The Symbol of Brussels and Belgium: Amazing Photos of the Construction of the Atomium in 1957 and 1958

The Atomium is a landmark modernist building in Brussels, Belgium, originally constructed as the centerpiece of the 1958 Brussels World’s Fair (Expo 58). Designed by the engineer André Waterkeyn and the architects André and Jean Polak as a tribute to scientific progress, as well as to symbolize Belgian engineering skills at the time, it is located on the Heysel/Heizel Plateau in Laeken (northern part of the City of Brussels), where the exhibition took place. It is the city’s most popular tourist attraction, and serves as a museum, an art centre and a cultural destination.

The Atomium stands 102 meters (335 ft) tall, making it one of the tallest structures in Belgium. Its nine 18-meter-diameter (59 ft) stainless steel clad spheres are connected in the shape of a unit cell that could represent an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times. Steel tubes connecting the spheres enclose stairs, escalators and a lift (in the central, vertical tube) to allow access to the six visitable spheres, which contain exhibit halls and other public spaces. The top sphere includes a restaurant with a panoramic view of Brussels.

The construction of the Atomium was a technical feat. In January 1955, a first project was presented by the engineer André Waterkeyn, director of the economic department at Fabrimétal, the Federation of Companies in the Metal Fabricating Industry (now known as Agoria). The architects André and Jean Polak were responsible for the concept’s architectural transposition, drawing up numerous sketches in the process. The company received assistance from the consulting engineers Artémy S. Joukoff and André Beckers, who were supported by the V. Daniel design office. Construction of the foundations began in March 1956 and the building, erected by the Jambes-Namur Construction Workshops, was completed less than a month before the inauguration of Expo 58, on April 17, 1958.

Originally, the Atomium was intended to be a temporary structure, designed to last only for the duration of Expo 58. However, its immense popularity and success led to it being preserved and becoming a major landmark of Brussels and Belgium. Due to its temporary nature, the building required a major restoration, which took place from 2004 to 2006. The renovation included replacing the aging aluminum cladding with new stainless steel panels and modernizing the interior spaces. Today, the Atomium remains a popular tourist attraction, housing permanent and temporary exhibitions and offering a panoramic view of the city from its uppermost sphere.

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Andrée Geulen, Belgian Teacher Who Helped Rescue Thousands of Jewish Children From the Nazis During the Holocaust

Andrée Geulen was born in Schaerbeek, a suburb of Brussels, on September 6, 1921 into a liberal family of the urban bourgeoisie. After the German invasion of Belgium in May 1940, the country was placed under military occupation and Geulen became a schoolteacher and received a job in a primary school in central Brussels in 1942.

Portrait of a young Andrée Guelen.

Andrée was just 18 years old when the Nazis occupied Belgium.

Her awareness of Nazi persecution began when Jewish pupils in her class appeared wearing the yellow star. In solidarity, she instructed all students—Jewish and non-Jewish—to wear aprons to conceal them.

In 1943, through a friend Ida Sterno of the Committee for the Defence of Jews (Comité de Défense des Juifs, or CDJ), she joined the underground resistance as one of its few non-Jewish members. She operated under the alias “Claude Fournier”. Andrée helped persuade Jewish parents to entrust their children to the CDJ—even though it meant separation—then personally escorted them to safe hiding places like Christian homes, convents, and boarding schools.

She lived and taught at the Gaty de Gamont boarding school, where headmistress Odile Ovart sheltered 12 Jewish students. In May 1943, the school was raided; students were arrested, and Ovart and her husband were deported and later died. Andrée escaped arrest, defiantly telling Nazi interrogators: “Aren’t you ashamed to make war on Jewish children?” She then warned other Jewish pupils not to return to school.

Andrée Geulen on Rue Neuve in Brussels in May 1944, with behind her a German soldier. Hidden under the innersole of her shoe are the names of two children she is on her way to rescue.

Andree Geulen (left) with Ida Sterno (right).

Ida and Andrée.

Over the next two years (until liberation in September 1944), Geulen personally escorted 300 children, though CDJ efforts saved nearly 1,000 to 3,000 Jewish children overall. She maintained coded notebooks listing original names and hiding locations so these children could be reunited with surviving family members after the war.

After the war, Geulen became involved with the Jewish community in Belgium and maintained contact with the children with whom she had come into contact. She was involved in trying to reunite the hidden children with surviving family members and became actively involved in the relief organization Aid for Israelite Victims of the War which supported Jewish survivors of Nazi concentration camps in Belgium. She became involved in activism for pacifist and anti-racist causes. She married Charles Herscovici, a Jewish concentration camp survivor of Roma origin, in 1948.

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45 Fascinating Photos of Brussels World’s Fair in 1958

Expo 58, also known as the 1958 Brussels World's Fair, was a world’s fair held on the Heysel/Heizel Plateau in Brussels, Belgium, from 17 April to 19 October 1958. It was the first major world’s fair registered under the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) after World War II.

Expo 58 was the eleventh world's fair hosted by Belgium, and the fifth in Brussels, following the fairs in 1888, 1897, 1910 and 1935. In 1953, Belgium won the bid for the next world’s fair, winning out over other European capitals such as Paris and London.

