Little known grids: Leopoldsburg

Civilians working at Beverlo Military Camp built small dwellings on the edges of the camp. Thus the hamlet of Boskant came into existence. It was located on both sides of the Korteketenbrug (literally: small chain bridge) across the Bosbeek, a small brook on the edge of the heath. This was the old route via dirt tracks to the heath from Beverlo. With so many young men concentrated at close proximity this hamlet by the army camp quickly became the domicile of prostitutes, "cabaret" performers and innkeepers. North of the royal park with its pavilions for high-ranking officers, ministers and other officials settlers were allowed to build dwellings. These consisted mainly of wood, straw and sods. Some took the form of log cabins reminiscent of the American Wild West. This makeshift village was nicknamed Hureldorp after General Hurel who had allowed these settlers to build their huts and cabins.

The situation was seen as less than favourable with prostitutes and amusement on the one side and paupers and low skilled workers on the other side of the camp. In 1841 the architect V. Bourg is asked to design a new settlement for civilians on a 26 hectare (104 acre) plot west of the Kamp Beverlo. In 1842 the people living in the huts were forcibly relocated to the planned town of Bourg-Léopold. It would take until 1932 before this new Flemish town got its official Dutch name: Leopoldsburg*. In 1843 a small church was erected just outside of the Beverlo Military Camp. This was to be the focal point of the new town here. In 1906 a much larger church was erected south of the town. The small old church was first used as warehouse and from 1924 onwards as the congregational chapel of the Sisters Carmelite who were invited to found a convent in the town. In 1850 the first mayor is elected. This former sergeant major committed himself to the development of the town by lobbying for a shipping channel (1857-Kanaal van Beverlo), a railway connection (1887), establishing schools, paving the streets and improving public health.

The original layout of Leopoldsburg is very simple and was aimed at providing a ordered settlement enhancing the neighbouring Kamp Beverlo. It was connected to al the new thoroughfares via the army camp. It wasn't until the end of the nineteenth century that the army camp was reached from the north via the town. When the army camp was established a new metalled road (Diestersteenweg) was constructed to the existing village of Heppen in the west. A similar straight road (the Hechtelsesteenweg) linked the camp to Hechtel. This road forms the Via Principalis of the army camp. It was extended to form the central axis of the town of Leopoldsburg. With these new roads the route via the Korteketenbrug and Boskant became obsolete.

The town grid of Leopoldsburg is independent from the grid of the neighbouring Beverlo Military Camp. The old town consisted of 8 gridcels devided into 12 (shown in red). Along the Diestersteenweg a second grid (shown in orange) was laid out on the other side of the railway.

The town Leopoldsburg comprises of a grid with two squares. The gridlines are extensions of the neigbouring military camp (Kamp Beverlo). Later on the grid is extended northwards and westward behind the railway tracks. De military camp is also extended behind the church beyond the main axis of the town. Town and military camp were constructed according to plans drawn up by baron Chazal and colonel Demanet.

The formalized grid of Leopoldsburg consists of several axes.

The grid of Leopoldsburg was formalized by erecting public buildings on the axes of the grid. All these buildings except the station building (S) are situated along the secondary axis that links the formal squares. Of these the Koningin Astridplein (A) is treated as the main square with the town hall (T) dominating the space. In front of it the war memorial (W) is positioned next to the secondary axis. The second public space is a green square with the old church (C) built on the axis of the grid. It now forms part of the convent that dominates the whole eastside of this square. The new church (N) is located beyond the old town grid with the tower terminating the secondary axis. The post office (P) terminates the southernmost gridline of the old town grid. This axis was executed as a double avenue. The statue of Christ (X) in the corner of the green square was chosen as the focal point for the second grid beyond the rail tracks.  The railway station terminates the Via Principalis of both town and army camp.

* Although the language of the Flemish people was a Dutch dialect, the language spoken by the elite, officials and also the king was French. French was considered the only appropriate language by the nobility. Leopold I thus spoke German and French. Most official terminology in the early years of the independent Belgium was in French only. This sowed the seeds for the language struggle still in existence in present-day Belgium.