# Timeline of Maastricht

The following is a timeline of the history of the municipality of Maastricht, Netherlands.

## Roman Period

* circa 10 BC - Construction of Roman main road from Cologne to the coast (Via Belgica [nl]).
* 1st half of 1st century AD - Maastricht Roman bridge [nl] built; gradual development of settlement on both sides of the river Meuse.
* ca. 150 - Construction of Roman baths and walled sanctuary (with a 9-meter sculpted Jupiter column).
* ca. 270 - Destruction of Roman Maastricht by invading Germanic tribes.
* 333 - Roman Castellum, Maastricht [nl] (fortress) built.
* 384 - Death of Saint Servatius in Maastricht (traditional); establishment of Roman Catholic Diocese of Maastricht (uncertain; this may have happened in the 6th c. only).

## Middle Ages

* ca. 570 - Bishop Monulph builds a large stone church on the grave of Saint Servatius.
* ca. 590-670 - At least twelve royal mint masters active in Maastricht.
* 595 - Childebert II in Maastricht.
* 667-670 - Childeric II in Maastricht.
* 690-695 - Clovis IV in Maastricht.
* ca. 700 - Murder of Lambert of Maastricht.
* 720 - Seat of the Maastricht diocese moved to Liège (traditional date; this may have happened later in the 8th/9th c.).
* late 8th/early 9th c. - Alcuin and Einhard (lay) abbots of Saint Servatius.
* 881 - Sack of Maastricht [nl] by Vikings.
* 1001 - Reburial of Charles, Duke of Lower Lorraine in the crypt of the church of Saint Servatius.
* 11th/12th c. - Chapter of Saint Servatius [nl] at its apogee; at least five successive provosts were chancellors of the Holy Roman Empire; collegiate churches of Saint Servatius and Our Lady renewed.
* 1204 - Siege of Maastricht (1204) [nl] by Hugues de Pierrepont, prince-bishop of Liège, and Louis II, Count of Loon; Maastricht condominium [nl] established between Liège and Brabant.
* 1229 - Duke of Brabant gives permission to replace the (partly?) earthen defence works by a stone city wall.
* 1230 - Order of St Mary Magdalene ("white nuns") establish monastery in Maastricht (until 1796).
* 1234 - Franciscans establish a monastery in Maastricht (throughout the ages around twenty Franciscan monasteries [nl] existed in Maastricht, including Third Order monasteries).
* ca. 1240 - Hospital Brothers of St. Anthony establish monastery ('commandry') in Maastricht (until 1783).
* ca. 1250 - Dominicans and Augustinians establish monasteries in Maastricht (until 1796).
* 1251 - First mention of Nieuwenhof [nl] beguinage, later turned into several monasteries of Third Order Franciscan nuns and friars.
* 1275 - Roman bridge collapses during a procession; many drowned.
* 1280-98 - Sint Servaasbrug (bridge) built.
* 1282 - Teutonic Order establish a commandry in Maastricht (until 1796).
* mid-14th century - second medieval city wall built, enlarging the city surface by 400%.
* 1376 - first mention of Saint Andrew Monastery [nl], first a beguinage, later a monastery of Third Order Franciscan nuns.
* 1391 - First recorded instance of the seven-yearly Pilgrimage of the Relics.
* 1407/08 - Siege of Maastricht (1407/08) [nl] by Liège rebels.
* 1438 - Crosier Monastery, Maastricht established (until 1796)
* ca. 1470 - Dinghuis courthouse built.
* 1476 - De Beyart [nl] established, monastery of Third Order Franciscan nuns.

## 16th–18th century

* 1535 - Fifteen anabaptists burned in Vrijthof.
* 1551 - Jacob Bathen starts printing and publishing business.
* 1566 - Beeldenstorm in Maastricht; several churches looted by fanatic Protestants.
* 1570 - Jesuits establish a monastery and a college (1575).
* 1576 - Sack of Maastricht [nl] by Spanish troops and German mercenaries.
* 1579 - Siege of Maastricht (1579) by Spanish forces, followed by three-day sack; all Protestants killed or expelled.
* 1632 - Capture of Maastricht by Dutch forces; equal rights for Protestants and Catholics; several churches ceded to Protestants.
* 1638 - Maastricht Treason [nl]: 22 traitors accused of helping the Spanish in recapturing the city; nine are executed.
* 1662 - Municipal library founded.
* 1673 - Siege of Maastricht (1673) by French forces.
* 1678 - Peace of Nijmegen: French vacate the city; Dutch in power.
* 1683 - Maastricht City Hall completed, designed by Pieter Post. Sint Servaasbrug (bridge) partly re-built.
* 1748 - Siege of Maastricht (1748) by French forces; occupation lasted only a few months. Large scale model of the city and its fortifications built by the French (now in the Palais des Beaux-Arts de Lille).
* 1789 - Bonbonnière [nl] theatre opens.
* 1793 - Siege of Maastricht (1793) by French forces (failed).
* 1794 - Capture of Maastricht (1794) [nl] by French forces.
* 1795 - Maastricht becomes capital of the French Meuse-Inférieure département as part of the French First Republic, later First French Empire (until 1814).
* 1796 - Suppression of the monasteries and religious chapters in Maastricht; parish churches remain open if priests take the Oath of Hatred [nl], which many refuse. Many art treasures, libraries and archives destroyed or looted.

