Historical Dictionary of Brussels [Hardcover]

The volume is a mine of information for anyone wanting a useful summary of the achievements of a range of individuals and of organizations which have played a prominent role in the citys history or of events which have made Brussels so important to the movement towards European union. The curious reader will no doubt be rewarded for their outlay by access to a range of information on subjects as diverse as the story of Edith Cavell, nursing heroine of the Great War and the history of chocolate confectionery in Brussels. How many outside Brussels are aware that the city houses a museum devoted to the cultivation of a local vegetable, the Brussels Witloof or white endive? The volume is completed by a number of useful... illustrations. The volume should be on the desk of every Brussels bureaucrat!This second edition of Historical Dictionary of Brussels covers its history through a chronology, an introductory essay, appendixes, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 900 cross-referenced entries on important personalities, politics, economy, foreign relations, religion, and culture. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about Brussels.Brussels has become the capital of Europe, serving as the headquarters for key regional and international agencies, including the European Union, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, UN organizations, multinational businesses, lobbying firms, governmental groups, and nongovernmental organizations. Its status as a diplomatic, political, and economic center assumes ever greater importance as the EU grows in depth and breadth.This second edition of Historical Dictionary of Brussels covers its history through a chronology, an introductory essay, appendixes, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 900 cross-referenced entries on important personalities, politics, economy, foreign relations, religion, and culture. This book is an excell,