The theme of Expo 58 was “Bilan du monde, pour un monde plus humain” (in English: “Evaluation of the world for a more humane world”), a motto inspired by faith in technical and scientific progress, as well as post-war debates over the ethical use of atomic power.

The exhibition attracted some 41.5 million visitors, making Expo 58 the second largest World’s Fair after the 1900 Exposition Universelle et Internationale de Paris, which had attracted 48 million visitors. Since Expo 58, Belgium has not organized any more world’s fairs.

Here below is a set of fascinating photos from gbfernie5 that shows Brussels World’s Fair in 1958.

Atomium from near the Luxembourg Pavilion, Brussels World's Fair, Brussels, Belgium, 1958

A "Pousse Pousse" (a motorised tricycle) with the driver and one tourist outside the French Pavilion, Brussels World's Fair, Brussels, Belgium, 1958

A Folk Art and Toy Display inside the Soviet Pavilion, Brussels World's Fair, Brussels, Belgium, 1958

Aluminium Pavilion next to Atomium, Brussels World’s Fair, Brussels, Belgium, 1958

American Pavilion, Brussels World’s Fair, Brussels, Belgium, 1958.

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Brussels in the Early 1980s Through Fascinating Photos

Brussels is a region of Belgium comprising 19 municipalities, including the City of Brussels, which is the capital of Belgium. The Brussels-Capital Region is located in the central portion of the country and is a part of both the French Community of Belgium and the Flemish Community, but is separate from the Flemish Region (within which it forms an enclave) and the Walloon Region.

As the economic capital of Belgium and a top financial centre of Western Europe with Euronext Brussels, Brussels is classified as an Alpha global city. It is also a national and international hub for rail, road and air traffic, and are sometimes considered, together with Belgium, as the geographic, economic and cultural crossroads of Europe. The Brussels Metro is the only rapid transit system in Belgium. In addition, both its airport and railway stations are the largest and busiest in the country.

Brussels is known for its cuisine and gastronomic offer (including its local waffle, its chocolate, its French fries and its numerous types of beers), as well as its historical and architectural landmarks; some of them are registered as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Principal attractions include its historic Grand-Place/Grote Markt (main square), Manneken Pis, the Atomium, and cultural institutions such as La Monnaie/De Munt and the Museums of Art and History.

These fascinating photos were taken by Michel Huhardeaux that show street scenes of Brussels in 1980 and 1981.

Avenue des Celtes, Etterbeek, 1980

Barrière de Saint Gilles, Saint-Gilles, 1980

Barrière de Saint Gilles, Saint-Gilles, 1980

Barrière de Saint Gilles, Saint-Gilles, 1980

Barrière de Saint Gilles, Saint-Gilles, 1980

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Brussels in the Late 1950s Through Amazing Black and White Photos

Brussels is a region of Belgium comprising 19 municipalities, including the City of Brussels, which is the capital of Belgium. The Brussels-Capital Region is located in the central portion of the country and is a part of both the French Community of Belgium and the Flemish Community, but is separate from the Flemish Region (within which it forms an enclave) and the Walloon Region.

Brussels is the most densely populated region in Belgium. The Brussels Region covers 162 km2 (63 sq mi), a relatively small area compared to the two other regions.

As the economic capital of Belgium and a top financial centre of Western Europe with Euronext Brussels, Brussels is classified as an Alpha global city. It is also a national and international hub for rail, road and air traffic, and are sometimes considered, together with Belgium, as the geographic, economic and cultural crossroads of Europe. The Brussels Metro is the only rapid transit system in Belgium. In addition, both its airport and railway stations are the largest and busiest in the country.

These amazing black and white from Allan Hailstone that captured street scenes of Brussels in 1958 and 1959.

Boulevard Adolphe Max, Brussels, 1958

Boulevard Adolphe Max seen from Place Rogier, Brussels, 1958

Bourse district, Brussels, 1958

Bourse district, Brussels, 1958

Bourse district, Brussels, 1958

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30 Vintage Photographs of the Expo 58 in Brussels

Expo 58, also known as the 1958 Brussels World’s Fair, was a world’s fair held on the Heysel/Heizel Plateau in Brussels, Belgium, from April 17 to October 19, 1958. It was the first major world’s fair registered under the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) after World War II.

Expo 58 was the eleventh world’s fair hosted by Belgium, and the fifth in Brussels, following the fairs in 1888, 1897, 1910 and 1935. In 1953, Belgium won the bid for the next world’s fair, winning out over other European capitals such as Paris and London.

Nearly 15,000 workers spent three years building the 2 km2 (490 acres) site on the Heysel/Heizel Plateau, 7 kilometers (4.3 mi) north-west of central Brussels. Many of the buildings were re-used from the 1935 World’s Fair, which had been held on the same site.

The theme of Expo 58 was “Bilan du monde, pour un monde plus humain” (Evaluation of the world for a more humane world), a motto inspired by faith in technical and scientific progress, as well as post-war debates over the ethical use of atomic power.

