Belgium, Herstal

Herstal is a Belgian municipality located along the Meuse River, in the Walloon province of Liège. Herstal is included in the "Greater Liège" agglomeration, which counts about 600,000 inhabitants. The Herstal municipality includes the former communes of Milmort, Vottem, and Liers partly, the other part being incorporated into Juprelle). A large armaments factory, the Fabrique Nationale or FN, provides employment locally.

History

In the 7th century, Héristal gave its name to the founder of the family that established the Carolingian dynasty. Pippin, lord of Héristal, the powerful Mayor of the Palace of Austrasia and of Neustria under Merovingian king Theuderic III, probably chose this location as his main residence because of its proximity to the major cities of Tongeren, Maastricht, and Liège.

The town was incorporated into the Duchy of Lower Lotharingia, which became part of the Duchy of Brabant at the end of the 12th century.

In the 19th century, Herstal became a city of coal and steel. On August 7, 1914, at the very beginning of World War I, the invading German army executed 27 civilians and destroyed 10 homes in Herstal.

After World War II, heavy industry saw a prolonged period of decline, drastically reducing the number of jobs in these areas. Today, Herstal’s economy is picking up again, with more than 200 companies established on its territory, including Techspace, which manufactures precision parts for the European Space Agency’s Ariane rocket.

Sights

A museum, housed in a 1664 building typical of the region, shows various artifacts of the Prehistoric and Gallo-Roman periods, a Frankish burial place, and several displays retracing the history of the Pippinid dynasty that originated here.

The Pippin Tower (“Tour Pépin”) incorporates a wall section thought to have belonged to the palace of Charlemagne.