History of Bruges

A short history

Bruges (Brugge) was founded - probably in the 9th century - at the end of the little river 'de Reie'. The name Bruges is probably derived from the old-Scandinavian word 'Bryggia', which means 'harbor, or mooring place'. Because of the proximity of the North Sea, the settlement very quickly became an important international harbor. A sea-arm, called the Zwin, connected Bruges with the North Sea.

The young settlement acquired city rights as early as the 12th century. At that time a first protective wall was built around Bruges. Soon, however, the Zwin started to silt up. This would have caused major problems for the city, were it not that Bruges adapted itself to this situation by creating outports in Damme and in Sluis. Moreover, transport of goods over land became more and more usual. In the 14th century Bruges became the starting point of a commercial transport road to the Rhineland (over Brussels and Leuven, cities in Brabant which also started to flourish because of this trade).

In the Middle Ages Bruges became the most important trade centre of north-west Europe. Flanders was then one of the most urbanised areas in Europe. Bruges had between 40,000 and 45,000 inhabitants, double the number now in the historic inner city.

From the 13th century Bruges was a bustling port and thriving commercial town. In particular, it was a centre for the export of Flemish cloth, an important product in medieval Europe. The money made paid for the fancy churches, public buildings and townhouses

The 14th century, a period of crises for Bruges and Flanders with revolts, epidemics, political unrest and war, ended with the dynastic merger of Flanders and Burgundy. The Burgundian period in Bruges started in 1384. Bruges would remain the most important trade centre to the north of the Alps for another century.

In the 16th century Bruges had clearly lost its leading position to Antwerp. However Bruges remained important as a regional centre with a lot of international commercial contacts and a flourishing art sector. The split from the Netherlands, final from 1584, led to the final decline of Bruges.

In the 17th century Bruges was a provincial city with a modest maritime reputation. Bruges shipowners and merchants still traded with the Spanish empire, England and the East and West Indies. By the end of the 16th century the former glory was only a memory and Bruges slipped into a wintersleep that took several centuries. New textile industries were introduced in the 19th century, but to no avail. In the middle of the 1800's Brugge was the poorest city in Belgium.

Bruges experienced the revolution period from 1789 to 1830 in a passive way. The first industrial revolution hardly disturbed the city. Around 1850 Bruges was the poorest city in the country. The middle classes spoke French, the illiterate people only knew their local dialect. French was decreed to be the official language for public life in 1885.

The 20th century, however, brought new life. The city was discovered by the international tourism and the medieval heritage turned out to be a new source of wealth for the 'Venice of the North'. Economically and industrially another important evolution took place. The new harbor of Zeebrugge (Seabruges-at 10 miles outside of the city, at the Belgian coast) brought new developments and new industries to the region.

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