Editing Waterloo, Belgium

{{Short description|Municipality in French speaking Community, Belgium}}
{{refimprove|date=March 2015}}
{{Infobox Belgium Municipality
|name             = Waterloo
|native_name      = {{native name|wa|Waterlô}}
|native_name_lang = wa
|picture          = Maison communale Waterloo.jpg
|picture-legend   = ''Maison communale'' (city hall) of Waterloo
|map              = Waterloo Brabant-Wallon Belgium Map.svg
|map-legend       = The municipality of Waterloo in Walloon Brabant
|arms             = Coat of Arms of Waterloo.svg
|flag             = Flag of Waterloo.svg
|arrondissement   = [[Arrondissement of Nivelles|Nivelles]]
|nis              = 25110
|pyramid-date=
|0-19=
|20-64=
|65=
|foreigners=
|foreigners-date  =
|mayor            = [[Florence Reuter]] (MR)
|majority         = [[Reformist Movement|MR]]
|postal-codes     = 1410
|telephone-area   = 02
|web              = [http://www.waterloo.be/ www.waterloo.be]
|coordinates      = {{coord|50|43|2.89|N|04|23|52.48|E|region:BE|display=inline,title}}
}}
'''Waterloo''' ({{IPA|fr|watɛʁlo|-|LL-Q150 (fra)-Madehub-Waterloo.wav}};<ref>[[Jean-Marie Pierret]], ''Phonétique historique du français et notions de phonétique générale'', Peeters, Louvain-la-Neuve, 1994, p. 103.</ref> {{IPA|nl|ˈʋaːtərloː|-|Nl-waterloo.ogg}}; {{langx|wa|Waterlô}}) is a [[Municipalities of Belgium|municipality]] in [[Wallonia]], located in the province of [[Walloon Brabant]], [[Belgium]], which in 2011 had a population of 29,706 and an area of {{convert|21.03|km2|2|abbr=on}}. Waterloo lies a short distance south of [[Brussels]], and immediately north-east of the larger town of [[Braine-l'Alleud]]. It is the site of the [[Battle of Waterloo]], where the resurgent [[Napoleon]] was defeated for the final time in 1815. Waterloo lies immediately south of the official [[language border]] between [[Flanders]] and [[Wallonia]].

==Etymology==
From Middle Dutch, composed of water (water, watery) + loo (forest, clearing in a forest, marsh, bog).<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=nwGBTvF_K6kC&pg=PA206  Wasser, Wazar in ''Geographical Etymology: A Dictionary of Place-names'']</ref><ref>[https://www.etymonline.com/word/waterloo Origin and meaning of the name Waterloo in ''Online Etymology Dictionary'']</ref><ref>[https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Waterloo Waterloo Etymology in ''Wiktionary'']</ref>

==History==
{{unreferenced section|date = February 2015}}
The name of Waterloo was mentioned for the first time in 1102 designating a small hamlet at the limit of what is today known as the [[Sonian Forest]], along a major road linking [[Brussels]], [[Genappe]] and a coal mine to the south. Waterloo was located at the intersection of the main road and a path leading to a small farming settlement in what is now Cense. The crossing can still be found today as the intersection of the Chaussée de Bruxelles with Boulevard de la Cense. Waterloo was a place where travellers and merchants, particularly those carrying coal from the mine to the south, could find rest and protection from bandits.

Waterloo was located in the [[Duchy of Brabant]] created in 1183 with [[Leuven]] as the capital city. The [[Duchy of Brabant]] extended from [[Luttre]] to [['s-Hertogenbosch]] in 1477. [[Brussels]] became the capital city of the Duchy of Brabant in 1267 and the capital city of the [[Burgundian Netherlands]] in 1430.

Waterloo started to develop during the 17th century. A royal chapel was built in 1687 in Petit-Waterloo, and was extended in 1826, becoming the [[Church of Saint Joseph of Waterloo]].

During the late 18th century, whilst the region was under the rule of the Holy Roman Empire, a period of unrest marked the wake of the 1789 [[French Revolution]]. Reforms designed to quell those agitating to bring enlightenment ideas to the region were unsuccessful. In 1794, the French invaded, bringing an end to the region's [[Ancien Régime]], encompassing the monasteries, their official record-keeping, and the privileges of the nobility. 

