Bruxelles ma belle. Bruxelles mortelle. Mortality in the Brussels district at the turn of the 20th century (1890-1910)

The mortality transition, a widely studied topic in demography, was no homogenous process. Differences in the progress of life expectancy were noted between territorial units and interruptions were observed over time. Throughout the 1890-1910 period, the adult male population of the city and district of Brussels experienced excess mortality. The mortality level was much higher than that of highly industrialised cities and districts, such as Liège and Mons. It was also higher than that of large and important Flemish cities and their surrounding districts, such as Antwerp and Ghent. So far, it is unclear what the nature and the causes of these health disadvantages are. 

The first objective of the research project implies the use of unique historical demographic sources to reconstruct the mortality patterns of Belgium's largest cities and districts between 1890 and 1910. It will clarify how the age-, sex- and disease-specific mortality rates of the Brussels district and municipalities diverged from the other Belgian districts and large cities. Additionally, the consistency of these mortality differences will be traced over time. The second objective is to explain which factors were responsible for the excess mortality in Brussels. Quantitative and qualitative material will be combined to interpret the levels and trends in health and mortality. The focus will be on the impact of sanitary circumstances, working conditions, individual habits, the presence of migrants and medical prevention, treatment and infrastructure. Finally, death certificates will be used to examine the link between people's profession, residence and mortality at the individual level. 

Focusing on the mortality experience of the Brussels population, this project will offer a better insight into the living circumstances of a large capital and industrial area outside England, so far barely discussed in the literature. From that perspective, it will offer a major contribution to the historical debate on the relationship between urban growth, industrialisation and mortality change.