La Licorne
ITS
ENVIRONS
With the River Maas in its back La Licorne is facing to the South. The very south where the
Maas comes from and the history of La Licorne begins.
The Maas originates in northern France. Some four hundred kilometers to the north it reaches the Belgian town of Liège. Then it is only twenty kilometers to the present Netherlands. The first village to pass is Eijsden with its splendid mansion castle overlooking the river. From there on the border between the two countries is delineated by the river for some fifty kilometers to the north with the exception of an area of about six by four kilometers on the left bank of the river that provides space for the town of Maastricht.
In Eijsden
the Maas has a natural gradient of 50 centimeters on every kilometer causing
the water to run rapidly, at the same time limiting water depth. In the old
days for the transport by ship, goods would be loaded onto small flat bottom
barges that could drift on the shallow fast running Maas to arrive near Thorn
in calmer waters with a gradient of some 5 centimeter per kilometer. Here the
quieter, deeper waters allowed shipment by larger vessels. Venlo
had acquired the privilege for trans-shipment of the goods between Overland [Uplands] and Nederland [Netherlands]. Some fifty
kilometers down from Venlo the river turns to the
west. From there on, the Maas is drawing the historic defense line between
north and south. Centuries ago the Maas bifurcated near the town of Heusden, the main branch flowing to the north-west where it
would discharge in Rhine waters, the lesser branch searching a way to the west
coast. For a long time the river has been a significant factor in the power
game of this part of Europe.
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A look on the map explains why. As long as the Maas is flowing to the north it offers a firm defense line for western powers against invasion from the east. In the north-south relations, however, the Maas was the weak spot in the defense system of Holland. This mini state had been able to raise the flag of independence on account of its location behind natural barriers. To the west and the southwest there were the coastal waters, while to the south multiple rivers, and inhabitable areas as De Kempen and De Peel hindered the passage of alien armies. Only the Maas gave way for troops and goods to the north, while the adjacent fertile areas could be ransomed. As a consequence of this Maastricht, as a stronghold at the entrance on this route, held the key to the north. The Maas separates the southern provinces of Limburg and Brab ant from the northern provinces. For a long time the area that came to be known as Limburg was a patchwork of territories under the rule of Holland, Austria, Prussia, Lotharingen, France, Spain, Burgundy, Liège. In addition several free states could be found in the region that enjoyed a measure of autonomy resorting under the protective shield of one or the other far away power. Brabant on the contrary was more of an entity since it had been known as a Duchy. Due to its geography the entire region did not possess enough leverage for an independent role in the European power game and rather served as a puppet in the play in which others dominated. Limburg as an entity was established as a result of French expansion at the end of the eighteenth century. It was declared one and indivisible with the French Republic, which privilege lasted for 20 years. In broad terms it consisted of both the Limburgs that resort presently under Belgium and the Netherlands. |
At the
same time that Limburg became French, Brabant, which extended from ‘s-Hertogenbosch to Brussels, was given to Holland. The logic
behind this arrangement again had to do with strategic significance of the
Maas. Limburg with fortified Maastricht and Venlo,
served for the French as defense buffer against hostile Prussia, and Brabant to
keep Holland at a distance from France.
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Whereabouts of
two provinces
in the
course of history sadly divided by national boundaries |
With the separation of Belgium and Holland in 1839, Limburg was divided accordingly. The area west of the Maas, excluding Maastricht, became Belgian; the Over Maas from Eijsden onwards went to the Netherlands. Also Brabant was divided, but geographic clues being absent the border was demarcated on arbitrary grounds. As recent as in 1919 both sides were mobilizing troops to reinforce their arguments. As a result the boundary from Thorn to the west is very frayed and final agreement could only be reached by recognition of enclaves on either side of the boundary near Belgian's Baarle Duc and Netherlands's Baarle Nassau. The legal situation was so complex that it has taken till 1995 before the demarcation lines were finally drawn. Detail of a proposal for an agreement made up in 1846(A numbered reprint was presented to meon the occasion of the signing of theFinal Agreement on 31 October 1995) |
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