The Freedom Quarter (, ) is situated between the Belgian Parliament and &lt;a href="Rue%20Royale%2C%20Brussels"&gt;Rue Royale/Koningsstraat&lt;/a&gt;, not far from the crossroads with the small ring road, and has as its focal point the Congress Column, built in memory of the National Congress of 1830–31, the founder of democratic liberties in Belgium, and under which also lies the tomb of the Unknown Soldier with the Sacred Flame. Not far from there is the Hotel Astoria, a 1911 palace, which is currently being renovated and enlarged, and will be reopened in the coming years. In the 19th century, the district was known as / and was inhabited in majority by working-class people. The authorities' desire to clean up the squalid parts of the city led to the expulsion of the population and the neighbourhood's complete destruction. A new bourgeois district was developed during the last quarter of the century. The choice was made to commemorate the memory of the Belgian Independence: the / ("Liberty Square"), the / ("Barricades' Square"), / ("Revolution Street"), / ("Congress Street"), etc. The four streets overlooking Liberty Square bear the names of the four constitutional freedoms, symbolised by the four female figures surrounding the Congress Column: Freedom of the Press, Religion, Association and Education. This eclectic urban complex is one of the best preserved of the "Pentagon" today.