Moresnet
Encyclopedia
Neutral Moresnet was a tiny Belgian-Prussian condominium
that existed from 1816 to 1920 between present-day Belgium
and Germany
. Prior to Belgian independence in 1830, the territory was a Dutch
-Prussian condominium. During the First World War, the territory was annexed into Prussia, although the allies did not recognise the annexation.
The former territory is now in the Belgian city of Kelmis
. Today, it is especially of interest to Esperantists because of initiatives to found an Esperanto
-speaking state on the territory in the early 20th century.
Empire, the Congress of Vienna
of 1814/1815 redrew the European map, aiming at creating a balance of power
. One of the borders to be delineated was the one between the newly-founded United Kingdom of the Netherlands
and the Kingdom of Prussia
. Both parties could agree on the larger part of the territory, as borders mostly followed older lines, but the district of Moresnet proved problematic, mainly because of the valuable zinc spar
mine called Altenberg (German
) or Vieille Montagne
(French
) located there. Both the Netherlands and Prussia were keen to appropriate this resource, which was needed in the processing of zinc
and brass
- at that time, Bristol
in England was the only other place where zinc was processed.
In December 1815, Dutch and Prussian representatives convened in nearby Aachen
and on 26 June 1816 a compromise was reached, dividing the district of Moresnet into three parts. The village of Moresnet itself would become part of the Dutch province of Liège
, whereas the village Prussian Moresnet (renamed Neu-Moresnet after World War I
) would become part of the Prussian Rhine province
, and the mine and the adjacent village - would become a neutral territory
pending a future agreement. The two powers, both barred from occupying the area with their military, established a joint administration
.
When Belgium gained its independence from the Netherlands in 1830, the Belgians took over the Dutch role in Neutral Moresnet (though formally the Dutch never ceded their claim).
.
While the roads leading from Germany and Belgium to the "Three Country Point" on the Vaalserberg today bear the names, respectively, of Dreiländerweg ("Three-Countries-Way") and Route des Trois Bornes ("Three Boundary Stones Road"), the road coming from the Netherlands is called Viergrenzenweg ("Four Borders Way"), recalling the fact that once four territories met at this quadripoint
.
and the Prussian Eupen
. The municipal administration was headed by a mayor appointed by the commissioners.
The Napoleonic civil and penal codes
, introduced under French rule, remained in force throughout the existence of Neutral Moresnet. However, since no law court existed in the neutral territory, Belgian and Prussian judges had to come in and decide cases based on the Napoleonic laws. Since there was no administrative court either, the mayor's decision could not be appealed.
In 1859, Neutral Moresnet was granted a greater measure of self-administration by the installation of a municipal council of ten members. The council, as well as a welfare committee and a school committee, were appointed by the mayor and served an advisory function only. The people had no voting rights.
Life in Neutral Moresnet was dominated by the Vieille Montagne mining company, which not only was the major employer but also operated residences, shops, a hospital and a bank. The mine attracted many workers from the neighboring countries, increasing the population from 256 in 1815 to 2,275 in 1858 and 4,668 in 1914. Most services such as the mail were shared between Belgium and Prussia (in a fashion similar to Andorra
). There were five schools in the territory, and Prussian subjects could attend the schools in Prussian Moresnet.
Living in the territory had several benefits. Among these were the low taxes (the national budget being fixed at 2,735 fr.
throughout its history), the absence of import tariff
s from both neighbouring countries, and low prices compared to just across the border. A downside to their special status was the fact that people from Neutral Moresnet were considered to be stateless and were not allowed a military of their own. However, there is no record of Neutral Moresnet taking a hostile international stance.
Many immigrants settled in Moresnet so they would be exempt from military service
, but in 1854 Belgium began to conscript its citizens who had moved to Moresnet, and Prussia did likewise in 1874. From then on, the exemption applied only to descendants of the original inhabitants.
was legal tender. The currencies of Prussia (and then Germany, after 1871), Belgium and the Netherlands were also in circulation.
