Maison du Tourisme du Roman Païs
rue de Saintes, 48 - 1400 Nivelles - Belgique
Tél : + 32 (0) 67 22 04 44 Fax : +32 (0) 67 21 98 88
e-mail : info@tourisme-roman-pais.be
rue de Saintes, 48 - 1400 Nivelles - Belgique
Tél : + 32 (0) 67 22 04 44 Fax : +32 (0) 67 21 98 88
e-mail : info@tourisme-roman-pais.be
| Birth house of Ernest Solvay (Rebecq) |
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Ernest Solvay, whose name is associated mainly with the chemical industry in Belgium and elsewhere, but who was also a major figure in research, not to mention the arts, was born in 1838 in Rebecq, which still jealously guards his family house of birth. Ernest Solvay, a major figure in the modern chemical industry and an industrial innovator, was born in Rebecq in 1838. He modernised production of sodium carbonate, thanks to an innovative chemical process baptised 'Solvay soda'. This process allowed low-cost industrial production starting in 1863. Solvay soda, with numerous industrial applications, was produced around the world. With the aid of his brother Alfred, he developed a real industrial chemical empire. The Solvay company, which remained a family business for a long time despite its size, still exists in Belgium and a number of countries. The wealth that Ernest Solvay accumulated allowed him to support basic research and the arts in Belgium and elsewhere. Starting in 1911, he organised international colloquia with the best physicists and chemists, the scientific prestige of which attracted scientists such as Einstein. Ernest Solvay died in 1922. The birth house of the Solvay brothers still exists in Rebecq. To find out more, consult the site of the Rebecq Tourist Office: www.rebecq.be Tél. : +32 (0)67 63 82 32 |