[[File:The Village of Waterloo (Jones).jpg|thumb|''[[The Village of Waterloo]]'' by [[George Jones (painter)|George Jones]], 1821]]
Up until 1796, Waterloo was divided into two parts, Grand-Waterloo and Petit-Waterloo, depending, respectively, of the parishes of Braine-l'Alleud (Bishopric of Namur) and of Sint-Genesius-Rode (Bishopric of Mechelen). A new system based on municipalities was established under French rule. The municipality of Waterloo was created from Petit-Waterloo detached from Sint-Genesius-Rode and three former hamlets (Grand-Waterloo, Joli-Bois, Mont-Saint-Jean) detached from Braine-l’Alleud. 

In 1813, half of the hamlet of Chenois was detached from Braine-l’Alleud and became part of Waterloo. In 1824, Waterloo grew again as the areas Roussart and Sainte-Gertrude from the Sonian Forest became part of the municipality. Waterloo had 1,571 inhabitants in 1801 and 3,202 in 1846.

In 1795, the invaded territories were divided into nine departments. Some municipalities, including Waterloo, became part of the [[Dyle (department)|Dyle]] department, which became the province of Brabant Méridional in 1815 under Dutch rule, following the defeat of Napoleon. Upon [[Belgian independence]] in 1830, it became part of the province of Brabant.

On 4 September 1944, Waterloo was liberated from German occupation by Allied forces.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Oorlogsgraven Waterloo - Waterloo - TracesOfWar.nl |url=https://www.tracesofwar.nl/sights/18832/Oorlogsgraven-Waterloo.htm |access-date=2023-09-14 |website=www.tracesofwar.nl |language=en}}</ref>

In 1977, the second half of the hamlet of Chenois was detached from Braine-l’Alleud and became part of Waterloo together with a part of the hamlet next to the Lion.

In 1995, the province of Brabant was divided to match the limits of the administrative regions of Wallonia, Brussels and Flanders created in 1980. The part in which Waterloo is situated became the province of Walloon Brabant.

===Battle of Waterloo===
[[File:Andrieux - La bataille de Waterloo.jpg|thumb|right|[[Clément-Auguste Andrieux]]'s 1852 ''The Battle of Waterloo'']]
{{main article|Battle of Waterloo}}

The [[Battle of Waterloo]] took place near Waterloo on 18 June 1815 between the [[First French Empire]] of [[Napoleon Bonaparte]] and the [[Seventh Coalition]] (troops from [[Kingdom of Prussia|Prussia]], the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|United Kingdom]], the [[United Kingdom of the Netherlands|Netherlands]], [[Kingdom of Hanover|Hanover]], [[Duchy of Brunswick|Brunswick]] and [[Duchy of Nassau|Nassau]]), under the main allied commanders, the [[Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington|Duke of Wellington]] and [[Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher|Field Marshal von Blücher]].

==Districts in Waterloo==

Waterloo is divided into six districts: Faubourg Ouest (north-west of Chaussée de Bruxelles), Faubourg Est (north-east of Chaussée de Bruxelles), Chenois (west of the railway), Centre, Joli-Bois (south of centre) and Mont-St-Jean (north of the Waterloo battle field).

== Demographics ==
{{unreferencedsect|date=April 2025}}
Nearly one-fifth of the current registered population (5,640 inhabitants) is non-Belgian; many such residents work for institutions or companies in [[Brussels]], a political centre of the [[European Union]]. These numbers were released by the municipality of Waterloo. The most common non-Belgian nationalities are the following: French (1,237 people), Italian (537), British (503), American (445) and Swedish (425).

It is one of the wealthiest towns in Wallonia.

==Economy==
Waterloo is home to the European headquarters of [[Mastercard]]. There is a [[Carrefour]] hypermarket in Mont-Saint-Jean, a [[Delhaize]] store, an [[Ibis Hotel]], several [[Fortis Bank|BNP Paribas Fortis]] branches, office parks to the east of the town.

A row of shops, called ''{{lang|fr|Petit Paris}}'' is situated on the ''{{lang|fr|Chaussée de Bruxelles}}'' (which becomes ''[[Chaussée de Waterloo]]'', or ''{{lang|nl|Waterloosesteenweg}}'' when leaving Waterloo in the north and nearing Brussels).

==Education==
The Argenteuil estate is host to a number of [[International school|international]] and local educational establishments, including; the [[Scandinavian School of Brussels]], the [[European School of Bruxelles-Argenteuil]], "Den norske skolen i Brussel", and the [[Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel]].

[[St. John's International School (Belgium)|St. John's International School]] is also located within the commune.

