Meuse
Meuse | |
---|---|
![]() The Meuse atDinant | |
![]() Basin of the Meuse | |
Native name |
|
Location | |
Countries | |
Region | Western Europe |
Cities |
|
Physical characteristics | |
Source | |
• location | Pouilly-en-Bassigny,Le Châtelet-sur-Meuse,Haute-Marne,Grand Est,France |
• coordinates | 47°59′12″N5°37′00″E/ 47.9867°N 5.6167°E |
• elevation | 409 m (1,342 ft) |
Mouth | North Sea |
• location | Hollands Diep,North Brabant/South Holland,Netherlands |
• coordinates | 51°42′54″N4°40′04″E/ 51.715°N 4.6678°E |
• elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
Length | 925 km (575 mi) |
Basin size | 34,548 km2(13,339 sq mi) |
Discharge | |
• average | 350 m3/s (12,000 cu ft/s) |
[1]![]() |
TheMeuse[a]orMaas[b]is a majorEuropean river,rising inFranceand flowing throughBelgiumand theNetherlandsbefore draining into theNorth Seafrom theRhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta.It has a total length of 925 km (575 miles).
History
[edit]From 1301, the upper Meuse roughly marked the western border of theHoly Roman Empirewith theKingdom of France,after CountHenry III of Barhad to receive the western part of theCounty of Bar(Barrois mouvant) as a French fief from the hands of KingPhilip IV.In 1408, a Burgundian army led byJohn the Fearlesswent to the aid ofJohn IIIagainst the citizens of Liège, who were in open revolt. After thebattle,which saw the men from Liège defeated, John ordered the drowning in the Meuse of burghers and noblemen in Liège whose loyalties he suspected.[6]
The border remained relatively stable until the annexation of theThree BishopricsMetz, Toul and Verdun by KingHenry IIin 1552 and the occupation of theDuchy of Lorraineby the forces of KingLouis XIIIin 1633. Its lower Belgian (Walloon) portion, part of thesillon industriel,was the first fully industrialized area in continental Europe.[7]
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/25/Bank_of_the_Meuse_at_Zwindrecht_%28Holland%29.jpg/331px-Bank_of_the_Meuse_at_Zwindrecht_%28Holland%29.jpg)
TheAfgedamde Maaswas created in the late Middle Ages, when a major flood made a connection between the Maas and theMerwedeat the town ofWoudrichem.From that moment on, the current Afgedamde Maas was the main branch of the lower Meuse. The former main branch eventually silted up and is today called theOude Maasje.In the late 19th century and early 20th century the connection between the Maas and Rhine was closed off and the Maas was given a new, artificial mouth – theBergse Maas.The resulting separation of the rivers Rhine and Maas reduced the risk of flooding and was considered to be the greatest achievement in Dutch hydraulic engineering before the completion of theZuiderzee WorksandDelta Works.[8][9]The former main branch was, after the dam at its southern inlet was completed in 1904, renamedAfgedamde Maasand no longer receives water from the Maas.
The Meuse and its crossings were a key objective of theBattle of France,theBattle of Sedanand also for the last major German WWII counter-offensive on theWestern Front,theBattle of the Bulgein December 1944 and January 1945.
