This article is about the Belgian river. Not to be confused with [[Seine, the river which flows through Paris]].
Senne (river)
CountryBelgium
Length103 km (64 mi)
Mouth coordinates51°03′54″N 04°25′48″E

The Senne (French, sɛn) or Zenne (Dutch, ˈzɛnə) is a small river that flows through Brussels, Belgium. It is an indirect tributary of the Scheldt, through the Dyle and the Rupel. Its source is in the village of Naast near the municipality of Soignies. After a total length of 103 km (64 mi), it joins the Dyle at Zennegat in Battel, north of the municipality of Mechelen, only a few hundred metres before the Dyle itself joins the Rupel. The Woluwe and the Maelbeek are some of the tributaries of the Senne.

Covering and treatment

Main article: Covering of the Senne

In Brussels, the Senne had become a serious health hazard by the second half of the 19th century, and from 1867 to 1871, under the tenure of the city's then-mayor, Jules Anspach, its entire course through the urban area was completely covered over. This allowed urban renewal and the construction of modern buildings of Haussmann-esque style along grand central boulevards, characteristic of downtown Brussels today.[1][2] The river is still visible in the outskirts of Brussels and outside the urban area, though within the city, it now runs mostly underneath the Small Ring (Brussels' inner ring road).[3]

The Senne was notorious for being one of Belgium's worst polluted rivers, despite work done to the sewers and spillways in the Brussels–Charleroi Canal, since all effluents from the Brussels-Capital Region emptied into it without treatment. The drainage into the canal was not able to completely stop the floods that regularly affected certain outer areas of the city.[4] In March 2007, the completion of new sewage treatment plants began to remediate this problem.[5][6] However, in December 2009, the Brussels-North treatment plant of Aquiris was temporarily and abruptly shut down, creating a political and ecological crisis.

Cultural impact

The yellow iris became used as the emblem of the Brussels-Capital Region due to its habitat in the marshy plains around the river and a stylised version is featured on its official flag.[7] The unique seasonal wild yeasts of the Senne river valley are used in the production of the regional lambic style of beer.[8] Brasserie de la Senne is a brewery named for the river.[9]

Despite the covering of the Senne resulting in the river being all but invisible in central Brussels, it has had a cultural impact on the city. A nickname for residents of the city, zinneke, meaning "mutt" or "bastard" in Brusselian dialect, is taken from the stray dogs that hung around the streets by the Lesser Senne (a tangent canal of the river) until the end of the 19th century. The name was revived at the start of the 21st century with the creation of the Zinneke Parade, a multicultural biennial event in Brussels,[10] as well as Het Zinneke, sometimes called Zinneke Pis, a bronze sculpture depicting an urinating dog.[11]

See also

References

Citations

  1. ^ Demey 1990, p. 65.
  2. ^ Map of Suys' proposal. City Archives of Brussels: p.p. 1.169
  3. ^ Demey 1990, p. 85.
  4. ^ Demey 1990, p. 84.
  5. ^ "Brussels-North wastewater treatment plant". Aquiris. 2007. Archived from the original on May 19, 2007. Retrieved November 5, 2007.
  6. ^ "Brussel eindelijk in orde met waterzuivering" (in Dutch). brusselnieuws.be. 2007. Archived from the original on November 17, 2007. Retrieved November 5, 2007.
  7. ^ "LOI – WET" (in French). www.ejustice.just.fgov.be. Archived 1 March 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
  8. ^ Jackson, Michael (September 1988). The new world guide to beer. Running Press. ISBN 978-0-89471-649-2. Archived 11 January 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 26 May 2012.
  9. ^ "Brasserie de la Senne". Brasserie de la Senne. Retrieved 2023-03-27.
  10. ^ "Interview met Myriam Stoffen, directrice Zinneke" (in Dutch). 2008-05-20. Archived from the original on 2017-12-10. Retrieved 2011-05-22.
  11. ^ "Peeing statues". Retrieved 2018-06-15.

Bibliography

  • Deligne, Chloé (2005). Bruxelles sortie des eaux : Les relations entre la ville et ses cours d'eau du Moyen Age à nos jours (in French). Brussels: Musées de la Ville de Bruxelles. ISBN 978-2-9600373-1-9.
  • Demey, Thierry (1990). Bruxelles, chronique d'une capitale en chantier (in French). Vol. I: Du voûtement de la Senne à la jonction Nord-Midi. Brussels: Paul Legrain/CFC. OCLC 44643865