Le Botanique

Geschiedenis

Le Botanique or Kruidtuin is a cultural complex and music venue in Saint-Josse-ten-Noode, Brussels. The building was previously the main orangery of the National Botanic Garden of Belgium and even as part of the garden had hosted cultural events. In 1958, the National Botanic Garden of Belgium moved to Meise, outside of Brussels. Le Botanique opened in 1984, and the gardens in front are now the Botanical Garden of Brussels.HistoryThe first botanic garden in Brussels belonged to the Ecole Centrale du Département de la Dyle that was created during the French rule of Belgium at the end of the 18th century. Due to their costs, those French schools were soon dropped and some municipalities, including the City of Brussels, took over the garden that was about to be abandoned. In 1815, Belgium became part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. Around the same period, the maintenance costs of the garden were regarded as too high by the city administration. A group of local bourgeois decided to create a new kind of botanical garden in Brussels. At the time the bourgeoisie was the new leading-class and since companies were popular financing method the garden was created as a company. The creators thought it would be their contribution to the city's reputation. Although it was rooted on a private enterprise, it was also supposed to be a national institution dedicated to science.