15/05/2023
Neither church nor castle, what is the role of this building? 🤔⬇️
This superb neo-Gothic building is the former post office of Liège, better known as the "Grand Poste".
In 1895, after many ups and downs and abandoned projects, the town council authorised the construction of a post office in the Chafour district, which was not doing well, particularly due to hygiene and moral problems.
The district was razed to the ground, the architect Edmon Jamar, a citizen of Liège, was chosen to design the new building, and the post office was built between 1898 and 1901 at a time when the sending of postal mail was booming.
After several postponements, it officially opened on 16 December 1901. This was particularly opportune as the city was preparing to host the World Fair, which was due to open in 1903, and visitors were expected to send many postcards.
Fortunately, the city had a modern and big enough post office for the occasion, because the World's Fair, which was finally held in 1905, welcomed more than 7 million visitors!
In 1914, the First World War broke out and in August the main gate was demolished by the German army. Postal services could not resume until October. However, mail sent from Liège was opened by the Germans, who required the sender's details to be given and German stamps to be used.
In 1940, the "Grand Poste" was damaged by the destruction of a bridge and the explosion of bombs on the Cockerill square. 💣
In the early 2000s, the building was disused, but its roof and facades were listed. Several rehabilitation projects followed, and in 2021, the Grand Poste finally reopened its doors. It now houses offices, restaurants and a traditional brewery because... Beligium you know 🤷♀️
So, would you have guessed that this building is a former post office building? 🤔