Throughout history, the territory presently known as Belgium has undergone successive changes in governance, with authority shifting among prominent entities such as the Holy Roman Empire, the Habsburgs, France, Spain, and other notable powers. As a precious pearl among many countries, Belgium, with its magnificent cities and outstanding artists, merchants and diplomats, has established threads that stretch to all corners of the globe. These characteristics certainly made it the most suitable location for this year's Peak Event EUTopia legal history: Connectedness in legal history. Belgium and Slovenia are linked not only by a shared history in close connection with the Habsburg dynasty, but also by a special “affection” for the number two. Slovenian is one of the few languages which still preserves dual form, while Belgium expresses its “affection” for this number in a surprising way - all institutions are divided into two parts, Flemish and Walloon, which is bounded by the duality we all cherish.
Day 1
Our first day in Brussels started with a short walk from our hotel to our meeting point, which was under a statue of King Albert I of the Belgians, in front of the Royal Library. After we settled in the seminar room of the library we were kindly greeted by the organizer, Frederik Dhondt.
The topic that connected all the EUTopians was Connectedness in Legal History and every group managed to present their view of the concept and critically analyse historical phenomena through the lens of law.
The English delegation, from University of Warwick was the first to present their research. Their focus stretched across many continents. From Australia, to Italy and Afro-Latin America, and lastly to Indian subcontinent.
Our team was up next. We focused mainly on the right of association before and after the breaking points of 1848/1867. The presentations began with the pre-1848/1867 period and expanded all throughout the nineteenth century, with the last presentation taking place in the twentieth century. The main object of our research were political and commercial associations and the challenges that they faced in their respective periods.
After our lunch break, our colleagues from Cergy Paris took over. They thoroughly analysed death penalty and abolitionist movements in France and Canada, which sparked a lively discussion on the matter. Furthermore, the second presentation on unions and the problems that women faced during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries was closely related to the Belgian presentation that highlighted the struggles of female attorneys and the discrimination that they faced whilst trying to practice the law like their male counterparts.
Connecting to the commercial associations, we learnt about Ostend Company from the Austrian Low Countries, which was also touched upon in a second presentation about reforms under Emperor Joseph II, who is also considered to be one of the most influential figures in our regions. Connecting to the rule of his mother and the pragmatic sanction we learned about the constitution in the Austrian Low Countries. Another topic that is close to Belgian history – colonisation of Congo – was explored through the legal status of its inhabitants and their rights or rather the lack of those.
Lastly, Lisbon professor Cristina Nogueira de Silva closed the formal presentations, with her critical view on the Portuguese history of colonisation and discrimination against those of ‘black race’. The topic resonated with us all, especially after hearing about similar infringements of human rights in a previous presentation on Belgian colonization of Congo.
Afterwards, we embarked on a historical tour of Brussels that was planned and executed by Professor Dhondt. Our journey began in front of the Belgian constitutional court. We were surprised to learn that the court was established quite late, only in 1984. But even more surprising was the fact that Belgians have not one, not two nor three, but six separate parliaments (four of them being situated in Brussels)! After expressing our shock at how any law gets passed, we continued our journey to the residence of the Flemish Minister-President, the Minister-President of the Brussels Region and the Federal Prime Minister. After refreshments near the US Embassy, we briefly visited the Palace of the Academies, after having passed by the Egmont Palace and the Royal Palace earlier. Our journey took us through Brussels park, also known as the Royal Park. Its history is anything short of astonishing, as it witnessed the revolutionary uprising that shaped the Belgium of today. After snapping a picture in front of the Federal Parliament that is located in the park, we moved on to the eagerly awaited dinner, where we chatted the night away.
Day 2
After a great conference, city exploration and an evening of socializing over delicious food, we were looking forward to the next day. Despite the forecast of rain, we were lucky, with only one brief shower to chase us from the streets. We went with the team to the metro, which is a special experience for us Slovenians, as there is no such means of transport in our country. The route took us past the magnificent European Parliament building to the House of European History. There, we were greeted by an outstanding exhibition with tablet guides in all the official languages of the European Union, and we were also impressed by fragments of the local environment, such as a portrait of Slavoj Žižek as a famous European philosopher, a postcard sent from Ljubljana in 1918, and a picture of Ljubljana's Congress Square, which others were able got acquainted with at last year's Peak Event. The museum had so many interesting things to see that some of us were completely immersed in exploring the lower four floors, but we ran out of time for the last two, even though we had spent a good part of the day in the museum.
After the museum, we set off to explore the European institutions and the picturesque Parc du Cinquantenaire. The excitement was indescribable as we were able to admire in real life parts of the city that we otherwise only know through media reports on what is happening in the European Union, especially when we found a monument in front of building of the Council of Ministers with a stanza of our anthem.
We then headed to the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, where we had a meal at the VUB restaurant. We were greeted by the hospitality of the students and staff and the excellent food. After lunch, we walked past the rugby field to the conference hall, where we finished our expedition with the final formalities. We focused on the interesting open questions of the previous day on the position of women in legal history, economic society and other topics. After the meeting, we had a nice snack and socialized.
In the evening, we students gathered in the centre of Brussels, where, among other delights, we tasted authentic Belgian waffles. We unanimously agreed that it is one of the best dishes in the world, with its crunchiness and sugar crystals.
Day 3
The last stop of our adventure was Antwerp, also known as the diamond capital of the world for several centuries. Even though we were the only group that had chosen to visit Belgium's second largest city, Professor Dhondt, our guide for the day, met us at the main station. The sightseeing started as soon as we stepped off the train. Also known as Railway cathedral, the train station was inaugurated in 1905. It has been voted one of the most beautiful in the world on several occasions. After a short walk and a good coffee, we continued our walk to the city palace housing the University of Antwerp. We were particularly stunned by the architecture of the building. We were even more blown away by the restaurant where we were (literally) surrounded by angels and saints during lunch. Elfde Gebod not only holds the title of being the oldest restaurant in Antwerp, but also boasts delicious local Belgian cuisine and a variety of different beers.
After lunch, we strolled around the central square of Antwerp, the Grote Markt, where we saw the Antwerp City Hall and guildhalls. The path took us to the riverbank, the place of the medieval fortress Het Steen. We turned around and professor Dhondt led us to the printing museum called the Plantin Moretus Museum, that exhibits the works of the 16th-century printer and founder of the printing company Cristophe Plantin and his apprentice and successor Jan Moretus. It hosts the two oldest surviving printing presses in the world, many works of Peter Paul Rubens and contains a rich library. We were quite lucky to be able to witness a live demonstration of the printing process in the museum, which has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2005.
Tired from exploring Antwerp, we sat down for some coffee. Sadly, our guide, Professor Dhondt, had to take his leave, but we nevertheless continued our journey and headed to the Bourse of Antwerp, the world’s first building built specifically for the purpose of serving as a stock-exchange.
After that we separated for some free time, deciding to check out some shops and buy souvenirs to take back home. After regrouping, we realised that it was getting quite late, so we headed back to the train station and took the train back to Brussels, too tired to do anything else.
Overall, our brief but delightful trip to Brussels, where we connected with our colleagues, was an enriching experience that we will remember and cherish. For all the help with our presentations and research, we would especially like to thank our mentor Katja Škrubej. Furthermore, special thanks also go to Professor Dhondt, who flawlessly organized the event and was kind enough to show us around Antwerp. Until next time!
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