Eupen

Eupen is a city of the German-speaking Communauté of Belgium, located at 15 km of Aachen. It constitutes one of the nine common Belgians of German language, all located in Walloon region.

At an altitude varying between 250 and 350 meters, the city is made of two parts: city-high ( Oberstadt ), the most important, where the principal monuments and shopping malls are, and thelow one ( Unterstadt ), in edge of the Vesdre. Eupen is the seat of the government of the German-speaking Communauté and accommodates since January 2007 the seat of the Euregio the Meuse-Rhine.

Eupen in French (uncommon) said Néau .

History

The first document which mentions Eupen are the Chroniques Duché of Limbourg in 1213, where one speaks about a Eupen locality and a Saint Nicolas's Day vault. After the Battle of Worringen in 1288, Eupen is annexed to the Duché of the Brabant with the remainder of the duchy of Limbourg. The Brabant and Limbourg become Burgundian possessions in 1387; the same Eupen year is entirely burned during the war against the Duché of Gueldre.

In 1477, the Brabant and Limbourg change crown to be under that of the Habsbourg S Austrians. Charles Quint grants to Eupen the privilege to organize two fairs the year starting from 1544. With the abdication of Charles Quint, Eupen becomes a possession of the Spanish Netherlands. After the Peace of Utrecht, in 1713, the area passed under the mode of the Austrian Netherlands.

After having shared the history of the Duchy of Limbourg during 800 years, Eupen was attached to the Prussia after the Congrès of Vienna in 1815, then, with the other communes of the cantons of the East to the Belgium in 1920 by the Traité of Versailles.

Languages

90% of the population speak the German , the 10% remainder speaking the French and other languages.

The majority of the population is bilingual (German-French) or trilingual (German-French-English or other languages).

As for the whole of the German-speaking cities of Belgium, Eupen is under the mode of the linguistic Facilités for its small French-speaking minority.

Economy

  • Chemical industry (plastics)
  • Cable-making
  • Chocolate factory
  • Equipment and assembly: electricity and electronic
  • Haulage company Tourism

Tourism

  • the Stopping of Vesdre
  • stopping of the Gileppe
  • the church baroque Saint Nicolas's Day
  • historical downtown area
  • the Museum of the chocolate
  • the High Fagnes
  • the Natural Center of Natural Botrange
  • Center " Haus Ternell"
  • Museum of the local history
  • Procession of carnival with: 3000 participants, Monday of the pinks ( Rosenmontag )
  • Procession of Saint Martin's day, the November 11th

Native personalities of Eupen

Gallery photographs

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