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CC 316 2018
2 euro coin
BU Main coin
2 Euro BU
Belgium · 50th anniversary of the events of May 1968 in Belgium
Mintage250,000
Issue date19 Jun 2018
Edge lettering2 ★ ★ × 6, alternating upright/inverted
Market price€15.90
Issue occasion
The coin commemorates the 50th anniversary of the events of May 1968 in Belgium, which had nationwide significance and influenced Belgian politics and subsequent state reforms. The design depicts protesting students with a pamphlet and a flag; in the background, an auditorium refers to the student context.
The design
The design depicts students holding a pamphlet and a flag and refers to student demonstrations that took place in Belgium in May 1968 in connection with the sociocultural changes. These events, which took place 50 years ago, were of national importance and influenced Belgian politics and subsequent state reforms.
The mint mark of Utrecht (caduceus) and the Belgian mint master’s mark (coat of arms of the municipality of Herzele) are depicted on the left. The year 2018 and the country code BE are also located on the left, with the initials LL of the coin designer Luc Luycx immediately below.
In the background, an auditorium can be seen, referring to the student context.
The twelve stars of the European flag are depicted on the coin’s outer ring.
The mint mark of Utrecht (caduceus) and the Belgian mint master’s mark (coat of arms of the municipality of Herzele) are depicted on the left. The year 2018 and the country code BE are also located on the left, with the initials LL of the coin designer Luc Luycx immediately below.
In the background, an auditorium can be seen, referring to the student context.
The twelve stars of the European flag are depicted on the coin’s outer ring.
Background on the topic
Belgian “May 1968” was not a uniformly organised uprising, but part of a broader wave of protests in Europe and North America. Students opposed hierarchical university structures, demanded participation in decision-making and debated social issues such as social inequality, sexual morality and the Vietnam War. The French protests and strikes served as an immediate point of reference. In Belgium, among other things, there were assemblies, occupations and disputes over the governance and social role of universities.
The movement acquired a particular Belgian dimension through the language conflict. Even before May 1968, Flemish students in Leuven (Löwen) had demanded that the French-speaking section of the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven be moved out of the Dutch-speaking region. The demand reflected the long-standing conflict between Dutch- and French-speaking population groups over language, education, political power and regional responsibilities. The so-called Leuven crisis led to the downfall of the government of Paul Vanden Boeynants at the beginning of 1968.
The Katholieke Universiteit Leuven was subsequently divided into two independent institutions: the Dutch-speaking Katholieke Universiteit Leuven and the French-speaking Université catholique de Louvain. The new university town of Louvain-la-Neuve was established for the latter in Walloon Brabant (Wallonisch-Brabant). The Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Freie Universität Brüssel) was also later divided into a French-speaking and a Dutch-speaking university.
The protests thus brought together two distinct developments: international demands for democratisation and social liberalisation on the one hand, and the Belgian language and community conflict on the other. This conflict contributed to the gradual transfer of powers from the previously centrally organised state to language communities and regions. Through several stages of reform, Belgium developed into a federal state.
The year of commemoration was therefore suitable as a coin-issuing occasion not only because of the culture of student protest. It also referred to a turning point at which university reforms, social change and the reorganisation of the Belgian state were closely interconnected.
The movement acquired a particular Belgian dimension through the language conflict. Even before May 1968, Flemish students in Leuven (Löwen) had demanded that the French-speaking section of the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven be moved out of the Dutch-speaking region. The demand reflected the long-standing conflict between Dutch- and French-speaking population groups over language, education, political power and regional responsibilities. The so-called Leuven crisis led to the downfall of the government of Paul Vanden Boeynants at the beginning of 1968.
The Katholieke Universiteit Leuven was subsequently divided into two independent institutions: the Dutch-speaking Katholieke Universiteit Leuven and the French-speaking Université catholique de Louvain. The new university town of Louvain-la-Neuve was established for the latter in Walloon Brabant (Wallonisch-Brabant). The Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Freie Universität Brüssel) was also later divided into a French-speaking and a Dutch-speaking university.
The protests thus brought together two distinct developments: international demands for democratisation and social liberalisation on the one hand, and the Belgian language and community conflict on the other. This conflict contributed to the gradual transfer of powers from the previously centrally organised state to language communities and regions. Through several stages of reform, Belgium developed into a federal state.
The year of commemoration was therefore suitable as a coin-issuing occasion not only because of the culture of student protest. It also referred to a turning point at which university reforms, social change and the reorganisation of the Belgian state were closely interconnected.
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