Lieven Bauwens (Ghent, June 14, 1769 – Paris, March 17, 1822) was a Southern Netherlandish entrepreneur and industrial spy. He brought English cotton technology to Europe.

As early as 1849 it was thought of giving him a statue. In 1866, a plaster design was placed on the current site (Lieven Bauwensplein). Finally, the current bronze statue, by Pieter De Vigne, was built in 1885.

Source: Wikipedia

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DirkWi

May 13, 2024

Lieven Bauwens (1769-1822) was an important Ghent industrialist who succeeded in smuggling a mechanical spinning loom, the Mule Jenny, from England in 1798, which would be the basis of the industrial revolution in Flanders and the development of Ghent as an important center of textile industry.

Under the cover of a trade in colonial goods, Bauwens smuggled the parts of a Mule Jenny and other machines for the cotton industry, hidden in boxes of sugar or bales, into the continent via Hamburg during 32 voyages in the period 1797-1798. He had bribed a studio manager from Manchester, Kenyon, for this. However, things almost went wrong when smuggling qualified personnel from England. Some of the professionals who had already arrived in Hamburg, and who had not been told their final destination, informed the British envoy of the conspiracy. This allowed the British to intercept the next contingent at Gravesend. Lammens, Harding and Smallbone were arrested and convicted. Bauwens was sentenced to death in absentia and his property was confiscated. Dolls in his likeness were hung in several squares in London.

In 1800 he was mayor of Ghent for one year.

He died at the age of 52 in Paris, where he was buried at the famous Père Lachaise. The family was too destitute to provide him with a perpetual license and a grave monument, and he was buried in a modest tomb, which disappeared after a few years.

The square where this bronze statue has stood since 1885 was also named Bauwens after him.

Source: Wikipedia

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Viviane

October 21, 2024

The statue of Lieven Bauwens is located on the Sint-Baafsplein in Ghent, near the Saint Bavo Cathedral. This monument was erected in honour of Lieven Bauwens (1769–1822), an important figure in Belgian industrial history. Bauwens played a key role in the industrialisation of Ghent, especially by introducing the “Mule Jenny”, an advanced mechanical spinning machine that he smuggled from England. This act is considered a crucial step in the development of the textile industry in Flanders.

The statue was made by the sculptor Constant Devreese and was unveiled in 1885. Bauwens is depicted in a stately pose, as a symbol of his visionary leadership and his role in industrial progress. Around the statue are symbolic figures representing labour and industry, emphasising his contribution to the economic prosperity of Ghent.

This statue is a tribute to Bauwens’ entrepreneurship and the important role he played in the history of Ghent and Belgium.

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Location: Ghent, Gent, East Flanders, Flanders, Belgium

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