The current state of the German corner: East Belgium today
Belga English zooms in on a small part of Belgium that’s a mystery to many: East Belgium or the country’s German-speaking Community. Today, we look at the current state of affairs in the region and explore its tourist attractions.
2017 was a symbolically important year for the German-speakers in Belgium. They no longer lived in the German-speaking Community of Belgium, but in East Belgium – Ostbelgien in German. According to the local government, the rebranding was necessary to make the region “more attractive, effective and sustainable”.
“The relatively low birth rate and the ageing population mean that we will not have enough workers to replace the workers who are retiring,” said Oliver Paasch, the region’s minister president, at the time.
“So we have to rely on immigration, mainly from the neighbouring regions. In addition, investment and the arrival of companies to the area are crucial for our future.”
There are currently about 79,500 people living in East Belgium, which consists of nine municipalities and has Eupen and St Vith as its main cities. Their leader is still Paasch, of Pro Deutschsprachige Gemeinschaft (ProDG), a regionalist party that strives for more autonomy for the area.
Last year, East Belgium was the first community in the country to form a new government after the elections, only four days after votes were cast. The coalition of ProDG, the Christian democrats of CSP and liberals of PFF has a majority of 16 out of 25 seats.
The German-speaking population has gained increasing autonomy over the decades. Its authorities have substantial powers to decide on matters such as education, culture and social welfare. They remain part of the region of predominantly French-speaking Wallonia, but increasingly want to speak for themselves.
“We aspire to always be a fully fledged partner,” Paasch said during a recent visit by prime minister Bart De Wever. “We do not see ourselves as a subordinate authority of the Walloon Region, we are not Walloons.” De Wever responded positively, saying that he would take the “institutional ambitions” of East Belgium “to heart”.
The seat of East Belgium’s government is in the capital, Eupen, in the region’s northern part, which is also one of the area’s tourist attractions. Unlike St Vith in the south of the region, Eupen didn’t suffer extreme damage during WWII, so visitors today can admire for example the 18th-century church of St Nicholas.
The city’s marketplace is surrounded by elegant houses that used to belong to the aristocracy. Those interested in history can learn about the city’s booming cloth industry in the 18th century at the Eupen City Museum.
Eupen is surrounded by lovely natural landscape, with the Hertogenwald forest a gateway to the nature reserve of the High Fens. With its wetlands, moorlands and forests, the High Fens is a terrific playground for hiking, cycling and cross-country skiing.
Lake Bütgenbach is another hotspot for nature and sports lovers, offering many recreational facilities on and off the water, such as boats, floating water bikes, a climbing wall and a high ropes course.
Another of the region’s trump cards is its multilingualism. Most locals speak all three official Belgian languages and often English as well. This has prompted some to call them the “best Belgians”, even though they were the last to join the country, because of their remarkable capacity to combine languages and cultures.
Minister president Oliver Paasch delivers a speech at the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the German-speaking Community, November 2024 © BELGA PHOTO BENOIT DOPPAGNE
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