When the mine was exhausted in 1885, doubts arose about the continued survival of Neutral Moresnet. Several ideas were put forward to establish the territory as a more independent entity:
In 1886, Dr. Wilhelm Molly (1838–1919), the mine's chief medical doctor and an avid philatelist
, tried to organise a local postal service with its own stamps. This enterprise was quickly thwarted by Belgian intervention.
A casino was established in August 1903 after Belgium had forced all such resorts to close. The Moresnet casino operated under strict limitations, permitting no local resident to gamble, and no more than 20 persons to gather at a time. The venture was abandoned, however, when the Prussian king
threatened to partition the territory or cede it to Belgium in order to end the gambling. Around this same time, Moresnet boasted three distilleries for the manufacture of gin
.
The most remarkable initiative occurred in 1908, when Dr. Molly proposed making Neutral Moresnet the world's first Esperanto
-speaking state, named Amikejo ("place of friendship"). The proposed national anthem was an Esperanto march
of the same name. A number of residents learned Esperanto and a rally was held in Kelmis
in support of the idea of Amikejo on 13 August 1908. The World Congress of Esperanto
, meeting in Dresden
, even declared Neutral Moresnet the world capital of the Esperanto community. Esperanto still plays a prominent role in the society of Kelmis.
However, time was running out for the tiny territory. Neither Belgium nor Prussia (now within the German Empire
) had ever surrendered its original claim to it. Around 1900 Germany in particular was taking a more aggressive stance towards the territory and was accused of sabotage and of obstructing the administrative process in order to force the issue.
In 1918, the Armistice between France and Germany
, signed on November 11 at Compiègne
, forced Germany to withdraw from Belgium and also from Moresnet.
On June 28, 1919, the Treaty of Versailles
settled the dispute that had created the neutral territory a century earlier by awarding Neutral Moresnet, along with Prussian Moresnet and the German municipalities of Eupen and Malmedy
, to Belgium, thus permanently ending the status of a neutral territory.
The territory was formally annexed by Belgium on January 10, 1920. To distinguish it from the already existing town of Moresnet
, Neutral Moresnet was renamed Kelmis
(in French: La Calamine) - after kelme, the local dialect word for zinc spar
- while Prussian Moresnet was renamed Neu-Moresnet (New Moresnet).
After 1920, Moresnet shared the history of Eupen and Malmedy. Germany briefly re-annexed the area during World War II, but it returned to Belgium in 1944. Since 1973, Kelmis forms part of the German-speaking Community of Belgium
. In 1977, Kelmis absorbed the neighbouring communes of Neu-Moresnet and Hergenrath.
A small museum in Neu-Moresnet, the Göhltal Museum (Musée de la Vallée de la Gueule
), includes exhibits on Neutral Moresnet. Of the 60 border markers for the territory, more than 50 are still standing.
As a company, Vieille Montagne survived Neutral Moresnet. It branched out and after two centuries continues to exist as VM ZINC, a part of Union Minière
, the latter renamed in 2001 as Umicore
, a global materials company.
Condominium (international law)
In international law, a condominium is a political territory in or over which two or more sovereign powers formally agree to share equally dominium and exercise their rights jointly, without dividing it up into 'national' zones.Although a condominium has always been...
that existed from 1816 to 1920 between present-day Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Prior to Belgian independence in 1830, the territory was a Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
-Prussian condominium. During the First World War, the territory was annexed into Prussia, although the allies did not recognise the annexation.
The former territory is now in the Belgian city of Kelmis
Kelmis
Kelmis is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Liège. On January 1, 2006, Kelmis had a total population of 10,396...
. Today, it is especially of interest to Esperantists because of initiatives to found an Esperanto
Esperanto
is the most widely spoken constructed international auxiliary language. Its name derives from Doktoro Esperanto , the pseudonym under which L. L. Zamenhof published the first book detailing Esperanto, the Unua Libro, in 1887...
-speaking state on the territory in the early 20th century.
