Middle Ages and the county of Gelre

From the eigth century onwards, monks started to convert the population and to cultivate the land.

Churches started to appear everywhere, while the new rulers built strongholds to defend their land.

Gelre soon developed into one of the most important counties in the Nort-West of Europe.

The emperor Frederik Barbarossa built a castle on this hill in 1155. In its construction, material was used from the castle of charlemagne which stood on this spot.

In 1796 the valkhof was sold by the Province to be used as building materail. All that was saved were the two chapels from the castle.

The semi-circular ruin dates from 1155. It was part of the capel of St. Martin. The two Roman pillars with carlovingian capitals formed part the upper storey.

Nijmegen the oldest city in the Netherlands. it was also the imperial reisdence during the Carolingian period. The 'volkhof Falcon's Court- is highest point of the city overlooking the river. It was once the site point, which is now scenic park, the typically Dutch polder landscape and rolling hills provide a beautiful panorama.

Nijmegen is situated on the banks of the waal, a branch of the Rhine in the region of the 'Great Rivers', and a mere 10 kilometers from the German border.

 Of Roman origin (its name derivers from Noviomagus meaning'new market) the city celebrated its 2000th anniversary in 2005. This makes Nijmegen the oldest city in the Netherlands.

The Great rivers marked the northern frontier of the Roman Empire, and no doubt the Romans settle here because of the splendid strategic view of the enemy territory across the river. For similarly  strategic reasons, subsequent kings and other rulers chose Nijmegen as their place of the residence.

The Second world War is a black page in Nijmegen's history. On February 22, 1944, allied forces bombed the city by mistake, killing 800 people. A few months later, Nijmegen was liberated following the U.S. aurbone landings of Operation Market Garden which free the southern part of the Nertherlands on September 17, 1944.

Badly damaged in the war, much was done to rebuild the city in the post- war period and a new city centre arose iin which the remaining mouments of Nijmegen's rich history occupy a special position.

I hope everyone like my a little history of the city where I'm living now.