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Jules Victor Anspach (20 July 1829–19 May 1879) was a Belgian politician, most well known for his renovations surrounding the covering of the Senne river.

Anspach was born in Brussels into a family of Calvinist Genevan origin. His father François (died 1858) served in the Belgian Chamber of Representatives. Jules Anspach studied law at the Université libre de Bruxelles becoming a Doctor of Laws. As with many Liberals, Anspach was a Freemason and a member of the Grand Orient of Belgium.^[1]

Anspach rose rapidly, replacing Fontainas as Mayor of Brussels in 1863, aged only 34, holding the office until his death. He effected massive changes to the urban landscape of Brussels, centred on his oeuvre, the covering of the Senne. His renovations in Brussels parallelled those by Baron Haussmann in Paris. The modern city remains largely Anspach's creation in its basic form.

Boulevard Anspach/Anspachlaan, the main artery in downtown Brussels, bears his name. It was the central boulevard created by his massive renovations of the city, so it is particularly fitting it be named after him.

Like his father, Anspach was elected to the Chamber of Representatives.

[edit] References

[edit] Further Reading

• Hall, Thomas, Planning Europe's Capital Cities: Aspects of Nineteenth-century Urban Development. Taylor & Francis, 1997.
• Schuiten, François & Benoît Peeters, Brüsel. Casterman, 1992.
• (Dutch)/(French) Witte, Els (ed.), De Brusselse negentien gemeenten en het Brussels model/Les dix-neuf communes bruxelloises et le modèle bruxellois. Larcier, 2003.