Did you know that Rue Emile Wittmann was almost named Rue Jacques Jansen? It has a fascinating story. This Brussels street in Schaerbeek holds more than meets the eye. Let’s explore Rue Emile Wittmann together.
Rue Emile Wittmann links Rue Auguste Lambiotte to Avenue Rogier. It extends from Rue Jacques Jansen ending at Place de la Patrie’s edge. The street sits in the Josaphat Valley area. Octave Houssa, a communal engineer, designed the street plans. Royal decrees approved these plans in 1902 and 1906. These decrees also covered Schaerbeek’s Monrose, Linthout, and Monplaisir-Helmet areas.
Originally Rue Emile Wittmann was meant to be an extension of Rue Jacques Jansen. However, the communal college decided to rename it on April 3 1908. The street was named to honor Emile Wittmann. Emile Wittmann was a typographer and a Schaerbeek council member. He lived from 1836 to 1911. He served as a council member from 1885 to 1895 and again from 1900 to 1907. Street construction took place in 1908 and 1909.
Rue Emile Wittmann is mainly residential. Its buildings went up in two phases. The first phase included eclectic style houses built between 1907 and 1914. Some houses like numbers 15 to 23 were built together. Architect René Doom designed them in 1912 for La Populaire cooperative. The second phase from 1921 to 1935 saw Art Deco influenced houses and small apartment buildings.
Number 79 Rue Emile Wittmann is noteworthy. It is the home and studio of painter Maurice Langaskens. Fernand De Pauw designed it in 1923. Several buildings along the street have workshops, warehouses or garages inside their blocks. A gate at number 46 leads to rear buildings. These buildings were designed as stables and living quarters in 1927.
At number 23, you would have found Cabot and Co a theater troupe. In 2002, architect El Mostafa Belakbir designed a house at number 75. This house includes an architecture studio in the back. Also a bourgeois house of Art Deco style is located here. Architect Edmond Pletinckx designed it in 1929. It’s now legally listed since August 19 2024.
The three-level building features red and yellow bricks. The ground floor has a door and two twin windows. The first floor has a window and a trapezoidal loggia under a flat roof. The second floor has two small twin loggias. These triangular loggias sit on brick corbels. They shape the cornice. The building retains its original woodwork including a door with glass panels and geometric grilles. The ground floor windows are sash windows while the upper floors have small pane windows.
So, as you walk along Rue Emile Wittmann remember its evolution. From a planned extension to a tribute to a local councilman this street reflects Schaerbeek’s architectural and social history. Take a moment to appreciate the blend of styles and stories embedded in its buildings.