On 29 January 1817, two centuries ago, John Cockerill bought the Château de Seraing from William I, King of the Netherlands. This was the beginning of an industrial adventure that continues to the present day. John Cockerill did not buy just any building. It was the former summer residence of the Prince-Bishops of Liege, built on the site of a mediaeval castle mentioned in 1084. The first chapters of this book invite you to discover the history of these buildings. They are duly completed with architectural documentation of the superb restoration of the château, and of the phase of renovation of the urban center of Seraing. The following chapters deal with the extraordinary history of the establishments founded by Cockerill up to the year 2002, when Bernard Serin purchased the subsidiary of the Usinor Group, “Cockerill Mechanical Industries”, renamed in 2004 “Cockerill Maintenance & Ingénierie” – CMI –, specialised in engineering and maintenance. In a word, this is a richly illustrated reference work, and a worthy celebration of this bicentenary!