‘Brussels, international capital of ideas’

Benoît Frydman and Gregory Lewkowicz are lifting the veil on the history of a current of thought which came to light in the final quarter of the 19th century and has been since known as the École de Bruxelles. While the first era of globalisation was in full swing and social issues were at the forefront, a group of Brussels intellectuals reinvented knowledge in order to reform society and the world. With the creation of Guillaume De Greef’s Université nouvelle, Ernest Solvay's Institute of Sociology, Henri La Fontaine and Paul Otlet's Mundaneum, they developed a pragmatic sociology and got involved in action for Peace, social reform and the creation of a global knowledge network. They opened up the way to their successors who, having resisted the Nazi occupiers, would contribute to the reinstatement of the rule of law after the Second World War, the construction of the European Union and would preside over the destinies of the Court of Human Rights.

Benoît Frydman is Professor at the ULB's Faculty of Law, President of the Perelman Centre and member of the Académie Royale de Belgique.
Gregory Lewkowicz is Professor at the ULB and member of the Perelman Centre.