Last modified: 2008-01-19 by ivan sache
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The municipality of Lontzen (5,175 inhabitants on 1 January 2007; 2,873 ha) is part of the German-speaking Community in Belgium. The municipality of Lontzen is made since 1976 of the former municipalities of Lontzen (3,314 inh.) and Walhorn (1,705 inh.).
Lontzen was one of the two domains of the Duchy of Limburg located "beyond the woods". It did not belonged directly to the Duke of Limburg but to the Provosthip of Notre-Dame in Aachen. In 1275, the owner of the castle of Lontzen was Coune of Lonchins (Conrad of Lontzen), aka Snabbe, Seneschal of the Duchy of Limburg. During the War of Succession of Limburg, his son Henri was besieged in the castle by the troops of Gelderland for 40 days before being rescued by the Brabantians. However, father and son were captured during the battle of Woeringen in 1288. The Duke of Brabant suppressed the castle the same year; sold, together with other goods to Count Guido of Flanders by Coune in 1289, the ruins of the castle were purchased back by his son Henri in 1293. The domain was later transferred to the family of Welkenhuysen; Ponce I of Welkenhuysen might have been the rebuilder of the castle at the end of the XIVth century. At the end of the XVth century, the succession for the domain and the castle of Lontzen was a matter of dispute between several pretenders. In 1578, Alexander Farnese seized Limburg and besieged the castle of Lontzen, that surrendered after three days. The castle was occupied by a Spanish garrison until 1584 and then given back to its owner, William of Goltstein. Damaged and revamped several times, the castle burned in 1972 and was restored in 1986.
Source: Trois Frontières Tourism website - Les délices du duché de Limbourg, by Guy Poswick
Ivan Sache, 28 August 2007
There is no information on the flag of Lontzen.
Ivan Sache, 28 August 2007