Limbourg
Encyclopedia
Limbourg is a medieval town
located in the province of Liège
, Wallonia, Belgium.
On 1 January 2008 Limbourg had a total population of 5,680. The total area is 24.63 km² which gives a population density
of 231 inhabitants per km². The present municipality Limbourg was formed in 1977 by the merger of the old municipalities Limbourg, Bilstain and Goé.
The second part of the name Limbourg is from burg meaning a "fortress", which is common in many parts of Europe where Germanic languages
are spoken, or have been spoken historically. Concerning the first part of the name there are various theories. One is lint meaning "dragon".
Limbourg is located on top of a hill which in its turn is surrounded by the river Vesdre
. This was a strong military advantage in the Middle Ages and allowed the city to defend itself against foreign invaders. In the Middle Ages
, the ruling family came to have the rank of Duke
and so the town was the seat of the Duchy of Limburg
, which was a part of the Lower Lorraine
region of the Holy Roman Empire
.
The town featured in the War of the Spanish Succession
, falling in 1703 to British and Dutch Republican forces led by the Duke of Marlborough
. The lower part of the town, along the Vesdre, is called Dolhain
.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
located in the province of Liège
Liège (province)
Liège is the easternmost province of Belgium and belongs to the Walloon Region. It is an area of French and German ethnicity. It borders on the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, and in Belgium the provinces of Luxembourg, Namur, Walloon Brabant , and those of Flemish Brabant and Limburg . Its...
, Wallonia, Belgium.
On 1 January 2008 Limbourg had a total population of 5,680. The total area is 24.63 km² which gives a population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
of 231 inhabitants per km². The present municipality Limbourg was formed in 1977 by the merger of the old municipalities Limbourg, Bilstain and Goé.
The second part of the name Limbourg is from burg meaning a "fortress", which is common in many parts of Europe where Germanic languages
Germanic languages
The Germanic languages constitute a sub-branch of the Indo-European language family. The common ancestor of all of the languages in this branch is called Proto-Germanic , which was spoken in approximately the mid-1st millennium BC in Iron Age northern Europe...
are spoken, or have been spoken historically. Concerning the first part of the name there are various theories. One is lint meaning "dragon".
Limbourg is located on top of a hill which in its turn is surrounded by the river Vesdre
Vesdre
thumb|right|250px|The course of the VesdreThe Weser or Vesdre is a river in eastern Belgium, in the province of Liège, and is a right tributary to the river Ourthe. Its source lies in the High Fens , close to the border with Germany near Monschau...
. This was a strong military advantage in the Middle Ages and allowed the city to defend itself against foreign invaders. In the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, the ruling family came to have the rank of Duke
Duke
A duke or duchess is a member of the nobility, historically of highest rank below the monarch, and historically controlling a duchy...
and so the town was the seat of the Duchy of Limburg
Duchy of Limburg
The Duchy of Limburg, situated in the Low Countries between the river Meuse and the city of Aachen, was a state of the Holy Roman Empire. Its territory is now divided between the Belgian provinces of Liège and Limburg , the Dutch province of Limburg , and a small part of North Rhine-Westphalia in...
, which was a part of the Lower Lorraine
Lower Lorraine
The Duchy of Lower Lorraine or Lower Lotharingia , established in 959 was a stem duchy of the medieval German kingdom, which encompassed part of modern-day Belgium, the Netherlands, the northern part of the German Rhineland and a part of northern France east of the Schelde river.It was created out...
region of the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
.
The town featured in the War of the Spanish Succession
War of the Spanish Succession
The War of the Spanish Succession was fought among several European powers, including a divided Spain, over the possible unification of the Kingdoms of Spain and France under one Bourbon monarch. As France and Spain were among the most powerful states of Europe, such a unification would have...
, falling in 1703 to British and Dutch Republican forces led by the Duke of Marlborough
John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough
John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, Prince of Mindelheim, KG, PC , was an English soldier and statesman whose career spanned the reigns of five monarchs through the late 17th and early 18th centuries...
. The lower part of the town, along the Vesdre, is called Dolhain
Dolhain
Dolhain is the industrial centre of the city of Limbourg, in the Belgian province of Liege. It occupies the site of the lower town of the ancient city of Limbourg, which was destroyed by Louis XIV in 1675...
.