Maastricht

Maastricht (/ˈmɑːstrɪxt/ MAH-strikht, US also /mɑːˈstrɪxt/ mah-STRIKHT,^[8]^[9]^[10] Dutch: [maːˈstrɪxt] ; Limburgish: Mestreech [məˈstʀeːx]; French: Maestricht (archaic); Spanish: Mastrique (archaic)) is a city and a municipality in the southeastern Netherlands. It is the capital and largest city of the province of Limburg. Maastricht is located on both sides of the Meuse (Dutch: Maas), at the point where the Jeker joins it. Mount Saint Peter (Sint-Pietersberg) is largely situated within the city's municipal borders. Maastricht is adjacent to the border with Belgium and is part of the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion, an international metropolis with a population of about 3.9 million, which includes the nearby German and Belgian cities of Aachen, Liège, and Hasselt.

For the treaty signed in Maastricht in 1992, see Maastricht Treaty.

Maastricht

Mestreech (Limburgish)

Netherlands

Limburg

≈ circa 50 AD

gradually acquired

Maastricht City Hall

7 districts

Centrum (Binnenstad, Jekerkwartier, Kommelkwartier, Statenkwartier, Boschstraatkwartier, Sint Maartenspoort, Wyck-Céramique)
Noordoost (Beatrixhaven, Borgharen, Itteren, Meerssenhoven)
Oost (Wyckerpoort, Wittevrouwenveld, Nazareth, Limmel, Amby, Scharn, Heugemerveld)
Zuidoost (Randwyck, Heugem, Heer, De Heeg, Vroendaal)
Zuidwest (Villapark, Jekerdal, Biesland, Campagne, Wolder, Sint Pieter)
West (Brusselsepoort, Mariaberg, Belfort, Pottenberg, Malpertuis, Caberg, Malberg, Dousberg-Hazendans, Daalhof)
Noordwest (Boschpoort, Bosscherveld, Frontenkwartier, Belvédère, Lanakerveld)

Municipal council

Wim Hillenaar (CDA)

60.12 km² (23.21 sq mi)

55.99 km² (21.62 sq mi)

4.13 km² (1.59 sq mi)

49 m (161 ft)

120,227

2,147/km² (5,560/sq mi)

277,721

≈ 3,500,000

Urban population for Dutch-Belgian region;^[6] metropolitan population for Dutch-Belgian-German region.^[7]

(Dutch) Maastrichtenaar;
(Limb.) Mestreechteneer or "Sjeng" (nickname)

UTC+1 (CET)

UTC+2 (CEST)

6200–6229

043

www.gemeentemaastricht.nl/en

Maastricht developed from a Roman settlement (Trajectum ad Mosam) to a medieval river trade and religious centre. In the 16th century it became a garrison town and in the 19th century an early industrial centre.^[11] Today, the city is a thriving cultural and regional hub. It became well known through the Maastricht Treaty and as the birthplace of the euro.^[12] Maastricht has 1,677 national heritage buildings (rijksmonumenten), the second highest number in the Netherlands, after Amsterdam. The city is visited by tourists for shopping and recreation, and has a large international student population.

is the national language and the language of elementary and secondary education (excluding international institutions) as well as administration. Dutch in Maastricht is often spoken with a distinctive Limburgish accent, which should not be confused with the Limburgish language.

Dutch

(or Limburgian) is the overlapping term of the tonal dialects spoken in the Dutch and the Belgian provinces of Limburg. The Maastrichtian dialect (Mestreechs) is only one of many variants of Limburgish. It is characterised by stretched vowels and some French influence on its vocabulary. In recent years the Maastricht dialect has been in decline (see dialect levelling) and a language switch to Standard Dutch has been noted.^[24]

Limburgish

used to be the language of education and culture in Maastricht. In the late 18th century the language gained a powerful position as the judicial and administrative language, and throughout the following century it was the preferred language of the upper classes. Between 1851 and 1892 a Francophone newspaper (Le Courrier de la Meuse) was published in Maastricht.^[25] The language is often part of secondary school curricula. Many proper names are French and the language has left many traces in the local dialect.

French

like French, is often part of secondary school curricula. Due to Maastricht's geographic proximity to Germany and the great number of German students in the city, German is widely spoken.

