Wessem
Encyclopedia
Wessem is a small village in the Netherlands
, in the province of Limburg
. Wessem is a part of the municipality of Maasgouw
. As of 2002, Wessem had a population of 1,750.
Little is known about the early history. The name sounds Frankish and excavation show that it was inhabited in pre-Roman
times. It was inhabited in that time by the Eburones
, a Belgic
tribe based on north-eastern Gaul
in the 1st century BC. Julius Caesar
described them as being of Germanic
origin. They are believed to have lived between the Meuse
and Rhine rivers. Ambiorix
, an Eburonian chief, is known for having led a rebellion against the Romans
in 54 BC
. Because of this rebellion the Eburones
were all but exterminated by the Romans and their land was destroyed. They were replaced by the Tungri
, a Germanic
tribe that was Celt
icised but in villages on the other side of the river Meuse
the Eburones
continued to exist what would explain the fact that the Limburgs language spoken on the west bank of the river Meuse
still has some traces of the old Celtic language
spoken by the Eburones
.
The first written proof of Wessem's existence found, according to Crassier
in his Dictionaire (Dictionary
), is in a Charter of 946, when Emperor Otto I confirmed to the abbey of Gembloux
, the possession in Wessem of a mill and a brewery.
There was also a relationship with the abbey of St. Pantaleon in Cologne
since bishop Bruno
left all his assets, rights and possessions in the "hof Wessem" to the abbey in his last will and testament in 946.
In 946 Wessem acquired the right to make their own coins, collect taxes and to choose a guardian and a mayor. In the 12th century BC, Wessem received full city rights and from then on suffered the same fate as so many small communities in Limburg
. Through marriages, agreements, war and inheritancies and legacies, Wessem was owned by one noble family after another. For example, in 1219 Willem I van Horn acquired Wessem as a guardian. The reign of the van Horne’s lasted until 1568 when Philips van Montmorency
together with Lamoraal van Egmond
were decapitated in Brussel by Spanish
noblemen.
In style with local customs at the time the executors received the victims' possessions and Wessem became Gelders
. The Lords of Gelre en Gulick received all possessions of the Lords of Horne. Horn in contemporary Dutch and Hör
in Limburgs, is still a small town very near to Wessem on the banks of the river Meuse
nad even the castle still exists and descendants of the noble family still live there.
In this period Wessem was a small town with fortifications. It had its own courtroom and jurisdiction, and being the main town in the Land van Horne
(The land of the Lords of Horne), it had jurisdiction over most of the other towns in the Land van Horne.
In 1609 the confiscations granted to the lords of Gelre en Gulick expired. The princes of Chimay
took possession of Wessem in 1620, a reign that would until the French Revolutionary Army
arrived in 1790.
Situated strategically on the banks of the busy river Meuse
and on most main roads in Limburg, Wessem's economy boomed in the 17th century. It was an important centre for trade and shipping. Relics from that time can still be seen in the form of big warehouses and storage-barns. The old city centre is well preserved and show Wessem's riches in those days.
The arrival of the French
in 1790 preluded a harsh time for Wessem. The government and jurisdiction were changed at the will of the new rulers. The community had a love-hate relationship with the French Empire
and flourished until in the years after the downfall of Emperor Napoleon I
, Wessem became a part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands
, a status it still has nowadays with a short interval in the years 1830-1839, when it chose the side of the Belgians
in their independence struggle against the deceitful Dutch
. The Dutch
occupied Wessem because of its strategic importance and Wessem became a part of the Netherlands
.
Wessem was a separate municipality until 1991, when it was merged with Heel.
All in all, Wessem had a very quiet history, which can be seen by walking through the old centre with a unique network of little streets paved with maaskeitjes (small square stones found in the river Meuse).
A must-see in Wessem is the former city hall with Wessems main square. A mosaic of maaskeitjes shows the city-crest. The Roman church, built in 964, was destroyed by the Germans
in 1914, but has been restored to its former glory.
