Ladeuzeplein

This name is derived from the Clarisse religious order who used to have a monastery at this location, when it still was a sandy hill (jer refers in the local dialect to dirt, thus unpaved, as contrary to the adjacent Stiënkarlisse, the former paved Graanmarkt, now the Herbert Hooverplein).

In 1783, the monastery was abolished and the city of Leuven bought the estate from the authorities, who had inherited it, in order to establish a market dedicated to the sale of wood.

The fire destroyed not only a large part of the cultural patrimony of the medieval city, but it also caused the loss of countless and irreplaceable historical manuscripts and books, many dating back centuries.

This act of violence caused uproar throughout the world and several, mostly American, charities were established to compensate the loss, so in 1921 work was begun to build a new library, on the square now known as Ladeuzeplein.

Great Britain (on the initiative of the John Rylands Library in Manchester) and the United States were major providers of material for the replenishment of the collection.

It was created and offered as a gift in 1928 by US engineers as a monument of remembrance for all colleagues who lost their lives during World War I.

According to the author, the juxtaposition of the surreal view of the "bug on a needle" in front of the neo-classical library building perfectly captures the spirit of the city and university of Leuven.