All Topics  
Maaseik

 

 
   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link
 

 

Maaseik
 
 
  Topics Maaseik Topic Home

Maaseik is a municipality located in the Belgian
Belgium

* A small German-speaking Community of Belgium exists in eastern Wallonia. Belgium's linguistic diversity and related political and cultural conflicts are reflected in the history of Belgium and a complex Communities and regions of Belgium....
 province
Provinces of Belgium

Belgium is divided into three regions, two of them are subdivided into five provinces each.The division into provinces is fixed by Article 5 of the Constitution of Belgium....
 of Limburg
Limburg (Belgium)

Limburg is the easternmost province of Flanders , and is located west of the Maas River river. It borders on the Netherlands and the Belgian provinces of Li?ge , Flemish Brabant and Antwerp ....
. The city is located on the river Maas
Meuse River

File:01-Namur-290305 JPG.jpgThe Meuse , is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea....
 (or Meuse), bordering the Netherlands
Netherlands

The Netherlands is a country that is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands is located in North-West Europe, and bordered by the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east....
. The Maaseik municipality includes the town of Maaseik proper and the old communes of Neeroeteren and Opoeteren.

History
Religious origins
The history of Maaseik begins as Aldeneik
Aldeneik

Aldeneik, founded in 730, is a suburb of the Belgian town of Maaseik. It lies on the banks of the Meuse River, close to the border with the Netherlands, close to where the Bosbeek runs off it....
 (“old oak”) around 700, when Adelard, a local Frankish personality, built a Benedictine
Benedictine

Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy....
 monastery
Monastery

Monastery , a term derived from the Greek language word ???ast?????, neut. of ???ast????? - monasterios denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of Monk, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in Cenobium or alone ....
 along the Meuse.






Discussion
Ask a question about 'Maaseik'
Start a new discussion about 'Maaseik'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Encyclopedia


Maaseik is a municipality located in the Belgian
Belgium

* A small German-speaking Community of Belgium exists in eastern Wallonia. Belgium's linguistic diversity and related political and cultural conflicts are reflected in the history of Belgium and a complex Communities and regions of Belgium....
 province
Provinces of Belgium

Belgium is divided into three regions, two of them are subdivided into five provinces each.The division into provinces is fixed by Article 5 of the Constitution of Belgium....
 of Limburg
Limburg (Belgium)

Limburg is the easternmost province of Flanders , and is located west of the Maas River river. It borders on the Netherlands and the Belgian provinces of Li?ge , Flemish Brabant and Antwerp ....
. The city is located on the river Maas
Meuse River

File:01-Namur-290305 JPG.jpgThe Meuse , is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea....
 (or Meuse), bordering the Netherlands
Netherlands

The Netherlands is a country that is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands is located in North-West Europe, and bordered by the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east....
. The Maaseik municipality includes the town of Maaseik proper and the old communes of Neeroeteren and Opoeteren.

History


Religious origins


The history of Maaseik begins as Aldeneik
Aldeneik

Aldeneik, founded in 730, is a suburb of the Belgian town of Maaseik. It lies on the banks of the Meuse River, close to the border with the Netherlands, close to where the Bosbeek runs off it....
 (“old oak”) around 700, when Adelard, a local Frankish personality, built a Benedictine
Benedictine

Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy....
 monastery
Monastery

Monastery , a term derived from the Greek language word ???ast?????, neut. of ???ast????? - monasterios denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of Monk, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in Cenobium or alone ....
 along the Meuse. His two daughters, Herlindis
Herlindis of Maaseik

Saint Herlindis , sister of Saint Relindis of Maaseik, was a Frankish saint and abbess.Herlindis and Relindis were the daughters of the Frankish nobleman Adelard, who had his daughters brought up at the Benedictine monastery in Valenciennes....
 and Relindis
Relindis of Maaseik

Saint Relindis , sister of Saint Herlindis of Maaseik, was the daughter of count Adelard who built a Benedictine monastery at Maaseik for his daughters....
, both became abbesses of the monastery and eventually became saints. The religious center of Aldeneik soon became the focal point of a small community. The monastery suffered heavy destruction by the Normans
Normans

The Normans were the people who gave their names to Normandy, a region in northern France. They descended from Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of mostly Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock....
 in the 9th century. Around 950, emperor Otto I gave the monastery to the Bishop of Liège
Bishopric of Liège

