Xanten is a town in the North Rhine-Westphalia state of Germany, located in the district of Wesel. With eighteen million inhabitants inhabiting 34,080 km² in western-northwestern Germany, North Rhine-Westphalia (German Nordrhein-Westfalen) is largest in population though only fourth in area among Germanys sixteen federal states, and contains about 22% of Germanys GDP. The capital is Düsseldorf. ... Wesel is a Kreis (district) in the norther-western part of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. ...

Geography

Xanten is made up of three districts: Hochbruch, Niederbruch and the city centre. More localities, which belong to the city of Xanten, are divided into 6 urban districts: Birten, Lüttingen, Marienbaum, Vynen (with Obermörmter), Wardt (with Mörmter and Willich) and Xanten (with Beek and Ursel). Parts of a protected area called Bislicher Insel belong to the city.

The city is limited by the Rhine and the city of Rees in the north, the city of Wesel to the east, the municipalities of Alpen and Sonsbeck in the south as well as the cities of Uedem and Kalkar to the west. The Rhine canyon (Ruinaulta) in Graubünden in Switzerland Length 1,320 km Elevation of the source Vorderrhein: approx. ... Rees can refer to the following: Sir Martin Rees is the British Astronomer Royal Rees is a Family Surname (also see www. ... Wesel is a city (population about 64,300 in 2003) in Germany, located at the point where the Lippe River empties into the Rhine. ... Alpen can refer to the cereal Alpen the municipality Alpen in the district Wesel, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

History

Antique

First settlements by isolated tribes can be occupied around the year 2000 BC. Around 15 BC the Roman camp Castra Vetera was created on the Fürstenberg near the today's locality Birten. It should serve as starting point for campaigns into Germania and up to its destruction in the context of the raise of the Batavians in 70 AD it's been occupied by 8,000 to 10,000 legionaries, and was the main base of the Classis germanica. ǎ This article is on the social structure. ... (Redirected from 2000 BC) (21st century BC - 20th century BC - 19th century BC - other centuries) (3rd millennium BC - 2nd millennium BC - 1st millennium BC) Events 2064 - 1986 BC -- Twin Dynasty wars in Egypt 2000 BC -- Farmers and herders travel south from Ethiopia and settle in Kenya. ... Centuries: 2nd century BC - 1st century BC - 1st century Decades: 60s BC 50s BC 40s BC 30s BC 20s BC - 10s BC - 0s 10s 20s 30s 40s Years: 20 BC 19 BC 18 BC 17 BC 16 BC 15 BC 14 BC 13 BC 12 BC 11 BC 10 BC... The Roman Empire is the term conventionally used to describe the Roman polity in the centuries following its reorganization under the leadership of Caesar Augustus. ... For other uses, see number 70. ... The Roman Navy (Latin: Classis) operated between the First Punic war and the end of the Western Roman Empire. ...

After the destruction of Castra Vetera a second camp became established at the Bislicher Insel, named "Castra Vetera II", which became the base camp of Legio VI Victrix. A nearby created settlement, which was inhabited by 10,000 to 15,000 usually former legionaries, was given the rights of a Colonia in 110 by the Roman emperor Marcus Ulpius Traianus, who also renamed the city into Colonia Ulpia Traiana. The colonia became the second most important commercial post in the province of Germania Inferior, only beaten by Colonia Agrippinensis (today's Cologne). In 122, Vetera II became the camp of Legio XXX Ulpia Victrix, which substituted VI Victrix, moved to Britannia. Legio VI Victrix (victorious legion) was founded by Octavian in 41 BC. It was a copy of Legio VI Ferrata and perhaps held veterans of that legion, and some soldiers kept to the traditions of the Caesarian legion. ... For other uses, see number 110. ... The Roman province of Germania Inferior, 120 AD Germania Inferior (in English Lower Germany) was a Roman province, located along the west margin of the Rhine, on todays southern Netherlands and western Germany. ... Cologne skyline at night. ... For other uses, see number 122. ... XXX Ulpia Victrix supported Pannonian army commander, Septimius Severus, in his bit for purple. ... Principal sites in Roman Britain Roman Britain is the term applied to the historical period when Britain was under Roman rule, usually considered AD 44 to 410. ...

