Editing Verviers (section)

== History ==

=== Early history ===
Various flint and bone fragments, as well as [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] coins, were found in this area, attesting to the early settlements in the region. In the 4th century, the Romans had to deal with a constant push of Germanic tribes coming from the east. Successful at first at containing them, they finally had to concede defeat, allowing [[Clovis I|Clovis]]'s [[Salian Franks]] to occupy the region at the end of the 5th century. The Verviers area was covered with forests and became a hunting ground for the [[Merovingian]] kings, who maintained a [[Vicus (Rome)|vicus]] in neighbouring [[Theux]]. It was also slowly Christianized by the monks of the nearby Abbey of [[Stavelot]].

Late in the 10th century, [[Charles the Simple]] ceded the [[Marquisate of Franchimont]] to [[Notker of Liège]], one of Notker's final steps in consolidating the [[Prince-Bishopric of Liège]]. Liège took direct control of the [[marquisate]] in 1014, an act which was confirmed by emperor [[Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor|Frederick Barbarossa]] and by [[Pope Adrian IV]] in 1155.

=== 15th century to the present ===
[[File:Vue de Verviers. Joseph Fussell (1818-1912).jpg|thumb|left|View of Verviers in the mid-19th century. Watercolor by Joseph Fussell.]]

The first mention of a textile industry in this area dates from the 15th century. One century later, the cloth industry took the place of the older metallurgical works, thanks in part to the [[Eighty Years War]] raging in the neighbouring [[Netherlands]]. The size of the town, however, remained relatively modest.  It was only in 1651 that the expansion of the [[fulling|fulleries]] led to Verviers being recognized as one of the [[Prince-Bishopric of Liège|prince-bishopric]]'s ''bonnes villes'' (main cities).

The end of the 18th century was troubled by the [[French Revolution]]. The annexation of Liège to France in 1795 caused a steep economic decline and unprecedented poverty. The city's fortunes rose again after the [[Battle of Waterloo]] (1815). Verviers was at the eastern end of the [[sillon industriel]], the industrial backbone of Wallonia. Although the Napoleonic wars brought economic uncertainty, the textile industry continued to grow throughout this period. Industrialist [[William Cockerill]] brought his knowledge of the machines already in British industry and introduced mechanization to the factories of [[Iwan Simonis]] starting a new era in the Verviers textile industry.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Gutmann |first=Myron P. |title=Toward the Modern Economy: Early Industry in Europe, 1500-1800 |publisher=[[Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.]] |year=1988 |isbn=0-394-34312-3 |edition=1st |location=New York |pages=194–206}}</ref> Thereafter, roads were paved, gas lighting was installed, and the city doubled in size thanks to the [[Industrial Revolution]]. After [[World War I]], Verviers could share with [[Bradford]] the title of "Wool Capital of the World".

[[File:111-adc-2448.webm|thumb|Film of US First Army headquarters with [[George Patton]] on 3 November 1944 in Verviers]]