The name Maastricht origins from it's Latin name Trajectum Ad Mosam which is the point where the river Maas could be crossed. The history of Maastricht dates back to 50B.C. and it was the first settlement of the Romans in the Netherlands. Since these early ages, Maastricht was a strategic location due to it's position close by the river Maas.
Eventually, the settlement grew and transformed into a walled castellum and was abandoned by the end of the century. Between the 4th and 8th centuries, Maastricht was a bishop's diocese. The first bishop was St. Servatius and the last one was St. Lambertus who transferred the diocese to Liege.
The Duke of Brabant and the Prince-Bishop of Liege jointly ruled Maastricht until the year 1795. The city grew well and richer between the 13th and 15th centuries. The major factor for this expansion was a successful cloth industry. In fact, by the beginning of the 14th century, the city became too cramped and a series of new outer walls were constructed. The city was a stronghold and had to resist a series of attacks from southern countries such as Austria, Spain and France.
One of the most famous sieges on Maastricht was led by Louis XIV himself in 1673. In 1795, the French who by then were in control of the region, proclaimed Maastricht the capital of a French province. Maastricht became part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1815, after Napoleon's defeat in Waterloo. After battling for 9 years, Belgium and the Netherlands went on separate ways. Maastricht remained loyal to the Dutch king and became permanent part of the Netherlands although the city itself is geographically closer to Belgium. |