The Bishopric of Li?ge or Prince-Bishopric of Li?ge was a state of the Holy Roman Empire in the Low Countries in present Belgium. It belonged from 1500 on to the Lower Rhenish-Westphalian Circle....
, who delegated the administrative tasks to a local chapter
Chapter (religion)

Chapter designates certain corporate ecclesiology bodies in the Catholic Church, Anglicanism and Nordic Lutheranism churches.The word is said to be derived from the Chapter of the rule book: it is a custom under the Rule of Saint Benedict that monks gather daily for a meeting to discuss monastery business, hear a sermon or lecture, or rec...
 of canons
Canon (priest)

A canon is a priest who is a member of certain bodies of the Christianity clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule .Originally, a canon was a cleric living with others in a clergyhouse or, later, in one of the houses within the precinct or close of a cathedral and ordering his life according to the orders or rules of the church....
.

Middle Ages

Just a few kilometers south-west of Aldeneik, a new community started to grow, which became a separate parish in 1244. This community was known as Nieuw-Eyck (“new oak”) and eventually Maaseik. As a strategic location for the County of Loon
County of Loon

The County of Loon was a state of the Holy Roman Empire, lying in present-day Belgium. Its territory corresponded more or less with that of the current province of Limburg ....
 to which it belonged, the city surrounded itself with defensive walls and ditches. These fortifications were dismantled by Charles the Bold in 1467, after an uprising of the city burghers against the Prince-Bishop of Liège
Liege

The term Liege may refer to:* Feudalism, where a liege is a party in the vassalic oath of allegiance* Li?ge Island, in the Antarctic* Li?ge , a subway station in Paris...
. This word "Eyck" looks like the German word "Ecke". Does "Maaseik" mean "Marsh Corner" (the aerial footage seems to suggest this)? Often the Weapfeonschields are incorrect interpretations of "place names".

16th century until now

The walls were built again in the 16th century and strengthened by Vauban
Vauban

S?bastien Le Prestre, Seigneur de Vauban and later Marquis de Vauban , commonly referred to as Vauban, was a Marshal of France and the foremost military engineer of his age, famed for his skill in both designing fortifications and in breaking through them....
 in the following century. After the French
France

France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....
 retreat in 1675, however, the military installations were gradually taken down. Today, only the names of the old city gates survive (e.g., Bospoort, Maaspoort). The 16th and beginning of the 17th century were economically profitable to Maaseik thanks to its advantageous location between Liège and the sea. The commercial activity remained strong until the second half of the 17th century, when the regional power of Liège started to fade. The fire that destroyed a third of the city in 1684 accelerated the decline. During all that time, Maaseik was still a dependence of the chapter of canons in Aldeneik. Just before the French Revolution
French Revolution

The French Revolution was a period of political and social upheaval and radical change in the history of France, during which the French governmental structure, previously an absolute monarchy with feudalism for the aristocracy and Roman Catholic Church clergy, underwent radical change to forms based on Age of Enlightenment principles of cit...
, no less than six religious order
Religious order

A religious order is a lineage of communities and organizations of people who live in some way set apart from society in accordance with their specific religious devotion, usually characterized by the principles of its founder's religious practice....
s were still present in the city.

The Industrial Revolution
Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution was a period in the late 18th and early 19th centuries when major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, production, and transportation had a profound effect on the socioeconomics and cultural conditions in United Kingdom....
 of the 19th century seems to have bypassed Maaseik. The city centre still retained its architectural unity until World War I
World War I

World War I, or the First World War , was a global military conflict which involved the Great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War I and the Central Powers....
. Today, the city is mostly a regional centre offering shopping, educational, and medical services to the surrounding communities.

Sights

  • The Sint-Catharinakerk houses the oldest Gospel Book
    Gospel Book

    The Gospel Book, or Book of the Gospels is a codex or bound volume containing one or more of the four Gospels of the Christian New Testament....
     of the Benelux
    Benelux

    The Benelux is an union in Western Europe that comprises three neighboring countries, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg , which lie in the north western European region between France and Germany....
    , the Codex Eyckensis
    Codex Eyckensis

    The Codex Eyckensis is a manuscript dating from the first half of the eight century. It is called ?Eyckensis? because it was preserved during centuries in the convent of Aldeneik, near Maaseik, Belgium....
    , which dates from the 7th or 8th century.
  • The main market square features a statue of the city’s most famous sons, Jan
    Jan van Eyck

