Moresnet

Moresnet (in Francique ripuaire Moresent ) is a section of the common Belgian of Plombières, located in Walloon region in the Province of Liege.

It was a commune with whole share before the fusion of the communes of 1977.

History

The neutral Moresnet was, of 1816 with 1919, tiny a European Territoire of approximately 3,5  km ² located at approximately 7  km in the south-west of Aachen, in the south of the point where the borders of the Germany, the Belgium and the Netherlands meet, at the top of the Vaalserberg. Germany and the Netherlands at the time not having found an agreement on which would have the Souveraineté of it, a neutral territory controlled jointly by the two States was created.

Decline

With XVIIIe and XIXe centuries, the zinc mine of Moresnet was regarded as richest of Europe. More than 2 million tons of zinc ore had been extracted from it in five centuries. When the mine of the Vieille Mountain was exhausted in 1885, the neutral existence even of Moresnet was called in question. Several proposals were advanced to establish a more independent entity, like the creation of a casino or a postal service emitting its clean stamps, although this last idea was pushed back by the local government. The most remarkable initiative was advanced by the doctor Wilhelm Molly who proposed to make of Moresnet the first State using the Esperanto officially, under the name of Amikejo ( Lieu of friendship ).

However, neither Belgium nor Prussia had given up their claim on the territory and towards 1900, Prussia - following the refusal of Belgium to open negotiations on its statute - was directed towards a more aggressive policy, including several actions of sabotage and administrative obstruction. In 1914, during the beginning of the First World War, Germany invades Belgium and annexed Moresnet in 1915.

At the end of the war, the Traité of Versailles establishes in 1919 Belgian sovereignty on neutral Moresnet (like on the German village close to Neu-Moresnet). It was annexed by Germany during the Second world war but was restored in Belgium in 1944. Today, the territory belongs to the municipality of Calamine in the Cantons of the East (chart).

The tower King Baudouin mark three borders between Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany. This point constituted also the northern end of Moresnet Neutre. This panoramic tower rises with 322,5 meters and is the point highest of the Netherlands.

See too

External bonds

  • Neutraal Moresnet (nl, in, eo)

Simple: Moresnet

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