Palace of the City of Liege - Expo Liege 1905
Finally, there was the palace of the City of Liège, designed in the old Mosan style by Mr. Lousberg, architect of the City of Liège.
We learned, for example, that from 1900 to 1904, the population of Liège had increased by nearly 11,000 inhabitants; the registers of the Civil Registry indicated for the same year, 3,155 births, 1,659 marriages and 2,731 deaths.
Among the information given on the police, security, hygiene, we glean those which could interest our readers.
The public lighting of the roadway was ensured, on July 1, 1905, by 4.228 gas lanterns, 76 electric arc lamps and 553 oil lanterns; this lighting had cost in 1904, the sum of 438.520,08 francs.
In the same year, the Civic Guard comprised 161 officers for 2,818 men, while the production of weapons of war amounted to 2,479,936 pieces; proof of the great vitality of the arms industry and its reputation throughout the world.
The public education service offered us particularly interesting documents.
After the Revolution of 1830, Liège had only 4 communal primary schools for boys; it now has 124 schools, institutes, crèches, vocational schools, etc., along with the university, the royal athenaeum, the industrial school, the middle school for boys, 2 schools for young ladies, and 9 vocational schools.
The Fine Arts Department also showed us the superb premises of the Royal Conservatory of Music and the new Academy of Fine Arts. If we add to these official establishments a host of free institutions, for which exact documents are lacking, we will have an idea of the development of public education in Liege.
Public assistance, undoubtedly one of the most beautiful modern institutions, introduced us to the organisation of many charitable works: hospitals, hospices, asylums, orphanages, particular charitable societies subsidised by the City, including more discreet but no less useful works.
The Public Works Department revealed the complicated but reliable organisation of the Water, Roads and Road Cleaning, Architecture, Gas and Electricity sections, while the Finance and Litigation Departments were of special interest to the City itself.
The City of Liège Palace showed us all of this; documents, sometimes in kind but especially in graphics, abounded. All of this was grouped together with great care and did the organisers great credit. Many foreigners studied the organisation of public services in our city with meticulous care.
©Livre d'Or de l'Exposition Universelle de Liège 1905