City of Ghent - Ghent Festivities


Ghent Festivities

History - With rockets and hot air balloons

For years fireworks were indissolubly connected with large festivities, also with Municipal Fairs. Originally fire works were a kind of illumination. As from the 15th century burning pitch tons were used to add lustre to festivities or to illuminate buildings. The festivities became more animated when rockets were sent up - like on the occasion of the birth of Emperor Charles in 1500 -, preferably from spinning wheels or from the dragon on the Belfry. In the meantime, the strongly evolved sound and light show became very popular in the 17th century. Any pretext was seized to organise a sensational spectacle which often cost a considerable amount of money. The firework manufacturers had to submit their drawn projects in advance to the municipality. At the start of the Municipal Festivities this practice continued unabatedly. Every year, all "firework manufacturers" of reputation tried to carry off the assignment by means of splendid drafts and bills or later by means of printed catalogues with price list. Soon, the sending up of fire works were not longer a monopoly of the government; more and more the deaneries and neighbourhood societies spent part of their budget too. The first horse races in 1838 were coupled with a splendid fireworks at the Casino (Coupure) which attracted thousands of people.

Fire years later, on the occasion of the first Municipal Festivities, the Casino once again sent up "an extremely magnificent" piece of work. From that time on fire works at the Casino became something exceptional. The spectacle moved to the Friday Market: first with the launching of a "oiseau d'artifice" (fire bird) (1846), afterwards with considerable spectacles by Ruggieri, "artificier de Paris" (fireworks specialist from Paris) (1854-55-59). In 1855, the same fireworks specialist launched rockets from the Belfry "simulant l'incendie et la destruction de la tour" (simulating the fire and the destruction of the tower).

Another tradition during the festivities were the balloon rides. The first balloon went up in Gent on November 19th 1785. The Frenchman François Blanchard left in his "Montgolfière" (according to the hot air principle) at the Bijlokemeersen. According to reports two drums of vitriol were sufficient to blow up the balloon with a diameter of 26 feet. Because of the bad weather conditions the balloon landed in the sea near the estuary of the river Scheldt. Blanchard survived the adventure and was honoured during his return to Gent.

In the 19th century, "ascensions aérostatiques" were very popular in France. From that time on, they started to use various kinds of gas. Many balloonists or "aeronauts" - the predecessors of the aeroplane pilots - went with their innovation as a kind of fairground attraction from city to city. They made their demonstration very spectacular, there were trapeze artists, there were fire works (underneath the balloon which was filled with air!) and thrown out parachutes. Every year many aeronauts wrote to the Gent city hall and offered their services. The city had to provide the required sand for the sandbags, the gas (for which a contract with the Gent Gas Society had to be made), for a safe fence around the "tank area" and for an assistance crew.

In Gent, the aeronauts took a difficult start; only from the beginning of the eighties they went up every year and would continue to do so till World War I.

During the second year the Philharmonic Music Society organised an "ascension d'un grand aérostat" (the launch of a big hot air balloon) during the festivities in the Bagattenstraat. Already during the first attempt things went wrong and the hot air balloon ripped. The festivities continued without the launch of a balloon.

In the Citadelpark the flights continued till 1909. Some balloon were completely covered with publicity for shops, which was not always appreciated by the public. As from 1894 Glorieux made a new appearance; he was settled in Doornik at that time. In Gent, he even threw his fellow passengers with parachutes out of the balloon. In the past, he used dogs for that purpose.

After the first World War and the breakthrough of aviation the interest in hot air balloons shrunk, especially as a spectacle for a large public. In 1924 balloonist Ernest De Muyter flew with his Belgica from the Citadelpark (1924) and from the gardens of the Casino (1925). From then on contests were being organised. It mainly were long distance flights in which Aéro Club des Flandres was very active. It all did not last very long, however. There was a last flash up during the festivities at the Maria Hendrika square where from 1934 till 1954 sporadically a hot air balloon was launched, mostly in combination with a rally for cars and motor cycles.

history