(Theater) (Rue de Laeken 146)
Before the 1860s, only several dramatic performances in Dutch were held annually in Brussels, staged in rented premises. Artistic, social, and religious circles sought to establish a theater to raise the moral level of the Dutch-speaking working classes in combating what these groups considered to be the insidious influence of the cabarets.
The Royal Flemish Theater was founded in 1864. From 1864 to 1867, and again from 1874 to 1887, it was housed in the Alhambra Theater. Through the support of Burgomaster Charles Buls, Julius Hosta, and others, the theater secured its own premises. It occupies a building at rue de Laeken 146, designed by architect Jean Baes, who retained the original façade of the former warehouse and customs office for the Port of Brussels that dates from 1780. A fire in 1955 led to extensive renovation. The publicly supported theater constitutes the center of Dutch-language culture in the capital. It includes a contemporary dance company and a choreographer in residence.
Historical Dictionary of Brussels. Paul F. State.