Wessem still has one of the best sjutterie (schutterij
in Dutch
, Schützenverein
in German
), a club of riflemen, in the world and participate in the (Old Limburgs rifleshooting-fair), a big, annual cultural event for Limburgian-people from every country where every Limburgian village sends a delegation, every year. In 2004 they won the OLS, and in 2005 they organised it.
The table tennis
club (Westa), the soccer club (R.K.S.V.W.) and the volleyball
team (VC Maasdal) belong to the top in the Netherlands
.
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...
, in the province of Limburg
Limburg (Netherlands)
Limburg is the southernmost of the twelve provinces of the Netherlands. It is located in the southeastern part of the country and bordered by the province of Gelderland to the north, Germany to the east, Belgium to the south and part of the west, andthe Dutch province of North Brabant partly to...
. Wessem is a part of the municipality of Maasgouw
Maasgouw
Maasgouw is a municipality in the Dutch province of Limburg. It is located on both banks of the river Meuse southwest of the city of Roermond. It was formed in a merger of the former municipalities of Heel, Maasbracht and Thorn on January 1, 2007....
. As of 2002, Wessem had a population of 1,750.
History of Wessem
Historical Wessem is more than a thousand years old.Little is known about the early history. The name sounds Frankish and excavation show that it was inhabited in pre-Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
times. It was inhabited in that time by the Eburones
Eburones
The Eburones , were a Belgic people who lived in the northeast of Gaul, near the river Meuse and the modern provinces of Belgian and Dutch Limburg, in the period immediately before it was conquered by Rome. They played a major role in Julius Caesar's account of his "Gallic Wars", as the most...
, a Belgic
Belgae
The Belgae were a group of tribes living in northern Gaul, on the west bank of the Rhine, in the 3rd century BC, and later also in Britain, and possibly even Ireland...
tribe based on north-eastern Gaul
Gaul
Gaul was a region of Western Europe during the Iron Age and Roman era, encompassing present day France, Luxembourg and Belgium, most of Switzerland, the western part of Northern Italy, as well as the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the left bank of the Rhine. The Gauls were the speakers of...
in the 1st century BC. Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
described them as being of Germanic
Germanic peoples
The Germanic peoples are an Indo-European ethno-linguistic group of Northern European origin, identified by their use of the Indo-European Germanic languages which diversified out of Proto-Germanic during the Pre-Roman Iron Age.Originating about 1800 BCE from the Corded Ware Culture on the North...
origin. They are believed to have lived between the Meuse
Meuse River
The Maas or Meuse is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea...
and Rhine rivers. Ambiorix
Ambiorix
Ambiorix was, together with Catuvolcus, prince of the Eburones, leader of a Belgic tribe of north-eastern Gaul , where modern Belgium is located...
, an Eburonian chief, is known for having led a rebellion against the Romans
Roman Republic
The Roman Republic was the period of the ancient Roman civilization where the government operated as a republic. It began with the overthrow of the Roman monarchy, traditionally dated around 508 BC, and its replacement by a government headed by two consuls, elected annually by the citizens and...
in 54 BC
54 BC
Year 54 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Appius and Ahenobarbus...
. Because of this rebellion the Eburones
Eburones
The Eburones , were a Belgic people who lived in the northeast of Gaul, near the river Meuse and the modern provinces of Belgian and Dutch Limburg, in the period immediately before it was conquered by Rome. They played a major role in Julius Caesar's account of his "Gallic Wars", as the most...
were all but exterminated by the Romans and their land was destroyed. They were replaced by the Tungri
Tungri
The Tungri were a tribe, or group of tribes, who lived in the Belgic part Gaul, during the times of the Roman empire. They were described by Tacitus as being the same people who were first called "Germani" , meaning that all other tribes who were later referred to this way, including those in...