The exhibition attracted some 41.5 million visitors, making Expo 58 the second largest World’s Fair after the 1900 Exposition Universelle et Internationale de Paris, which attracted 48 million visitors. Since Expo 58, Belgium has not organized any more world’s fairs.

These vintage photographs were taken by Allan Hailstone that show the Expo 58 in Brussels, Belgium in 1958.

The theme of many advertisements was the Expo 58 World Fair, Brussels, 1958

Atomium, Expo 58 World Fair, Brussels, 1958

Atomium, Expo 58 World Fair, Brussels, 1958

Britannia pub at U.K. pavilion, Expo 58 World Fair, Brussels, 1958

Britannia pub at U.K. pavilion, Expo 58 World Fair, Brussels, 1958

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36 Stunning Kodachrome Slides of the 1958 Brussels World’s Fair

Expo 58, also known as the 1958 Brussels World’s Fair, was a world’s fair held on the Heysel/Heizel Plateau in Brussels, Belgium, from April 17 to October 19, 1958. It was the first major world’s fair registered under the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) after World War II.

Water Stairs and Atomium.

Expo 58 was the eleventh world’s fair hosted by Belgium, and the fifth in Brussels, following the fairs in 1888, 1897, 1910 and 1935. In 1953, Belgium won the bid for the next world’s fair, winning out over other European capitals such as Paris and London.

The theme of Expo 58 was “Bilan du monde, pour un monde plus humain” (in English: “Evaluation of the world for a more humane world”), a motto inspired by faith in technical and scientific progress, as well as post-war debates over the ethical use of atomic power. 

More than forty nations took part in Expo 58, with more than forty-five national pavilions, not including those of the Belgian Congo and Belgium itself.

Belgium Square and Reception Hall.

The site is best known for the Atomium, a giant model of a unit cell of an iron crystal (each sphere representing an atom). More than 41 million visitors visited the site, which was opened with a call for world peace and social and economic progress, issued by King Baudouin I. Notable exhibitions include the Philips Pavilion, where "Poème électronique", commissioned specifically for the location, was played back from 425 loudspeakers, placed at specific points as designed by Iannis Xenakis, and Le Corbusier.

The exhibition attracted some 41.5 million visitors, making Expo 58 the second largest World's Fair after the 1900 Exposition Universelle et Internationale de Paris, which attracted 48 million visitors.

On the Overpass (or Passerelle) just inside the main entrance to the Fair.

Looking down from the Overpass (or Passerelle).

Beneath the Overpass (or Passerelle) & the Aerial Tramway Terminus.

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50 Fascinating Snapshots Capture Street Scenes of Brussels in the 1930s and ’40s

Brussels is a region of Belgium comprising 19 municipalities, including the City of Brussels, which is the capital of Belgium. The Brussels-Capital Region is located in the central portion of the country and is a part of both the French Community of Belgium and the Flemish Community, but is separate from the Flemish Region (within which it forms an enclave) and the Walloon Region.

Brussels is the most densely populated region in Belgium, and although it has the highest GDP per capita, it has the lowest available income per household. It covers 162 km2 (63 sq mi), a relatively small area compared to the two other regions. The five times larger metropolitan area of Brussels which makes it the largest in Belgium. It is also part of a large conurbation extending towards Ghent, Antwerp, Leuven and Walloon Brabant.

Brussels is a hub for rail, road and air traffic, and is sometimes considered, together with Belgium, as the geographic, economic and cultural crossroads of Europe. The Brussels Metro is the only rapid transit system in Belgium. In addition, both its airport and railway stations are the largest and busiest in the country.

These fascinating snapshots from Alex Clymans captured street scenes of Brussels in the 1930s and 1940s.

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From Europe to North Africa: Lush Kodachrome Slides Taken on a Tour of Duty in the Early 1950s

These slides appear to have been taken by a US Army nurse who seems to have been attached to the 97th General Army Hospital at Frankfurt, West Germany in 1952 and 1953. During her tour of duty she was able, like most US service personnel, to travel in her free time to various places in Europe and Algeria (and possibly other countries in North Africa).

Take a look at Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland and Algeria in the early 1950s through these 26 beautiful Kodachrome pictures. For more fascinating vintage photographs, make sure to visit gbfernie5's brilliant collections on Flickr.

Algerians at a lookout in or near the El Kettar Cemetery, Algiers, Algeria.

Bou-Saada, Algeria.

Bou-Saada, Algeria.

Carpet market, Bou-Saada, Algeria.

Market, Bou-Saada, Algeria.

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Breathtaking Color Photographs of Belgium Taken by Remi Verstreken From the Early 20th Century

Around 1890, a number of Belgian amateur photographers decided to use photography to reproduce the beauty and express their inner feelings and thoughts. Their vision had been opposed by painters and art critics, who were of the opinion that photography, being the product of a technical device, did not belong in a museum.

Thanks to the invention of autochrome and the introduction of the manipulated image, moved the photography closer to the contemporary art movements in painting. These breathtaking pictures were taken by Remi Verstreken from the early 20th century.

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