Last modified: 2005-02-26 by ivan sache
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![[Flag of Eupen]](../images/b/be-wlgeu.gif)
by Jens Pattke
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The municipality of Eupen (17,500 inhabitants; 104.26 sq. km) is the
administrative capital city of the German-speaking Community in
Belgium. It is part of the province of Liége and region of Wallonia. The history of Eupen and the numerous changes in its rulers reflects
the location of the city near several borders. In 1477, Brabant and Limburg were ceded to the Austrian Hapsburgs.
Emperor Charles V granted on 15 June 1544 Eupen the right to have two
tax-free fairs per year. Eupen became renowned for cloth and nails
trade. In 1648, Eupen was granted the title of free seigniory with an
independent court; on 12 June 1674, it was granted a seal and the title
of town. A factory producing fine cloth was opened in 1680, which
triggered the development of the city. On 20 December 1688, Eupen was
granted the right to have five tax-free fairs per year. The title of
parish was granted to Eupen in 1695. In 1794, Eupen was incorporated in the French Republic. The treaty of
Vienna allocated in 1815 Eupen to the Rhine province (Rheinprovinz)
of Prussia. In 1920, the Prussian districts of Eupen, Malmedy and Sankt Vith (the
"Eastern Districts") were ceded to Belgium. Until 1925, they formed
the Governorate of Eupen-Malmédy.
The Eastern Cantons were reannexed by Germany on 18 May 1940, and
eventually retroceded to Belgium on 11 September 1
Eupen was mentioned for the first time in 1213 as a hamlet part of the
Duchy of Limburg, with a chapel dedicated to St. Nicholas. On 5 June
1288, Limburg was incorporated into the Duchy of Brabant following the
battle of Worringen. One century later (22 Feburary 1387), Limburg and
Brabant were incorporated into the Duchy of Burgundy. The same year,
Eupen was reduced to ashes during the war against Gelderland.
In 1555, the Spanish Hapsburgs succeded the Austrian Hapsburgs as the
rulers of Limburg and Brabant.
The Protestant religion was reported in Eupen for the first time in
1565. During the night of 6 July 1582, Dutch mercenaries trashed and
burned half of the city. The black plague reached Eupen in 1635 and
killed most of the inhabitants of the city.
On 11 April 1713, the treaty of Utrecht retroceded Limburg and Brabant
to the Austrian Hapsburgs. A "college of merchants" (chamber of
commerce) was founded in Eupen in 1783.
Eupen was granted a municipal coat of arms in 1864.