Liège, city in eastern Belgium, capital of Liège Province, on the Meuse River. The city is one of the most important river ports in Europe and the transportation and industrial center of eastern Belgium. The chief industrial products include armaments, chemicals, glass, rubber goods, electronic equipment, and cutlery. Liège is also the center of Walloon (French-speaking) culture in Belgium, and is the home of a well-known museum on Walloon life. It is also the site of the 10th-century churches of Saint Paul and Saint Denis. A third old church, the 8th-century Cathedral of Saint Lambert, was destroyed by the French in 1794; Saint Paul was elevated to a cathedral to take its place in 1801. Also in Liège are the University of Liège (1817); the 16th-century Palace of Justice, former residence of the ruling prince-bishops; and several archaeological and art museums.
Liège was founded in the 8th century as a bishopric. The city was thereafter the scene of a long struggle between the prince-bishops and the burghers, but the prince-bishops retained almost constant control of their state until nearly the end of the 18th century. In 1468 Liège was sacked by Charles the Bold, duke of Burgundy. In 1794 the city was occupied by the French, and in 1815 it was annexed to the Netherlands. Fifteen years later, the citizens of Liège fomented the revolution that led, in 1830, to the independence of Belgium. During World War I the city was heavily fortified, but from August 5 to August 16, 1914, it was besieged and finally captured by the German army. From 1940 to 1944, during World War II, the city was again occupied by the German army. Liège was heavily damaged by rocket fire during the Battle of the Bulge in late 1944 and early 1945. In recent years, financial difficulties have plagued some of the city's municipal projects. Population (1998 estimate) 188,568.
