Tongeren - Ambiorix

Tongeren, founded 15BC under the name of "Aduatuca Tungrorum", is the oldest town in Belgium. The Romans set up a military camp, that was later abandoned, - but the settlement, that had grown around the camp developed into an important trading center near the Roman road linking Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium (Cologne) to Bononia (Boulogne-sur-Mer). Though strongly fortified the Franks sacked the town in 275.

The Roman reign endet when the town got destroyed in 451 probably by the Huns. At that time a seat of a bishop existed here already. This see later moved on to Maastricht (595) and finally to Liege (718). In 881 Tongeren was raided and looted by the Normans. The largely destroyed city was rebuilt in the 10th century.

Tongeren prospered but in 1677 Louis XIV’s troops blew up the city walls and burned the town down. It took the town two centuries to recover from this.

The statue of Ambiorix is located in the center of the "Grote Markt".

Ambiorix was at the time of Julius Caesar's conquest of Gaul king of the Eburones, a tribe who lived "between Meuse and Rhine". He led a rebellion against the Roman armee - and so (in the 19th century) became a national heroe in just founded Belgium. Similar to his collegues Vercingetrorix in France and Arminius in Germany.