Boulevard Anspach and King Baudouin | Belgium

 If you have been following this blog for awhile, you will know that I really like vintage postcards, especially written and stamped. I am amazed by the fact that you can trace a small fragment of somebody's life years ago. I always try to imagine the sender's life and the recipient's feelings while he was reading the card.

This card shows the Stock Exchange Square and Anspach Boulevard in Brussels, Belgium. Unfortunately I cannot read the handwriting.

Boulevard Anspach (French) or Anspachlaan (Dutch) is a major boulevard in the city centre of Brussels, connecting the Place de Brouckère / de Brouckèreplein to the Place Fontainas / Fontainasplein. It is named after Jules Anspach, a former mayor of Brussels. It was built over the river Senne, covering it up, although the river no longer runs underneath it. The De Brouckère metro station is accessible from the boulevard, as well as the Bourse / Beurs underground tram station. Many places of interest lie along the Boulevard Anspach, for instance the Brussels Stock Exchange, the Ancienne Belgique concert hall as well as many shops and restaurants. Prior to 1879, it was named Boulevard Central. As of 2015 the city plans to pedestrianise the boulevard between the Bourse and Place de Brouckère as part of a broader pedestrianisation plan for the city centre. [wikipedia]

The stamp used has the date 17 September [?] 1961 and shows King Baudouin of Belgium.

Baudouin or Boudewijn (7 September 1930 – 31 July 1993) reigned as King of the Belgians, following his father's abdication, from 1951 until his death in 1993. He was the eldest son of King Leopold III (1901–83) and his first wife, Princess Astrid of Sweden (1905–35). Because he had no children with his wife Queen Fabiola of Belgium, the Crown passed on to his younger brother, King Albert II of the Belgians (formerly Prince of Liège), following his death. He was a first cousin of King Harald V of Norway, Princess Astrid of Norway, and Princess Ragnhild of Norway. Baudouin is the French form of his name, the form most commonly used outside Belgium; his Dutch name is Boudewijn. [wikipedia]