German

has become an important language in education. At Maastricht University and Hogeschool Zuyd it is the language of instruction for many courses. Many foreign students and expatriates use English as a lingua franca. English is also a mandatory subject in Dutch secondary schools.

English

– South African Pulp and Paper Industry

Sappi

Royal Mosa – ceramic tiles

– previously Kristalunie Maastricht; glass

O-I Manufacturing

– previously Ten Horn; pigments

BASF

– packaging

Mondi

Rubber Resources/Elgi Rubber – previously ; rubber recycling

Vredestein

Radium Foams – products

Talalay

–e previously Indigo, manufacturer of electronic data systems

Hewlett-Packard

– mobile phone company

Vodafone

– international operator of parking garages

Q-Park

– international express mail services

DHL

– contact center services

Teleperformance

– customer contact centre for Europe

Mercedes-Benz

VGZ – health insurance, customer contact centre

Pie Medical Imaging – cardiovascular quantitative analysis software

Esaote (formerly Pie Medical Equipment) – manufacturer of medical and veterinary diagnostic equipment

BioPartner Centre Maastricht – life sciences spin-off companies

– medical devices, R&D center

Medtronic

(Dutch: Maas) river

Meuse

City fortifications

city wall

Binnenstad

Vrijthof

Jekerkwartier

Kommelkwartier

Boschstraatkwartier

Wyck

Céramique

modernist architecture

Sint-Pietersberg

Stadspark, the main public park in Maastricht, partly 19th-century, with remnants of the medieval city walls, a branch of the river, a mini-zoo and several public sculptures (e.g. the statue of d'Artagnan in Aldenhofpark, a 20th-century extension of Stadspark). Other extensions of the park are called Kempland, Henri Hermanspark, Monseigneur Nolenspark and Waldeckpark. From 2014 onwards, the grounds of the former Tapijn military barracks will be gradually added to the park;

Jeker

Jekerpark, a new park along the river Jeker, separated from Stadspark by a busy road;

Frontenpark, a new park west of the city centre, incorporating parts of the of Maastricht from the 17th to 19th centuries;

fortifications

Charles Eykpark, a modern park between the public library and on the east bank of the Meuse river, designed in the late 1990s by Swedish landscape architect Gunnar Martinsson.

Bonnefanten Museum

Griendpark, a modern park on the east bank of the river with an inline-skating and skateboarding course.

Geusseltpark in eastern Maastricht and J.J. van de Vennepark in western Maastricht, both with elaborate sports facilities.

In , Maastricht is represented by MVV Maastricht (Dutch: Maatschappelijke Voetbal Vereniging Maastricht), who (as of the 2016–2017 season) play in the Dutch first division of the national competition (which is the second league after the Eredivisie league). MVV's home is the Geusselt stadium near the A2 highway.

football

Maastricht is also home to the , an American Football League team and member of the AFBN (American Football Bond Nederland).

Maastricht Wildcats

Since 1998, Maastricht has been the traditional starting place of the annual , the only Dutch cycling classic. For several years the race also finished in Maastricht, but since 2002 the finale has been in the municipality of Valkenburg. Tom Dumoulin was born in Maastricht.

Amstel Gold Race

Since 2000, Maastricht has been the first city in the Netherlands with a team. The Student Sport Association "Maaslax" is closely linked to Maastricht University and a member of the NLB (Nederlandse Lacrosse Bond).

Lacrosse

Bernard Lievegoedschool ( education)

