Louth
the smallest county in Ireland situated in the province of Leinster. Its area is 317 square miles and its population (about 60,000) has been decreasing steadily. The soil is excellent both for agriculture and pasture.
LOUVAIN (lö-vang') (German Löwen, Flemish Leuven), a city in the Belgian province of Brabant, 19 miles by rail E. of Brussels; chief industries, bell-founding, brewing, and the manufacture of leather, paper, lace, starch, and chemicals; prior to the World War the city had a town-house, a richlydecorated Gothic building (1448-1469); the Church of St. Peter, with a beau- L'OUVERTURE LOUYS tiful flamboyant rood-loft, a wrought- Perrault, the elegant façade toward the iron chandelier by Quentin Matsys, and E., together with the colonnade of the some good pictures; St. Gertrude's Louvre. When the great number of Church possessing the finest carved oak stalls in Belgium; and the Weavers' Hall (1317), appropriated by the university in 1679. In 891 King Arnulf gained here a great victory over the Northmen, and built a castle against them; it used to be known as Cæsar's Castle; a few fragments of it still remain. In the 14th century the town was rich, prosperous, and large (200,000 inhabitants), due to its cloth manufactures and its position as the capital of Brabant (from 994).
In 1382 the townsmen revolted against their rulers, and the harsh punishment meted out to them drove large numbers away to England. The old walls, forming a circuit of 5 miles, have been demolished. A severe blow was struck at the prosperity of Louvain by a terrible visitation of the plague in the 16th century. Pop. about 40,000. The Germans captured the city Aug. 19, 1914, and held it for six days when forced out by Belgian troops. Re-taken by the Germans, the city was fired and the university, library and other important buildings reduced to ruins.