Religious Encounters in the Borderlands of Early Modern Europe: the Case of Vaals
Chapter 11 Religious Encounters in the Borderlands of Early Modern Europe: The Case of Vaals 1 Introduction In the Dutch province of Limburg, at the far southeastern corner of the Neth- erlands, lies a village named Vaals. Without a train station and almost an hour’s bus ride from Maastricht, it is as remote from the centers of Dutch popula- tion and power as can be, within the confines of the country. Few foreigners have heard of it. Yet Vaals is famous among the Dutch, most of whom, it is no exaggeration to say, have visited it, typically on a school trip or family holiday. What brings them to Vaals is the so-called Drielandenpunt, or “three countries point,” that rises on the edge of the village. At an elevation of 322.5 meters, the Drielandenpunt has the distinction of being the highest point in the Nether- lands. It is also the point where the borders of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany meet – hence its name. From 1839 to 1919, it was even, uniquely, a four countries point, since there existed then a tiny sliver of an artificial coun- try named Moresnet whose border met there as well. Promoted as a tourist destination since the 1920s, the Drielandenpunt attracts more than a million visitors per year.1 Feeding and lodging them is the business of the many hotels and restaurants at the bottom of the hill in the commercial center of Vaals, which nestles in a curve of the Dutch-German border. Vaals owes much of its identity to its location at the intersection of three states.
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