The
historic city of Nijmegen
claims to be the oldest city in The Netherlands, obtaining
city rights even before Maastricht.
Nijmegen is build on hills which were pushed up during the
Ice ages. About 100,000 years ago glaciers came all the way
from Scandinavia to stop right here. ‘Novio Magus Batavorum’
(‘Nijmegen’) was founded by the Romans who put up
a legion with 12,000 soldiers and camp followers on these
hills overlooking the River Rhine/Waal. This was part of the
Limes, starting at the Black Sea and extending all the way
up to Scotland, for five centuries the |
fortified
defense wall against the German and Saxon tribes. In Nijmegen
today, you might see tall, blonde people, likely descendants
of the northern tribes - and shorter, brown haired ‘Francs’.
You will note, that in time many have mixed. In the beat of
the time, especially since the beginning of the nineties,
Nijmegen has become a multi-cultural city.
Other facts from Nijmegen’s 2000 years of history: Charlemagne
built , a residence here at 800 and since the Middle Ages
Nijmegen has been a fortified city - which was partly dismantled. |
during
the Napoleonic Occupation. During World War II, the city-centre
was bombed in 1944 in error by the Allies - thinking it to
be Kleve just over the border. Half a year later they missed
the strategically important Waal Bridge as they went one bridge
too far - to Arnhem 20 km north.
Nijmegen is surrounded by beautiful countryside with polders
and dykes, lakes and hilly forests. This made it an attractive
place for ex-colonials from the Dutch West- and East Indies
to retire and helps to explain the colonial style buildings
you see around here. |
