Belgian general strike of 1893The general strike of 1893 (grève générale de 1893, algemene staking van 1893) was a major general strike in Belgium in April 1893 called by the Belgian Labour Party (POB–BWP) to pressure the government of Auguste Beernaert to introduce universal male suffrage in elections. The general strike was the first called in Belgium and a decisive moment for the nascent socialist movement in Belgium. According to the historian Carl J. Strikwerda, it was the first true general strike in the history of Europe.
NivellesNivelles (nivɛl; Nijvel, ˈnɛi̯vəl; Nivele; Neyvel) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. The Nivelles municipality includes the former municipalities of Baulers, Bornival, Thines, and Monstreux. The Nivelles arrondissement includes all the municipalities in Walloon Brabant. The Collegiate Church of St. Gertrude has been classified as a heritage site of Wallonia. Starting in 4,000 BC, the Nivelles region was gradually turned into agricultural land by the Danubian settlers.
HuyHuy (ɥi or wi; Hoei, ɦui̯; Hu) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Liège, Belgium. Huy lies along the river Meuse, at the mouth of the small river Hoyoux. It is in the sillon industriel, the former industrial backbone of Wallonia, home to the Walloon population. The municipality consists of the following districts: Ben-Ahin, Huy, Neuville-sous-Huy, and Tihange. The first village originated around the Roman castrum, an early fortress located on the right bank of the river Meuse.
SeraingSeraing (səʁɛ̃; Serè) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Liège, Belgium. The municipality consists of the following districts: Boncelles, Jemeppe-sur-Meuse, Ougrée, and Seraing. With Liège, Herstal, Saint-Nicolas, Ans, and Flémalle, it forms the greater Liège agglomeration (600,000 inhabitants). To the south of Seraing are the Condroz and the Ardennes regions. In addition to its steel factories, Seraing is home to the crystal manufacture Val Saint Lambert, which has been operating on the site of an old Cistercian abbey since 1826.
HesbayeThe Hesbaye (French, ɛsbɛ), or Haspengouw (Dutch and Limburgish, ˈɦɑspə(ŋ)ˌɣʌu), is a traditional cultural and geophysical region in eastern Belgium. It is a loamy plateau region which forms a watershed between the Meuse and Scheldt drainage basins. It has been one of the main agricultural regions in what is now Belgium since before Roman times, and specifically named in records since the Middle Ages, when it was an important Frankish pagus or gau, called Hasbania in medieval Latin.
HaineThe Haine (Haine, ɛn; Hene; Henne; Héne; Hinne) is a river in southern Belgium (Hainaut) and northern France (Nord), right tributary of the river Scheldt. The Haine gave its name to the County of Hainaut, and the present province of Hainaut. Its source is in Anderlues, Belgium. As the western end of the sillon industriel, Wallonia's industrial backbone, it flows through the heavily industrialized Borinage region, notably the towns La Louvière, Mons and Saint-Ghislain.
National Congress of BelgiumThe National Congress (Congrès national, Nationaal Congres) was a temporary legislative assembly in Belgium, convened in 1830 in the aftermath of the Belgian Revolution. Its purpose was to devise a national constitution for the new state, whose independence had been proclaimed on 4 October 1830 by the self-declared Provisional Government. The National Congress was elected by approximately 30,000 voters on 3 November 1830 and consisted of 200 members. Its president was Baron Erasme Louis Surlet de Chokier.
Royal questionThe royal question (question royale, Koningskwestie) was a major political crisis in Belgium that lasted from 1945 to 1951, coming to a head between March and August 1950. The question at stake surrounded whether King Leopold III could return to the country and resume his constitutional role amid allegations that his actions during World War II had been contrary to the provisions of the Belgian Constitution. It was eventually resolved by the abdication of Leopold in favour of his son King Baudouin in 1951.
Senate (Belgium)The Senate (Senaat, səˈnaːt; Sénat, seˈna; Senat) is one of the two chambers of the bicameral Federal Parliament of Belgium, the other being the Chamber of Representatives. It is considered to be the "upper house" of the Federal Parliament. Created in 1831 as a chamber fully equal to the Chamber of Representatives, it has undergone several reforms in the past, most notably in 1993 and 2014. The 2014 elections were the first without a direct election of senators.
Walloon MovementThe Walloon Movement (Mouvement wallon) is an umbrella term for all Belgium political movements that either assert the existence of a Walloon identity and of Wallonia and/or defend French culture and language within Belgium, either within the framework of the 1830 Deal or either defending the linguistic rights of French-speakers. The movement began as a defence of the primacy of French but later gained political and socio-economic objectives.
