Charleroi

While there are remains of human settlements dating back to prehistoric times across Charleroi, it is actually a rather new city. It was only created in 1666 when the Spanish, who then controlled the Low Countries, started building a fortress there. It is the then King of Spain, Charles II, that the name of the town alludes to. This is why the inhabitants of the town are often called Carolos. The city was created at the beginning of a turbulent period, when it saw itself being turned over many times between the Spanish Crown, France, the Netherlands and the Austrian Empire, before finally becoming a part of the independent Kingdom of Belgium in 1830. It was only then when Charleroi became a boom town, as the local supplies of coal fuelled rapid expansion of mining, metallurgy and glass manufacturing. Charleroi and the neighbouring municipalities saw an influx of immigrants from all over Europe, especially Italians. This community remains highly influential to this day. This all came to a halt following the rapid decline of mining and heavy manufacturing in the area following World War II. From the 1970s up until the late 1990s, Charleroi was battling rampant unemployment, urban decay, and poverty rates that had seldom been seen in western Europe, to the point where it was compared to many declining cities in the rust belt of the USA....