Historical Dictionary of Brussels

by Paul F. State

Overview

Brussels has become the 'capital' of Europe and its status as a political, economic, and diplomatic nerve center is set to assume ever greater importance as the European Union grows in depth and breadth and as the city continues to serve as the headquarters site for key regional and international agencies, including the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, United Nations organizations, multinational businesses, lobbying firms, governmental groups, and nongovernmental organizations. A sourcebook on the city, therefore, is important for all those studying about, residing in, or traveling to Brussels, Belgium, Europe, and the North Atlantic region. Historical Dictionary of Brussels is the first comprehensive, English-language reference work that offers readers a concise review of the history of one of Europe's centrally important cities. The leading places, personalities, events, and institutions that have shaped civic life in the capital of Belgium since its earliest beginnings are covered in more than 600 dictionary entries. An introductory essay, chronology, and an extensive bibliography are also included. Students, academics, professionals in the public and private sectors, residents, and visitors will find this an essential reference.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780810865556
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	07/27/2004
Series:	Historical Dictionaries of Cities, States, and Regions
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	472
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

Paul F. State has lived and worked in Brussels and maintains close ties with the city. He is an editor in European history and a translator, and he has worked as a journalist and as a writer on topics in international affairs, politics, and history, having had articles appear in many major publications, including the New York Times Syndicate and Newsday. He is the recipient of a bachelor's degree in modern European history from the State University of New York at Buffalo, a master's degree in international relations and modern European history from the school of International and Public Affairs of Columbia University, and a master's degree in international public administration from the American University.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Editor's Foreword
Chapter 2 Preface
Chapter 3 Acknowledgments
Chapter 4 Reader's Note
Chapter 5 List of Acronyms and Abbreviations
Chapter 6 Maps
Chapter 7 Chronology
Chapter 8 Introduction
Chapter 9 THE DICTIONARY
Chapter 10 Appendixes
Chapter 11 A. The Nineteen Communes of the Brussels Capital Region
Chapter 12 B. Population of the City of Brussels, ca. 1400-2000
Chapter 13 C. Burgomasters of Brussels, 1830-Present
Chapter 14 D. Minister-Presidents of the Brussels Capital Region
Chapter 15 E. The Nine Nations
Chapter 16 F. Division of Residents According to Language Used
Chapter 17 G. Government of the Brussels Capital Region
Chapter 18 Bibliography
Chapter 19 About the Author

Editorial Reviews

The volume is a mine of information for anyone wanting a useful summary of the achievements of a range of individuals and of organizations which have played a prominent role in the city’s history or of events which have made Brussels so important to the movement towards European union. The curious reader will no doubt be rewarded for their outlay by access to a range of information on subjects as diverse as the story of Edith Cavell, nursing heroine of the Great War and the history of chocolate confectionery in Brussels. How many outside Brussels are aware that the city houses a museum devoted to the cultivation of a local vegetable, the Brussels Witloof or white endive? The volume is completed by a number of useful... illustrations. The volume should be on the desk of every Brussels bureaucrat!

Reference Reviews

The volume is a mine of information for anyone wanting a useful summary of the achievements of a range of individuals and of organizations which have played a prominent role in the city’s history or of events which have made Brussels so important to the movement towards European union. The curious reader will no doubt be rewarded for their outlay by access to a range of information on subjects as diverse as the story of Edith Cavell, nursing heroine of the Great War and the history of chocolate confectionery in Brussels. How many outside Brussels are aware that the city houses a museum devoted to the cultivation of a local vegetable, the Brussels Witloof or white endive? The volume is completed by a number of useful... illustrations. The volume should be on the desk of every Brussels bureaucrat!

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The volume is a mine of information for anyone wanting a useful summary of the achievements of a range of individuals and of organizations which have played a prominent role in the city’s history or of events which have made Brussels so important to the movement towards European union. The curious reader will no doubt be rewarded for their outlay by access to a range of information on subjects as diverse as the story of Edith Cavell, nursing heroine of the Great War and the history of chocolate confectionery in Brussels. How many outside Brussels are aware that the city houses a museum devoted to the cultivation of a local vegetable, the Brussels Witloof or white endive? The volume is completed by a number of useful... illustrations. The volume should be on the desk of every Brussels bureaucrat!

"American Reference Books Annual"

...the first English-langauge reference text to cover the places, people, events, and institutions of Brussels...a handy resource for students, academics, professionals in the public and private sectors, residents, and visitors. In addition to the dictionary itself, the text contains a chronology of significant events; an introductory essay on the city and its people; appendices on population, linguistic, and other statistical data; and an extensive bibliography.

Reference and Research Book News

The author pays special attention to the role of the city as a center of rebellion against great kingdoms and empires, the significance of a bilingual capital along the geographic boundary between Romance and Germanic languages, and the role of the city as a center for international organizations. A bibliography of major works serves as an excellent starting point for more in-depth research. Other useful features include a list of acronyms, maps, tables of populations and political figures, and plates of important sites.

American Reference Books Annual (ARBA)

Anyone who cares about the battered and abused capital city of Europe should acquire this volume. Written by the American journalist Paul F. State, this sober and scholarly book is the fruit of long hours spent in inhospitable wastes of city's archives....this is a quite magnificent book.

The Bulletin

...a pleasure to read and a very useful reference source....Recommended. General readers; upper-division undergraduates and higher.

Choice

The author pays special attention to the role of the city as a center of rebellion against great kingdoms and empires, the significance of a bilingual capital along the geographic boundary between Romance and Germanic languages, and the role of the city as a center for international organizations. A bibliography of major works serves as an excellent starting point for more in-depth research. Other useful features include a list of acronyms, maps, tables of populations and political figures, and plates of important sites.

American Reference Books Annual

...a pleasure to read and a very useful reference source....Recommended. General readers; upper-division undergraduates and higher.

CHOICE