Origins
After the demise of Napoleon'sNapoleon I of France
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
Empire, the Congress of Vienna
Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna was a conference of ambassadors of European states chaired by Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, and held in Vienna from September, 1814 to June, 1815. The objective of the Congress was to settle the many issues arising from the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic Wars,...
of 1814/1815 redrew the European map, aiming at creating a balance of power
Balance of power in international relations
In international relations, a balance of power exists when there is parity or stability between competing forces. The concept describes a state of affairs in the international system and explains the behavior of states in that system...
. One of the borders to be delineated was the one between the newly-founded United Kingdom of the Netherlands
United Kingdom of the Netherlands
United Kingdom of the Netherlands is the unofficial name used to refer to Kingdom of the Netherlands during the period after it was first created from part of the First French Empire and before the new kingdom of Belgium split out in 1830...
and the Kingdom of Prussia
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...
. Both parties could agree on the larger part of the territory, as borders mostly followed older lines, but the district of Moresnet proved problematic, mainly because of the valuable zinc spar
Smithsonite
Smithsonite, or zinc spar, is zinc carbonate , a mineral ore of zinc. Historically, smithsonite was identified with hemimorphite before it was realised that they were two distinct minerals. The two minerals are very similar in appearance and the term calamine has been used for both, leading to some...
mine called Altenberg (German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
) or Vieille Montagne
Vieille Montagne
Vieille Montagne is the name of a former zinc mine in Kelmis , a town in Belgium between Liège and Aachen. The mine's name is French for "the old mountain", and this is also reflected in its German name, Altenberg...
(French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
) located there. Both the Netherlands and Prussia were keen to appropriate this resource, which was needed in the processing of zinc
Zinc
Zinc , or spelter , is a metallic chemical element; it has the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is the first element in group 12 of the periodic table. Zinc is, in some respects, chemically similar to magnesium, because its ion is of similar size and its only common oxidation state is +2...
and brass
Brass
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc; the proportions of zinc and copper can be varied to create a range of brasses with varying properties.In comparison, bronze is principally an alloy of copper and tin...
- at that time, Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
in England was the only other place where zinc was processed.
In December 1815, Dutch and Prussian representatives convened in nearby Aachen
Aachen
Aachen has historically been a spa town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Aachen was a favoured residence of Charlemagne, and the place of coronation of the Kings of Germany. Geographically, Aachen is the westernmost town of Germany, located along its borders with Belgium and the Netherlands, ...
and on 26 June 1816 a compromise was reached, dividing the district of Moresnet into three parts. The village of Moresnet itself would become part of the Dutch province of Liège
Liège (province)
Liège is the easternmost province of Belgium and belongs to the Walloon Region. It is an area of French and German ethnicity. It borders on the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, and in Belgium the provinces of Luxembourg, Namur, Walloon Brabant , and those of Flemish Brabant and Limburg . Its...
, whereas the village Prussian Moresnet (renamed Neu-Moresnet after World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
) would become part of the Prussian Rhine province
Rhineland
Historically, the Rhinelands refers to a loosely-defined region embracing the land on either bank of the River Rhine in central Europe....
, and the mine and the adjacent village - would become a neutral territory
Neutral territory
A neutral territory is a territory that is not an integral part of any state , and yet is not terra nullius, but is the object of an agreement under international law between at least two parties...
pending a future agreement. The two powers, both barred from occupying the area with their military, established a joint administration
Condominium (international law)
In international law, a condominium is a political territory in or over which two or more sovereign powers formally agree to share equally dominium and exercise their rights jointly, without dividing it up into 'national' zones.Although a condominium has always been...
.
When Belgium gained its independence from the Netherlands in 1830, the Belgians took over the Dutch role in Neutral Moresnet (though formally the Dutch never ceded their claim).
Borders
Formal installation of border demarcation markers for the territory occurred on 23 September 1818. The new territory of Neutral Moresnet had a more-or-less triangular shape with the base being the main road from Aachen to Liège. The village and mine lay just to the north of this road. To east and west two straight lines converged on the VaalserbergVaalserberg
The Vaalserberg is a hill 322.7 metres in height and the highest point in the European part of the Netherlands. The Vaalserberg is located in the province of Limburg, at the south-easternmost edge of the country in the municipality of Vaals, near the eponymous town, some three kilometres west of...
