Charleroi

During the Industrial Revolution of the 19th century, Charleroi became a center of the Walloon coal and steel industry - and a as well an important place for the formation of trade unions, organising industrial actions. In 1886 12 strikers were killed by the Belgian army.

A mine disaster in August 1956 took the lives of 262 miners, most of them had migrated to Belgium for work from Italy. Since the end of the 1960s the heavy industry declined and so did Charleroi.

I did not know about that and learned this from locals during my stay. They called Charleroi - "Detroit of Belgium". In the center of the city is a huge modern mall, but many shops and offices around are "for rent".

Seen here (as well) is the entrance to the "Passage de la Bourse".