as the Imperial ambassadors to England from 1529 until 1545 and is best known for his extensive and detailed correspondence....
    , Imperial ambassador to England
    Imperial ambassadors to England

    This is a partial list of Holy Roman Empire resident ambassadors to the Kingdom of England.* Bernardo de Mesa, December 1514 - March 1523* Louis of Praet, May 1522 - May 1525...
     (1489-1556)
  • Michel Baius, theologian (1513-1589)
  • Justus Lipsius
    Justus Lipsius

    Justus Lipsius, Joost Lips or Josse Lips , was a Flemings philologist and Humanism. Lipsius wrote a series of works designed to revive ancient Stoicism in a form that would be compatible with Christianity....
    , philologist and humanist (1547-1606)
  • Cornelius Jansen
    Cornelius Jansen

    Corneille Janssens, commonly known by the Latinized name Cornelius Jansen or Jansenius, was Roman Catholic Church bishop of Ypres and the father of the religious movement known as Jansenism....
    , father of Jansenism
    Jansenism

    Jansenism was a branch of Roman Catholic Church thought which arose in the frame of the Counter-Reformation and the aftermath of the Council of Trent ....
     (1585-1638)
  • Mícheál Ó Cléirigh
    Mícheál Ó Cléirigh

    M?che?l ? Cl?irigh was an Ireland chronicler, and chief author of the Annals of the Four Masters, assisted by Peregrine O'Clery, Fergus O'Mulconry, and Peregrine O'Duignan....
    , Irish
    Ireland

    Ireland is the List of islands by area in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islet....
     chronicler (1590-1643)
  • Philip Verheyen
    Philip Verheyen

    Philip Verheyen , was a Dutch surgeon....
    , surgeon and rector
    Rector

    The word rector has a number of different meanings, but all of them indicate an academic, religious or political administrator.The word "rector" also appears in many modern languages, such as Albanian, Dutch language, Spanish language, Catalan language and Romanian language....
     of the University of Leuven
    University of Leuven

    University of Leuven and University of Louvain can refer to* Catholic University of Leuven in Leuven, Belgium and split in 1968 into two successor institutions...
     (1648-1711)
  • Jean Baptiste Abbeloos
    Jean Baptiste Abbeloos

    Jean Baptiste Abbeloos was an orientalist, born 15 January, 1836, at Goyck, Belgium; died 25 February, 1906.He was educated in the seminary of Mechelen, 1849-60....
    , orientalist and rector of the University of Leuven (1836-1906)
  • Jean-Baptiste Janssens
    Jean-Baptiste Janssens

    Jean-Baptiste Janssens, S.J. was the twenty-seventh Superior General of the Society of Jesus. He was born in Mechelen, Belgium....
    , philosophy
    Philosophy

    Philosophy is the study of general problems concerning matters such as existence, knowledge, truth, beauty, justice, validity, mind, and language....
     teacher, Superior General of the Society of Jesus
    Superior General of the Society of Jesus

    The Superior General of the Society of Jesus is the official title of the leader of the Society of Jesus—the Roman Catholic religious order, also known as the Jesuits....
     (1889-1964)
  • Koenraad Elst
    Koenraad Elst

    Koenraad Elst is a Demographics of Belgium writer and orientalist .He was an editor of the New Right Flemish nationalist journal TeKoS from 1992 to 1995, focusing on criticism of Islam, various other conservative and Flemish separatist publications such as Nucleus, t Pallieterke, Secessie and The Brussels Journal....
  • Jan Van der Roost
    Jan Van der Roost

    Jan Van der Roost is a Belgium composer.Van der Roost was educated at the Lemmensinstituut in Leuven , and followed further studies at the Royal Conservatory in Ghent and the Royal Flemish Conservatory in Antwerp....
    , composer (b. 1956)
  • Andreas Vesalius, anatomist, physician (1514-1564)
  • Abdul Qadeer Khan
    Abdul Qadeer Khan

    Abdul Qadeer Khan is a Pakistani nuclear scientist and Metallurgy, widely regarded as the founder of Pakistan and weapons of mass destruction. His middle name is occasionally rendered as Quadeer, Qadir or Qadeer, and his given names are usually abbreviated to A.Q.....
    , metallurgical engineer (1935-*)
  • Ron Lewis
    Ron Lewis (basketball)

    Ron Lewis is an United States professional basketball player for Ironi Nahariya from the Ligat Winner and formerly for Ohio State University and the Bowling Green Falcons....
    , basketball player (b. 1984)


Sister cities

Leuven is twinned
Town twinning

Town twinning, also known as sister cities, is a concept whereby towns or city in geographically and politically distinct areas are paired, with the goal of fostering human contact and cultural links between their inhabitants....
 with: 's-Hertogenbosch
's-Hertogenbosch

's-Hertogenbosch , colloquially known as Den Bosch ? translated in French language as Bois-le-Duc, in German language as Herzogenbusch, in Spanish language as Bolduque and in Italian language as Boscoducale ? is a municipality in the Netherlands, and also the capital of the province of North Brabant....
, The Netherlands Kraków
Kraków

Krak?w , in English also spelled Krakow or Cracow , is one of the largest and oldest cities in Poland, with a population of 756,336 in 2007 ....
, Poland
Poland

Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe. Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian Enclave and exclave, to the north....
 Lüdenscheid
Lüdenscheid

L?denscheid is a town in the M?rkischer Kreis district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the Sauerland region. L?denscheid is seat of the administration of the M?rkischer Kreis district....
, Germany
Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
 Rennes
Rennes

Rennes is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France. Rennes is the Capital of the Bretagne Regions of France, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine Departments of France....
, France
France

France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....


Besides these sister cities, Leuven has friendly relations with: Tainan, Republic of China
Republic of China

The Republic of China , also known as Nationalist China is a country in East Asia that has evolved from a single-party state with full global recognition into a multi-party democratic state with Political status of Taiwan....
 Stellenbosch, South Africa
South Africa

The Republic of South Africa, also known by Official names of South Africa, is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa....
 Cristian
Cristian

Cristian is the Italian and Romanian equivalent of Christian .The name Cristian may refer to:* Cristian Bucchi, Italian footballer* Cristian Chivu, Romanian footballer...
, Romania
Romania

Romania is a country located in Southeastern Europe Central Europe, North of the Balkan Peninsula, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian Mountains, bordering on the Black Sea....


Trivia

  • Leuven is mentioned in the song "Dirty Blue" by Woven Hand
    Woven Hand

    Woven Hand is a band from Denver, Colorado led by former 16 Horsepower lead singer David Eugene Edwards. Most of the studio recordings are performed by Edwards with minimal, if any, additional musicians....
    , a lyric that mentions "the bells of Leuven".


External links

  • (detailed map of Leuven by the KUL)
  • (partial OpenStreetMap of Leuven)