Congress Column
| Congress Column | |
|---|---|
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Native name Colonne du Congrès (French) Congreskolom (Dutch) |
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Front view of the Independence Column
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| Location | Brussels, Belgium |
| Coordinates | 50°51′0″N 4°21′48″E / 50.85000°N 4.36333°ECoordinates: 50°51′0″N 4°21′48″E / 50.85000°N 4.36333°E |
| Area | 1.63 a (1,750 sq ft) |
| Elevation | 47 m (154 ft) |
| Inaugurated by | King Leopold I |
| Built | 1850-1859 |
| Built for | commemoration of the National Congress of Belgium |
| Restored | 2008 |
| Architect | Joseph Poelaert |
| Architectural style(s) |
Neoclassicism (Victory column in Corinthian style) |
| Owner | Belgian government |
The Congress Column (French: Colonne du Congrès; Dutch: Congreskolom) is a monumental column situated on the Place du Congrès / Congresplein in Brussels, Belgium which commemorates the creation of the Constitution by the National Congress between 1830-31. It was erected on the initiative of Charles Rogier, according to a design by Joseph Poelaert, between 1850 and 1859 and was inspired by Trajan's Column in Rome. At the top of the column is a statue of Belgium's first monarch, King Leopold I, and the pedestal is surrounded by statues personifying the four freedoms guaranteed under the Constitution while the Belgian Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is at the foot of the column.
The column was restored from 2002 to 2008.
The column, with the statue of King Leopold I surmounting it included, has a total height of 47 metres (154 ft). A spiral staircase of 193 stairs in the interior of the column leads to a platform surrounding the pedestal of the statue of Leopold I.
The statue of Leopold was made by Guillaume Geefs. The important dates in the struggle for Belgian independence are engraved on the pedestal of the column, together with the names of the members of the National Congress and the Provisional Government and important passages from the liberal Belgian constitution of 1832. The four sitting statues surrounding the pedestal represent the major constitutional liberties; the 'Liberty of Union' by Charles Fraikin, the 'Liberty of Worship' by Eugène Simonis, the 'Liberty of the Press' and the 'Liberty of Education' both by Joseph Geefs. Two monumental bronze lions by Eugène Simonis are placed in front of the monument. In 2007, during Storm Kyrill, the statue of 'Liberty of the Press' was blown down and later restored.
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