euskalkultura.eus

Brussels, Belgium.  Since November of last year, there is once again a Basque club in Brussels, Bruselako Euskal Etxea.  It’s not the first in this capital where the Txalaparta Euskal Etxea used to be that disappeared from the roles in 2004.  Now, another group of Basques has given momentum to the community, forming this new partnership that is hoping to be recognized by the Basque Government in the coming weeks. 

Jean-Louis Seiller, a member of the group and son of a Basque, is one of the founders of the center.  “My mom is from Donostia; born in 1930 and was sent to Belgium in 1937, as thousands of other children, including two of her brothers.  After the Second World War she stayed there and married my father.  My brother and I were both born in Belgium.  I still have half of my family in Euskadi—Donostia and Hernani—and my feel more like I am from there than from here,” he explained to EuskalKultura.com.

Like Seiller, other members were also born in Belgium, Basque descendent; others are Belgian, and there are also Basques born in the Basque Country but who reside in Belgium for work reasons. 

Euskera and “Txalaparta”

Among the activities that the center has already organized are the choir “Txalaparta,” that was fomed last May and that has 10 members.  In addition, the center holds “mintzapraktika” (conversation practice) sessions every Tuesday or a Basque conversation table that compliments the Basque classes that take place twice a month. 

The center was visited last May by the Group Xarnege that gave a concert.

Looking into the future the euskal etxea is trying to form a Basque dance group, as well as pilota classes.

-Brussels’ club website, here
-Brussels’ Euskal Etxea on Facebook, here