How about a journey back in time as we stroll along Avenue Vincent Vandermaelen? This isn’t just any street. It’s a path that whispers tales of cartography, science, and a visionary named Philippe Vandermaelen.
Avenue Vincent Vandermaelen stands as a reminder of a man who dreamed big. Philippe Vandermaelen, born in Brussels in 1795, wasn’t destined for maps. He started in chemicals and pharmaceuticals. But geography was his true calling.
In 1825, Vandermaelen changed his path. He began publishing the revolutionary Atlas universel. This atlas established him as a cartographer. Just before Belgian independence, he built something amazing. It was a private cartographic, museological, and scientific complex in Molenbeek-Saint-Jean. This became the Établissement géographique de Bruxelles. It was called the intellectual center of the capital. It also became a place where many maps were made.
For decades, Vandermaelen was like Belgium’s official mapmaker. He supported the country’s growing industry. He later gave his work to the Dépôt de la Guerre. Vandermaelen died in 1869. Sadly, few noticed.
But his legacy didn’t vanish. In 1880, Vandermaelen’s collections were sold. Most of it ended up at the Bibliothèque royale de Belgique. For a long time, it was stored away. In the mid-20th century, a curator rediscovered its importance. Funds were allocated to inventory the collections in 1990.
Vandermaelen’s Atlas universel was ahead of its time. It was the first atlas to map the Earth on such a large scale. The Roman Catholic Church even used it for missionary work. David Rumsey called these maps the largest and most detailed for many areas.
Vandermaelen didn’t stop at the world. He created the Atlas de l’Europe. It was accurate and full of information. Colonel Hennequin noted its exactness and detail. The King of the Netherlands even gifted it to the Japanese shogun.
After Belgium became independent, Vandermaelen focused on mapping his own country. He created geographical dictionaries of the provinces. He also made complete and reliable maps. British scientists admired his introduction of the decimal scale. Houzeau said Belgium had the most complete topographical map thanks to him.
Vandermaelen broke away from old-fashioned mapmaking. His maps were superior in many ways. They had better triangulation and geometric representation. Hennequin considered Vandermaelen the forerunner of the Dépôt de la Guerre.
Vandermaelen admired Alexander von Humboldt. He integrated natural sciences and human observations. Vandermaelen even called his time the “Siècle de Humboldt”. Humboldt visited Vandermaelen’s Établissement géographique.
Vandermaelen’s establishment was unique. It centralized all branches of geography. It had a vast library and documentation. His free school and École Normale filled gaps in education. The Galerie d’histoire naturelle complemented the Musées de Bruxelles. He also funded expeditions. These expeditions brought new species to Belgium and Europe. Vandermaelen even created a museum of ethnography and archeology.
Before big institutions existed, Vandermaelen provided education, collections, and laboratories. Talented people from all backgrounds built careers there.
Today, Rue Vandermaelen links Quai des Charbonnages to Place Communale. It is a reminder of the path to Vandermaelen’s Établissement géographique.
Vandermaelen’s establishment filled gaps in a developing state. He pioneered national cartography and geography. He also innovated in education and information processing. His school offered tailor-made classes. He focused on practice and experimentation. He gathered, processed, and shared data. His database contained four million index cards. Vandermaelen was ahead of his time.
Philippe Vandermaelen was a visionary. He embraced a broad range of areas. He gave an impetus to intellectual life in Belgium. All of this took place in a spirit of social solidarity. That was exceptional for his time.