, a Germanic
Germanic peoples
The Germanic peoples are an Indo-European ethno-linguistic group of Northern European origin, identified by their use of the Indo-European Germanic languages which diversified out of Proto-Germanic during the Pre-Roman Iron Age.Originating about 1800 BCE from the Corded Ware Culture on the North...
tribe that was Celt
Celt
The Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages.The earliest archaeological culture commonly accepted as Celtic, or rather Proto-Celtic, was the central European Hallstatt culture , named for the rich grave finds in Hallstatt, Austria....
icised but in villages on the other side of the river Meuse
Meuse River
The Maas or Meuse is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea...
the Eburones
Eburones
The Eburones , were a Belgic people who lived in the northeast of Gaul, near the river Meuse and the modern provinces of Belgian and Dutch Limburg, in the period immediately before it was conquered by Rome. They played a major role in Julius Caesar's account of his "Gallic Wars", as the most...
continued to exist what would explain the fact that the Limburgs language spoken on the west bank of the river Meuse
Meuse River
The Maas or Meuse is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea...
still has some traces of the old Celtic language
Celtic languages
The Celtic languages are descended from Proto-Celtic, or "Common Celtic"; a branch of the greater Indo-European language family...
spoken by the Eburones
Eburones
The Eburones , were a Belgic people who lived in the northeast of Gaul, near the river Meuse and the modern provinces of Belgian and Dutch Limburg, in the period immediately before it was conquered by Rome. They played a major role in Julius Caesar's account of his "Gallic Wars", as the most...
.
The first written proof of Wessem's existence found, according to Crassier
Crassier
Crassier is a municipality in the district of Nyon in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland.-Geography:Crassier has an area, , of . Of this area, or 68.5% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 10.8% is forested...
in his Dictionaire (Dictionary
Dictionary
A dictionary is a collection of words in one or more specific languages, often listed alphabetically, with usage information, definitions, etymologies, phonetics, pronunciations, and other information; or a book of words in one language with their equivalents in another, also known as a lexicon...
), is in a Charter of 946, when Emperor Otto I confirmed to the abbey of Gembloux
Gembloux
Gembloux is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Namur, on the axis Brussels-NamurOn 1 January 2006 the municipality had 21,964 inhabitants...
, the possession in Wessem of a mill and a brewery.
There was also a relationship with the abbey of St. Pantaleon in Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
since bishop Bruno
Bruno I, Archbishop of Cologne
Bruno the Great was Archbishop of Cologne, Germany, from 953 until his death, and Duke of Lotharingia from 954. He was the brother of Otto I, king of Germany and later Holy Roman Emperor....
left all his assets, rights and possessions in the "hof Wessem" to the abbey in his last will and testament in 946.
In 946 Wessem acquired the right to make their own coins, collect taxes and to choose a guardian and a mayor. In the 12th century BC, Wessem received full city rights and from then on suffered the same fate as so many small communities in Limburg
Duchy of Limburg
The Duchy of Limburg, situated in the Low Countries between the river Meuse and the city of Aachen, was a state of the Holy Roman Empire. Its territory is now divided between the Belgian provinces of Liège and Limburg , the Dutch province of Limburg , and a small part of North Rhine-Westphalia in...
. Through marriages, agreements, war and inheritancies and legacies, Wessem was owned by one noble family after another. For example, in 1219 Willem I van Horn acquired Wessem as a guardian. The reign of the van Horne’s lasted until 1568 when Philips van Montmorency
Philip de Montmorency, Count of Hoorn
Philip de Montmorency was also known as Count of Horn or Hoorne or Hoorn.-Biography:De Montmorency was born, between 1518 and 1526, possibly at the Ooidonk Castle, as the son of Jozef van Montmorency, Count of Nevele and Anna van Egmont...
together with Lamoraal van Egmond
Lamoral, Count of Egmont
Lamoral, Count of Egmont, Prince of Gavere was a general and statesman in the Habsburg Netherlands just before the start of the Eighty Years' War, whose execution helped spark the national uprising that eventually led to the independence of the Netherlands.The Count of Egmont headed one of the...
were decapitated in Brussel by Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
noblemen.
In style with local customs at the time the executors received the victims' possessions and Wessem became Gelders
Guelders
Guelders or Gueldres is the name of a historical county, later duchy of the Holy Roman Empire, located in the Low Countries.-Geography:...
