Verviers

Verviers
Municipality
The Palais de Justice, the Law Courts of Verviers

Flag
Coat of arms
Verviers
Location in Belgium
Location of Verviers in Liège
Coordinates: 50°35′N 05°51′E / 50.583°N 5.850°E / 50.583; 5.850Coordinates: 50°35′N 05°51′E / 50.583°N 5.850°E / 50.583; 5.850
Country Belgium
Community French Community
Region Wallonia
Province Liège
Arrondissement Verviers
Government
 • Mayor Muriel Targnion (PS)
 • Governing party/ies cdH, MR
Area
 • Total 33.07 km2 (12.77 sq mi)
Population (1 January 2017)[1]
 • Total 55,194
 • Density 1,700/km2 (4,300/sq mi)
Postal codes 4800, 4801, 4802
Area codes 087
Website www.verviers.be

Verviers (French pronunciation: ​[vɛʁvje]; Walloon: Vervî) is a Walloon city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Liège.

The Verviers municipality includes the old communes of Ensival, Lambermont, Petit-Rechain, Stembert, and Heusy. It is also the center of an agglomeration that includes Dison and Pepinster making it the second biggest in the province and an important regional center, located roughly halfway between Liège and the German border.

Water has played an important role in the town's economy, notably in the development first of its textile and later tourist industries. As a result, many fountains have been built in Verviers, leading it to be named Wallonia's "Water Capital".[2] The seats of the two Walloon public institutions for water distribution and water treatment are located in the town.[2][3]

History

Early history

Various flint and bone fragments, as well as Roman coins, were found in this area, attesting to the early settlements in the region. In the 4th century, the Romans had to deal with a constant push of Germanic tribes coming from the east. Successful at first at containing them, they finally had to concede defeat, allowing Clovis's Salian Franks to occupy the region at the end of the 5th century. The Verviers area was covered with forests and became a hunting ground for the Merovingian kings, who maintained a vicus in neighbouring Theux. It was also slowly Christianized by the monks of the nearby Abbey of Stavelot.

In the 10th century, Charles the Simple ceded the Marquisate of Franchimont to the prince-bishop of Liège, just before the creation of the Prince-Bishopric. Liège took direct control of the marquisate in 1014, an act which was confirmed by emperor Frederick Barbarossa and by Pope Adrian IV in 1155.

15th century to the present

The first mention of a textile industry in this area dates from the 15th century. One century later, the cloth industry took the place of the older metallurgical works, thanks in part to the Eighty Years War raging in the neighbouring Netherlands. The size of the town, however, remained relatively modest. It was only in 1651 that the expansion of the fulleries led to Verviers being recognized as one of the prince-bishopric's bonnes villes (main cities).

The end of the 18th century was troubled by the French Revolution. The annexation of Liège to France in 1795 caused a steep economic decline and unprecedented poverty. The city's fortunes rose again after the Battle of Waterloo (1815). Verviers was at the eastern end of the sillon industriel, the industrial backbone of Wallonia. Industrialist William Cockerill used British know-how to start a new era in Verviers' textile industry. Roads were paved, gas lighting was installed, and the city doubled in size thanks to the Industrial Revolution. After World War I, Verviers could share with Bradford the title of "Wool Capital of the World".

Economy

Verviers was home to a thriving wool and textile industry that was renowned for its quality and contributed greatly to the growth of the town. However, as of the 1950s, the local factories could not face international competition and started closing one after the other which prompted the economic decline of the town. The economy has been slowly recovering since the mid-1990s but remains fragile. Several commercial complexes have opened in recent years in an attempt to revitalize the most affected areas.

Sights

Center of Verviers
  • Verviers counts several museums, including the Wool and Fashion Tourist Centre, housed in a former factory with a Neoclassical-style façade.
  • The Grand Theatre, also known as La Bonbonnière, was built in the same style at the end of the 19th century, while the Grand Poste was built in the Neogothic style.
  • The city has a number of interesting fountains and thematic strolling paths.

Notable people

Education

Tertiary education

Tertiary educational institutions include:[4]

  • Haute Ecole de la Province de Liège (Construction)
  • Haute Ecole de la Province de Liège - Bachelier en soins infirmiers
  • Haute Ecole CHarlemagne Verviers
  • HELMO Verviers

Primary and secondary schools

Secondary schools include:[5]

  • Athénée royal Thil Lorrain Verviers 1
  • Athénée royal Verdi
  • Centre scolaire Saint-François-Xavier
  • Ecole Polytechnique - Enseignement de la Province de Liège
  • Institut Notre Dame
  • Institut Provincial d'Enseignement Secondaire (IPES)
  • Institut Provincial d'Enseignement Secondaire Paramédical de Liège - Huy - Verviers
  • Institut Sainte-Claire
  • Institut Saint-François-Xavier 2
  • Institut Saint-Michel
  • Institut Technique Don Bosco

Twin cities

See also

References

  1. ↑ Population per municipality as of 1 January 2017 (XLS; 397 KB)
  2. 1 2 "Verviers". 8 January 2016.
  3. ↑ "Verviers, capitale de l'eau – Portail de la Wallonie". www.wallonie.be.
  4. ↑ "Ecoles supérieures ." Verviers. Retrieved on 9 July 2017.
  5. ↑ "Ecoles secondaires ." Verviers. Retrieved on 9 July 2017.
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