Saint Verhaegen in Brussels Date in the current year: November 20, 2026

Verhaegen was a notable Belgian lawyer and politician who was born into a Catholic family but developed anticlerical views later in life. After Belgian independence and the establishment of the Catholic University in Mechelen, Verhaegen and Auguste Baron raised money to establish an alternative university based on the principle of libre examen (free inquiry).

Originally named the Free University of Belgium, the university was officially founded on November 20, 1834. In 1842, the university was renamed the Free University of Brussels. In 1969, it split into two universities: the Dutch-speaking Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and the French-speaking Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB).

The tradition of celebrating the founding anniversary of the Free University of Brussels began with its alumni association in 1859. The celebration usually involved drinking punch, followed by a banquet. However, these early celebrations were not yet known as Saint Verhaegen.

The present-day celebrations originated in 1888 amid mounting tensions between students and university staff, including professors and administrators. Verhaegen founded the Free University of Brussels based on the principle of free inquiry, but the students felt that this principle was not being upheld and that the university was becoming increasingly conservative.

To challenge this perceived betrayal of the university’s founding ideals, the students decided to openly honor Verhaegen on November 20, 1888. About two hundred students in formal attire gathered at Verhaegen’s statue, marched to Brussels Cemetery, and laid flowers on his tomb. The press ironically referred to this act as “canonization” — quite ironic, considering Verhaegen was anticlerical.

Students quickly embraced the nickname “Saint Verhaegen”, and thus a new tradition was born. Two years later, the university authorities celebrated with the students for the first time. Since then, the tradition has evolved, becoming a crucial element of student life in Brussels and bringing together students, alumni, professors, and staff from the ULB and the VUB.

Today, the Saint Verhaegen celebration includes a formal ceremony with floral tributes and speeches in the morning, followed by a massive procession of several thousand students in the afternoon. Originally, the procession featured decorated floats pulled by draft animals. In the mid-20th century, the floats were replaced by vans and trucks, decorated according to the yearly theme. The yearly theme has been selected since 1931 and often reflects the university’s values or current events and concerns. Following the cancellation in 2015 due to the Paris terrorist attacks, the format of the celebration changed, and the procession became fully pedestrian.

Students typically gather at the Grand Sablon/Grote Zavel square in Brussels’ historic upper town, where a festive village consisting of decorated stands and stalls is set up. The procession’s route and endpoint are not fixed and may change from year to year depending on police decisions and the roadwork schedule in Brussels. In the evening, the students reconvene at the ULB campus, where they ceremonially burn that year’s decorations.