Editing Maastricht (section)

=== Middle Ages ===
In the early [[Middle Ages]] Maastricht, along with [[Aachen]] and [[Liège]], formed part of what is considered the heartland of the [[Carolingian dynasty]]. At this time, the town was an important centre for river trade and manufacturing. [[Merovingian]] coins minted in Maastricht have been found throughout Europe. In 881 the town was plundered by the [[Vikings]]. In the 10th century it briefly became the capital of the [[duchy of Lower Lorraine]].

During the 11th and 12th centuries the town flourished culturally. Several [[Provost (religion)|provosts]] of the chapter of Saint Servatius held important positions in the [[Holy Roman Empire]]. The two [[collegiate church]]es were largely rebuilt and redecorated during this era. Maastricht [[Romanesque art#Sculpture|Romanesque stone sculpture]] and [[silversmithing]] are regarded as highlights of [[Mosan art]]. Maastricht painters were praised by [[Wolfram von Eschenbach]] in his [[Parzival]]. Around the same time, the poet [[Henric van Veldeke]] wrote a legend of Saint Servatius, one of the earliest works in [[Dutch literature]]. The two main churches acquired a wealth of [[relic]]s and the septennial [[Maastricht Pilgrimage]] became a major event that drew up to 100,000 pilgrims.

Unlike most Dutch towns, Maastricht did not receive [[City rights in the Netherlands|city rights]] at a certain date. These gradually developed during its long history. In 1204 the city's [[condominium (international law)|dual authority]] was formalised in a treaty, with the [[prince-bishop of Liège]] and the [[Duchy of Brabant|duke of Brabant]] holding joint sovereignty over the city. Soon afterwards the first ring of medieval walls were built. In 1275, the old Roman bridge collapsed under the weight of a procession, allegedly killing 400 people. A replacement bridge, funded by church [[indulgence]]s, was built slightly to the north and survives until today, the [[Sint Servaasbrug]].<ref>{{citation|title=Christendom and Christianity in the Middle Ages: The Relations Between Religion, Church, and Society|first=Adriaan H.|last=Bredero|publisher=Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing|year=1994|isbn=978-0-8028-4992-2|page=352|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CD-2apInJSYC&pg=PA352}}.</ref>

Throughout the Middle Ages, the city remained a centre for trade and manufacturing principally of [[wool]] and [[leather]] but gradually economic decline set in. After a brief period of economic prosperity around 1500, the city's economy suffered during the [[European wars of religion|wars of religion]] of the 16th and 17th centuries, and recovery did not happen until the [[industrial revolution]] in the early 19th century.