Register

Heritage Stories

Heritage Stories

Minerva Poster, Autoworld, Brussels – the MOT, Grimbergen

On the Road with Minerva

In 1904, motorcycle manufacturer Sylvain de Jong began producing automobiles in Antwerp. After a few years, he set aside motorcycle production. From then on, he built exclusive cars at his new factory in Berchem. His cars were known for their refined finish, their custom craftsmanship, and their speed.

Glass Dome in His Own Home, Victor Horta, ca. 1898–1901 – Horta Museum, Saint-Gilles

At Victor Horta's Home

In 1893–1894, Victor Horta built a home for Professor Emile Tassel in Brussels. It was the world’s first Art Nouveau building. Behind a fairly classical facade lay a remarkably sunny interior. Thanks to his ingenious use of cast iron and glass, Horta succeeded in creating an open structure. This

The Leie River at Latem, Valerius de Saedeleer, 1903 - Dhondt-Dhaenens Museum, Sint-Martens-Latem - artinflanders.be, photo by Cedric Verhelst

A Quiet Place in Sint-Martens-Latem

Sint-Martens-Latem is a picturesque village. It lies on the gently meandering Leie River, thirteen kilometers from Ghent. At the end of the 19th century, many wealthy residents of Ghent built villas here. Busy city dwellers came here on weekends and during vacations to enjoy the peace and quiet amid the greenery.

Vintage poster featuring butter cookies, ca. 1910–1940

Butter Cake

A world’s fair is the perfect occasion to introduce new products. It doesn’t always have to be a world-shattering invention. A delicacy is also not to be sneezed at. For example, the butter cake was introduced at the 1910 World’s Fair in Brussels. Under the name “couques au beurre,” a Belgian baker launched a puff pastry cake

Poster for the opening of the Volkshuis in Brussels, Jules Van Biesbroeck, 1899 - AMSAB-ISG, Ghent

Socialism in Pictures and Bread

In 1885, Flemish, Walloon, and Brussels socialists united to form the Belgian Workers’ Party (BWP). The party leadership deliberately avoided the loaded term “socialism.” They feared that otherwise they would scare off the workers. The main issue they fought for was universal suffrage. The first step in the right direction was the introduction of single

Gallic coin hoard from Vechmaal, ca. 58–51 B.C. – © Gallo-Roman Museum, Tongeren

The Gallo-Roman Treasure

As a child, you’re happy when you find a coin on the street—the start of a fortune. Fruit grower Raf Jansen was even luckier. In 2000, he found 102 Gallic gold coins in his orchard in Vechmaal. Twenty years later, he found another 65. Two-thirds of them were minted by

Portrait of a Man with a Roman Coin, Hans Memling, ca. 1474 - © KMSKA, Antwerp

The Man with the Roman Coin

In the 15th century, Bruges was the commercial hub of Western Europe. The city was teeming with foreign merchants, bankers, and politicians. Hans Memling found clients here for his elegant portraits. He succeeded like no other in portraying his subjects attractively against a sunny landscape in the background. One of