The Meuse is represented in the documentaryThe River Peoplereleased in 2012 by Xavier Istasse.[10]
In July 2021, the Meuse basin was one of the many regions in Europe to experience catastrophic flooding during the2021 European floods.[11]
Etymology
[edit]The nameMeuseis derived from the French name of the river, derived from its Latin name,Mosa,which ultimately derives from theCelticorProto-Celticname *Mosā.This probably derives from the same root as English "maze",referring to the river's twists and turns.[12]
The Dutch nameMaasdescends fromMiddle DutchMase,which comes from the presumed but unattestedOld Dutchform *Masa,fromProto-Germanic*Masō.ModernDutchandGermanMaasandLimburgishMaospreserve this Germanic form. Despite the similarity, the Germanic name is not derived from the Celtic name, judging from the change from earlierointoa,which is characteristic of the Germanic languages.[clarification needed]
Geography
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e6/Meuse_River_SPOT_1140.jpg/298px-Meuse_River_SPOT_1140.jpg)
The Meuse rises in Pouilly-en-Bassigny, commune ofLe Châtelet-sur-Meuseon theLangresplateau in France from where it flows northwards pastSedan(the head ofnavigation) andCharleville-Mézièresinto Belgium.[13]
AtNamurit is joined by theSambre.Beyond Namur the Meuse winds eastwards and passesLiègebefore turning north. The river then forms part of the Belgian-Dutch border, except that atMaastrichtthe border lies further to the west. In the Netherlands it continues northwards throughVenloclosely along the border to Germany, then turns towards the west, where it runs parallel to theWaaland forms part of the extensiveRhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta,together with theScheldtto its south and theRhineto the north. The river has been divided nearHeusdeninto theAfgedamde Maason the right and theBergse Maason the left. The Bergse Maas continues under the name ofAmer,which is part ofDe Biesbosch.The Afgedamde Maas joins the Waal, the main stem of the Rhine atWoudrichem,and then flows under the name ofBoven MerwedetoHardinxveld-Giessendam,where it splits intoNieuwe MerwedeandBeneden Merwede.NearLage Zwaluwe,the Nieuwe Merwede joins the Amer, forming theHollands Diep,which splits intoGrevelingenandHaringvliet,before finally flowing into the North Sea.
The Meuse is crossed by railway bridges between the following stations (on the left and right banks respectively):
- Belgium:
- Hasselt(Belgium) –Maastricht(Netherlands)
- Netherlands:
- Weert-Roermond
- Blerick–Venlo
- Cuijk– Mook-Molenhoek
- Ravenstein–Wijchen
- 's-Hertogenbosch–Zaltbommel
There are also numerous road bridges and around 32 ferry crossings.
The Meuse is navigable over a substantial part of its total length: In the Netherlands and Belgium, the river is part of the major inland navigation infrastructure, connecting the Rotterdam-Amsterdam-Antwerp port areas to the industrial areas upstream: 's-Hertogenbosch, Venlo, Maastricht, Liège, Namur. Between Maastricht andMaasbracht,an unnavigable section of the Meuse is bypassed by the 36 km (22.4 mi)Juliana Canal.South of Namur, further upstream, the river can only carry more modest vessels, although a barge as long as 100 m (328 ft). can still reach the French border town of Givet.
From Givet, the river is canalized over a distance of 272 kilometres (169 mi). The canalized Meuse used to be called the "Canal de l'Est — Branche Nord" but was recently rebaptized into "Canal de la Meuse". The waterway can be used by the smallest barges that are still in use commercially almost 40 m (131 ft) long and just over 5 metres (16 ft) wide. Just upstream of the town of Commercy, the Canal de la Meuse connects with theMarne–Rhine Canalby means of a short diversion canal.[14]
The Cretaceous sea reptileMosasauris named after the river Meuse. The first fossils of it were discovered outside Maastricht in 1780.
Basin area
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ab/Dinant_Rochers_Freyr_R01.jpg/220px-Dinant_Rochers_Freyr_R01.jpg)
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e2/01-Namur-290305_%281%29.jpg/220px-01-Namur-290305_%281%29.jpg)
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/da/Meuse_fragnee.jpg/220px-Meuse_fragnee.jpg)
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/53/Maas.jpg/220px-Maas.jpg)
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/53/Tussen_Gennep_en_Oeffelt%2C_de_Maas_foto6_2015-11-02_14.52.jpg/220px-Tussen_Gennep_en_Oeffelt%2C_de_Maas_foto6_2015-11-02_14.52.jpg)
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d3/Maas_grave.jpg/220px-Maas_grave.jpg)
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/60/Appeltern%2C_de_Maas_foto7_2011-01-16_14.43.jpg/220px-Appeltern%2C_de_Maas_foto7_2011-01-16_14.43.jpg)
An international agreement was signed in 2002 inGhent,Belgium, about the management of the river amongst France, Germany,Luxembourg,the Netherlands, and Belgium. Also participating in the agreement were the Belgian regional governments ofFlanders,Wallonia,andBrussels(which is not in the basin of the Meuse but pumps running water into the Meuse).
