Maastricht

Maastricht (in Spanish, Mastrique, today in disuse; formerly also called Maestricht; in Limburgish, Mestreech) is the capital of the province of Limburg. The city is situated on both banks of the River Meuse (Maas in Dutch), at the southern tip of the Netherlands between Belgium and Germany. It is part of the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion together with the German city of Aachen and the Belgian city of Liège, which together have more than 2 million inhabitants.

The city, one of the thirty most populous in the country, is located about 230 km southeast of the capital Amsterdam and the seat of government La Beech and for this reason quite far from the great Dutch conurbation of the Randstad, which is why it has been able to preserve its own identity. It is considered the least Dutch and least Nordic city in the Netherlands, standing out atypically for its great gastronomic offer and important position in the world of haute cuisine, as well as for its cosmopolitan population, which boasts an atmosphere of high fashion and stylish lifestyle different from the rest of the country.

During the Eighty Years' War that the Netherlands waged against Spain to gain its independence, Maastricht was the subject of several battles. In 1579, the Spanish tercios led by Alejandro Farnesio besieged and took the city, which, after being burned and sacked, remained in Spanish hands until 1632, when Federico Enrique de Orange-Nassau conquered it for the United Provinces of the Netherlands. From this date, the function of the Liège-Brabant condominium was replaced by the Estates General, although its authority would remain until 1794. Maastricht has also been under German and Belgian domination at various times in its history, although it was the French who left a further imprint. enduring in the names of streets and establishments.

The Treaty of Maastricht is considered a "link in Community history" (European). The common currency, a foreign and security policy for the Union, as well as the coordination of justice and internal affairs are some of its fruits. Signed on November 1, 1993, its ratification gave its name to the European Union (EU). It was also an instrument that allowed the unified Germany to be welcomed into European structures.

The city has one of the eight main universities in the Netherlands, its own institute of fine arts and a theater college, so it has an important cultural atmosphere.

Toponymy

The name of the city derives from the Latin Trajectum ad Mosam or Mosae Trajectum (Crossing of the Meuse), in reference to the bridge built there by the Romans during the reign of Caesar Augustus.

During the Spanish administration of the Seventeen Dutch Provinces and subsequently the Spanish Netherlands, until 1714, and whose origin begins with the reign of Felipe I of Castile from 1506, the name of the city was always Mastrique, a natural adaptation contemporary of a foreign term with a consonant ending that is uncomfortable for the Spanish ear, and consonant with others such as «roc/roque», «atac/ataque», «dic i>/dike”, “Vic/Vique”, etc. As an example of contemporary usage, see that Lope de Vega published the tragicomedy The Assault on Mastrique by the Prince of Parma in 1614.

History

Prehistory

Paleolithic remains have been found west of Maastricht, from 8,000 to 25,000 years old. At least 500 years before the arrival of the Romans, the Celts lived there, in a part of the city where the river was not very deep, and therefore easy to cross. Roman sources mention a Celtic settlement (probably inhabited by Eburones). Other sources point to a Celtic settlement on a river near Wyck, a district of the city located east of the River Meuse. Later, the Romans built the bridge that crosses that same river.

Old Age

For years, it has been disputed whether it is the oldest Dutch city along with Nijmegen. Nijmegen was the first city in which the Roman city laws were applied. Maastricht was the first to have medieval city laws, a legal system that has evolved into the current system.

Middle Ages

Servatius of Tongres was the first bishop of the Netherlands. His tomb, in the crypt of the basilica that bears his name, is a very famous pilgrimage site (Pope John Paul II visited it in 1984). The golden urn containing some of the saint's relics is carried in a procession around the city every seven years. The city remained one of the most important Christian dioceses, until it lost this position to nearby Liège in the 8th century.

During the Middle Ages, Maastricht became a condominium, a city with a double authority, since it was under the command of the Prince-Archbishop of Liège and the Duke of Brabant.

Modern Age

Spanish Netherlands

War against its sovereign Philip II of Spain

Maastricht site

French occupation (1673-1679)

Statue of Charles de Batz-Castelmore d'Artagnan (D'Artagnan) in Maastricht.

Maastricht site (1673)

In June 1673, the city was besieged during the Franco-Dutch War by the troops of Louis XIV of France in his strategy to secure his supply lines. Sebastian Vauban, a French military engineer, played an important role in the siege: it was here that he developed his system of extending the trenches of the besiegers in a zigzag pattern parallel to the city walls, an assault technique that would continue to be used until the < span style="font-variant:small-caps;text-transform:lowercase">XX.