.
While the roads leading from Germany and Belgium to the "Three Country Point" on the Vaalserberg today bear the names, respectively, of Dreiländerweg ("Three-Countries-Way") and Route des Trois Bornes ("Three Boundary Stones Road"), the road coming from the Netherlands is called Viergrenzenweg ("Four Borders Way"), recalling the fact that once four territories met at this quadripoint
Quadripoint
A quadripoint is a point on the Earth that touches the border of four distinct territories. The term has never been in common use—it may not have been used before 1964, by the Geographer of the United States...
.
Flag
From 1883, Neutral Moresnet used a tricolore with horizontal bars in black, white and blue as its territorial flag. The origin is unclear and has been explained in two different ways:- Some hold that the colours were taken from the two conflicting powers' flags, with black and white standing for Prussia and white and blue for the Netherlands.
- Others think that the colours were taken from the logo of the Vieille Montagne mining company.
Status
The territory was governed by two royal commissioners, one from each neighbour. Eventually, these commissioners were commonly civil servants from the Belgian VerviersVerviers
Verviers is a Walloon city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Liège. The Verviers municipality includes the old communes of Ensival, Lambermont, Petit-Rechain, Stembert, and Heusy...
and the Prussian Eupen
Eupen
Eupen is a municipality in the Belgian province of Liège, from the German border , from the Dutch border and from the "High Fens" nature reserve...
. The municipal administration was headed by a mayor appointed by the commissioners.
The Napoleonic civil and penal codes
Napoleonic code
The Napoleonic Code — or Code Napoléon — is the French civil code, established under Napoléon I in 1804. The code forbade privileges based on birth, allowed freedom of religion, and specified that government jobs go to the most qualified...
, introduced under French rule, remained in force throughout the existence of Neutral Moresnet. However, since no law court existed in the neutral territory, Belgian and Prussian judges had to come in and decide cases based on the Napoleonic laws. Since there was no administrative court either, the mayor's decision could not be appealed.
In 1859, Neutral Moresnet was granted a greater measure of self-administration by the installation of a municipal council of ten members. The council, as well as a welfare committee and a school committee, were appointed by the mayor and served an advisory function only. The people had no voting rights.
Life in Neutral Moresnet was dominated by the Vieille Montagne mining company, which not only was the major employer but also operated residences, shops, a hospital and a bank. The mine attracted many workers from the neighboring countries, increasing the population from 256 in 1815 to 2,275 in 1858 and 4,668 in 1914. Most services such as the mail were shared between Belgium and Prussia (in a fashion similar to Andorra
Andorra
Andorra , officially the Principality of Andorra , also called the Principality of the Valleys of Andorra, , is a small landlocked country in southwestern Europe, located in the eastern Pyrenees mountains and bordered by Spain and France. It is the sixth smallest nation in Europe having an area of...
). There were five schools in the territory, and Prussian subjects could attend the schools in Prussian Moresnet.
Living in the territory had several benefits. Among these were the low taxes (the national budget being fixed at 2,735 fr.
Belgian franc
The franc was the currency of Belgium until 2002 when the euro was introduced into circulation. It was subdivided into centimes , 100 centiem or Centime .-History:...
throughout its history), the absence of import tariff
Tariff
A tariff may be either tax on imports or exports , or a list or schedule of prices for such things as rail service, bus routes, and electrical usage ....
s from both neighbouring countries, and low prices compared to just across the border. A downside to their special status was the fact that people from Neutral Moresnet were considered to be stateless and were not allowed a military of their own. However, there is no record of Neutral Moresnet taking a hostile international stance.
Many immigrants settled in Moresnet so they would be exempt from military service
Military service
Military service, in its simplest sense, is service by an individual or group in an army or other militia, whether as a chosen job or as a result of an involuntary draft . Some nations require a specific amount of military service from every citizen...
, but in 1854 Belgium began to conscript its citizens who had moved to Moresnet, and Prussia did likewise in 1874. From then on, the exemption applied only to descendants of the original inhabitants.