In 275 the colonia was almost destroyed by Germanic tribes. Thereupon in the area of the colonia a new city was established, named "Tricensimae", which was meant to be smaller but however fortified and more easily to defend. At the beginning of the 5th century the assaults by Germanic tribes however increased rapidly so that the colonia was given up finally. Following the legend of the Nibelungs Siegfried of Xanten is born in these times inside the ruins of the colonia. The christian Viktor of Xanten is supposed to have been executed together with 360 further members of the Theban Legion in 363 near the today's town of Birten as they refused sacrificing to the Roman Gods. Since then Viktor of Xanten is considered as martyr and a later protection patron of the cathedral established over his assumed burial place. Events Eutychian elected pope (probable date) September 25 - Marcus Claudius Tacitus appointed emperor by the senate Births Eusebius of Caesarea (approximate date) Saint George, soldier of the Roman Empire and later Christian martyr (or 280, approximate date). ... German Nibelung and the corresponding Old Norse form Niflung (Niflungr) refers in most of the German texts and in all the Old Norse texts to the royal family or lineage of the Burgundians who settled at Worms. ... In Norse mythology, Sigurd (also Siegfried) was a legendary hero, as well as the central character in the Volsunga saga, Nibelungenlied and Richard Wagners opera, Siegfried, which see for more details. ... The Theban legion figures in Christian mythology as an entire Roman legion — of six thousand six hundred and sixty-six men — who had converted en masse to Christianity and were martyred together, in 286 A.D., according to the hagiographies of Saint Maurice, the chief among the Legions saints. ... Events Perisapora is destroyed by Emperor Julian. ...

The Middle Ages

In the 5th century the Franks began to settle in the area of today's Xanten, but they did not found any urban settlements. In the second half of the 8th Century a church was built on the grounds of an old cemetery of the ancient Roman colony and called "Sanctos (super Rhenum)" (also mentioned "ad Sanctum"). The name of "place of saints" was derived from the assumed grave of the martyr Viktor of Xanten and is the source of today's city name of "Xanten". After establishng a convent south to it today's town centre came into existence. In 939 troops under King Otto I. defeated Franconian, Saxonian and Lotharingian troops under Heinrich I in the "Battle of Xanten". Following the "Battle of Andernach" the same year and the "Battle oft Birten" in 936 the annexation of the Rhineland to the kingdom of Otto I was signed. While Xanten with its rich "Viktor Convent" was still being sieged by Normans in 863, the place in 1122 already appears as part of a trading network at the Lower Rhine. On July 15, 1228 Xanten was given city rights by the Archbishop of Cologne, Heinrich of Molenark. Events Vietnam became a tributary kingdom to China. ... Andernach is a town in Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany on the left bank of the Rhine river, just north of Koblenz. ... Events King Taejo of Goryeo (Wanggeon) defeats Hubaekje. ... Events Constantine I succeeds as king of Scotland. ... Events Resolution of Investiture Controversy in the Concordat of Worms Pierre Abélard writes Sic et Non Births Eleanor of Aquitaine at Belin (near Bordeaux) Deaths Ralph dEscures, archbishop of Canterbury Margrave Ottokar II of Styria Categories: 1122 ... July 15 is the 196th day (197th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 169 days remaining. ... Events The Sixth Crusade is launched by Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, after delays due to sickness and an excommunication from Pope Gregory IX. Conrad IV of Germany becomes titular King of Jerusalem, with Frederick II as regent. ...

Friedrich of Hochstaden lay the foundation stone for the gothic cathedral called St. Viktor, which was finally completed after 281 years of construction in 1263. At the end of the 14th Century Xanten was surrounded by a city wall. Events Detmold, Germany was founded. ...

