Editing Dorestad (section)

==History==
The township was established at the base of the former Roman fortress of ''Levefanum'' in the 7th century.{{cn|date=February 2024}}

The Frankish [[Carolingian Empire]] and the [[Frisians]] fought for control of the territory, until the Franks gained control of the Frisian Coast in 719.{{cn|date=February 2024}}

Dorestad flourished between the 7th century and the mid-9th century. The settlement was well known for minting coins under the control of several Frankish rulers. 
In the 7th century, it was clear that Dorestad had the potential to become a major port. It was the meeting point for traders at the time. As a result, the [[Carolingian Empire|Franks]] and the [[Frisians]] fought over control of the township. The Franks won out at the end of the 7th century and closely monitored the growth of Dorestad, which led to Dorestad's economic expansion via international trade and the establishment of a mint in the Upper town. It is assumed that there was a toll as well as harbour fees, collected by the king's representatives at Dorestad.<ref name="Tuuk"/> Over time, many coins have been discovered in the Dorestad area, supporting the idea of rapid growth and control of the harbour as well as the presence of a mint.<ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.1046/j.0963-9462.2002.00109.x | volume=11 | title=Trading places: Quentovic and Dorestad reassessed | year=2003 | journal=Early Medieval Europe | pages=209–232 | author=Coupland Simon| issue=3 }}</ref> Many of the coins that have been discovered bear resemblance to other Frankish coins of the period. The numismatic evidence supports the victory of the Franks over the Frisians.<ref>[http://www.dorestadonthuld.nl/ Van Der Tuuk, Lute. Dorestad Revealed. N.p., 2010. Web. 1 Nov. 2013.]</ref>

It seems that the expansion of Dorestad, Lower Town in particular, lasted until the early 9th century, when the strength of the international trade of luxury items was weakened by the rise of regional trade. The shift in the character of trade occurred as more and more trading towns popped up in the region. The Franks seemed to be networking with [[Byzantium]] and the [[Muslim world]]. As the trade increased across the board, the Franks required more trading settlements to support the economy.<ref>McCormick, Michael. Origins of The European Economy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001. 610-12. Print.</ref>
As a result, the Franks slowly lost interest in the town and granted the Church of Utrecht responsibility over a sizeable portion of Dorestad. By expanding the power of the Church, the local élite was weakened providing substantial security for the Franks.<ref name="Tuuk"/>

[[File:Karolingische denier Lotharius Dorestad.jpg|thumb|Denier of [[Lothair I]], struck in Dorestad (''DORESTATVS'') c. 851&ndash;855.]]
It is generally believed that the township reached its peak around the 820s and 830s and declined considerably thereafter. It is thought that the decline occurred because of [[Viking expansion|Viking raids]] as well as a decline in the economy.<ref name="Tuuk">{{cite web |url=http://home.tiscali.nl/gjallar/Dorestad_Engels.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140502064339/http://home.tiscali.nl/gjallar/Dorestad_Engels.html |archive-date=2 May 2014 |author=Luit van der Tuuk |author-link=:nl:Luit van der Tuuk |title=Danes in Dorestad. Gjaller Norsemen in the Low Countries |date=2005 |access-date=29 October 2013}}</ref>

By the 830s, under the control of [[Louis the Pious]], the expansion of the harbour had halted altogether, but coins continued to be minted for some time. A division occurred in the Frankish Empire, and Louis the Pious was removed from the throne by his son. However, [[Lothair I]] was unable to protect Dorestad and the other Frankish territories from economic turmoil.{{cn|date=February 2024}} As a result, Louis the Pious quickly took back Dorestad and exiled his son to Italy. At this time, two things occurred in Dorestad that led to its eventual downfall. The first was that the Franks lost even more interest in Dorestad and as a result, even more control was transferred to the Church. The second was that Lothair I was stirring up trouble for the Franks by encouraging Viking raids on the [[Frisian coast]] when he was exiled.{{cn|date=February 2024}}

Between 834 and 839, there were extensive raids.<ref name="Tuuk"/> Although Dorestad was raided only once, in 834, it seems that the town never fully recovered afterwards.<ref name="Tuuk"/>
To protect the Frisian coastline, Frankish kings enlisted the help of the [[Danes]] and appointed Haraldr Junior and his brother, [[Rorik of Dorestad|Hroerekr]], to protect the emporium.<ref name="Tuuk"/>
The Franks allowed Hroerekr to take control of the land as long as he protected the coast from Viking invasions. The coast was battered by Viking attacks, but it seems that Dorestad was left relatively unscathed. The Danish rulers held court on the coast for quite some time despite being not well liked by the people that they ruled.{{cn|date=February 2024}}

By the 9th century, it seems that the need for international trade was waning as regional trade gained importance.{{cn|date=February 2024}}
Under Danish control, Dorestad became less significant. Trading had slowed and now was almost nonexistent. The mint was shut down when Hroerekr took control of the lands. As the settlement no longer held much economic or cultural significance.{{cn|date=February 2024}}
From around 840, the threat of the Vikings receded, as a truce was reached. The Franks no longer needed the help of the Danes and began to look for ways to dispose of them. That created conflict between the Franks and the Danes as Hroerekr established a gang of men to attack the coast.{{cn|date=February 2024}}

In 846, Dorestad and two other settlements were plundered once again.<ref name="Tuuk"/> While Frankish defence was organized, that did not stop the Danes from capturing Dorestad and a large portion of the Frisian Coast in 850.<ref name="Tuuk"/>

According to Forte, [[Richard Oram|Oram]], and Pedersen, Dorestad, "...despite the slaughter and sack of the 830s seems quickly to have recovered its prosperity after each episode, and its disappearance in the 860s was a consequence of a shift in the course of the river channel along which its trade flowed rather than a result of Viking raids."<ref>{{cite book |last1=Forte |first1=Angelo |last2=Oram |first2=Richard |last3=Pedersen |first3=Frederik |title=Viking Empires |date=2005 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |location=Cambridge |isbn=9780521829922 |pages=58–60}}</ref>

The site remained uninhabited from the later 9th until the construction of a [[keep]], the nucleus of [[Duurstede Castle]], in around 1270, about 800&nbsp;m south of the old settlement. 
The modern settlement of [[Wijk bij Duurstede]] grew up around the castle, gaining city rights in 1300.{{cn|date=February 2024}}