The attackers, under the command of Count D'Artagnan, captain of the first company of the "Kings Musketeers," stormed the fortress, defeating the resistance of the Dutch defenders, among whom were they had Castilian auxiliary forces. D'Artagnan died in the final night fight on June 25 at the gate of Tongerse.

French troops occupied the city between 1673 and 1679. After the signing of the Peace of Nijmegen, Maastricht returned to Dutch hands.

Contemporary Age

Annexation to France

In 1794, during the Revolutionary Wars, France annexed Maastricht until 1814.

United Kingdom of the Netherlands

After the Napoleonic era, Maastricht became part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1815. When the southern provinces fought for independence from the northern provinces to form Belgium in 1830, troops from the city of Maastricht they remained faithful to the Dutch king and occupied the city, despite the strong anti-Dutch sentiment of the population. Maastricht remained Dutch, and not Belgian, between 1830 and 1839. In 1839 the Treaty of London was imposed on the Belgians, and Maastricht and the eastern part of Limburg, despite being geographically and culturally closer to Belgium, were definitively annexed to Belgium. the Netherlands. Due to its special geographical location, Maastricht has always been more closely linked to Belgium and Germany than the rest of the Netherlands, starting with the city's non-Dutch character.

Even today, the people of Maastricht (and the rest of Limburg) retain unique traits in their language and culture that set them apart from the rest of the population of the Netherlands. There are also minority groups that demand annexation with the Limburg areas in Germany and Belgium.

The Provincial Government, where the Maastricht Treaty was signed in 1992.

20th and 21st centuries

On September 14, 1944, Maastricht was the first Dutch city to be liberated by the Allies during World War II. In 1976, Maastricht became part of the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion. In 1992 the Maastricht Treaty was signed in the city, marking the beginning of the creation of the European Union (EU). Especially under Mayor Gerd Leers, Maastricht was the venue for numerous international events, such as the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OCSE) convention, as well as various official events during the Dutch Presidency of the European Council at the second half of 2004.

Politics

The mayor of Maastricht is Annemarie Penn-te Strake (independent).

Areas of the city

Maastricht can be divided into 7 areas, made up of several neighborhoods each:

1. Centrum (CentreBinnenstad, Boschstraatkwartier, Jekerkwartier, Kommelkwartier, Statenkwartier, Sint Maartenspoort, Wyck.
2. Buitenwijk Noord-OostNortheast Area); Beatrixhaven, Borgharen, Itteren, Meerssenhoven.
3. Buitenwijk OostEast AreaAmby, Heugemerveld, Limmel, Nazareth, Scharn, Wittevrouwenveld, Wyckerpoort.
4. Buitenwijk Zuid-OostSoutheast areaDe Heeg, Heer, Heugem, Randwyck, Vroendaal.
5. Buitenwijk Zuid-WestSouthwest areaBiesland, Campagne, Jekerdal, Sint Pieter, Villapark, Wolder.
6. Buitenwijk WestWest areaBelfort, Brusselsepoort, Caberg, Daalhof, Dousberg-Hazendans, Malberg, Malpertuis, Mariaberg, Oud-Caberg, Pottenberg.
7. Buitenwijk Noord-WestNorthwestBelvédère, Boschpoort, Bosscherveld, Frontenkwartier, Lanakerveld).

Each of these neighborhoods has its ZIP code number.

Geography

The river Meuse with the Saint Servatius Bridge, the oldest in the Netherlands.

Economy

The following companies are based in Maastricht:

• ENCI (first cement industry in the Netherlands)
• Hewlett-Packard (formerly known as Indigo)
• DaimlerChrysler
• PharmaCell (the leading company in Europe in the production of cell and génical therapies)
• Pie Medical Imaging B.V. (dedicated to the manufacture of medical material; world market leader in software for quantitative analysis in cardiology and radiology)
• Sappi (South African paper pulp company)
• Vodafone (voice and data services on mobile phone)
• EDS

