Once upon a time in the territory between three states: the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany, there was a small country that existed for more than a hundred years, with a little-known name Moresnet. And this is not surprising, because at one point it simply disappeared from the map of Europe.
Nowadays it is a Belgian settlement called Kelmis. But earlier it was the capital of the disappeared country - Neutral Morenet. Last year, Katharina Messen, the last of the inhabitants of the miniature country, died. She was 105 years old.
Interesting facts about Moresnet
In fact, the area occupied by the country was tiny - only three and a half square kilometers. But the Netherlands and Prussia fought for him, and it was because of what. There was a large zinc deposit in this area. For centuries, a mine called Vieille Montagne was the cause of the battle of the Dutch, the Germans, Napoleon was interested in it. The Netherlands and Prussia fought together at Waterloo, but with regard to the mine, each was on his side.
The controversy lasted for a whole year. Over fifty conferences and meetings were held, and they came to nothing. They gave up on the residents. We decided to let there be draws, but under supervision. Thus, this miniature country arose, which was watched by both Prussia and the Netherlands. In management, the Dutch were replaced by the Belgians.
Over time, Moresnet was granted sovereignty and even a mayor was appointed. Residents have benefited from their independence. They had low taxation, and there was no tax on imports at all, prices were low. Moreover, the country now has its own anthem, flag, stamps. They did not have citizenship, so they were not threatened with compulsory military service.
In addition to the zinc mine, there were also excellent distilleries. 50% of the country was forest, which had a positive impact on the ecological state of the country. The country appeared in 1816. and then there were only 256 people in it. Over time, it increased to three thousand, which no one expected at all.
Newly made residents were engaged in drunkenness and smuggling, brothels and taverns grew like mushrooms after rain. The city is home to a mass of criminal elements from all over the world. In general, they spoke different languages here. At some point, someone decided to introduce a single language. Many people liked the idea, so soon the population began to speak Esperanto. As a result, Kelmis turned into a world center for his study.
During the First World War, the city was burned by the Germans and the population had no choice but to ask the Belgians for protection. But Moresnet remained neutral almost until the end of World War II. This country became part of Belgium in 1944. So, it was simply erased from the maps of Europe. In memory of the state, only the pillars remained in the place where the border was previously located.
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Continuing the topic, read about a country that occupies a huge territory, but is considered the most deserted.
A source: https://novate.ru/blogs/280321/58359/
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