Story for waiting: Marie-Christine

Every stop has a story

Published on

Behind each name lies a fragment of Brussels – its history, its geography, its culture. With “Story for waiting”, take a moment during your journey to (re)discover the city through the names of our stops.

Marie-Christine

The stop Marie-Christine is located near a street named after this Archduchess of Austria.

Marie Christine, also called Marie Christine Jeanne Josephe Antoinette d’Autriche (Maria Christina Johanna Josepha Antonia), was born on May 13, 1742, and passed away on June 24, 1798. Rare for a royal figure, she married for love in 1766, marrying Albert-Henri de Saxe-Teschen, Prince of Hungary.

Marie Christine was one of the sisters of Marie-Antoinette and the favourite of her mother, Empress Maria Theresa. She was described as intelligent, gentle, and endowed with a highly sensitive nature.

Marie Christine became the governor of the Austrian Netherlands from 1780 to 1789, an era marked by her efforts to reform the fiscal system and improve the living conditions of the peasants. Even though her role was mostly symbolic, she left a positive and humanist impact in the region. She showed great moderation, empathy, and understanding towards the needs of the population, in contrast to other royal figures of the time.

Curious for more?

Head to our blog for more behind-the-scenes stories from the world of STIB-MIVB.

To the blog

Buying your ticket online? It couldn’t be easier!