LIEGE, BELGIUM

Liege is the capital of Liege province in East Belgium and is the cultural centre of French-speaking Belgium. The city is the commercial centre of the industrial Meuse valley and is a major industrial centre. Liege was a growing trade centre by the 10^th century; in the Middle Ages it was a leading cultural centre and had important textile and metal industries. In the late Middle Ages, Liege was torn by bitter social strife; the workers organized in guilds in the 14^th century and won far-reaching concessions from the nobility and the wealthy bourgeoisie. Liege flourished under prince-bishop Erard de la Marck in the 16^th century and became a centre of arms manufacture. During World War I, its fortifications, reputed to be among the strongest in Europe, fell to the Germans after a 12-day siege in 1914. The Germans again took Liege in May, 1940, but it was liberated in May 1944 by US forces. During the Battle of the Bulge, the city suffered considerable destruction from German rockets. During the 1950s and1960s, Liege was again the centre of social unrest. Today, Liege is essentially a modern city that retains some historic buildings including a cathedral (founded 971), the Church of St. Denis (10^th-11^th centuries), and the 16^th–century palace of justice (the former residence of the prince-bishops). An International Peace Park with more than 150 varieties of trees from over 70 countries was established in Liege in 1988.