Halle (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Halle is celebrating 800 years as a city in 2025 with events like a theatre walk (May 24-25), a bronze city model unveiling (May 24), and the Maria Procession (June 8). Historian Peter François and director Wim highlight Halle’s rich history since 1225.
The Belgian city of Halle is celebrating its 800th anniversary in 2025. To commemorate, local theatre groups are hosting a special “theatre walk” on May 24, 2025 and 25, 2025. Actors will be performing brief plays regarding the historical events of Halle.
The plays will take place at different historical places around the city. For more information about the theatre walk and other anniversary events, people can check Halle’s official event calendar or Visit Halle’s tourism website.
Getting city rights gives a huge boost to the development of a city.
Historian Peter François
How is Halle celebrating its 800th anniversary in 2025?
Wim Verdeyen is working on a project called “Theater 800 Halle”. He wrote and directed one of the performances. 5 authors wrote a piece for the project, each lasting about 15 to 20 minutes. The audience will walk through the city and stop at different places to see the plays.
All of the plays are based on true stories and facts from Halle’s history, but the authors added a fun twist to them. Visitors will also be joined by “the giants of Halle” during the walk. One of the places the walk goes to is Elisabeth Park, where visitors can get a drink after the walk.
A bronze model of the city will be unveiled on May 24th, 2025 at the Den AST museum. The complex model illustrates the look of Halle’s city centre between 1871 and 1914. The scale upon which it was constructed is 1:600. The model stands out, officials say, in that it features an undulating surface upon which people who are blind or have impaired sight can place their hands and learn the history of the city.
One of its traditions is the Maria Procession held annually on Pentecost Sunday. It would be on the 8th of June in 2025. The Black Madonna of Halle, the city’s unofficial icon, is the focus of a religious tradition. People from all over come to see it.
In 1225, Countess Johanna van Constantinopel gave Halle the right to be a city. According to the officials, this was a big deal because it meant Halle could collect taxes, control trade, and let people come and go freely. Before this, Halle had to rely on the countess for everything. This made it hard for the city to grow and become more independent. They mentioned that getting city rights was a big step forward for Halle.
A city with city rights could levy taxes,
Countess Johanna van says.
From then on, people could also enter and leave the city freely.
