Brye facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Brye Briye  (Walloon)
Village
The church of Saint-Pierre, Brye.
Brye Location in Belgium
Country	Belgium
Region	Wallonia
Province	Hainaut
Municipality	Fleurus
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)

Brye (called Briye in the local Walloon language) is a small village in Wallonia, a region in Belgium. It is part of the larger municipality of Fleurus. Brye is located in the province of Hainaut, near the city of Charleroi.

Brye used to be its own separate town. But in 1977, many smaller towns in Belgium joined together. Brye then became a district of Fleurus.

A Look Back: Brye's History

Brye has an important place in history, especially because of a famous battle. On June 16, 1815, a big battle happened here. This was the Battle of Ligny.

The Battle of Ligny

During the Battle of Ligny, the village of Brye and the hills around it were very important. The Prussian army, led by General Gebhard von Blücher, took control of these areas. They were getting ready to fight the French army.

The French army was commanded by the famous Napoleon Bonaparte. He led the Army of the North. The battle was a major event before the even more famous Battle of Waterloo.

The Windmill of Buss

On the highest point of the hills near Brye stood the Windmill of Buss. This windmill was a key spot during the battle. General Blücher and his officers used it as a lookout point. From there, they could see what was happening on the battlefield.

Around 1:00 PM on the day of the battle, General Blücher met with Wellington at this windmill. Wellington was another important general. They talked about their plans for the fight.

Later in the battle, the French army managed to break through the middle of the Prussian lines. Even so, a group of Prussian soldiers stayed in Brye. They fought very bravely to slow down the French advance.