Discover your Belgian roots

Questions to ask the older generation

Memories fade faster than photos. Ask these over a meal or a phone call, and write the answers down.

1. Which town or region of Belgium did our family come from? Was it near Antwerp, Ghent, Bruges?
2. Who was the first in the family to leave Belgium, when, and why?
3. Which dishes from Belgium were cooked at home? Did anyone make Mussels with fries or Belgian fries?
4. Does anyone in the family still use a few words from the old country?
5. Were there songs, prayers, games or holidays from Belgium that the family kept?
6. Are there old photos, letters or documents from Belgium? Who has them?
7. If you could visit Belgium together, where would you go first?

A short history of Belgium

Belgium's story runs from Caesar's wars with the Belgae, through the rich cloth towns of Flanders and centuries of foreign rulers, to independence in 1830, two world wars and a new role at the heart of the European Union.

1. 57 BC

   Caesar conquers the Belgae

   Julius Caesar began his conquest of the Belgae, a group of tribes he described as the bravest of the Gauls. The land became part of the Roman province of Gallia Belgica.

2. 1302

   The Battle of the Golden Spurs

   Flemish town militias won a surprise victory over an army of mounted French knights. Flanders, rich from its cloth trade, was then one of the wealthiest areas in Europe.

3. 1585

   The fall of Antwerp

   After a siege of more than a year, Antwerp surrendered to Spanish forces on 17 August 1585. The south stayed under Spanish rule, while the north went on to become the independent Dutch Republic.

4. 1830

   The Belgian Revolution

   In August 1830 an opera audience in Brussels spilled into the streets singing patriotic songs, and a revolt against Dutch rule followed. A provisional government declared independence on 4 October 1830.

5. 1908

   Belgium takes over the Congo

   King Leopold II had ruled the Congo Free State as his private possession, and many Congolese were killed by his agents for failing to deliver enough rubber and ivory. After an international outcry, the Belgian state took it over in 1908 as the Belgian Congo.

6. 1940

   The second German invasion

   On 10 May 1940 Germany invaded again. After 18 days of fighting the army and King Leopold III surrendered, and Belgium was occupied until the Allies liberated it in 1944 and 1945.

7. 1958

   Expo 58 and the Atomium

   From April to October 1958 Brussels hosted a World's Fair on the Heysel plateau. Its centrepiece, the Atomium, still stands as a symbol of the city.

8. 1993

   Belgium becomes a federal state

   After decades of tension between Dutch and French speakers, a series of reforms ended with the 1993 reform that made Belgium a federal state of communities and regions.

Family recipes to cook together

Mussels with fries 45 min · serves 4Flemish beef and beer stew 3 h · serves 4Ghent waterzooi 1 h 15 min · serves 4Endive with ham and cheese sauce 1 h · serves 4Stoemp 40 min · serves 4

Words to teach the grandchildren

Towns and regions

• Brussels, Brussels-Capital Region: The Grand-Place, Manneken Pis and the Atomium.
• Antwerp, Antwerp Province, Flanders: The diamond trade, The Cathedral of Our Lady.
• Ghent, East Flanders: The Gravensteen castle, The Ghent Altarpiece by the Van Eyck brothers.
• Bruges, West Flanders: The Belfry on the Markt, Canals and lace.
• Liège, Liège Province, Wallonia: The 374 steps of the Montagne de Bueren, Liège waffles and boulets.
• Namur, Namur Province, Wallonia: The Citadel of Namur, Its belfry, a UNESCO site.
• Leuven, Flemish Brabant: The Gothic Town Hall with 236 statues, KU Leuven university.
• Mons, Hainaut: The Doudou festival, with Saint George fighting a dragon, Its Baroque belfry.
• Ostend, West Flanders: Beaches and the seafront promenade, The painter James Ensor.
• Ypres, West Flanders: The Menin Gate and the Last Post, The Cloth Hall and the In Flanders Fields Museum.
• Dinant, Namur Province, Wallonia: The onion-domed Collegiate Church, The house where Adolphe Sax was born, now a museum.
• Mechelen, Antwerp Province, Flanders: St. Rumbold's Cathedral tower, The world's leading carillon school.