Maastricht: History

Pre-20th-Century History

The town of Maastricht came about thanks to the Romans under the rule of Emperor Augustus, who built a bridge crossing the Maas River (known to the Romans as the Mosae Trajectum, or Maas Crossing). A small trading settlement grew up around the bridge. In the late 4th century the town became an early Christian community, under the bishopric of St Servatius.

After the Romans withdrew in the early 5th century, Maastricht came under the control of the Franks. The Carolingian empire under Charlemagne was centred on nearby Aachen, so Maastricht was nice and close to the power base, and the religious community in particular benefitted from this.

Things got more complicated after Charlemagne: in the Middle Ages Maastricht developed into a city of dual authority, with both the Prince-Bishopric of Liège and the Duchy of Brabant holding joint sovereignty. This arrangement lasted until the late 18th century, when the French conquered and annexed the city.

After the Napoleonic wars, Maastricht was part of the newly formed Kingdom of the Netherlands (incorporating the Netherlands and Belgium), but it was a marriage doomed to fail. When the southern states began to agitate for independence, Maastricht remained loyal to King Willem I. When the split finally happened in the 1830s, the province of Limburg was partitioned and Maastricht remained Dutch, despite the fact that geographically it should probably have become part of Belgium.

Modern History

During WWI the Netherlands remained neutral, but Maastricht was inundated with wartime refugees, particularly from Belgium. The interwar years were characterised by high unemployment and bitter labour relations, but worse was to come. Maastricht was occupied by the Germans in 1940; in September 1944 it became the first Dutch city to be liberated. New problems arose in the form of a chronic housing shortage (the worst in the country), and postwar years saw extensive building programmes to both restore the city's historic heart and develop the outer suburbs.

Wondering why the city's name rings a bell? The city hosted two key moments in the history of the European Union: on 10 December 1991, the 12 members of the then European Community met to sign the treaty for economic, monetary and political union; they reconvened the following February to sign the treaty creating the EU.

Recent History

These days Maastricht goes about its business with a fine sense of self-assuredness. Many locals see themselves as a sophisticated breed distinct from those in the north; by the same token, earthy northerners see posh Maastricht as having an identity crisis - are these people Dutch or what?

The potent mix of students and workers give the city a cultural edge, and where there are students, there are bars: some claim the city boasts more bars per square kilometre than any other in the country. The average citizen bounces easily between the Dutch, English, French, German and Flemish languages (maybe more), and enjoys the Michelin-starred restaurants and noteworthy events at their doorstep. Party-goers should make plans to join the country's biggest Carnaval celebrations (the weekend before Ash Wednesday), while art-lovers will go seriously gaga at Europe's largest annual art show, held in late March (see www.tefaf.com).

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