==Notable landmarks==
[[File:18 June 1815 – Waterloo – Saint Joseph's Church.jpg|thumb|[[Church of Saint Joseph, Waterloo|Church of Saint Joseph of Waterloo]]]]
{{unreferencedsect|date=April 2025}}
===Lion's Mound===
{{main article|Lion's Mound}}
[[File:0 Braine-l'Alleud 051012 (1).JPG|thumb|The immense ''{{lang|fr|Butte du Lion}}'' ("[[Lion's Mound]]") overlooking the [[Battle of Waterloo|battlefield of Waterloo]]]]

The [[Lion's Mound]] is a monument to the casualties of the 1815 Battle of Waterloo, located on the spot where a musket ball hit the shoulder of [[William II of the Netherlands]] (the Prince of Orange) and knocked him from his horse during the battle. A statue of a lion, looking towards [[France]], standing upon a stone-block pedestal surmounts the hill. Visitors can climb the 226 steps to the top of the hill for a panoramic vista of the battlefield.<ref>{{cite web |title=Rates |website=Waterloo 1815 | url=http://www.waterloo1815.be/index.php?page=rates |ref={{sfnref|Waterloo 1815}} |access-date=14 January 2017}}</ref> 

Other attractions nearby related to the battle are the [[Panorama of the Battle of Waterloo|Battle Panorama Mural]], [[Wellington Museum, Waterloo|Wellington Museum]], and the [[Roman Catholic]] [[Church of Saint Joseph, Waterloo|Church of St. Joseph]], where Wellington is said to have prayed before going into battle and where British and Dutch plaques commemorating the fallen are now to be seen.

===Argenteuil estate===
In 1831, approximately 250 hectares of land in the Sonian Forest was acquired by Ferdinand De Meeus, a member of the [[Belgian nobility]], who bestowed the name "Argenteuil" to the estate. The first "[[Château]] d'Argenteuil", built in 1835 was destroyed by a fire in 1847, and rebuilt between 1856 and 1858 using a design by Belgian architect, [[Jean-Pierre Cluysenaar]], and extensive landscaping of the surrounding lands by Édouard Keilig. In the 1920s the [[Meeûs d'Argenteuil|De Meeûs family]] [[Incorporation (business)|incorporated]] the estate into the "Domaine d'Argenteuil SA", and in 1929 sold 145 hectares of the land to American businessman, William Hallam Tuck. Tuck and his wife, Belgian heiress, Hilda Bunge, commissioned [[New York (state)|New York]] architect, [[William Delano]], to design the second major residence on the Argenteuil estate, the "Château Bellevue". Whilst the couple occupied the property, it became known commonly as the "Château Tuck".

====Château d'Argenteuil====
[[File:Château d'Argenteuil.JPG|thumb|Château d'Argenteuil]]
In 1940, the Château d'Argenteuil, 20 hectares of its surrounding lands and a farm were sold to a [[Carmelites|community of Carmelite Sisters]] in exchange for their properties in [[Uccle]], Brussels. However, the château was not suited to their needs, and they moved out in 1947. The [[Belgian government]] acquired the Château d'Argenteuil in 1949. In 1950, as part of preparations for the [[1958 Brussels World’s Fair]], the Belgian government used the chateau to relocate the French-speaking section of the ''{{lang|fr|École normale ménagère et agricole de l'État}}'', an all-female [[normal school]], from Laeken, the site of the exhibition. The château's bedrooms were refitted for [[Boarding school|boarders]]. The Belgian government later used the site for various Belgian state school establishments, building dedicated buildings for classrooms on the grounds of the château. In 1990, the [[Scandinavian School of Brussels]], Queen Astrid School, purchased the Château d'Argenteuil and its grounds, and relocated there in 1992. From September 2016, the [[European School of Bruxelles-Argenteuil]] began operating on the same site.

====Château Bellevue====
In 1949, the Belgian government acquired the Château Bellevue, originally for use by the Belgian national rail company, the [[SNCB]]. In 1958 it was used as residence for distinguished visitors to the 1958 World's Fair in Brussels. From 1961  it was the official residence of the [[Belgian royal family]], [[King Leopold III]] and his wife [[Princess Lilian of Belgium|Princess Lilian]], up until her death in 2003. During discussions on the [[Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe]] there were proposals to turn the château into a residence for the mooted position of the [[President of the European Union]]. However, the Belgian government sold the Chateau Bellevue in September 2004.

====Dames de Berlaymont====
In 1960, Count Ludovic de Meeûs d'Argenteuil sold thirty hectares of the Argenteuil estate to the Dames de Berlaymont, who had to vacate their properties in Brussels following their acquisition by the Belgian state for the purpose of building a [[Berlaymont building|headquarters]] for the [[European Commission]]. The nuns established a new [[convent]] and boarding school on the site.

