Geistingen is a historic village that is now a

submunicipality A deelgemeente (, literally ''part-municipality'') or section (French) is a subdivision of a municipality in Belgium and, until March 2014, in the Netherlands as well. Belgium Each municipality in Belgium that existed as a separate entity on 1 Ja ...

Kinrooi Kinrooi (; li, Kinder) is a municipality in the Belgian province of Limburg, between Maaseik and Bree. On January 1, 2006, Kinrooi had a total population of 11,978. The total area is 54.76 km², which gives a population density Populat ...

, in the

Limburg Limburg or Limbourg may refer to: Regions * Limburg (Belgium), a province since 1839 in the Flanders region of Belgium * Limburg (Netherlands), a province since 1839 in the south of the Netherlands * Diocese of Limburg, Roman Catholic Diocese in ...

province in the

Flemish Community The Flemish Community ( nl, Vlaamse Gemeenschap ; french: Communauté flamande ; german: Flämische Gemeinschaft ) is one of the three institutional communities of Belgium, established by the Belgian constitution and having legal responsibilit ...

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...

History

In the 1st and 2nd century, a Roman camp was located in Geistingen, and the parish of Geistingen has existed since the 8th century. The village was located on the

Roman road Roman roads ( la, viae Romanae ; singular: ; meaning "Roman way") were physical infrastructure vital to the maintenance and development of the Roman state, and were built from about 300 BC through the expansion and consolidation of the Roman R ...

connecting

Maastricht Maastricht ( , , ; li, Mestreech ; french: Maestricht ; es, Mastrique ) is a city and a municipality in the southeastern Netherlands. It is the capital and largest city of the province of Limburg. Maastricht is located on both sides of the ...

and

Nijmegen Nijmegen (;; Spanish and it, Nimega. Nijmeegs: ''Nimwèège'' ) is the largest city in the Dutch province of Gelderland and tenth largest of the Netherlands as a whole, located on the Waal river close to the German border. It is about 6 ...

At that time, it lay close to the river

Meuse The Meuse ( , , , ; wa, Moûze ) or Maas ( , ; li, Maos or ) is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea from the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta. It has a ...

. The Meuse in the meanwhile had changed its course to the east. In the 15th century, Ophoven developed next to Geistingen, and the municipality was referred to as Ophoven-Geistingen. In 1450, both villages became part of the

county of Horne Horne (also ''Horn'', ''Hoorn'' or ''Hoorne'') is a small historic county of the Holy Roman Empire in the present day Netherlands and Belgium. It takes its name from the village Horn, west of Roermond. The residence of the counts of Horne was m ...

. In 1614, Horne ceased to be independent and became part of the

Prince-Bishopric of Liège The Prince-Bishopric of Liège or Principality of Liège was an ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire that was situated for the most part in present-day Belgium. It was an Imperial Estate, so the bishop of Liège, as its prince ...

. In 1971, the municipality of Ophoven-Geistingen merged into Kinrooi.

Gallery

File:2013Ophoven-DeSpaanjerd.jpg, Spaanjerdplas File:Gemeenschapscentrum Geistingen.jpg, Community house

Notable people

Martin-Hubert Rutten Martin-Hubert Rutten (1841–1927), was a bishop of Liège. Life Rutten was born in Geistingen, in the Belgian province of Limburg, on 18 December 1841, and was educated at the minor seminary in Sint-Truiden and the Diocesan Seminary of Liège. ...

(1841–1927), bishop.

References

External links

Former municipalities of Limburg (Belgium) Kinrooi Populated places in Limburg (Belgium) {{LimburgBE-geo-stub