Moresnet facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Neutral Moresnet Neŭtrala Moresneto (eo) Moresnet Neutre (fr) Neutral-Moresnet (de) Neutraal-Moresnet (nl)
1816–1920
Flag
Legend:      (1) Dutch Province of Limburg      (2) Belgian (previously Dutch) Province of Liège      (3) Neutral Moresnet      (4) Prussian Rhine Province
Status	Neutral territory
Capital	Kelmis
Common languages	Esperanto, French, German, Dutch
Government	Various
Mayor
• 1817-1859	Arnold Timothée de Lasaulx
• 1918-1920	Pierre Grignard
History
• Agreement of Aachen	June 26 1816
• Annexation by Belgium	January 10 1920
Area
1900	3.5 km2 (1.4 sq mi)
Population
• 1900	3000
Preceded by First French Empire

Neutral Moresnet was a tiny piece of land that existed from 1816 to 1919. It was only about 3.5 square kilometers in size. This special territory was created because its neighbors, the Netherlands and Prussia, couldn't agree on who should own it.

So, they decided to make it a "neutral territory." This meant both countries would share power over it. Neutral Moresnet was located about 7 kilometers southwest of Aachen, Germany. It was also near where the borders of Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands meet today, at a spot called the Vaalserberg.

How Neutral Moresnet Began

After a big meeting called the Congress of Vienna in 1815, many country borders in Europe changed. One border that needed to be decided was between the new United Kingdom of the Netherlands and Prussia. Most of this border was easy to agree on.

However, there was a problem around a place called Moresnet. Between the villages of Moresnet and Neu-Moresnet was an important zinc mine called Vieille Montagne. Both the Netherlands and Prussia wanted to control this valuable mine.

In 1816, they made a deal. The village of Moresnet itself became part of the Netherlands. Neu-Moresnet went to Prussia. The mine and the village of Kelmis around it became the neutral territory. Both countries shared power over this small area.

Life in Neutral Moresnet

Neutral Moresnet was shaped a bit like a triangle. Its southern border was a road between Aachen and Liège. The zinc mine was just north of this road. The northernmost point of the territory was the Vaalserberg.

In 1830, Belgium became independent from the Netherlands. This meant the Dutch side of Moresnet became Belgian. So, from 1830 onwards, Belgium and Prussia (which later became part of Germany) shared control of Neutral Moresnet.

At first, two special officials, called royal commissioners, governed Moresnet. One was from Belgium, and one was from Prussia. Later, Moresnet got its own local government. It had a mayor and a council with ten members. The mayor was like the leader of the territory and was chosen by the council.

Most people in Moresnet worked at the zinc mine. Many workers from nearby countries also came to work there. Because Moresnet was neutral, it had very low taxes. There were also no special fees on goods brought in or out, which are called import-tariffs. This was similar to how Andorra works today. People living in Moresnet could choose which country's army they wanted to join, but Moresnet itself was not allowed to have its own army.

The End of Neutral Moresnet

By 1885, the zinc mine was running out of zinc. This meant the people of Moresnet needed to find new ways to make money. Some people wanted to open a casino. Others thought about printing their own stamps.

A doctor named Wilhelm Molly had a different idea. He wanted to turn Moresnet into a country where everyone spoke Esperanto, a language created to be easy for people from different countries to learn. He even wanted to call the country Amikejo, which means "place of friendship" in Esperanto. However, none of these plans ever happened.

Both Belgium and Prussia (which became part of Germany in 1871) wanted to take over the territory completely. In 1914, during World War I, Germany invaded Belgium and occupied Moresnet. In 1915, Germany officially took control of it, and Neutral Moresnet stopped existing.

After the war, in 1919, the Treaty of Versailles was signed. This important agreement decided that Moresnet would become part of Belgium. From 1940 to 1944, during World War II, Germany occupied Moresnet again. But since 1944, it has been part of Belgium once more.

Images for kids

• 

  Neutral Moresnet on a postcard c. 1900

• 

  The Three-Country Point on the Vaalserberg today. Until 1915, this was also the northernmost point of Neutral Moresnet.

• 

  A local museum dedicated to the former territory

See also

In Spanish: Moresnet para niños