# Timeline of Bruges

The following is a timeline of the history of the municipality of Bruges, Belgium.

## Prior to 18th century

Part of a series on the :
History of Belgium :
PrehistoryNeolithic flint mines of Spiennes 4300–2200 BC :
Ancient Belgae, Eburones & Treveri ~51 BC Gallic Wars 58–50 BC • Ambiorix's revolt 54–53 BC Roman rule 51 BC–c.500 AD :
Early Middle Ages Franks   Merovingians 481–751 Carolingians 751–987 Prince-Bishopric of Liège 980–1789 :
Middle Ages Franco-Flemish War 1297–1305 Burgundian rule 1384–1482 • Wars of Liège 1465–68 Habsburg rule 1482–1556 :
Early Modern Northern Renaissance 15th–16th century Spanish rule 1556–1714 • Seventeen Provinces 1549–81 • Dutch Revolt 1568–1648 • Southern Netherlands Austrian rule 1714–93 • Brabant Revolution 1789–90 • Liège Revolution 1789–91 French rule 1793–1815 :
19th century Dutch rule 1815–30 Belgian Revolution 1830–31 Reign of Leopold I 1831–65 • Treaty of London1839 Reign of Leopold II 1865–1909 • School War 1879–84 • Congo Free State 1885–1908 :
20th and 21st centuries Belgian Congo1908–60 Reign of Albert I1909–34 World War I1914–18 • Invasion1914 • Atrocities1914 • German occupation1914–18 Ruanda-Urundi1922–62 Reign of Leopold III1934–51 World War II 1940–45 • Invasion 1940 • German occupation1940–44 • Holocaust1941–44 Royal Question1944–50 Reign of Baudouin1951–93 Reign of Albert II1993–2013 Reign of Philippe 2013~ :
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vte :
* 865 – Fort built by Margrave Baldwin I of Flanders.
* 1000 – Regional Brugse Vrije established (approximate date).
* 1127 – Count Charles I of Flanders assassinated.
* 1134 – Storm creates Zwin inlet, connecting Bruges to the North Sea.
* 1146 – Eekhout Abbey active (approximate date).
* 1150 – St. John's Hospital founded (approximate date).
* 1157 – Chapel of the Holy Blood built (approximate date).
* 1180 – Damme harbour built near Bruges.
* 1223 – St. Salvator's Church rebuilt.
* 1240 – Belfry of Bruges built in the Markt (approximate date).
* 1244 – Ten Wijngaerde Béguinage founded (approximate date).
* 1294 – Waterhalle [nl] built on the Grote Markt.
* 1297
** Area of Bruges expanded.
** Church of Our Lady tower built.
* 1302
** 18 May: Bruges Matins (massacre) occurs.
** French-Flemish Battle of the Golden Spurs fought in Kortrijk; Flemish win.
* 1303 – Procession of the Holy Blood instituted.
* 1323–1328 – The Flemish revolt spread to Bruges.
* 1364 – Les Halles built on the Grote Markt.
* 1368 – Smedenpoort [nl] (city gate) rebuilt.
* 1369 – Ezelpoort [nl] (city gate) rebuilt.
* 1390 – Public clock installed (approximate date).
* 1398 – Tower built on the Minnewater [nl].
* 1399 – Saaihalle [nl] built on the Old Beursplein [nl].
* 1417 – Poortersloge [nl] built (approximate date).
* 1421 – Bruges City Hall built.
* 1425 – Artist Jan van Eyck active in Bruges.
* 1430 – Order of the Golden Fleece founded in Bruges.
* 1434 – Grafenburg (castle) dismantled.
* 1465 – Artist Hans Memling active in Bruges (approximate date).
* 1468 – July: Wedding of Burgundian duke Charles and Margaret of York.
* 1475 – Printing press in operation.
* 1488 – Political unrest.
* 1489 – Memling paints the St. Ursula Shrine in St. John's Hospital.
* 1505 – Fuggers move from Bruges to Antwerp.
* 1545 – Hanseatic enterprise moves from Bruges to Antwerp.
* 1559 – Roman Catholic Diocese of Bruges established.
* 1623 – Ghent-Bruges Canal [nl] dug.

## 18th–19th centuries

* 1719 – Academy of Art established.
* 1743 – Lawyer's guild established.
* 1786 – St. Christopher's Church, Bruges [nl] demolished.
* 1787
** Bruge Central Cemetery [nl] established.
** Cloth Hall demolished.
* 1794 – French in power.
* 1798 – Openbare Bibliotheek Brugge [nl] (library) opens.
* 1799 – St. Donatian's Cathedral demolished.
* 1815 – Bruges becomes part of the Netherlands.
* 1821 – Fish Market, Bruges [nl] built on the Steenhouwersdijk [nl].
* 1830 – Bruges becomes part of Belgium.
* 1837 – Journal de Bruges French-language newspaper begins publication.
* 1838 – Brugge railway station opens.
* 1839 – Société d'émulation de Bruges [fr] founded.
* 1846 – Statue of Stevin erected on Simon Stevinplein (Brugge) [nl].
* 1855 – Ringvaart, Bruges [nl] canal commissioned.
* 1863 – Population: 50,986.
* 1887 – Monument to Breydel/de Coninck erected in the Grote Markt.
* 1891
** Club Brugge KV football club formed.
** Post and Telegraph office built on the Grote Markt.
* 1892 – Rodenbach's novel Bruges-la-Morte published.
* 1899 – Cercle Brugge K.S.V. football club formed.
* 1900 – Bruges derby football rivalry active.

## 20th century

* 1905 – Boudewijnkanaal [nl] (canal) dug.
* 1907 – Port of Bruges-Zeebrugge opens.
* 1912 – Bruges State Archives [nl] established in the Poortersloge [nl].
* 1919 – Population: 53,489.
* 1924 – Victor Van Hoestenberghe [nl] becomes mayor.
* 1928 – Hollywood Cinema opens.
* 1930 – Groeningemuseum opens on the Dijver [nl].
* 1953 – Dudzelebrug [nl] (bridge) built on the N376 [nl] (Sluis-Bruges).
* 1958 – Procession of the Golden Tree revived.
* 1960 – Musica Antiqua Bruges festival begins.
* 1963 – Bruges Provincial Library and Archives [nl] established.
* 1973 – Koninklijk Atheneum Vijverhof (school) established in Sint-Michiels.
* 1975 – Jan Breydel Stadium opens.
* 1977 – Frank Van Acker [nl] becomes mayor.
* 1982 – Cactusfestival [nl] of music begins.
* 1983 – De Karmeliet restaurant in business.
* 1984 – Dampoortbruggen, Bruges [nl] (bridges) built.
* 1986 – De Werf cultural centre founded.
* 1987 – 6 March: Ferry Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes in the port.
* 1988 – 20 September: British prime minister gives speech in city.
* 1990 – Brouwerijmuseum Brugge [nl] established on the Walplein [nl].
* 1995 – Patrick Moenaert becomes mayor.
* 1998 – Start of annual Tour of Flanders cycling race moves to Bruges.

## 21st century

* 2002 – Concertgebouw Brugge [nl] opens on the 't Zand, Bruges [nl].
* 2008 – Frietmuseum opens in the Saaihalle.
* 2010 – April: Catholic bishop Vangheluwe resigns.
* 2013
** Renaat Landuyt becomes mayor.
** Population: 117,170.