Flag of Moresnet
| Neutral Moresnet | ||||||||||
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French: Moresnet Neutre German: Neutral-Moresnet Dutch: Neutraal-Moresnet Esperanto: Neŭtrala Moresneto |
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| Neutral zone | ||||||||||
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3 Neutral Moresnet
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| Capital | Kelmis | |||||||||
| Languages | Esperanto · French · German · Dutch | |||||||||
| Government | Condominium sui iuris | |||||||||
| Mayor | ||||||||||
| • | 1817–1859 | Arnold Timothée de Lasaulx | ||||||||
| • | 1918–1920 | Pierre Grignard | ||||||||
| History | ||||||||||
| • | Agreement of Aachen | June 26, 1816 | ||||||||
| • | Annexation by Belgium | January 10, 1920 | ||||||||
| Area | ||||||||||
| • | 1900 | 3.5 km² (1 sq mi) | ||||||||
| • | 1914 | 3.6 km² (1 sq mi) | ||||||||
| Population | ||||||||||
| • | 1900 est. | 3,000 | ||||||||
| Density | 857.1 /km² (2,220 /sq mi) | |||||||||
| • | 1914 est. | 3,500 | ||||||||
| Density | 972.2 /km² (2,518 /sq mi) | |||||||||
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Neutral Moresnet or Altenberg (French pronunciation: [mɔ.ʁɛ.nɛ]) was a small Belgian–Prussian condominium in central-western Europe that existed from 1816 to 1920 and was jointly administered by the United Kingdom of the Netherlands (Belgium after its independence in 1830) and the Kingdom of Prussia. After 1830, the territory's northernmost border point at Vaalserberg connected it to a quadripoint shared additionally with the Dutch Province of Limburg, the Prussian Rhine Province, and the Belgian Province of Liège. Today it is known as the Three-Country Point.
During the First World War, Neutral Moresnet was annexed by Germany, although the allies did not recognise the annexation. The Armistice between France and Germany in November 1918 forced Germany to withdraw from Belgium and Neutral Moresnet. A year later, the Treaty of Versailles awarded Neutral Moresnet to Belgium, effective 10 January 1920, when the territory was annexed by Belgium to become the municipality of Kelmis. The area is especially of interest to Esperantists because of initiatives in the early 20th century to found an Esperanto‑speaking state, named Amikejo (lit. "friendship place"), on the territory of Neutral Moresnet.
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