Anthroposophical

Bonnefantencollege

Porta Mosana College

Sint-Maartenscollege

United World College Maastricht

(1777 – after 1843) – painter

Jean-Eugène-Charles Alberti

(1921–1993) – conductor

Henri Arends

(born 1956) – voice actress

Doris Baaten

(born 1939) – footballer

Gerard Bergholtz

(born 1980) – female darts player

Mieke de Boer

(1893–1951) – architect

Alphons Boosten

(born 1959) – politician

Theo Bovens

(born 1948) – Belgian cyclist

Joseph Bruyère

(1918–2002) – footballer

Jeu van Bun

(1696–1772) – painter

Jean-Baptiste Coclers

(1740–1817) – painter

Louis Bernard Coclers

(1733–1811) – Prussian field marshal

Wilhelm René de l'Homme de Courbière

(1884–1966) – Nobel prize winning chemist

Peter Debye

(born 1990) – cyclist, Giro d'Italia winner

Tom Dumoulin

(born 1991) – Racing Driver

Robin Frijns

(1633/4 – after 1693) – still life painter

Hendrick Fromantiou

(1911–2002) – politician

Joop Haex

(1806–1874) – French-writing poet

André Henri Constant van Hasselt

(born 1937) – psychologist and creator of Dialogical Self Theory

Hubert Hermans

(born 1978) – swimmer and a triple Olympic champion

Pieter van den Hoogenband

(1886–1967) – poet

Pierre Kemp

(1947–1991) – behavior geneticist

Sjeng Kerbusch

(1784–1836) – sculptor

Mathieu Kessels

(c. 636 – c. 705) – bishop, saint

Lambert of Maastricht

(1928–1993) – freestyle swimmer

Marie-Louise Linssen-Vaessen

(born 1965) – footballer, football manager

Eric van der Luer

(1708–1789) – naturalist, cryptographer, engraver

Pierre Lyonnet

(1791–1857) – politician, writer

Félix de Mérode

(1569–1620) – painter and cartographer

David de Meyne

(1797–1849) – military and administrative officer in the Dutch East Indies

Andreas Victor Michiels

(1748–1824) – scientist and inventor of coal gas lighting

Jan Pieter Minckeleers

(born 1960) – ex-barrister

Bram Moszkowicz

(1951–2008) – singer of popular songs

Benny Neyman

(born 1964) – tennis player

Tom Nijssen

(born 1948) – harpsichordist

Jacques Ogg

(1792–1864) – second wife of William I of the Netherlands

Henrietta d'Oultremont

(born 1951) – Belgian politician

Jan Peumans

(born 1948) – film director

Guido Pieters

(1930–2013) – composer, theater maker

Dick Raaymakers

(born 1985) – football player

Prince Rajcomar

(1861–1915) – politician

Louis Regout

(born 1949) – violinist, conductor and composer

André Rieu

(born 1945) – cyclist, former world record holder

Fred Rompelberg

(1884–1946) – Dutch geologist

Louis Rutten

(1844–1900) – railway entrepreneur and contractor

Henri Sarolea

(born 1992) – football player

Bryan Smeets

(born 1946) – conductor

Hubert Soudant

(1843–1916) – politician, monument conservationist

Victor de Stuers

(1865–1945) – botanist, conservationist

Jac. P. Thijsse

(1902–1987) – pianist

Germaine Thyssens-Valentin

(born 1958) – fantasy writer Adrian Stone

Ad van Tiggelen

(born 1961) – politician

Frans Timmermans

(1750–1812) – portrait painter

Johann Friedrich August Tischbein

(born 1956) – politician

Maxime Verhagen

(1653–1695) – painter

Carel de Vogelaer

(1855–1935) – painter

Hubert Vos

(born 1959) – cyclist, Tour de France stage winner

Ad Wijnands

(1962–2012) – actor, singer

Jeroen Willems

(1876–1952) – general

Henri Winkelman

(born 1983) – football goalkeeper

Danny Wintjens

(born 1976) – football player

Boudewijn Zenden

(born 1955) – photographer

Kim Zwarts

The Meuse

Saint Servatius Bridge

Dinghuis

Townhall

Mosae Forum

Saint Servatius Basilica

Onze-Lieve-Vrouweplein

Basilica of Our Lady

Lang Grachtje

Helpoort ("Hell's Gate")

Pater Vink Tower

Bastion Haet ende Nijt

Stadspark

Jeker river

Bassin harbour

Saint Lambert Church

Train station, Wyck

Stationsplein, Wyck

Hoeg Brögk

Charles Eyckpark, Céramique

Public library, Céramique

Fortress Sint Pieter

View from Slavante

Castle ruin Lichtenberg

Huis de Torentjes

ENCI quarry

Château Neercanne

View on Cannerberg

Jewish inhabitants of Maastricht

Maastricht Treaty

Treaty of Maastricht (1843)

The Age, which marks the end of the Cretaceous Period and Mesozoic Era of geological time

Maastrichtian

Lourens, Piet; Lucassen, Jan (1997). Inwonertallen van Nederlandse steden ca. 1300–1800. Amsterdam: NEHA. 9057420082.