Top 10 Facts about Park on Fiftieth

Parc du Cinquantenaire photo by Edison McCulle Wikimedia

Top 10 Facts about Park on Fiftieth

Jubelpark, also known as Parc du Cinquantenaire, is one of the most beautiful parks in the Brussels-Capital Region. However, it’s not just a park. A historical and cultural site, too. The Cinquantenaire is the only park in Brussels where a variety of museums, monuments, works of art, and gardens can be found all in one location.

The Linthout Plains, a military training facility, once stood where Parc du Cinquantenaire now stands. For the 50th anniversary of Belgium’s independence, the area was renovated into a spectacular exhibition center in 1880 on the king’s orders. As a result, it was given the name Cinquantenaire, which is French for “fiftieth anniversary” in English.

In a nod to the inner and outer city rings, Brussels’ Cinquantenaire Park is constructed in the shape of a pentagon. Cinquantenaire is near to the European Quarter and is located just outside the inner circle.

Here are Top 10 Facts about Park on Fiftieth

1. It is a sizable city park of 30 hectares in Brussels’ east

The fountain and the arcades under a stormy sky photo by Moyaertsd Wikimedia

The Park of the Fiftieth is sometimes referred to as Parc du Cinquantenaire or Jubel Park. It is one of Brussels, Belgium’s most stunning urban parks and a nationally significant monument.

2. King Leopold II commissioned its construction (second king of Belgian 1865-1909)

Initially, the land that is now Jubel Park was a portion of Burgerwacht’s military training facility. For the National Exhibition in 1880, King Leopold II transformed it to mark the 50th anniversary of the Belgian Revolution.

Due to this, it was given the name Cinquantenaire, which is French for its 50th anniversary. The building project was repeatedly halted because of a lack of funding, but King Leopold II used the money he made from exploiting the Congo to complete it.

3. The Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History is a military museum that is within the park

Parc du Cinquantenaire, Bruxelles photo by Romaine Wikimedia

Located in the two northernmost halls of the former complex is the Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History. In recognition of a royal order issued on November 28, 1911, the museum was constructed. Officer Louis Leconte’s World War I collections made up the museum’s initial collection.

Belgian military history is the focus of the main gallery. It displays the progression of firearms and the manufacturing process. The aviation hall in the north wing houses a variety of military and civilian aircraft models, including surviving World War I aircraft like the Sopwith Camel.

In general, the museum displays military tools, vehicles, uniforms, and weaponry from various nations and eras. Since 2004, it has also served as the European Forum on Contemporary Conflicts’ headquarters.

4. The park has been home to the spectacular, sizable Art & History Museum

A 30-ha urban park’s southern half is home to the Art & History Museum, one of the biggest art museums in Europe. The name Art & History Museum was adopted in 2018, replacing the previous name Cinquntenaire Museum. Merode on lines 1 and 5 of the metro, as well as Schuman, serves the Art & History Museum. When the Dukes of Burgundy was in power, its first collection was assembled.

Its national archaeological collection consists of vases, tools, and jewelry from the Paleolithic to the Iron Age, as well as fibulae, ceramic plates, glass, silver, and bronze vessels. Second, it features a sizable collection of items from ancient Greek, Roman, Egyptian, and Middle Eastern civilizations. Thirdly, it has a number of collections on non-European civilizations and European ornamental art.

5. A Monument to the Belgian Pioneer in Congo is located in the Park

This is a photo of a monument in Brussels, photo by Val choko Wikimedia

Belgian medallist and sculptor Thomas Vincotte made the Monument to the Belgian Pioneer in Congo to honor Belgian efforts in the former Belgian Congo. This monument consists of a huge, curved wall divided into five sculptures that depict five distinct, romanticized depictions of Belgian explorers in the Congo, Africa.

The frieze’s bas relief writing is in Dutch and French. Due to the celebration of Belgian colonialism and the inscriptions “Arab slave trader,” which are disputed by Arab Muslims in Brussels, it has been a contentious issue since 1980.

6. The first mosque in the vicinity of Brussels is located in the Park of the Fiftieth

Exterior view from the Parc du Cinquantenaire photo by Edison McCullen Wikimedia

The Park of the Fiftieth contains the Great Mosque of Brussels. This mosque was built in 1880 by architect Ernest Van Humbeek in an Arabic design. In 1967, King Baudouin leased it to Saudi Arabia’s King Faisal ibn Abd al-Azizi as part of a trade for oil contracts.

It was transformed into a house of worship for Belgian immigrants who are Muslims. And currently serves as the main religious institution within the Belgian Muslim population. It is a research institute and a school that serves as an Islamic cultural center with the aim of promoting Islam.

7. Underneath the park, a metro line and tunnel are located

Brussels Metro Lines 1 and 5 as well as the Belliard tunnel from Rue de Loi/Westraat pass through the park. With the latter part in front of the arch in an open area.

8. It is home to The Temple of Human Passion which has a turbulent history

Parc du Cinquantenaire, Bruxelles photo by Ben2 Wikimedia

It was built by Victor Horta in 1896. Horta-Lambeaux Pavillion is another name for the neoclassical pavilion. That comprises the enormous accomplishments of the sculptor Jef Lambeaux. A massive marble relief sculpture called The Human Passion was intended to be displayed there permanently.

The building appears to be a traditional temple at first glance. Its structure doesn’t have a single straight line, though. His sculptures and artwork frequently show male and female nudity, which has caused controversy throughout the years.

The building was once off-limits to the public but reopened in 2002. While the pavilion renovation project started in May 2013 and finished in 2014. Currently, the temple is only briefly accessible to the public on a few days of the week.

9. Its collection of more than 250 American and European cars is extensive and diversified

A collection of vintage and Belgian-built automobiles, such as In the South Hall of Park of Fiftyeth’s antique car museum, Minerva and limos are on show. The nucleus of the museum was built on the collections of Ghislain Mahy and Charly De Pauw. And the automobiles on display date from the turn of the 20th century through the 1990s and include the 1930 Cord, and 1928 Bentley, sports cars, sedans, carriages, and fire engines. It hosts events with a car focus.

10. In a span of three decades, it was constructed by two architects

European quarter. Parc du Cinquantenaire Spring Henri Puvrez 1958 photo by Fred Romero Wikimedia

The first architect who worked on this project for almost 20 years was Gedeon Bordeau. Glass, iron, and stone were used in the construction of the structures as a representation of Belgium’s industrial and economic success. Lack of funds forced the project’s postponement in 1890, and it came to a halt after his death in 1904.

King Leopold II chose Charles Girault to be his heir. He changed the single arch design to a triple arch. He and the other 450 workers were required to work twenty-four hours a day for eight months in order to expedite the project in time for the 75th anniversary of Belgium’s independence. In 1905, Charles Girault finished the task.