Lang Grachtje, Maastricht

The city wall

Duke Hendrik 1 of Brabant, ruler who lived in Leuven, Belgium, granted Maastricht the right to build a city wall. The wall was about 2500 meter long. Large parts of this wall can still be seen in the center of Maastricht. Before the city wall was realized, Maastricht was protected by an earth rampart surrounded by a moat. There was an increasing need by the civilian population to protect the city better against enemy armies. The urban sector outside the city walls had grown strongly in two strong centers of business. The tanners (leather workers) along the banks of the Jeker and sheet weavers at the Boschpoort.

In the street Lang Grachtje are the remains of the city wall still visible. This wall was built in 1229 and consists of two layers and is 2.5 meters thick. The outer wall is the city wall, on the inside (street) the wall is reinforced with pillars and wide low arches. Under the arches the loopholes are still visible.

See: fotosmaastricht

Lang Grachtje

A fairly long piece of the wall is maintained over the entire length of the Lang Grachtje. In the Middle Ages the arcs were allowed to be used in peacetime for storage. There was also trading been done, like the sale of lime. In the first half of the sixteenth century permission was repeatedly granted to close the wall arches to inhabit. Small 'wall'homes have existed until the late nineteenth century.

See: zichtopmaastricht