Moresnet

Moresnet or Neutral Moresnet was, from 1816 to 1919, a tiny European mini-state of about 3.5 km² that existed solely because its two large neighbours couldn't agree on who should own it, deciding therefore to make it a neutral territory where both would share control equally. It was located some 7 km southwest of Aachen, directly south of where the borders of Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands intersect on the Vaalserberg.

Rise

During the Congress of Vienna of 1815 the European map was significantly redrawn to accommodate the new political balance of power. One of those borders was the one between the new United Kingdom of the Netherlands and Prussia. For the most part both parties agreed on the border as it mostly followed older lines, but around Moresnet there was a problem. In between the villages of Moresnet and Neu-Moresnet was found the valuable zinc mine of Vieille Montagne (in French) / Altenberg (in German). Both countries were keen to include this resource in their territory and in 1816 a compromise was reached: the village of Moresnet itself would become Dutch, Neu-Moresnet would become part of Prussia and the mine and the village of Kelmis (La Calamine) around it would, for the mean time, become neutral territory with both nations establishing a joint administration for the area.

The new territory had a more or less triangular shape with the base being the main road from Aachen to Liège. The mine lay just to the north of this road. Beside it two straight lines went northwards coming ever closer to each other until they finally met on the Vaalserberg. When Belgium gained its independence from the Netherlands in 1830 the land on the Dutch side came under Belgian control and therefore they also took over the position of co-administrator, though the Dutch never formally ceded control over Moresnet. At first the territory was governed by two royal commissioners, one from each neighbour, but later Moresnet was granted a greater measure of self-administration when a mayor and a council of ten members were installed, with the mayor (also the head of state) appointed by the two commissioners.

Life in Neutral Moresnet was dominated by the zinc mine as the major employer, which attracted many workers from the neighbouring countries who supplemented the original "neutral" population, though the total population of Moresnet never exceeded 3000. Being a "neutral" territory had several benefits. Among those were the low taxes, the absence of import-tariffs from both neighbouring countries and low prices compared to just across the border. Most services such as the mail were shared between Belgium and Prussia (in a fashion similar to Andorra). The native "neutral" population also had the possibility of choosing to which country's military service and jurisdiction one wished to belong. A downside to this status was the fact that people from Moresnet were considered to be stateless and were not allowed a military of their own.

Fall

When the mine was exhausted in 1885, doubts arose about the continued survival of Neutral Moresnet. Several ideas were put forward to establish Moresnet as a more independent entity, amongst which were a casino and a postal service with its own stamps, though this last idea was thwarted by the local government. The most remarkable initiative came from Dr. Wilhelm Molly, who intended to make Moresnet the world's first Esperanto state, named Amikejo ("place of friendship"). The proposed national anthem was an Esperanto march of the same name. However, time was running out for the tiny territory. Neither Belgium nor Prussia had ever surrendered its original claim to the territory and around 1900 Prussia in particular was taking a more aggressive stance towards the territory and were accused of sabotage and of obstructing the administrative process in order to force the issue. In 1914 during the First World War Germany invaded Belgium and the Germans annexed Moresnet in 1915. Neutral Moresnet was no longer neutral.

The post-war Treaty of Versailles of 1919 would settle the matter of the "temporary neutrality" established a hundred years earlier when it was decided that Neutral Moresnet would become part of Belgium. The Germans would briefly re-annex the area during World War II, but it was again returned to Belgium in 1944. The territory still exists, in some ways, under the municipality of Kelmis/La Calamine in the Belgian East Cantons.

External link

• Neutral Moresnet (http://home.hccnet.nl/c.damen/engels/index_en.htm)ca:Moresnet

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