Most of the basin area (approximately 36,000 km2) is in Wallonia (12,000 km2), followed by France (9,000 km2), the Netherlands (8,000 km2), Germany (2,000 km2), Flanders (2,000 km2) and Luxembourg (a few km2).
An International Commission on the Meuse has the responsibility of the implementation of the treaty.
The costs of this Commission are met by all these countries, in proportion of their own territory in the basin of the Meuse: Netherlands 30%, Wallonia 30%, France 15%, Germany 14.5%, Flanders 5%, Brussels 4.5%, Kingdom of Belgium 0.5%, and Luxembourg 0.5%.
The map of the basin area of Meuse was joined to the text of the treaty.[15]
As for culture, as a major communication route the River Meuse is the origin ofMosan art,principally (Wallonia and France).
The first landscape painted in the Renaissance was the landscape of Meuse byJoachim Patinir.[16]He was likely the uncle ofHenri Blès,who is sometimes defined as a Mosan landscape painter active during the second third of the 16th century (i.e. second generation of landscape painters).[17]
Tributaries
[edit]The main tributaries of the Meuse are listed below in downstream-upstream order, with the town where the tributary meets the river:
- Dieze(near's-Hertogenbosch)
- Aa(in 's-Hertogenbosch)
- Binnendieze(in 's-Hertogenbosch)
- Dommel(in's-Hertogenbosch)
- Raam(inGrave)
- Niers(inGennep)
- Swalm(inSwalmen)
- Rur/Roer(inRoermond)
- Kingbeek(nearIllikhoven)
- Geleenbeek(nearMaasbracht)
- Geul(nearMeerssen)
- Geer/Jeker(inMaastricht)
- Voer/Fouron(inEijsden)
- Berwinne/Berwijn(nearMoelingen,part ofVoeren)
- Ourthe(inLiège)
- Weser/Vesdre(nearLiège)
- Amel/Amblève(inComblain-au-Pont)
- Salm(inTrois-Ponts)
- Warche(nearMalmedy)
- Hoyoux(inHuy)
- Mehaigne(inWanze)
- Sambre(inNamur)
- Houyoux(in Namur)
- Bocq(inYvoir)
- Molignée(inAnhée)
- Lesse(inAnseremme,part ofDinant)
- Viroin(inVireux-Molhain)
- Faux(inRevin)
- Semois or Semoy(inMonthermé)
- Sormonne(inWarcq)
- Bar(nearDom-le-Mesnil)
- Chiers(inBazeilles)
- Vair(inMaxey-sur-Meuse)
- Mouzon(inNeufchâteau, Vosges)
- Saônelle (inCoussey)
Distributaries
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/47/Rijn_Maas_Delta.jpg/220px-Rijn_Maas_Delta.jpg)
The mean annual discharge rate of the Meuse has been relatively stable over the last few thousand years. One recent study estimates that average flow has increased by about 10% since 2000 BC.[18]The hydrological distribution of the Meuse changed during the later Middle Ages, when a major flood forced it to shift its main course northwards towards the riverMerwede.From then on several stretches of the original Merwede were renamed "Maas" (i.e. Meuse) and served as the primary outflow of that river. Those branches are currently known as the Nieuwe Maas and Oude Maas.
