Conference venue

Orbel33 will be organized at the campus Hasselt of Hasselt University. This campus is housed in the former city prison, which is still evident from the architecture of this beautifully renovated building.

Location

Hasselt University (Campus Hasselt)
Martelarenlaan 42
3500 Hasselt
Belgium

Getting to the conference venue

By public transport

Hasselt is easily accessible by train. There are direct connections from Ghent, Brussels, Leuven and Liège at least once an hour. The fastest connection from Antwerp involves a transfer in Aarschot. More information can be found on the website of the Belgian National Railway Company (NMBS/SNCB). The conference venue is located at ± 1,3 km from the train station. It can be reached by taking the Boulevardpendel (BP) to the stop “Hasselt Dusartplein”, which is located at 50 m from the campus. More information can be found on the website of the Flemish Public Transport Company (De Lijn).

By car

To reach the conference venue by car, leave the E313 highway at exit 27 and drive to one of the parking lots near the campus. Parking your car for free within walking distance from the campus is possible alongside the Boudewijnlaan, in the Vilderstraat or in the Elfde Liniestraat. Keep in mind that these parking lots are often fully occupied during the day. Alternatively, a paying Q-park garage (€ 16 per day) is available at the Dusartplein, located at 50 m from the campus, and can be entered from the Boudewijnlaan.

Historical note

The story of the Old Prison of Hasselt starts in 1852. At that time, prisoners are detained in the monastery of the ‘Cellebroeders’ in Hasselt. This prison, however, becomes too small and does not meet the ‘modern’ requirements of that time. A lot of debates and lawsuits later, the first prisoners move into the building at the current Martelarenlaan on the 2nd of February 1859. During its first year, 547 prisoners pass through Hasselt. The building is considered one of the smallest prisons in the country. Although its total capacity is determined to be 98 prisoners, in practice a maximum of 86 convicts can be detained in the closed section. From 1990 on, Hasselt is confronted with the phenomenon of prison overpopulation – leading to a prison population of 135 convicts! As a result, a single prison cell often houses three prisoners of which one has to sleep on a mattress on the floor. The Old Prison at the Martelarenlaan closes its doors in 2005, after the construction of a new Hasselt prison. One year later, Hasselt University is informed that its city campus will be housed in the – rather decayed – nineteenth century building. After its transformation, the university has become a ‘historical’ anchor point within the heart of the city of Hasselt. (Source: ‘Hoe een Oude Gevangenis een open huis werd – Karin De Greeve (2018))

Accommodation