The history of Leuven
In this interactive timeline, you’ll journey from Year 0 to the modern era, exploring pivotal historical events involving the territory surrounding Leuven, my alma mater. Leuven is used as the reference point because of Europe’s diverse past which makes it impossible to cite one single ruling power for any broader territory.

Each colored bar indicates the period in which a ruler was the dominant authority in this region. You can see his name by clicking on the bar. The bars are colored by dinasty or form of government.

Julio–Claudian dynasty
The first emperor of rome, founder of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, dies from natural causes at 75 years of age.
Assassination of Caligula
Littleboots was murdered by his corrupt bodyguards after attending games at the circus maximus. Pictured: the galleries where the deed was done.
Great Fire of Rome
Batavian revolt
Atuatuca Tungrorum is destroyed during the revolt of the Batavi.

Flavian dynasty
Start construction of the Colosseum

Nerva–Antonine dynasty

Largest territorial extent
The roman empire reaches it's largest extent under emperor Trajan

Severan dynasty
Septimius Severus defeats Albinus at the battle of Lugdunum
Caracalla massacres Alexandria

Gallic empire

Carausian revolt
Carausius, a naval commander from Belgic Gaul, declares himself emperor of Britain and Northern Gaul.

Baptism of Emperor Constantine
Salian Franks start settling in Texandria, modern day Kempen.
Theodosius the Great issued the Edict of Thessalonica, making Christianity the state church of the Roman Empire.
The capital of the Western Roman Empire is moved to Ravenna.
Fall of the Western Roman Empire

Merovingian dynasty

A shift of power
Pepin of Herstal takes the title Duke and Prince of the Franks upon his conquest of all the Frankish realms, becoming the de facto ruler of Francia.

Battle of Tours
Charles Martel defeats the Muslim invadors at Tours.

Carolingian Empire


Founding of Leuven
East Francia defeats the Vikings at the Battle of the River Dyle. According to legend, Leuven was founded on the battlefield.

Duchy of Lower Lotharingia
Call for aid
At the Council of Clermont, Pope Urban II answered Byzantine emperor Alexius I Comnenus’s call for help against the invading muslim Seljuk Turks, sparking the First Crusade.

Origin of Verdonckt
First record of patrilineage Van Der Donckt. Gheeraert van der Donckt signs a charter from July 1291 wherein Jehanne de Lai, with his feudal consent, sells and donates all the tithes she holds in the parish of Kwaremont to the Abbey of Beaulieu at Petegem for the sum of 180 pounds of Artois.
Pictured: castle Ter Donck
Blijde inkomst
The newly-ascended Duchess Joanna grants the burghers of the Duchy of Brabant liberties through the 'Joyous Entry' charter.
Founding of Katholic University of Leuven

Burgundian Netherlands

Begin construction town hall of Leuven

Habsburg Netherlands

Discovery of the Americas

Beeldenstorm
Calvinist Protestant crowds destroy Catholic art and many forms of church fittings and decorationas as part of the Protestant Reformation.

Siege of Leuven
Part of the 80-years war, Leuven was sieged from 24th of june to the 4th of july by French and Dutch troops under leadership of Frederik Hendrik van Oranje.


Austrian Netherlands

French empire

Kingdom of the Netherlands

Saxe-Coburg-Belgium

German Reich

German Reich

European Union
The European Union was formally established when the Maastricht Treaty—whose main architects were Horst Köhler,[51] Helmut Kohl and François Mitterrand—came into force on 1 November 1993.

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