Currency
Neutral Moresnet did not have its own currency. The French FrancFrench franc
The franc was a currency of France. Along with the Spanish peseta, it was also a de facto currency used in Andorra . Between 1360 and 1641, it was the name of coins worth 1 livre tournois and it remained in common parlance as a term for this amount of money...
was legal tender. The currencies of Prussia (and then Germany, after 1871), Belgium and the Netherlands were also in circulation.
Uncertain future
In 1886, Dr. Wilhelm Molly (1838–1919), the mine's chief medical doctor and an avid philatelist
Philately
Philately is the study of stamps and postal history and other related items. Philately involves more than just stamp collecting, which does not necessarily involve the study of stamps. It is possible to be a philatelist without owning any stamps...
, tried to organise a local postal service with its own stamps. This enterprise was quickly thwarted by Belgian intervention.
A casino was established in August 1903 after Belgium had forced all such resorts to close. The Moresnet casino operated under strict limitations, permitting no local resident to gamble, and no more than 20 persons to gather at a time. The venture was abandoned, however, when the Prussian king
William II, German Emperor
Wilhelm II was the last German Emperor and King of Prussia, ruling the German Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia from 15 June 1888 to 9 November 1918. He was a grandson of the British Queen Victoria and related to many monarchs and princes of Europe...
threatened to partition the territory or cede it to Belgium in order to end the gambling. Around this same time, Moresnet boasted three distilleries for the manufacture of gin
Gin
Gin is a spirit which derives its predominant flavour from juniper berries . Although several different styles of gin have existed since its origins, it is broadly differentiated into two basic legal categories...
.
The most remarkable initiative occurred in 1908, when Dr. Molly proposed making Neutral Moresnet the world's first Esperanto
Esperanto
is the most widely spoken constructed international auxiliary language. Its name derives from Doktoro Esperanto , the pseudonym under which L. L. Zamenhof published the first book detailing Esperanto, the Unua Libro, in 1887...
-speaking state, named Amikejo ("place of friendship"). The proposed national anthem was an Esperanto march
March (music)
A march, as a musical genre, is a piece of music with a strong regular rhythm which in origin was expressly written for marching to and most frequently performed by a military band. In mood, marches range from the moving death march in Wagner's Götterdämmerung to the brisk military marches of John...
of the same name. A number of residents learned Esperanto and a rally was held in Kelmis
Kelmis
Kelmis is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Liège. On January 1, 2006, Kelmis had a total population of 10,396...
in support of the idea of Amikejo on 13 August 1908. The World Congress of Esperanto
World Congress of Esperanto
The World Congress of Esperanto has the longest tradition among international Esperanto conventions, with an almost unbroken run of more than a hundred years. The congresses have been held since 1905 every year, except during World Wars I and II...
, meeting in Dresden
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
, even declared Neutral Moresnet the world capital of the Esperanto community. Esperanto still plays a prominent role in the society of Kelmis.
However, time was running out for the tiny territory. Neither Belgium nor Prussia (now within the German Empire
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
) had ever surrendered its original claim to it. Around 1900 Germany in particular was taking a more aggressive stance towards the territory and was accused of sabotage and of obstructing the administrative process in order to force the issue.
First World War
The First World War brought about the end of neutrality. On August 4, 1914, Germany invaded Belgium, leaving Moresnet at first "an oasis in a desert of destruction". In 1915, the territory was annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia, without international recognition.In 1918, the Armistice between France and Germany
Armistice with Germany (Compiègne)
The armistice between the Allies and Germany was an agreement that ended the fighting in the First World War. It was signed in a railway carriage in Compiègne Forest on 11 November 1918 and marked a victory for the Allies and a complete defeat for Germany, although not technically a surrender...
, signed on November 11 at Compiègne
Compiègne
Compiègne is a city in northern France. It is designated municipally as a commune within the département of Oise.The city is located along the Oise River...
, forced Germany to withdraw from Belgium and also from Moresnet.
