Louvain

Louvain (Ger. Löwen, Flemish Leuven), a city in the Belgian province of Brabant, 19 miles by rail E. of Brussels. In the 14th century the town was rich, prosperous, and large (200,000 inhabitants), due to its cloth manufactures and its position as the capital of Brabant (from 994). In 1382 the townspeople revolted against their rulers, and the harsh punishment meted out to them drove large numbers away to England. The town was the seat of a celebrated university, founded in 1426. In the next century it had 6000 students, but was suppressed in 1797. Reconstituted in 1817, it was in 1835 transferred to private hands, but is still a Catholic university, with about 1600 students. The library contains 250,000 vols. The old walls, forming a circuit of five miles, have been demolished. The modern town covers only part of the enceinte, the rest being occupied by gardens. A statue of Father Damien was erected in 1894. A severe blow was struck at Louvain's prosperity by a terrible visitation of the plague in the 16th century. The modern industry is confined chiefly to bell-founding, brewing, and the manufacture of leather, paper, lace, starch, and chemicals. The town-house is a richly-decorated Gothic building (1448-69); the church of St Peter has a beautiful flamboyant rood-loft, a wrought-iron chandelier by Quentin Matsys, and some good pictures; in St Gertrude's Church are fine carved oak stalls. The Weavers' Hall (1317) was appropriated by the university in 1679. Pop. (1877) 33,917; (1891) 40,698. In 891 King Arnulf gained here a great victory over the Northmen, and built a castle against them. It used to be known as Cæsar's Castle; a few fragments of it still remain. See Histories by Piot (1859) and Molanus (1861).