    Jan van Eyck or Johannes de Eyck was an Early Netherlandish painting active in Bruges and considered one of the best Northern European painters of the 15th century....
     and Hubert van Eyck
    Hubert van Eyck

    Hubert van Eyck was a Flemings Painting and older brother of Jan van Eyck.The date of his birth and the records of his progress are lost amidst the ruins of the earlier civilization of the valley of the Meuse River....
    . A permanent exhibition on their work can be seen at the nearby Franciscan
    Franciscan

    The term Franciscan is commonly used to refer to members of Catholic religious orders that follow a body of regulations known as "The rule of St....
     cloister
    Cloister

    A cloister is a covered walk with an open colonnade on one side, running along the walls of buildings that face a quadrangle or garth. The attachment of a cloister to a cathedral or church usually indicates that it is part of a monastic foundation....
    , which also houses a scale model
    Scale model

    Sorry, no overview for this topic
     of the city as it was in 1672.
  • The Museactron includes a regional archaeological museum, a pharmacy museum, and a bakery museum.
  • Twelve of the original sixteen watermills around the city are in very good shape and still make flour or saw wood.


Famous inhabitants

  • Saint Herlindis
    Herlindis of Maaseik

    Saint Herlindis , sister of Saint Relindis of Maaseik, was a Frankish saint and abbess.Herlindis and Relindis were the daughters of the Frankish nobleman Adelard, who had his daughters brought up at the Benedictine monastery in Valenciennes....
    , abbess and saint (d. 745)
  • Saint Relindis
    Relindis of Maaseik

    Saint Relindis , sister of Saint Herlindis of Maaseik, was the daughter of count Adelard who built a Benedictine monastery at Maaseik for his daughters....
    , sister of Herlindis, abbess and saint (d. 750)
  • Jan
    Jan van Eyck

    Jan van Eyck or Johannes de Eyck was an Early Netherlandish painting active in Bruges and considered one of the best Northern European painters of the 15th century....
     and Hubert van Eyck
    Hubert van Eyck

    Hubert van Eyck was a Flemings Painting and older brother of Jan van Eyck.The date of his birth and the records of his progress are lost amidst the ruins of the earlier civilization of the valley of the Meuse River....
    , painters, thought to be born in Maaseik (c. 1385-1441 and c. 1366-1426, respectively)
  • Vital Borkelmans
    Vital Borkelmans

    Vital Borkelmans was a Belgium football left fullback who mainly played for Club Brugge . He also played for S.V. Zulte-Waregem, K.A.A. Gent and Cercle Brugge K.S.V.....
    , football
    Football (soccer)

    Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of eleven players, and is widely considered to be the most popular sport in the world....
     fullback (b. 1963)
  • Kristof Vliegen
    Kristof Vliegen

    Kristof Vliegen is a Belgian tennis player. He plays right-handed and he turned professional in 2001.He was a semi-finalist in ATP Chennai in 2006 and in May of the same year, he reached the final of the ATP tournament in ATP Munich, setting up the first ever all-Belgian men's singles final against Olivier Rochus....
    , tennis
    Tennis

    Tennis is a sport played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a strung racquet to strike a hollow rubber Tennis ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's tennis court....
     player (b. 1982)


Twin cities

Wegberg
Wegberg

Wegberg is the northernmost city in the district of Heinsberg in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany....
Echt-Susteren
Echt-Susteren

Echt-Susteren is a municipality in the southeastern Netherlands....
, across the Meuse River
Meuse River

File:01-Namur-290305 JPG.jpgThe Meuse , is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea....

Sport

The commune of Neeroeteren has been host to the Belgian Sidecarcross Grand Prix
Sidecarcross world championship

The Sidecarcross World Championship is an annual event, organised by the F?d?ration Internationale de Motocyclisme , held since 1980. The current champions for the 2008 season are Dani?l Willemsen and Reto Gr?tter....
 numberous times and will be hosting it again in 2009
2009 Sidecarcross world championship

The 2009 F?d?ration Internationale de Motocyclisme Sidecarcross world championship will start on 29 March and finish after thirteen race weekends on 13 September 2009....
, on 12 July.

See also

  • Islamic dress controversy in Europe


External links

  • - Only available in Dutch
    Dutch language

    Dutch is a West Germanic languages spoken by over 22 million people as a first language, and about 5 million people as a second language."1% of the EU population claims to speak Dutch well enough in order to have a conversation." Outside the European Union the number of second language speakers of Dutch is very small. Most native...