Tongeren - Begijnhof

Tongeren, founded 15BC under the name of "Aduatuca Tungrorum", is the oldest town in Belgium. The Romans set up a military camp, that was later abandoned, - but the settlement, that had grown around the camp developed into an important trading center near the Roman road linking Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium (Cologne) to Bononia (Boulogne-sur-Mer). Though strongly fortified the Franks sacked the town in 275.

The Roman reign endet when the town got destroyed in 451 probably by the Huns. At that time a seat of a bishop existed here already. This see later moved on to Maastricht (595) and finally to Liege (718). In 881 Tongeren was raided and looted by the Normans. The largely destroyed city was rebuilt in the 10th century.

Tongeren prospered but in 1677 Louis XIV’s troops blew up the city walls and burned the town down. It took the town two centuries to recover from this.

The Begijnhof (= beguinage), that was dedicated to Saint Catherine, was founded in the 13th century. It was completely walled, with the "Sint-Catharinak" in it´s center.

When in 1677 Louis XIV’s troops devasted and looted Tongeren, they did not enter the Beguinage, as the beguines had paid off the French troops. After the French Revolution the beguinage was dissolved and the houses were sold by the French state to private owners.