Origin and Chief Historical Events.
A burgh and a fortified bridge (whence the name of "Bruges" ("Brugge"))
on the Reye, a brook since absorbed by the canals,--such was the origin
of the town.
In the 9th century Baudouin-Bras-de-fer, first count of Flanders and
vassal of the French King replaced the original establishment with a
fortified castle, around which, in spite of civil discords, quarrels
between the rulers and their turbulent subjects, dissensions between
the vassal and his suzerain, and rebellions by those two powerful
Flemish _communes_--Ghent and Bruges--the town grew and prospered.
These troubles were marked by sanguinary episodes, chief among which
were the "Bruges Matins" (1302) in which thousands of the "Gens du
Lys" _(Leliaerts)_ partisans of France, lost their lives, and shortly
afterwards the famous "Battle of the Golden Spurs", in which the
flower of France's chivalry, lured into the Groeninghe Marshes, was
annihilated by the Flemish pikemen _(clauwaerts)_ led by Breydel the
butcher, and Coninck the draper.
The era which followed this crisis was one of great prosperity for
Bruges, then a vast emporium of European trade, being in close relation
with London, Genoa, Venice, Augsburg and the Hanseatic towns. Wealth
abounded. The rich foreign merchants built sumptuous mansions, several
of which still exist. Bruges attained the height of its prosperity in
the 15th century, under Burgundian rule. Favoured by the long reign
of Philippe-le-Bon, "the Great Duke of the West", the arts, today the
glory of the old city, flourished exceedingly.
Decadence set in, chiefly owing to the retreating of the sea and
the gradual filling up of the creeks and harbours with sand. Trade
steadily declined, whilst in the 16th century, political and religious
troubles hastened the downfall of the city. The population of 200,000
dwindled away to 50,000, and at last the place came to be known as
"Bruges-la-Morte".
[Illustration: +Bruges. The Governor of Flanders and the Burgomaster of
the City welcoming King Albert, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Leopold in
the Grand'Place.+]
Under the Republic and the Empire, the city, under French domination,
became the capital of the Department of the Lys, and later, under Dutch
rule (1815-1830), of Western Flanders. When, later, the kingdom of
Belgium was constituted, it retained this rank.
Since that time, Bruges with her melancholic chimes has remained a
quiet old-world place, the delight of lovers of art, who each year come
to admire her treasures, amid the charm of quaintly picturesque scenery.
The boundaries of the city have remained unchanged since the time when
Bruge's prosperity was at its height. The area of the town being the
same as in the 14th century, it follows that the present-day population
of 50,000--all that remains of the former 200,000 inhabitants--has
plenty of elbow-room. However, the numerous open spaces and gardens in
no way detract from the æsthetic appearance of the place. In shape an
oval, stretching from the south-west to the north-east, the town is
surrounded by ramparts and a wide exterior moat, except on the north
(between the Gates of Ostend and Damme) where they were demolished at
the beginning of the present century, in order to connect up directly
with the new ship canal. Parts of the ramparts have been transformed
into boulevards, promenades and gardens. Of the numerous windmills
which used to form a picturesque girdle round the city, only two,
situated near the Sainte-Croix Gate, remain.
At the beginning of the present century, when the ship-canal from
Bruges to Zeebrugge was opened, the "dead" city made an effort to
revive her ancient prosperity, but the irony of fate willed that the
new port should mainly serve the German invader. On October 13, 1914,
amid the confusion which followed the fall of Antwerp, and whilst the
remains of the Belgian Army were falling back on the Yser, the Germans
entered Bruges, and there established the reign of terror under which
Belgium suffered for four long years. Happily, Bruges, like Ghent and
Brussels, came out of the War practically unscathed.
From October 14, 1914 to October 19, 1918, Bruges was occupied by the
Germans, with Admiral von Schroeder as Military Governor.
Requisitions to the amount of some sixty millions of francs were
levied; the factories were emptied of their machinery, and the
warehouses of their raw materials.
The bombardments did little damage. The maritime quarter, in which were
the Imperial workshops, alone received a number of aeroplane bombs.
[Illustration: +King Albert and Queen Elizabeth leaving the Hôtel
Provincial+ _(October 25, 1918.)_]
It was in this strictly guarded arsenal that the Germans assembled
and repaired their submarines. Armour-protected shelters and
concrete-covered docks for the submarines not on active service,
provided security for the enemy's intense activities. Immense
reservoirs of crude oil furnished the boats with fuel. Before leaving,
the Germans destroyed these works. The floating-docks, drags, cranes,
and port machinery, etc., belonging to Belgium, were wrecked. Sunken
hulls blocked up the channels. Huge quantities of stores, including
girders, reinforced concrete, sand, etc., were left behind on the
wharves.
After stripping the place of everything that could be carried off,
after attempting to sell several captured boats which had been brought
in there, and after blowing up the bridges, the enemy left the town.
Through some mysterious and powerful intervention, the chimes in the
belfry were left untouched, and as the Germans hurriedly departed,
a peal rang out joyously. Flags and banners were taken from their
hiding-places and hung in the streets and squares. "Bruges-the-dead"
became "Bruges-the-living-and joyful".
On October 25, 1918, amid indescribable enthusiasm, and to the strains
of "La Brabançonne" and "La Marseillaise", rung out on the old belfry
chimes, King Albert, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Leopold, accompanied by
the General Staff, General Degoutte and Admiral Ronarc'h, re-entered
the liberated city.
[Illustration: BRUGES]
Third Day.