Nijmegen

The oldest city in the Netherlands, in Roman times, is known as Batavodurum , later Noviomagus . The first mention is related to the erection by the Roman troops in the valley of the Baal and Rhine rivers of a military fortress at the beginning of the 1st century A.D. e. Near the fortress appeared a small settlement called Oppidum Batavorum ( lat. "Batav town" ), which was destroyed during the rebellion against Roman rule, but then revived and grew due to trade.

The "Golden Age" of Nijmegen is the Carolingian era, when the royal palatinate (palace) was located here. In 1230, the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II granted Nijmegen city privileges. After 17 years, in 1247, the city became part of the possessions of the county of Geldern to secure outstanding debts, and since they were never paid, it remained part of the county, and subsequently the province of Gelderland ^[2] .

In the Middle Ages, Nijmegen is a free city, a member of the Hanseatic League (since 1364 ). In 1473 he was captured by the army of the Burgundian Duke Karl the Bold . In the XVI century, with the beginning of the Netherlands Revolution, he opposed Spanish rule on the side of the Union of Utrecht . During the wars of Louis XIV was taken by the French (in 1672), historical peace treaties of 1678–1679 were signed here.

It remained the main city of Gelderland until the French occupation in 1794, when the capital was moved to Arnhem . Until 1878, the city was fortified and was considered as a key border fortress. However, after the Franco-Prussian war, the ancient fortifications surrounding the city were considered useless and demolished.

In 1940, Nijmegen became the first city in the Netherlands to be invaded by German troops. During World War II, Nijmegen was destroyed in connection with the landing in the city of American troops and heavy fighting in 1944. During the post-war reconstruction, a new city center was rebuilt in the city, where there are very few buildings that survived after the war. Also, the city suffered due to the fact that a theater of operations developed on its territory during the operation " Market Garden " ^[2] .

After the war, Nijmegen is known for his left-wing political orientation. In 1981, a quarter squatted in the center of the city was stormed by police and army forces, including 200 assault trucks, 3 Leopard tanks, 3 armored personnel carriers, a helicopter, 1,200 police officers and 750 military personnel. In 2005, a left-wing activist and exposer of the illegal activities of the police and special services, Louis Seveke, was killed in Nijmegen. The majority in the City Council is now behind the forces to the left of the center: the Socialist Party , the Green Left , the Labor Party , Democrats 66 .

In Nijmegen there is a university with a medical focus (1923), a city museum and a museum of the Falcon Compound (1999, a collection of ancient antiquities), a theater, and a concert hall.

The most ancient buildings in Nijmegen are the 16-faced baptistery (consecrated in 799 ) and the ruins of a 12th-century church. These remnants of a residence from the time of Charlemagne can be seen in the park Falcon Compound ( Valkhof ). The imperial residence was destroyed by the Vikings , resumed by Frederick Barbarossa in 1155 and finally destroyed by the French revolutionaries in 1796 .

The most significant buildings in the city center are the Grote Kerk St. Stefan and the Renaissance Town Hall (1554) - were restored after the Second World War. Other notable buildings: the Latin school (1544-45), the house of weights and measures (1612), the modern church in the name of the local native - St. Petra Kaniziya (1960).

The city gained fame as the starting point (every third Tuesday of July) of the annual International Four-Day Walking March ^[2] .

Museums

• National Bicycle Museum "Velorama"

The city is based professional football club "NEC" , acting in the top division of the championship of the Netherlands .

Nijmegen has five twin cities ^[3] :

•   Pskov , Russia (since 1987) ^[2]
•   Masaya ( Spanish Masaya ), Nicaragua
•   Gaziantep ( tour: Gaziantep ), Turkey
•   Albany , USA
•   Higashimatsuyama ( Japanese 東 松山 市 ), Japan (since 1996)

• Dekkers, Daphne
• Margarita, Princess of Bourbon-Parma (born 1972)
• Swirs, Isaac (1622–1673) - Dutch admiral, naval commander of the 17th century
• Edward "Eddie" Van Halen - American virtuoso guitarist of Dutch descent, younger brother of Alexander Van Halen
• Amira Willighagen (born 2004) - singer
• Maya Hackworth (born 1966) - singer

• Nijmegen Helmet

• nijmegen.nl (nid.) - Nijmegen official site