Charles Buls

Charles Buls
Charles Buls

Karel Buls fountain, Grasmarkt/Rue du Marché aux Herbes-Agora Square, Brussels.
Born Charles François Gommaire Buls
13 October 1837(1837-10-13)
Brussels, Belgium
Died 13 July 1914(1914-07-13) (aged 76)
Nationality  Belgium
Other names Karel Buls
Occupation politician

Charles Buls or Karel Buls (13 October 1837–13 July 1914) was a Belgian politician and former mayor of the City of Brussels.

Contents

Early life

Charles François Gommaire Buls was born in Brussels as the son of a goldsmith from the region of Mechelen. Buls received an artistic education, and spent a year in Paris, and nine months in Italy, studying fine arts. He also learned several languages including English, German, and Latin. He followed in his father's footsteps and worked as a goldsmith.

In 1862 he became a Freemason in "Les vrais amis", and in 1871 joined "La libre pensée". At the same time, he was a member of "de Veldbloem" and "Vlamingen vooruit", two Flemish organisations of the Flemish movement. Together with his brother in law, Leo Van der Kindere, the later mayor of Uccle, he became a "flamingant".[1]

Politics

Memorial to Charles Buls and the builders of the Grand Place by Victor Horta and Victor Rousseau

Buls entered politics in 1870 as a Flemish candidate on a radical list but he was not elected until 1877, when he was elected to the Brussels city council on a liberal list. He became schepen or échevin of education in 1879. Buls was a supporter of progressive causes, especially in language issues and education, and the education of women, on which he wrote frequently. He was a supporter of Isabelle Gatti de Gamond's educational reforms. From 1879 on he played an important role in the development of Flemish education in Brussels.[1]

On the national stage, Buls served in the Belgian Chamber of Representatives in 1882, and again from 1886 to 1894.

Buls became Mayor of Brussels in 1881 and remained in office until 1899. At his initiative policemen had to be able to speak both French and Dutch and bilingual signposting was established throughout the city. However, along with these reforms, his most lasting achievement was the result of his opposition to the grandiose architectural schemes of King Leopold II, and the resulting preservation of old parts of Brussels.[2] In particular, Buls was a steadfast defender and admirer of the Mont des Arts and the Grand Place, now a UNESCO World Heritage site, successfully proposing the 1883 city ordinance protecting the façades of the Grand Place buildings and providing funds for their restoration which took place between 1883 and 1923. In 1899, the architects of Brussels who had been involved in this restoration work paid for a memorial commemorating Buls, designed by Victor Horta and executed by Victor Rousseau, to be placed in the rebuilt "L'Etoile" or "De Ster" house on the Grand-Place. At the reopening of the restored Town Hall, Buls greeted Leopold II in Dutch, and the King replied in the same language, which was unusual at the time.[1] In 1999, a new fountain with a larger-than-life-sized seated statue of Buls and his dog was erected at the Place Agoraplein, close to the Grand Place.

Buls was an accomplished and prolific author, not merely on educational and artistic issues but also publishing accounts of his travels abroad.

See also

References


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Charles Buls — Fontaine Charles Buls, à Bruxelles …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Charles Buls — Denkmal in Brüssel Karel Frans Gommaar (frz. Charles François Gommaire) Buls (* 13. Oktober 1837 in Brüssel; † 13. Juli 1914 in Elsene) war ein belgischer Politiker. Buls studierte die Rechte, wurde Advokat und widmete sich mit großem Eifer der… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Buls, Charles — (1837 1914)    Charles Buls, the eighth burgomaster of Brussels, was born in the city on 13 October 1837. Due to poor health he spent his early years with relatives in Limburg, returning to study at the Athenée (1849 1855), where he did not… …   Historical Dictionary of Brussels

  • Buls — Buls, Charles, belg. Politiker, geb. 13. Okt. 1837 in Brüssel, übernahm das Goldschmiedegeschäft seines Vaters, bildete sich aber auch sonst weiter und widmete sich später als Mitglied, dann als Präsident der Ligue belge de l enseignement der… …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Charles Francois Gommaire Buls — Denkmal in Brüssel Karel Frans Gommaar (frz. Charles François Gommaire) Buls (* 13. Oktober 1837 in Brüssel; † 13. Juli 1914 in Elsene) war ein belgischer Politiker. Buls studierte die Rechte, wurde Advokat und widmete sich mit großem Eifer der… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Charles François Gommaire Buls — Denkmal in Brüssel Karel Frans Gommaar (frz. Charles François Gommaire) Buls (* 13. Oktober 1837 in Brüssel; † 13. Juli 1914 in Elsene) war ein belgischer Politiker. Buls studierte die Rechte, wurde Advokat und widmete sich mit großem Eifer der… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Buls — Denkmal in Brüssel Karel Frans Gommaar (frz. Charles François Gommaire) Buls (* 13. Oktober 1837 in Brüssel; † 13. Juli 1914 in Elsene) war ein belgischer Politiker. Buls studierte die Rechte, wurde Advokat und widmete sich mit großem Eifer der… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Karel Buls — Denkmal in Brüssel Karel Frans Gommaar (frz. Charles François Gommaire) Buls (* 13. Oktober 1837 in Brüssel; † 13. Juli 1914 in Elsene) war ein belgischer Politiker. Buls studierte die Rechte, wurde Advokat und widmete sich mit großem Eifer der… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Maison de l'Étoile — Le pignon surmonté de l étoile Présentation Période ou style Architecture baroque Architecte …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Grand-Place de Bruxelles — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Grand place et Grand Place de Bruxelles (homonymie). La Grand Place de Bruxelles * …   Wikipédia en Français

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