Transportation

• Roads: Maastricht is connected by the A2 and A79 motorways. You can easily reach it from Brussels and Cologne in less than 90 minutes, and from Amsterdam in about 2 and a half hours. The A2 is the highway that crosses the city and has numerous jams, generating high pollution in the urban area. Projects are being studied to build a tunnel, to improve air quality and circulatory congestion.
• Railroad: the network of Neerlandesian Railways (Nederlandse Spoorwegen, known for its acronym NS) arrives at the two stations of the city "Maastricht Centraal" and "Maastricht Randwyck" (located near the business areas and the University Hospital). The construction of a third station is planned (Maastricht Balijeweg). Maastricht is connected by rail to the north with Haarlem, Eindhoven, Utrecht and Amsterdam, among other Dutch cities. An international train connects the city with Liege and Brussels in Belgium, as well as some German cities, such as Aachen. Formerly, a railway line connected the city with Hasselt, in Belgium, now in disuse, although there are projects to restore it.
• Boat: Maastricht has a port on the river Mosa, and is connected with the rest of the Netherlands through the Juliana Canal and the Zuid-Willemsvaart.
• Bus: in Maastricht, the bus service communicates the city with the rest of the province of Limburg, with Belgium and Germany.

Maastricht Airport

Education

Maastricht University Building.

Archaeology

In 1993, a rare discoid cross was found on the grounds of the European Institute of Public Administration in Maastricht, which is believed to have been the object of devotion and could be the link between the discoid crosses on the Continent, between Trier and Occitania, and the High medieval crosses from Ireland and England. It was dated between 1377 and 1600.

Culture

Basilica of Saint Servantage

Basilica of San Servacio (Maastricht)

Places of Interest

Basilica of the Assumption of Our Lady

• The Plaza Vrijthof, in the center of the city, which houses the Basilica of St.Sint-Servaasbasiliek), the Church of Saint John (Sint-Janskerk), the Spanish Government (Spaans Gouvernement) and a theater (Theater aan het Vrijthof).
• The Square of Our Lady (Onze-Lieve-Vrouwepleinwith the Basilica of the same name.
• The market square (Markt), which houses a market twice a week, and the town hall (Stadhuis) in the style of the Dutch Baroque.
• Several shopping streets, such as Grote Staat, Kleine Staat, Stokstraat and Rechtstraat, and shopping centres Between Deux and Mosae Forum.
• The neighborhood JekerkwartierMaastricht's Latin Barrio.
• Bassin, an interior port with numerous restaurants and two cinemas.
• The remains of the ancient walls from the 13th to 14th centuries.
• Them Hoge Fronten (also known as Linie van du Moulin), military bastions with tunnels (Kazemattenof the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

Museum: het Bonnefantenmuseum

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• South of the city is the hill of San Pedro (Sint Pietersberg), which has an ancient fortress, with a groves built in it. These caves maintain a constant temperature of 10 °C and are a place of bat hibernation. These caves were formed after the excavations that were made to build houses, as they are made of marga. They were used as hiding places during World War II. Later, the marga was used by the local cement company. During the mineral extraction process, an artificial hill called "D'n Observant" was built. Several fossil remains were also discovered, including one of a Mosasauro in 1780. This discovery became a famous finding and after it, the name of the city was used to qualify the last period of the Cretaceous, the Maastrichtiense.
• The statue of D'Artagnan at the Aldenhofpark.

Museums

• Bonnefantenmuseum, ancient and modern art museum
• Treasury of the Basilica of San Servasio
• Treasury of the Basilica of Our Lady
• Maastricht Natural History Museum, with collections of Geology, Paleontology (Mosasaurus), Flora and Fauna of Limburg

Museum aan het Vrijthof

Music

Events and Festivals

• Carnival (Limbourgeois: Vastelaovend) takes place in February.
• 11 November: Carnival station start
• KunstTour: annual art and culture fair held in May
• Preuvenemint: culinary fair in August.
• The European Fine Art Fair (TEFAF): Fair of Fine Arts and Antiques, held in March. Considered the most prestigious in the world, it brings together works by the most important artists, both ancient art and the vanguards of the century.XX..

Sports

Equipment	Sport	Competition	Stadium	Creation
MVV Maastricht	Football	Eerste Divisie	De Geusselt	1902

Maastricht is home to the Maastricht Wildcats, an American football team that is a member of the AFBN (American Football Federation of the Netherlands). They play in the First Division and are the closest rival to the Amsterdam Crusaders. In 2004 the Wildcats, coached by Mel Crandall, won the 3rd division league and went on to the 2nd division, which they won in 2005. Today, they are one of the best European American football teams. His current coach is Jon Horton, who in the past was part of the San Francisco 49ers. Many of the players on the team are military and former American college players based in the city.

Six days of Maastricht

External links (in English or Dutch)

• Wikimedia Commons hosts a multimedia gallery on Maastricht.
• Official website
• Tourist Information, in Dutch, English, French or German.