However during another series of severe floods the Meuse found an additional path towards the sea, resulting in the creation of theBiesboschwetlands andHollands Diepestuaries. Thereafter the Meuse split nearHeusdeninto two main distributaries, one flowing north to join the Merwede and one flowing direct to the sea. The branch of the Meuse leading direct to the sea eventually silted up (and now forms theOude Maasjestream), but in 1904 the canalisedBergse Maaswas dug to take over the functions of the silted-up branch. At the same time the branch leading to the Merwede was dammed at Heusden (and has since been known as theAfgedamde Maas) so that little water from the Meuse entered the old Maas courses or the Rhine distributaries. The resulting separation of the rivers Rhine and Meuse is considered to be the greatest achievement in Dutch hydraulic engineering before the completion of theZuiderzee WorksandDelta Works.[8][19]In 1970 theHaringvlietdamhas been finished. Since then the reunited Rhine and Meuse waters have reached the North Sea either at this site or, during times of lower discharges of the Rhine, atHook of Holland.[20]
A 2008 study[21]notes that the difference between summer and winter flow volumes has increased significantly in the last 100–200 years. It points out that the frequency of serious floods (i.e.flows > 1000% of normal) has increased markedly. They predict that winter flooding of the Meuse may become a recurring problem in the coming decades.
Départements, provinces and towns
[edit]The Meuse flows through the followingdepartments of France,provinces of Belgium,provinces of the Netherlandsand towns:
Haute-Marne
Vosges:Neufchâteau
Meuse:Commercy,Saint-Mihiel,Verdun,Stenay
Ardennes:Sedan,Charleville-Mézières,Givet
Namur:Dinant,Namur
Liège:Huy,Liège,Visé
Limburg:Eijsden,Maastricht,Stein,Maasbracht,Roermond,Venlo,Gennep
Limburg:Stokkem,Maaseik(between Stein and Maasbracht)
North Brabant:Boxmeer,Cuijk,Grave,Ravenstein,Lith,Heusden,Aalburg,Woudrichem
Gelderland:Maasdriel
South Holland:Dordrecht,Maassluis,Rotterdam
Detailed route
[edit]Main cities and tributaries will be inbold.
Mention in patriotic songs
[edit]The Meuse (Maas) is mentioned in the first stanza of Germany's old national anthem, theDeutschlandlied.However, since itsre-adoption as national anthem in 1952,only the third stanza of theDeutschlandliedhas been sung as the German national anthem, the first and second stanzas being omitted. This was confirmed after German reunification in 1991 when only the third stanza was defined as the official anthem. The lyrics written in 1841 describe a then–disunited Germany with the river as its western boundary, where KingWilliam I of the Netherlandshad joined theGerman Confederationwith hisDuchy of Limburgin 1839. Though the duchy's territory officially became an integral part of the Netherlands by the 1867Treaty of London,the text passage remained unchanged when theDeutschlandliedwas declared the national anthem of theWeimar Republicin 1922.
The name of the rivers also forms part of the title of "Le Régiment de Sambre et Meuse",written after the French defeat in theFranco-Prussian Warof 1870, and a popular patriotic song for the rest of the 19th century and into the 20th.
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^Marcel de Wit, Robert Leander, Adri Buishand:Extreme discharges in the Meuse basinArchived2014-01-06 at theWayback Machine,p. 2
(The frequently mentioned figure of 250 m3/s refers to theBorgharengauge near the frontier between Belgium and the Netherlands representing two thirds of the basin.) - ^ab"Meuse".The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language(5th ed.). HarperCollins.RetrievedApril 4,2019.
- ^"Meuse"(US) and"Meuse".LexicoUK English Dictionary.Oxford University Press.Archived fromthe originalon 2020-02-09.
- ^ab"Meuse".Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary.Merriam-Webster.RetrievedApril 4,2019.
- ^"Maas".LexicoUS English Dictionary.Oxford University Press.Archived fromthe originalon 2020-02-26.
- ^Loo, Bart van (2021). "Let Them All Die".The Burgundians: A Vanished Empire: A History of 1111 Years and One Day.London.ISBN978-1-78954-343-8.OCLC1264400332.Archivedfrom the original on 2024-05-13.Retrieved2022-09-16.
{{cite book}}
:CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^"Wallonie: une région en Europe"(in French). Ministère de la Région wallonne.Archivedfrom the original on May 31, 2013.RetrievedSeptember 29,2007.
