Hougoumont

Geschiedenis

Château d'Hougoumont is a large farmhouse situated at the bottom of an escarpment near the Nivelles road in Braine-l'Alleud, near Waterloo, Belgium. The escarpment is where British and other allied forces faced Napoleon's Army at the Battle of Waterloo on 18 June 1815.Hougoumont, which had become dilapidated, was fully restored in time for the 200th anniversary of the battle and opened to the public on 18 June 2015.EtymologyThe name is from Germanic Hauha-berg. The whole of Brabant was once Dutch speaking. Hauha- means "high", and berg means "mountain" (as in iceberg). The name of the farm was later pronounced Honberg, Honsberg, and even Gomberg. The Belgian francophones kept hauha, changed it into hougou and translated berg into mont, obtaining Hougoumont. Note that this mont is a low hill.According to Sir Walter Scott who visited the battlefield in January 1816, "Hougoumont (a name bestowed, I believe, by a mistake of our great commander, but which will certainly supersede the more proper one of Chateau-Goumont) is the only place of consideration which was totally destroyed".HistoryIn 1474 the Order of Saint John (later to become the Order of Malta) bought 30acre of forest, Le Goumont, and another 30acre of adjacent heathland for 100 golden crowns. The deed of sale did not mention any building on the grounds.

"Un des derniers témoin de la Bataille de waterloo le 18 juin 1815, cette ferme historique accueilleune installation multimédia qui raconte l’histoire de « la bataille dans la bataille » : un spectacle qui associe le respect de la mémoire et l’innovation.La Ferme d’Hougoumont fut le cadre de combats meurtriers. Position avancée qui protégeait l’aile droite des alliés, c’est à cet endroit que le frère de Napoléon Bonaparte déclencha l’action. Ce qui ne devait être qu’une manœuvre de diversion, est devenu le point le plus violent de la bataille. Durant toute la journée, les assauts français y furent terribles et vains."