Brief History

During the Roman Period there was a small settlement at the current Dom square location. It was a border post, a wooden fortress to protect the border of the Roman empire. The fortress was called Trajectum ad Rhenum ("Crossing over the Rhine river"). The first fortress was probably founded around 48 AD. The importance of Utrecht being a Roman Border post was confirmed by the excavations done in the west of Utrecht. In De Meern  traces were found  of a very early Roman watch tower and a well preserved ship. A second ship has been spotted in June 2003 -, showing the Old Rhine river near Utrecht as a part of the limes, the Roman frontier system. In November 2004 a Roman house has been excavated. This fortress and settlement was situated at the inner curve of the Rhine river.During the next two or three centuries five more fotresses were build, the last having stone walls and gates. The remains of the later ones were found under the Dom square.

During the next centuries, Utrecht was a sprititual centre. In 600 a small church was founded within the fortress which was destroyed by the Frisians. Trajectum (as the city was named in that time) suffered several attacks by the Frisians and later the Franks. The Frankish emperor granted souverinity over the old fortress to Willibrord who again established a church inside the fortress. A small cross shaped chapel, which is now marked at its origonal location in the pavement of the Dom Square, is assumed to be the first church founded by Willibrord.

Later Willibrord founded the San Salvator and Sint Martins church. They both had Cathedral status during the early middle ages. In the same period a palace was built of which remains can be found under the houses of the western Dom Square and "Vismarkt".

Outside the fortress a town was formed and grew rapidly during the middle ages In the 11th century the Church cross was built around the St Martins Cathedral. Two of the churches are still there, from the other two (St Mary and St Paul) at least some remains are visible Including a beautiful Roman Monastry isles. During the twelfth to fourteenth century parish churches were built (St Jacobschurch, Buurchurch, Gertrude church) and the city experienced a period of spiritual and commercial flurishing. In this period the foundation was laid for the construction of the Gothic Dom Cathedral with its mighty tower. The tower was finished in the late fourteenth century and in that time it was the second largest tower in europe (and the highest tower on the european mainland). Convents were founded dedicated to St Agnes and St Cathrin (the last one now hosting a relegious museum and the official cathedral).

In the 16th century the Reformants took over the city and the -still infinished - cathedral fell in hands of the protestant reformists. In 1579 the Union of Utrecht was signed to establish religious tolerance. Until then Utrecht was a major player in the Northern low countries spiritual, commercial and political ruling. After the 80 years war, in which the "Seven United Netherlands" fough the Spanish Armada for freedom, Utrecht lost it's commercial and political significance to the expanding city's of Amsterdam, Haarlem, Leiden etc. In that time the Utrecht University was founded being one of the oldest universities in Holland.

During the 18th century conflicts within the catholic church laid to founding the Old Catholic church. The catholics, still forbidden to practice their faith in public, gathered in so called "Schuilkerken" (Shelter churches) which, from the outside, looked like ordinary houses A nice example of such a church can be found near the Gertrude Cathedral (the Old Catholic Cathedral).

In 1792 Holland was conquered by Napoleon and the French Emperor Lodewick Napoleon build a city palace in Utrecht. Thes palace still exists and is now restored. In 1853 Catholisism was unbanned and Utrecht became - again - a residence for the Arch Bishops However the Dom Cathedral could not be used anymore as it was in the posession of the protestant church. Instead of it, the St Catherina church (part of the convent described before) was inaugurated as cathedral and used for catholic services. Hhowever some services of great importance are still held in the Dom church.

In 1843 Utrecht was connected to the dutch rail network as the third city (after Amsterdam and Haarlem). The most important railway companies decided to set there main activities in Uttrecht. Located in the Centre of Holland Utrecht became more important and attracted more and more commercial activities and trading activities. Today one can say that Utrecht is the main hub in Dutch infrastructure and its economy is growing vastly.During the building of the (commercially) successfull but controverse Shopping centre "Hoog Catheriujne" (for which numerous old buildings were destroyed), Utrecht became more conscious of it's past. The Roman Ship, harbour and other artifact will get a place in the Leidse Rijn Expansion area.

In the next few years the Station area will be reconstructed in a much grander scale. Utrecht, now having 300.000 inhabitants (and 600.000 in its urban area) has need for a enlargement of the city centre towards the west and an increasing of its station to some 100 milion travellers every year. There is also a lot of building in the west where a new "city " Leidse Rijn is erected for around 80.000 inhabitants.