- ^abVan der Aalst & De Jongh (2004).Honderd Jaar Bergse Maas(in Dutch). Pictures Publishing.ISBN90-73187-50-8.
- ^Wols, Rien (2011)."De Uitvoering van de Maasmondingswerken".Brabants Historisch Informatie Centrum(in Dutch).Archivedfrom the original on 2014-11-03.Retrieved2014-10-26.
- ^"Presentation of The River People on Eurochannel".Archivedfrom the original on 2014-10-29.Retrieved2014-10-28.
- ^Barneveld, Hermjan; Hoitink, A. J. F.; Frings, R. M. (2022)."Massive morphological changes during the 2021 summer flood in the River Meuse"(PDF).hkv.nl.Archived(PDF)from the original on 21 December 2022.Retrieved21 December2022.
- ^Ferguson, Robert (1862).The River-Names of Europe.London: Williams & Norgate. p. 142.OCLC1811056.
- ^(in French)Sandre."Fiche cours d'eau - La Meuse (B---0000)".
- ^NoorderSoft Waterways database
- ^"Accord international sur la Meuse".Archivedfrom the original on 2022-05-23.Retrieved2010-01-30.
- ^French:Les rochers par lesquels l'art gothique suggère conventionnellement un site sauvage et désertique, sont présents. Comme d'aucuns l'ont remarqué, ces pics rocheux qui vont devenir chez Patinier, indissociables de l'évocation d'un paysage ressemblent à ceux qu'il a pu voir dans la régiondinantaise(...) Mais il va de soi que les paysages représentés ne sont jamais dans leur ensemble la transposition de sites existants. L'espace tel que le conçoit Patinier est d'un autre ordre que celui qui s'offre au spectateur dans la réalité.in 'L'essor du paysage' in Jacques Stiennon, Jean-Patrick Duchesne, Yves Randaxhe,Cinq siècles de peinture en Wallonie,Les éditeurs d'art associés, Bruxelles, 1988, p. 67-72. The landscape of the Mosan valley is the inspiration of Patinier but the result of this inspiration was not a painting of this landscape.
- ^Fraiture, Pascale (2002)."Contribution of scientific methods to the understanding of the work of the 16th century painter, Henri Bles".Dendrochronologia.20(3): 285–299.doi:10.1078/1125-7865-00022.
- ^Ward PJ, H Renssen, JCJH Aerts, RT van Balen & J Vandenberghe (2008), "Strong increases in flood frequency and discharge of the River Meuse over the Late Holocene: impacts of long-term anthropogenic land use change and climate variability".Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci.12: 159-175.http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/12/159/2008/hess-12-159-2008.pdfArchived2020-02-17 at theWayback Machine[Wardet al.,2008]
- ^Wols, Rien (2011)."De Uitvoering van de Maasmondingswerken".Brabants Historisch Informatie Centrum(in Dutch).Archivedfrom the original on 2014-11-03.Retrieved2014-10-26.
- ^Rijkswaterstaat:Water Management in the Netherlands,2011
- ^Wardet al.,2008
External links
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
Meuse River.
- Meuse basin
- Belgium–Netherlands border
- International rivers of Europe
- Rivers of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta
- Rivers of France
- Rivers of Belgium
- Rivers of the Netherlands
- Rivers of Flanders
- Rivers of Wallonia
- Rivers of Grand Est
- Rivers of Ardennes (department)
- Rivers of Haute-Marne
- Rivers of Meuse (department)
- Rivers of Vosges (department)
- Rivers of Liège Province
- Rivers of Namur (province)
- Rivers of Gelderland
- Rivers of Limburg (Netherlands)
- Rivers of North Brabant
- Rivers of South Limburg (Netherlands)
- Rivers of the Ardennes (Belgium)
- Rivers of the Ardennes (France)
- Transport in 's-Hertogenbosch
- Transport in Liège
- Transport in Maastricht
- Transport in Namur (city)
- Transport in Roermond
- Transport in Sittard-Geleen
- Transport in Venlo
- Geography of Liège
- Geography of Namur (city)
- Border rivers