Introduction of the Greenwich Mean Time by Brussels and Laeken in 1892

This page has been automatically translated from French into English by a translation software. Automatic translations are not as accurate as translations made by professional human translators. Nevertheless these pages can help you understand information published by the City of Brussels.

   

Until 1892, if you took the train from Ostend to Verviers for example, it was necessary to move the pointers of a watch forward in every city where the train stopped. The solution was to standardize schedules by using the Greenwich Mean Time.

Schedule of trains

At the end of the 19th century, it had thus become imperative to standardize schedules so that trains could leave and arrive at the same moment everywhere in Belgium. It is for that reason that the Belgian Minister of Trains, Telegraph and the Post had decided in 1892 that the legal hour for the schedules of the trains would be the Greenwich Mean Time. The Observatory of Uccle had calculated that it was necessary to move clocks backwards with 17 minutes and 29 seconds compared to the hour of the Brussels meridian. The exact hour would be passed on to the North Station, which would pass the new time in its turn to the other stations of the country.

Mayor Charles Buls says no

The municipalities of the Brussels region resisted long time. During the session of the City Council of Brussels of 11 April 1892, mayor Charles Buls strongly opposed to the introduction of the GMT. He based himself on several arguments: the disturbance of the biorhythm of the human beings, the time difference being ridiculously small because of the small surface of Belgium, and the English time that did not interest Belgium. These arguments were fought by scientific proofs during the same session.

New hour for schools and administrations

Other bordering municipalities of Brussels discussed the question as well. The municipal administration of Saint-Gilles was the first to accept the introduction of the Greenwich Mean Time, on 16 March 1892. The municipality of Laeken gave in after a long debate. The municipal administration of Schaerbeek was to follow. Finally the law of 29 April 1892 was passed in Belgium. From 1 May 1892 the GMT was applied on the whole Belgian territory. The leaders of the schools of Laeken received a 'service order' on 30 April 1892.

Since 1916, Belgium uses Central European Time (C.E.T.): GMT + 1 hour.

• 'Ordre de service' from 30 April 1892 (PDF, 0,09MB)