On June 28, 1919, the Treaty of Versailles
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June 1919, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The other Central Powers on the German side of...
settled the dispute that had created the neutral territory a century earlier by awarding Neutral Moresnet, along with Prussian Moresnet and the German municipalities of Eupen and Malmedy
Eupen-Malmedy
Eupen-Malmedy, or the East Cantons , is a group of cantons in Belgium, composed of the former Prussian districts of Malmedy and Eupen, together with the Neutral Moresnet...
, to Belgium, thus permanently ending the status of a neutral territory.
Post-war history
Moresnet
Neutral Moresnet was a tiny Belgian-Prussian condominium that existed from 1816 to 1920 between present-day Belgium and Germany. Prior to Belgian independence in 1830, the territory was a Dutch-Prussian condominium...
, Neutral Moresnet was renamed Kelmis
Kelmis
Kelmis is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Liège. On January 1, 2006, Kelmis had a total population of 10,396...
(in French: La Calamine) - after kelme, the local dialect word for zinc spar
Smithsonite
Smithsonite, or zinc spar, is zinc carbonate , a mineral ore of zinc. Historically, smithsonite was identified with hemimorphite before it was realised that they were two distinct minerals. The two minerals are very similar in appearance and the term calamine has been used for both, leading to some...
- while Prussian Moresnet was renamed Neu-Moresnet (New Moresnet).
After 1920, Moresnet shared the history of Eupen and Malmedy. Germany briefly re-annexed the area during World War II, but it returned to Belgium in 1944. Since 1973, Kelmis forms part of the German-speaking Community of Belgium
German-speaking Community of Belgium
The German-speaking Community of Belgium is one of the three federal communities of Belgium. Covering an area of 854 km² within the province of Liège in Wallonia, it includes nine of the eleven municipalities of the so-called East Cantons...
. In 1977, Kelmis absorbed the neighbouring communes of Neu-Moresnet and Hergenrath.
A small museum in Neu-Moresnet, the Göhltal Museum (Musée de la Vallée de la Gueule
Geul
The Geul is a river in Belgium and the Netherlands. It is a right tributary to the river Meuse. The source of the Geul is near the German-Belgian border south of Aachen at approx. altitude. After approx. it flows into the Netherlands, and after a further it flows into the river Meuse, north of...
), includes exhibits on Neutral Moresnet. Of the 60 border markers for the territory, more than 50 are still standing.
As a company, Vieille Montagne survived Neutral Moresnet. It branched out and after two centuries continues to exist as VM ZINC, a part of Union Minière
Union Minière du Haut Katanga
The Union Minière du Haut Katanga was a Belgian mining company, once operating in Katanga, in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
, the latter renamed in 2001 as Umicore
Umicore
Umicore N.V. is a multinational materials technology company headquartered in Brussels, Belgium. Formed in 1989 by the merger of four companies in the mining and smelting industries, Umicore has since reshaped itself into a more technology-focused business encompassing such areas as the refining...
, a global materials company.
