Maastricht

Maastricht , in the past spelled Maestricht and still sometimes Maestricht or Maëstricht in French, is perhaps the oldest city of the Netherlands, although this qualification is disputed to him by Nimègue. Capital of the province of the Limbourg, it counts 122 000 inhabitants. At the east it is directly located at the border with Belgium (common of Riemst and town of Visé). For the anecdote this border was originally established on the course of the Meuse between Lixhe out of left bank and Maastricht out of Right Bank, the course of the Meuse having been rectified it is enclaves out of Right Bank depending on the city on Aimed, Lixhe having been amalgamated with the latter. Maastricht is a place of pilgrimage very important Marial for the Netherlands. In the Notre Dame basilica the miraculous image the Starfish, Sterre der Zee is visited per many pilgrims.

Geography

The city developed with the crossing of the antique Boulogne-Bavay-Cologne road and the Meuse. So it draws its Latin name Mosae Trajectum (passage of the Meuse) from which its modern Dutch name derives directly. A bridge was built besides there on the river by the Romains of the time of the emperor Auguste. Starting from V^e it became in fact the episcopal see of the diocese of Tongres before this seat does not move towards VIII^e century with Liege following the assassination of Saint Lambert in this place. Maastricht is very close to the border with Belgium, in particular of the frontier city of Visé located in Walloon region.

The city accommodates the Université of Maastricht as well as the Musée of art Bonnefanten.

In the south of the city the Montagne Saint-Pierre (St Pietersberg) is overhung by the old one extremely and its network of undergrounds. The undergrounds have a constant temperature of 10°C and are a place of Hibernation for the bat. It is possible to visit them at certain times, accompanied by a guide.

Maastricht has connections of railroad with Liege (in Belgium) in the south, and with Eindhoven in north.

History

Maastricht was old évêché until the moment when évêché was transferred to Liege, at the 8th century.

The city was with the Moyen-âge under a double sovereignty under the authority of the Prince-bishop of Liege and of the duke of the Brabant. The function of the dukes was occupied by the Dutch General states starting from 1632 when the city was taken to the Spaniards by Frederic-Henri of Orange-Nassau. This duality remained of application until the conquest and the annexation of the city by the French in 1794.

The city is taken in 1673 by Vauban, then defended before in 1676.

From 1795 to 1814, it was the chief town of the transitory French department of the Meuse-Lower . After the Napoleonean time, Maastricht was integrated into the United Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1815. When the provinces of the south were detached to form the Belgium in 1830, the garrison in station in Maastricht remained honest with the king Guillaume I {{er}} and in 1839 the city and the oriental party of Limbourg were integrated in a permanent way into the Netherlands.

According to the geographical eccentricity of the city, it was generally turned towards Germany and Belgium (joining again by there with its past principautaire) that with the remainder of the Netherlands, which reinforces the character not-Dutch of the city.

Maastricht was the first Dutchwoman city with being released by the American troops at the time of the Second world war.

The city gave its name to the European treated which was signed there the February 7th 1992.

Each year, Maastricht accommodates the largest living room of antique dealers of the world, TEFAF ( The European Fine Art Fair ), created in 1975.

Personalities related to the commune

D' Artagnan, killed the June 25th 1673 at the time of the seat of the city during the War of Holland. A small statue in its honor is in a municipal park ( Aldenhofpark ). This statue was recently vandalisée. A more imposing statue is, it, with the foot of the ramparts.
Theodore Weustenraad (1805-1849), Belgian poet
Andre Rieu, born in 1949, violonist
Boudewijn Zenden, footballer (1976 -)
Fred Rompelberg, cyclist ('born in 1945)

Anecdote

Maestricht or Maëstricht is C-Ws communication nowadays typically French. It give an account of the orthography Flemish E of the " long" has; , in force under the Administration French of 1794 to 1815, possibly Belgian of 1830 with 1839. As well in Belgium as with the Netherlands, the " aa" into force in contemporary academic Dutch prevails from now on on the " ae" (that one finds in many Flemish place names). The river Meuse on the other hand continues to be spelled Maes or Maas according to whether one is in Flanders or in the Netherlands.
the city is called Måstrek or simply Li Walloon Trek in .

External bonds

Site of the town of Maastricht Gemeente Maastricht
Universiteit Maastricht - in English
Bonnefanten Museum
Wikimaas Alternate Guide-Wiki of English Maastricht

Nds-nl: Maastricht Simple: Maastricht

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