Everything about Utrecht City totally explained
Utrecht city is the capital and most populous city of the
Dutch province of
Utrecht. It is located in the North-Eastern end of the
Randstad, and is the fourth largest city of the
Netherlands, with a population of 288,535. The smaller Utrecht agglomeration is home to some 420,000 registered inhabitants, while the larger region contains up to 820,000 inhabitants.
Utrecht's ancient city-centre features many buildings and structures from its earliest origins onwards. It has been the religious centre of the Netherlands since the eighth century CE. Currently it's the see of the
Archbishop of Utrecht, the most important Dutch
Roman Catholic leader. Utrecht is also the see of an archbishop of the
Old Catholic church, and the location of the offices of the main
protestant church.
Utrecht is host to
Utrecht University, the largest university of the Netherlands, as well as several other institutes for higher education. Due to its central position within the country it's an important transportation hub (
rail and
road) in the Netherlands. It has the second highest number of cultural events in the Netherlands, after Amsterdam.
History
Origins (47 CE-650)
Although there's some evidence of earlier inhabitation in the region of Utrecht, dating back to the
Bronze age (app. 1800-800
BCE), the founding date of the city is usually related to the construction of a
Roman fortification (
castellum), probably built in around 50
CE. These fortresses were designed to house a
cohort of about 500 Roman soldiers. Near the fort a settlement would grow housing
artisans, traders and soldiers' wives and children.
A line of such fortresses was built after the
Roman emperor Claudius decided the empire shouldn't expand further North. To consolidate the border the
limes Germanicus defense line was constructed. This line was located at the borders of the main branch of the river
Rhine, which at that time flowed through a more northern bed compared to today. The name of the Utrecht fortress originally was simply
Traiectum denoting its location on the Rhine at a
ford. Later the name was adorned with the prefix
Ultra (
on the far side) to distinguish it from other settlements (for example Mosa Trajectum
Maastricht). Over time the two parts of the name would merge and evolve into the current name (Utrecht).
In the second century, the wooden walls were replaced by sturdier
tuff stone walls, The importance of Utrecht as a centre of Christianity is illustrated by the appointment of the Utrecht born
Adriaan Florenszoon Boeyens to pope in 1522 (the last non Italian pope before
John Paul II).
Prince-Bishops
When the Frankish rulers established the system of
feudalism, the
bishops of Utrecht came to exercise worldly power as
prince-bishops. The
Veluwe was soon taken by Guelders, but large areas in the modern province of
Overijssel remained as the Oversticht.
Clerical buildings
The clergy built several churches and monasteries inside, or close to the city of Utrecht. Most dominant of these was the
gothic Cathedral of Saint Martin, inside the old Roman fortress. The construction of this cathedral started in 1253 after an earlier
romanesque cathedral had been badly damaged by fire. When the
choir and
transept were finished from 1320 the ambitious
Dom tower was built.; Saint
John (Janskerk), originating in 1040;
Saint Peter, building started in 1039 and
Saint Mary's church building started around 1090 (demolished in the early 19th century, cloister survives).
Besides these churches the city housed
Saint Paul abbey . The 15th century
beguine monastery of
Saint Nicholas, and a 14th century chapter house of the
Teutonic Knights.
Besides these buildings which were part of the hierarchy of the bishopric; an additional four
parish churches were constructed in the city: the Jacobichurch (
dedicated to Saint James), founded in the 11th century, with the current gothic church dating back to the 14th century ; the Buurkerk (Neighbourhood-church) of the 11th century parish in the centre of the city; Nicolaichurch (dedicated to
Saint Nicholas), from the 12th century and the 13th century Geertekerk (dedicated to Saint
Gertrude of Nivelles)
City of Utrecht
The location on the banks of the river Rhine allowed Utrecht to become an important trade centre in the Northern Netherlands. The growing town Utrecht received
city rights in 1122.
When the main flow of the Rhine moved south, the old bed, which still flowed through the heart of the town became evermore
canalized; and a unique wharf system was built as an inner city harbour system. On the wharfs storage facilities (
werfkelders) were built, on top of which the main street, including houses was constructed. The wharfs and the cellars are accessible from a platform at water level with stairs descending from the street level to form a unique structure.. The relations between the bishop, who controlled many lands outside of the city, and the citizens of Utrecht wasn't always easy.
Utrecht city has a population of 288,395 (at 1-1-2007). Utrecht is a growing municipality and projections are that the city will grow beyond 300,000 in 2008; and beyond 350,000 in 2017.
In Utrecht 52% of the population is female, 48% is male.
Utrecht has a young population, with many inhabitants in the age category from 20 and 30 years, which is due to the large university.
Further Information
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