Walk through three neighborhoods in Leuven and use the ErfgoedApp the roots of these areas. Local residents will guide you past a series of notable locations and share stories from the past that shaped the neighborhood.
Street stories
The three Leuven tours are part of Straathistories, a series of neighborhood publications created for and by the people of Leuven. With the help of Erfgoedcel Leuven, local residents collect information about the history of their neighborhood. They search archives, collect old photos, and interview older residents. The result is a publication about the history of the neighborhood. Three of these street histories can now also ErfgoedApp with the ErfgoedApp : De Mussenbuurt, Vlierbeek, and De Ziekelingenstraat.
Local residents speak out
"Hello, I'm Hugo. I haven't lived here for over forty years, but my heart still beats for this neighborhood. Because in the 1960s and 1970s, I had a fantastic childhood here. I'd like to show you some of the beautiful things from the past and present." - Hugo from Ziekelingenstraat
The three tours in the ErfgoedApp you past old and striking buildings in Leuven, guide you through unexpected pockets of nature, and introduce you to the stories that color the neighborhood. Along the way, you will discover forgotten histories that took place behind the facades. In the Mussenbuurt neighborhood, for example, you will learn more about Jozef II Street:
"In the middle of the street, at number 26, was the community center of De Straatmus. The house was owned by Baroness De Walque, but it was completely dilapidated. That is why, in 1980, the community decided to squat and renovate the house. A children's program and a neighborhood meal service were set up, and everyone was welcome to come and have a chat." - Kris from the Mussenbuurt neighborhood
Finally, in Vlierbeek, the ErfgoedApp presents ErfgoedApp with various quiz questions. You can answer them using the clues along your route. Along the way, guide Maria tells you more about the people who may be forgotten today, but who once played a particularly important role in this neighborhood:
Elisabeth Alberdingk Thym was an important figure in the neighborhood. During the war years, she welcomed refugees from Vlierbeek into the cellars of the abbey and mediated with the German army. Undaunted and with a white flag in her hand, she approached the occupiers. She emphasized that she only wanted to offer innocent civilians shelter within the abbey walls. And she persuaded the Germans to spare the refugees." - Maria from Vlierbeek
Practical
Would you like to explore the neighborhoods of Leuven? Download the ErfgoedApp the App Store or Google Play and choose one of these three tours!
