LOCATION: TIBETAN INSTITUTE IN HUY, Belgium

The town of Huy (Hoei in Dutch) is one of the oldest fortified towns in Belgium. About 30 years ago, the castle was purchased by a Belgian couple. They brought three Tibetan lamas (teachers) from India to Belgium. The monk Tempa travelled with the lamas. He had been a student of the most important artist and temple builder in Tibet. He built three temples, a stupa and a large outdoor Buddha statue. When you are at the Tibetan monastery in Huy, you truly feel as if you are in Buddhist Nepal or Tibet.

The Nepalese chef Trinlé also travelled to Huy and works culinary magic here.

Roman era and the Middle Ages

The first settlement on the site of the present-day town of Hoei arose around a Roman castrum on the right bank of the Meuse. One of the first Christian missionaries in the region was Domitian of Huy in the 6th century, according to legend Bishop of Maastricht, who is buried in Huy (relics in the Church of Our Lady). The oldest written reference to Hoei dates from the 7th century.

During the Early Middle Ages Hoei developed into one of the most important towns along the Meuse. Excavations have revealed traces of, among other things, metalworking, tanning, stone and woodworking and wine production.

In the 10th century, a county developed around Hoei, which was soon absorbed by the Prince-Bishopric of Liège. Hoei thus became one of the 23 Good Cities. Hoei was granted city rights as early as 1066 by Bishop Dietwin, who wanted the contribution of the people of Hoei for the rebuilding of the Chapter Church. It is the oldest known charter granting self-government to a town north of the Alps. Toward the end of the century, Peter the Hermit preached in Hoei and convinced many inhabitants to take part in the First Crusade.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the cloth industry flourished. In the middle of the town, on a hill, stood the castle, which in times of war served as a defensive stronghold. From the 15th century onwards, the town’s economy suffered greatly from successive wars in the Meuse region.

Modern era 

Market square of Hoei in L'Illustration Européenne, 1872

During the Eighty Years’ War between the Spanish Empire and the Dutch Republic, Hoei was briefly occupied in 1595 by the Geuzen during the Capture of Hoei by Charles de Héraugière, who five years earlier carried out the ruse with the Peat Ship of Breda. The bishop then appealed to Fuentes, who immediately sent La Motte with an army that, with the help of citizens, besieged the town and managed to relieve it.

From 1704 to 1715, States troops occupied the town of Hoei, more specifically the fort of the prince-bishop. This took place in the context of the War of the Spanish Succession. The States governor of the town was Colonel Isaac Cronström. Cronström stayed in his Governor’s House. With the Barrier Treaty of 1715, Hoei and its fort returned to the hands of the prince-bishop. In 1715, the citizens of Hoei decided to demolish the castle, which over the centuries had attracted so many besiegers.

In 1818, however, on the orders of King William I, a fort was built on the same site, also known as the Dutch Fort.

In the 19th century, Hoei benefited from the early industrialization in the Liège region. Among other things, tin and paper factories were established in Hoei. In the 20th century, the industrial decline of Wallonia was also felt here. In 1975, the Tihange nuclear power plant (near Hoei) opened, creating additional employment in the region. The plant was expanded in 1983 and 1985 with a second and third reactor. All three nuclear reactors are still in operation.

Today, tourism makes an important contribution to the town’s revival.