ABSTRACT
The independent Belgian state, founded in 1830, is the outcome of both the struggle of the industrial bourgeoisie against Dutch trade-capitalism and international diplomacy in the era of the Vienna Conference. Brussels grew into a large urban centre as the capital of the unified Belgian state. The Brussels region is culturally divided, being linked to both the Flemish and the French-speaking institutions, but socio-economically homogeneous as it waits for the implementation of an autonomous regional government. The notion of an autonomous Flemish cultural policy seems to be misleading in so far as sports policy is concerned. There is a clear trend in favour of individual sports at flexible times, thus expressing the trend towards individualization and commodification of sports practices. Developments in sports practice and organization can attract subsidies as long as they formally adapt to the institutionalization that legitimizes the power of the federalized state, which tends to reduce culture to language.