In 1392 the northern part of the city got into the possession of the dukes of Cleves while the southern part was still possessed by to the Archbishop of Cologne. The division of Xanten was a cause of a conflict between Cleves and Cologne, which was ended when the whole of Xanten was awarded to the duchy of Cleves in 1444. Events Korean founder of the Joseon Dynasty General Yi Seonggye leads a coup détat, overthrowing the kingdom of Goryeo and founding the kingdom of Joseon Afyonkarahisar in western Turkey is conquered by Sultan Beyazid I Louis de Valois is created the 1st Duke of Orléans, the second time... The Duchy of Cleves (Herzogtum Kleve) was a state of the Holy Roman Empire in present Germany (part of North Rhine-Westphalia) and the Netherlands (parts of Limburg and Gelderland). ... Events March 1 - Gjergj Kastriot Skanderbeg proclaimed commander of the Albanian resistance April 16 - Truce of Tours. ...

After being taken by the dukes of Cleves, in the wake of war and crop failure, the number of inhabitants slumped from 5,000 at the beginning of the 16th Century to approximately 2,500 until the end of the 18th Century. The River Rhine had been a basis of Xanten as a trading city until the river bed shifted off the city and caused a deterioration its economic situation. The river even flooded and destroyed the locality of Birten several times.

The local part of Marienbaum, however, was to become the most ancient place of pilgrimage at the Lower Rhine between 1430 and 1441. In 1460 a monastery of the "Birgitten" was established, with an abbey church called "St. Mariä Himmelfahrt" (englisch: Ascension of St. Mary) which still serves as a parish church in these days. Events May 23 - Joan of Arc is captured by the Burgundians while leading an army to relieve Compiègne The Ottoman Empire captures Thessalonica from the Venetians Year in topics 1430 in art Births Robert Morton, English composer, approximate date Antoine Busnois, Burgundian composer, approximate date Deaths Christine de Pizan... This page is about the year 1441. ... Events The first Portuguese navigators reach the coast of modern Sierra Leone. ...

Protestantism started in 1572, but still, at the beginning of the 20th century just 5 per cent of the population were of Protestant denomination; until the beginning of the 21st century the Protestant congregation increased to some 20 per cent. As Xanten fell to the duke of Brandenburg in the 17th century the Protestant church was placed on an equal footing with the catholic church as comfirmed by the Contract of Xanten on 12 November 1614. Thereupon a church was built at the "Großer Markt", which was expanded by a spire in 1622. Events January 16 - The Duke of Norfolk is tried for treason for his part in the Ridolfi plot to restore Catholicism in England. ... Surrounding but excluding the national capital Berlin, Brandenburg is one of Germanys sixteen Bundesländer (federal states). ... November 12 is the 316th day of the year (317th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 49 days remaining. ... Events April 5 - In Virginia, Native American Pocahontas marries English colonist John Rolfe. ... Events January 1 - In the Gregorian calendar, January 1 is declared as the first day of the year, instead of March 25. ...

Modern times

1802 the Viktor-convent was secularized by Napoléon Bonaparte, the libraries of closed monasteries and the convent library were merged. Thereupon deterioration of the economic situation came to become even stronger. To decrease the municipals issues a city gate called "Marstor" was torn down in 1821, the "Scharntor" and parts of the city walls being removed in 1825. The removal of the "Klever Tor" and a mill called "Kriemhildmühle" was prevented by a city's councillor in 1843. At the same time the ruins of the Colonia Ulpia Traiana, which had been used as a quarry since the Roman settlement was given up, aroused the interest of archaeologists. So, between 1819 and 1844 excavation works were being done. In September 1927 the catholic church municipality celebrated its 1,600th anniversary; in 1937 Pope Pius XI. granted the right for the cathedral of "St. Viktor" to be called a Basilica minor. 1802 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1821 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 1825 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... 1843 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1819 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1844 was a leap year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 1927 was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1937 was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ...

In 1933 local mayor Heinrich Wagner was locked up in a tower called "Meerturm" accused of alleged nepotism with loan business. His successor was Friedrich Karl Schöneborn, while the job of deputy mayor was invested by Heinrich Prang junior. Prang had already created a local group of the NSDAP in 1925. As the local council of the "Deutsche Zentrumspartei" was dissolved, three of formerly eight city council members were group members of the NSDAP. The remaining opposition consisted of communists and liberal politicians with no real political mandate at all. 1933 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Nazi swastika The National Socialist German Workers Party (German: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei), better known as the NSDAP or the Nazi Party was a political party that was led to power in Germany by Adolf Hitler in 1933. ... 1925 was a common year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ...