## 19th century

* 1805 - Generaalshuis [nl] (now a theater) built in Vrijthof.
* 1811 - General Cemetery Tongerseweg [nl] established (including Jewish Cemetery, Maastricht [nl]).
* 1815 - Maastricht becomes capital of the Province of Limburg, as part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands.
* 1822 - Société des Amis des Sciences, Lettres et Arts founded (precursor of Limburg Historical and Antiquarian Society; see 1929).
* 1824 - Population: 20,271.
* 1826 - Zuid-Willemsvaart (canal), including Bassin, Maastricht [nl] (port) opened.
* 1834 - Petrus Regout [nl] manufacturer of glass and pottery in business.
* 1837 - Maastricht City Park [nl] in use.
* 1838 - Saint Nicholas Church, Maastricht [nl] demolished.
* 1840 - Maastricht Synagogue [nl] built.
* 1850 - Liège-Maastricht Canal [nl] dug, parallel to Meuse. Many buildings on the riverside demolished, including Antonite Church, Maastricht [nl]
* 1851 - Le Courrier de la Meuse [nl] French-language newspaper begins publication.
* 1853 - Aachen-Maastricht Railway Company [nl] begins operating.
* 1859 - Saint Martin's Church, Maastricht [nl] rebuilt.
* 1861 - Liège–Maastricht railway begins operating.
* 1863 - Société Céramique [nl] manufactory in business.
* 1865 - Maastricht–Venlo railway begins operating.
* 1866 - Population: 28,495.
* 1867 - Maastricht taken off list of fortified cities. Medieval city wall and ring of outer fortifications largely dismantled between 1867 and circa 1920.
* 1877 - Population: 29,083.
* 1881 - Limburg State Archives headquartered in former First Minorite Church, Maastricht [nl].
* 1884 - Bonnefantenmuseum established (as a museum of archaeology and local history).
* 1886 - Courrier du Limbourg newspaper begins publication.

## 20th century

* 1902 - MVV Maastricht football club formed.
* 1904 - Population: 36,146.
* 1912 - Maastricht Natural History Museum founded.
* 1915 - Maastricht railway station opens (current station; it had several predecessors).
* 1916 - Saint Lambert Church built in Neo-Byzantine style.
* 1919 - Population: 41,305.
* 1920 - Annexation of Sint Pieter and Oud-Vroenhoven, as well as parts of Borgharen, Meerssen, Amby, Heer and Gronsveld. The area of the municipality of Maastricht increases from 4.15 km$^2$ to 35 km$^2$. Its population increases to 54,268.
* 1926 - Eerste Nederlandse Cement Industrie factory begins operating; large section of Mount Saint Peter becomes limestone quarry.
* 1929 - Limburg Historical and Antiquarian Society [nl] established.
* 1932 - Wilhelmina Bridge [nl] built.
* 1935 - Juliana Canal opened.
* 1940, 10 May - Battle of Maastricht; German occupation begins.
* 1942 - Most of Maastricht's more than 500 Jews deported and killed in German concentration and extermination camps.
* 1944, 13/14 September - Liberation of Maastricht [nl]: US troops of 30th Infantry Division ("Old Hickory") liberate the city.
* 1944/45 - Maastricht serves as 'rest center' for allied forces. Maastricht Aachen Airport begins operating.
* 1944, 7 December - Maastricht Meeting. Allied commanders Omar Bradley, Arthur Tedder, Dwight Eisenhower, Bernard Montgomery and William Hood Simpson meet in Maastricht to discuss further strategy.
* 1948 - Jan Van Eyck Academie established.
* 1950 - Maastricht Academy of Dramatic Arts established.
* 1959 - Maastricht Institute of Arts active.
* 1960 - Population: 90,202.
* 1961 - De Geusselt stadium built.
* 1962 - Maastricht Academy of Music established.
* 1968 - John F. Kennedy Bridge, Maastricht [nl] opens.
* 1970 - Annexation of Borgharen, Itteren, Amby and Heer, as well as parts of Meerssen, Bemelen and Gronsveld. The area of the municipality of Maastricht increases from 35 km$^2$ to 59 km$^2$ and its population from 93,500 to 112,500.
* 1973 - Museum aan het Vrijthof established.
* 1975 - The European Fine Art Fair (TEFAF) starts as Pictura Fine Art Fair in Eurohal Exhibition Centre.
* 1976 - Maastricht University opens.
* 1981 - First European Council in Maastricht.
* 1987 - Maastricht Randwyck railway station and Lumiere Cinema open.
* 1988 - TEFAF moves to MECC Maastricht; Museumkelder Derlon [nl] (Roman excavation site) opens.
* 1990 - Population: 117,008.
* 1991 - Academic Hospital Maastricht opens. 9/10 December: Second European Council in Maastricht.
* 1992 - 7 February: Maastricht Treaty signed in city; Theater aan het Vrijthof [nl] opens.
* 1995 - Bonnefantenmuseum moves to new building by Aldo Rossi in Céramique [nl] district.
* 1999 - Centre Céramique [nl] (library and arts centre) opens.

## 21st century

* 2002 - Gerd Leers becomes mayor; Mestreechs Volksleed [nl] officially adopted as the city's anthem.
* 2003 - Hoge Brug (pedestrian bridge) opens.
* 2005 - Limburg History Centre [nl] (HCL) created through merger of national and city archives.
* 2006 - Entre Deux [nl] shopping mall rebuilt; Bookshop in adjacent Dominican Church, Maastricht [nl].
* 2010 - Onno Hoes becomes first openly gay mayor of Maastricht.
* 2013 - Maastricht Noord railway station opens.
* 2014 - Population: 121,906 municipality; 182,721 metro.
* 2015 - Annemarie Penn-te Strake becomes first female mayor of Maastricht.
* 2016 - Koning Willem-Alexandertunnel [nl] officially opened.