==Former landmarks==
===Château Cheval===
[[File:Château Cheval Waterloo 02.jpg|thumb|upright|Château Cheval]]
The Château Cheval stood at the crossing of the main routes between Charleroi and Brussels, and Nivelles and Leuven. It was originally built in 1895 as the home of a French industrialist who had made his fortune in Mont-Saint-Jean, Waterloo following the opening of a [[chemical fertiliser]] plant in 1875. The château, with its four towers and ninety-nine windows, was too extravagant for the tastes of its owner, who found himself only able to sleep there once per week. Cheval gave it to his only daughter who occupied it with her husband until his death in 1962. The exorbitant costs associated with running the property led to its demolition in 1966.

==Public transport==
[[File:Station Waterloo Perron.jpg|thumb|[[Waterloo railway station, Belgium|Waterloo railway station]]]]
[[Waterloo railway station, Belgium|Waterloo railway station]] was opened on 1 February 1874, with the simultaneous opening of the railway line between Waterloo and Brussels. An extension of the line southwards to [[Nivelles]], and then [[Luttre]] was opened on 1 June 1874, permitting travel onwards to Charleroi, along an existing line opened in 1843. 

Today, Waterloo is served by local passenger trains on the Nivelles to [[Aalst, Belgium|Aalst]] line, with at least one train in each direction per hour. Non-stopping services between Waterloo and Brussels operate during peak times.

== Sport ==

Waterloo is home to [[ASUB Waterloo]], one of Belgium's most successful [[Rugby Union]] teams.

Waterloo is also home of Watducks Hockey Club, multiple Belgium champions of field hockey and European Champions in 2019 (EHL).

== Notable residents ==
In September 1959 the Missionary Dominican Sisters of Our Lady of Fichermont, headquartered in Waterloo, became the home of Jeannine Deckers, who took the name Sister Luc-Gabrielle, and who would later become famous as [[The Singing Nun]].<ref name="entertainmentweekly">{{cite web|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,312689,00.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130102151723/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,312689,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 2, 2013|title=The Singing Nun's Story|last=Purtell|first=Tim |date=18 December 1992|publisher=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|access-date=26 July 2008}}</ref>

On 2 February 2018, the [[Belgium|Belgian]] commune of Waterloo confirmed that former Catalonia president [[Carles Puigdemont]] had rented a villa and planned to establish his official residence there.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hpdetijd.nl/nieuws/waterloo-bevestigt-verhuizing-puigdemont/|title=Waterloo bevestigt verhuizing Puigdemont|access-date=3 February 2018|date=2 February 2018|publisher=HP De Tijd|language=nl|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180202191400/https://www.hpdetijd.nl/nieuws/waterloo-bevestigt-verhuizing-puigdemont/|archive-date=2 February 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Twin towns — sister cities==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Belgium}}

Waterloo is [[Twin towns and sister cities|twinned]] with:
{| class="wikitable"
|- valign="top"
|
*{{flagicon|JPN}} [[Nagakute, Aichi]], [[Japan]]
*{{flagicon|JPN}} [[Sekigahara, Gifu]], Japan
*{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Rambouillet]], [[France]]
*{{flagicon|CAN}} [[Waterloo, Ontario]], [[Canada]]
*{{Flagicon|LUX}} [[Differdange]], [[Luxembourg]]
|}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{Commons category-inline}}
* {{Official website|http://www.waterloo.be|Waterloo's official website}}
* [http://www.waterlootv.be/Video/7fe98dff-c9b5-43f6-aa0b-4fe228971c4f.aspx Waterloo's official Web TV]{{Dead link|date=May 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
* [http://waterloo.skynetblogs.be Site about the history of Waterloo] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180428042435/http://waterloo.skynetblogs.be/ |date=2018-04-28 }}
* [http://www.wiki-braine-lalleud.be Site about the history of Braine-l'Alleud with a part of it related to Mont-Saint-Jean in Waterloo], First follow "Hier et aujourd'hui", Afterwards follow "Mont-Saint-Jean"

{{Geographic location
|Centre = Waterloo
|N  = [[Sint-Genesius-Rode]] ([[Flemish Brabant|VBR]])
|NE = [[Hoeilaart]] ([[Flemish Brabant|VBR]])
|E  = [[La Hulpe]]<br/>[[Lasne]]
|S  = [[Lasne]]
|W  = [[Braine-l'Alleud]]
}}
{{Walloon Brabant}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Waterloo, Belgium| ]]
[[Category:Municipalities of Walloon Brabant]]
[[Category:Waterloo Battlefield locations]]