Limbourg (;

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

and

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

: ''Limburg''; wa, Limbôr) or Limbourg-sur-Vesdre is a city and

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the ...

Wallonia Wallonia (; french: Wallonie ), or ; nl, Wallonië ; wa, Waloneye or officially the Walloon Region (french: link=no, Région wallonne),; nl, link=no, Waals gewest; wa, link=no, Redjon walone is one of the three regions of Belgium—al ...

located in the province of Liège,

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...

. 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 (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

of 231 inhabitants per km². The municipality consists of the following districts: Bilstain, Goé, and Limbourg. The lower part of the town, along the Vesdre, is called

Dolhain Dolhain is the industrial centre of the city of Limbourg, Wallonia, in the Belgian province of Liège. It occupies the site of the lower town of the ancient city of Limbourg, which was destroyed by Louis XIV in 1675. On a rocky eminence above ...

Etymology and history

The second part of the name Limbourg is from ''burg'' meaning a fortified town, which is common in many parts of Europe where

Germanic languages The Germanic languages are a branch of the Indo-European language family spoken natively by a population of about 515 million people mainly in Europe, North America, Oceania and Southern Africa. The most widely spoken Germanic language, ...

are spoken or have been spoken historically (see

Germanic placename etymology Germanic toponyms are the names given to places by Germanic peoples and tribes. Besides areas with current speakers of Germanic languages, many regions with previous Germanic speakers or Germanic influence had or still have Germanic toponymic ele ...

). Concerning the first part of the name, there are various theories. One is ''lint'' meaning "dragon". Another is that it refers back to the Roman-era

limes Limes may refer to: * the plural form of lime (disambiguation) Lime commonly refers to: * Lime (fruit), a green citrus fruit * Lime (material), inorganic materials containing calcium, usually calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide * Lime (color), a ...

, situated at boundaries of the Empire. It may also have been related to the material ''lim'' or lime. Jean-Louis Kupper has proposed that the fort was named by its founder Frederick after

Limburg Abbey Limburg Abbey is a ruined abbey near Bad Dürkheim, at the edge of the Palatinate Forest in Germany. In the 9th century, the Salian Dukes from Worms built a fortress on the ''Linthberg'' as their family seat. In the early 11th century, the fort ...

in Germany, which in his lifetime had important connection to his imperial patrons and the Abbey of Stavelot, for which he was advowee. Limbourg is located on top of a hill which in its turn is surrounded by the river

Vesdre The Vesdre (French, ) or Weser (German, ) and Vesder ( Dutch, ) is a river in Liège Province, eastern Belgium. A few kilometres of the upper reaches also flow through the German municipality Roetgen and form part of the Belgian–German border. ...

. This was a strong military advantage in the Middle Ages and allowed the city to defend itself against foreign invaders. In the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

, the ruling family came to have the rank of duke and so the town was the seat of the

Duchy of Limburg The Duchy of Limburg or Limbourg was an imperial estate of the Holy Roman Empire. Much of the area of the duchy is today located within Liège Province of Belgium, with a small portion in the municipality of Voeren, an exclave of the neighbourin ...

, which was a part of the

Lower Lorraine The Duchy of Lower Lotharingia, also called Northern Lotharingia, Lower Lorraine or Northern Lorraine (and also referred to as '' Lothier'' or '' Lottier''

region of the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a political entity in Western, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars. From the accession of Otto I in 962 unt ...

. The town featured in the

War of the Spanish Succession The War of the Spanish Succession was a European great power conflict that took place from 1701 to 1714. The death of childless Charles II of Spain in November 1700 led to a struggle for control of the Spanish Empire between his heirs, Phil ...

, falling in 1703 to British and Dutch Republican forces led by the Duke of Marlborough. The song 'The Fat Lady of Limbourg' on

Brian Eno Brian Peter George St John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno (; born Brian Peter George Eno, 15 May 1948) is a British musician, composer, record producer and visual artist best known for his contributions to ambient music and work in rock, pop a ...

's 1974 album ' Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy)' describes an asylum in the town which has more patients than there are residents of the town. DeRogatis, Jim (2004). Turn On Your Mind: Four Decades of Great Psychedelic Rock. Hal Leonard. ISBN 0-634-05548-8. File:Limbourg, de Vesder in de stad foto9 2017-03-12 14.07.jpg, Limbourg, the

File:Limbourg, chapelle Saint-Anne oeg63046-CLT-0001-01 foto5 2017-03-12 13.42.jpg, The chapel of Saint Anne Image:Limburg1600.png, Limbourg about 1600

References

External links

Historical view of Limbourg
{{Authority control Cities in Wallonia Municipalities of Liège Province

Etymology and history

See also

References

External links