List of Royal Commissioners
| Name | Term | Notes | Name | Term | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appointed by the United Kingdom of the Netherlands United Kingdom of the Netherlands United Kingdom of the Netherlands is the unofficial name used to refer to Kingdom of the Netherlands during the period after it was first created from part of the First French Empire and before the new kingdom of Belgium split out in 1830... : |
Appointed by the Kingdom of Prussia Kingdom of Prussia The Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire... : |
||||
| Werner Jacob | December 8, 1817 - December 2, 1823 | lawyer | Wilhelm Hardt | August 6, 1817–1819 | Mining consultant |
| Joseph Brandès | December 2, 1823–1830 | School inspector | Johann Martin Daniel Mayer | April 22, 1819 - March 1836 |
Mining consultant |
| Vacancy due to the Belgian Revolution Belgian Revolution The Belgian Revolution was the conflict which led to the secession of the Southern provinces from the United Kingdom of the Netherlands and established an independent Kingdom of Belgium.... , followed by Royal Commissioners appointed by the Kingdom of Belgium Belgium Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many... : |
|||||
| Lambert Ernst | June 8, 1835–1840 | Deputy Prosecutor, Court of Appeal in Liege | Heinrich Martins | July 9, 1836 - November 9, 1853 or 1854 | Mining consultant |
| Mathieu Crémer | February 1, 1840–1889 | Judge from Verviers Verviers Verviers is a Walloon city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Liège. The Verviers municipality includes the old communes of Ensival, Lambermont, Petit-Rechain, Stembert, and Heusy... |
Peter Benedict Joseph Amand von Harenne | August 11, 1852 or 1854 - January 7, 1866 | District commissioner of Eupen Eupen Eupen is a municipality in the Belgian province of Liège, from the German border , from the Dutch border and from the "High Fens" nature reserve... |
| Freiherr von der Heydt | December 12, 1866–1868 | Former district commissioner of Eupen | |||
| Edward Gülcher | 1868–1871 | District commissioner of Eupen | |||
| Alfred Theodor Sternickel | June 18, 1871 - April 1893 |
District commissioner of Eupen | |||
| Fernand Jacques Bleyfuesz | November 30, 1889 - March 27, 1915 | District commissioner of Verviers | Alfred Jakob Bernhard Theodor Gülcher | April 18, 1893 - January 1, 1909 |
District commissioner of Eupen |
| Belgian control de facto ended by German military occupation on August 4, 1914 | Walter Karl Maria The Losen | January 13, 1909 - November 1, 1918 | District commissioner of Eupen | ||
| Dr. Bayer (acting) | March 27 - June 27, 1915 |
Civil commissioner of Verviers | |||
| Annexed by Prussia in 1915, without international recognition | |||||
| Fernand Jacques Bleyfuesz | November 1918 - January 10, 1920 | District commissioner of Verviers | Vacancy due to the Armistice Armistice with Germany (Compiègne) The armistice between the Allies and Germany was an agreement that ended the fighting in the First World War. It was signed in a railway carriage in Compiègne Forest on 11 November 1918 and marked a victory for the Allies and a complete defeat for Germany, although not technically a surrender... of 1918. |
||
List of mayors
| Name | Term |
|---|---|
| Arnold Timothée de Lasaulx Arnold Timothée de Lasaulx Arnold Timothée Albert Francois Joseph de Lasaulx was Mayor of Neutral Moresnet from 1817 until 1859.-Life:Lasaulx was born at Castle Alensberg, the son of Pierre-Olivier-Albert-Georges-Joseph de Lasaulx and Marie-Anne-Emérantiane-Josèphe de Mylius.He married Anne-Dorothée-Antoinette-Joséphine de... |
1817 – February 2, 1859 |
| Adolf Hubert van Scherpenzeel-Thim Adolf Hubert van Scherpenzeel-Thim Adolf Hubert van Scherpenzeel-Thim was Mayor of Neutral Moresnet, a small neutral territory, from February 21, 1859 – May 30, 1859.... |
February 2 – May 30, 1859 |
| Joseph Kohl Joseph Kohl Joseph Kohl was Mayor of Neutral Moresnet, a small neutral territory, from June 1, 1859 – February 3, 1882.... |
June 1, 1859 - February 3, 1882 |
| Vacancy 1882–1885 | |
| Hubert Schmetz Hubert Schmetz Hybert Schmetz was Mayor of Neutral Moresnet, a small neutral territory, from June 20, 1885 – March 15, 1915.... |
June 20, 1885 - March 15, 1915 |
| Wilhelm Kyll Wilhelm Kyll Wilhelm Kyll was Mayor of Moresnet from March 29, 1915 – December 7, 1918.... , |
March 29, 1915 – December 7, 1918 |
| Pierre Grignard Pierre Grignard Pierre Grignard was Mayor of Moresnet from December 7, 1918 – January 10, 1920.... |
December 7, 1918 - January 10, 1920 |
External links
- Neutral Moresnet (also available in Dutch, Esperanto, German, and French)
- Pictures of the old mines at Moresnet
- Official website of the present town of Kelmis (in German)
- Göhltalmuseum, a local museum that shows the history of Neutral Moresnet and its zinc mining (in German)