page_title: Bourgeois of Brussels
section_title: XVI Century
hierarchical_section_title: Bourgeois of Brussels / Subsisting bourgeois families of Brussels / XVI Century
caption_attribution_description: Français&#160;: Inauguration du Centre d'entreprise de Molenbeek, en présence du Ministre Président Charles Piqué auteur de la photo L Glucksmann, qui octroye les droits d'utilisation pour la Fondation.
context_page_description: In Brussels, like in most European cities, one needed the capacity of bourgeois in order to not only exercise political rights, but also to practice a trade, which, in Brussels, meant to be a member of the Guilds and/or of the Seven Noble Houses. The charter of Brussels, as codified in 1570 in articles 206 and following, provided the conditions of admission to the bourgeoisie of the city. The Bourgeois were the patrician class of the city. This social class was abolished by Napoleon during the French occupation.
context_section_description: 1501, approximately,  de Lens family (Also bourgeois of Paris, established there under Louis XIV as goldsmith of Philippe I, Duke of Orléans.).
  1543, van Volxem family (House of Serhuyghs) (established in Trier in Germany at the end of the XVIII Century)
  1590, approximately Damiens family(House of Sweerts).
  1590, approximately, de Walsche family (House of Coudenberg).
  1591, approximately, Robyns, then Robyns de Schneidauer family (House of Sleeus).
caption: Charles Picqué, a Belgian politician and former Minister-President of the Brussels Capital-Region, is a member of a Bourgeois family of the city.
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