In the following period it came to encroachments against the Jewish population of Xanten. To emphasize here is the destruction of the local praying room and the devastation of several dwellings of Jewish inhabitants on November 9, 1938. After these events the entire Jewish population fled from Xanten. During Second World War a ammunition factory of the Luftwaffe was established in a small forest close to the city, called "Die Hees". While citizens of Xanten worked there in the beginning of the war women and children, but above all foreigners were forced to the hard labour in the course of the war. With incidents on the area of the factory both in November 1942 and in October 1944 parts of the stored ammunition exploded, which cost several workers' lifes. In May 1940 the 256. infantry division became shifted to Xanten to take part at the forthcoming invasion of the Netherlands. November 9 is the 313th day of the year (314th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 52 days remaining. ... 1938 was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ... The Luftwaffe (literally, air weapon, pronounced looft-vaaf-feh) is the air force of Germany. ... 1942 was a common year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1944 was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1940 was a leap year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ...

As allied troops reached up to Xanten in February 1945 mayor Schöneborn left the city. With him almost the entire city administration fled into more eastern areas. In the same month the bombardment of the city had began, which above all killed civilians and destroyed far parts of Xantens. Also the cathedral was hit by aerial bombs and damaged heavily. On March 8, 1945 Xanten was finally taken by Canadian troops. The Canadian military lost according to their own data 400 soldiers in the fight against the defending Wehrmacht's "Fallschirmjäger". Thereupon the city, which had been already destroyed to 85% at this time, was occupied by British troops while the population was evacuated to Bedburg-Hau in preparation for the crossing of the Rhine near the city of Wesel. Artillery projectiles fired by German soldiers from the right Rhine bank additionally devastated Xanten in this time. As the crossing of the Rhine on March 24, 1945 finally succeeded the Second World War was finished to Xanten. 1945 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... March 8 is the 67th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (68th in Leap years). ... 1945 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... Wehrmacht was the name of the armed forces of Germany from 1935 to 1945. ... March 24 is the 83rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (84th in Leap years). ... 1945 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ...

The reconstruction of the city and the cathedral was accomplished particularly by the archaeologist and monument conservationist Walter Bader and lasted until 1966. By refugees from eastern Prussia settling in Xanten the population rose around almost 40%. In the course of the local re-organization in 1969 the localities Birten, Lüttingen, Marienbaum, Obermörmter, Vynen and Wardt were integrated so that around 16,000 inhabitants lived within the city boundaries. The surface of the city became larger from 8 km² to 72 km². 1966 was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1966 calendar). ... 1969 was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1969 calendar). ...

Since Xanten contrary to many other formerly Roman settlements didn't develop in the area of the colonia, but next to it, starting from 1975 the "APX" (Archäologischer Park Xanten, english: Archaeological Park Xanten) as partial reconstruction of the Roman Colonia Ulpia Traiana was established and opened for tourism. Further different historical buildings in the town centre were restored and at the "Xantener Südsee" and "Xantener Nordsee", two lakes connected by a channel close to the localities Wardt and Vynen, the "FZX" (Freizeitzentrum Xanten, english: leisure center Xanten) was established in 1982. On November 28, 1988 Xanten, which was visited by approximately 800,000 tourists in the same year, received the title of a "Staatlich anerkannter Erholungsort" (some kind of a "leisure city") as the first city in the governmental district of Düsseldorf. Between 1990 and 2004 the number of inhabitants rose from 16.930 to 21.305. 1975 was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1975 calendar). ... 1982 is a number and represents a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar Events January January 6 - William Bonin is convicted of being the freeway killer. January 8 - AT&T agrees to divest itself of twenty-two subdivisions January 11 - Mark Thatcher, son of the British Prime... November 28 is the 332nd day (333rd on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1988 is a leap year starting on a Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1990 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Xanten Home Page (http://www.xanten.de)
• Virtual city hall (http://www.rathaus-xanten.de)
• Virtual sight seeing tour (http://www.ipix-foto.de/xanten)
• Archaeological Park (http://www.lvr.de/kultur/apx)
• University of Duisburg, related examinations (http://www.uni-duisburg.de/Institute/InKuR/Institut/AK-Xanten.htm)