. The Lords of Gelre en Gulick received all possessions of the Lords of Horne. Horn in contemporary Dutch and Hör
Hor
Hor was an Egyptian king of the 13th Dynasty. He appears in the Turin King List as Au-ib-Rê. He most likely reigned only for a short time, not long enough to prepare a pyramid, which was in this dynasty still the common burial place for kings.-Burial:...
in Limburgs, is still a small town very near to Wessem on the banks of the river Meuse
Meuse River
The Maas or Meuse is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea...
nad even the castle still exists and descendants of the noble family still live there.
In this period Wessem was a small town with fortifications. It had its own courtroom and jurisdiction, and being the main town in the Land van Horne
Horne (county)
Horne is a small historic county of the Holy Roman Empire in present Netherlands and Belgium. It takes its name from the village Horn, west of Roermond. The residence of the counts of Horne was moved from Horn to Weert in the 15th century...
(The land of the Lords of Horne), it had jurisdiction over most of the other towns in the Land van Horne.
In 1609 the confiscations granted to the lords of Gelre en Gulick expired. The princes of Chimay
Chimay
Chimay a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Hainaut. On January 1, 2006, Chimay had a total population of 9,774. The total area is 197.10 km² which gives a population density of 50 inhabitants per km²...
took possession of Wessem in 1620, a reign that would until the French Revolutionary Army
French Revolutionary Army
The French Revolutionary Army is the term used to refer to the military of France during the period between the fall of the ancien regime under Louis XVI in 1792 and the formation of the First French Empire under Napoleon Bonaparte in 1804. These armies were characterised by their revolutionary...
arrived in 1790.
Situated strategically on the banks of the busy river Meuse
Meuse River
The Maas or Meuse is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea...
and on most main roads in Limburg, Wessem's economy boomed in the 17th century. It was an important centre for trade and shipping. Relics from that time can still be seen in the form of big warehouses and storage-barns. The old city centre is well preserved and show Wessem's riches in those days.
The arrival of the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in 1790 preluded a harsh time for Wessem. The government and jurisdiction were changed at the will of the new rulers. The community had a love-hate relationship with the French Empire
First French Empire
The First French Empire , also known as the Greater French Empire or Napoleonic Empire, was the empire of Napoleon I of France...
and flourished until in the years after the downfall of Emperor Napoleon I
Napoleon 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...
, Wessem became a part of 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...
, a status it still has nowadays with a short interval in the years 1830-1839, when it chose the side of the Belgians
Belgians
Belgians are people originating from the Kingdom of Belgium, a federal state in Western Europe.-Etymology:Belgians are a relatively "new" people...
in their independence struggle against the deceitful 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...
. The 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...
occupied Wessem because of its strategic importance and Wessem became a part of the Netherlands
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...
.
Wessem was a separate municipality until 1991, when it was merged with Heel.
All in all, Wessem had a very quiet history, which can be seen by walking through the old centre with a unique network of little streets paved with maaskeitjes (small square stones found in the river Meuse).
A must-see in Wessem is the former city hall with Wessems main square. A mosaic of maaskeitjes shows the city-crest. The Roman church, built in 964, was destroyed by the Germans
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
in 1914, but has been restored to its former glory.
Wessem still has one of the best sjutterie (schutterij
Schutterij
Schutterij refers to a voluntary city guard or citizen militia in the medieval and early modern Netherlands, intended to protect the town or city from attack and act in case of revolt or fire. Their training grounds were often on open spaces within the city, near the city walls, but, when the...
in Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
, Schützenverein
Schützenverein
A Schützenverein is in German language countries a voluntary association featuring sport-shooting either on Olympic levels or historic weapons....
in 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....
), a club of riflemen, in the world and participate in the (Old Limburgs rifleshooting-fair), a big, annual cultural event for Limburgian-people from every country where every Limburgian village sends a delegation, every year. In 2004 they won the OLS, and in 2005 they organised it.
The table tennis
Table tennis
Table tennis, also known as ping-pong, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight, hollow ball back and forth using table tennis rackets. The game takes place on a hard table divided by a net...
club (Westa), the soccer club (R.K.S.V.W.) and the volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
team (VC Maasdal) belong to the top in the Netherlands
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...
.