St. Vith

Sankt Vith
Saint Vith  (French)
Municipality

View of Sankt Vith

Flag
Coat of arms
Sankt Vith

Location in Belgium

Coordinates: 50°16′N 06°07′E / 50.267°N 6.117°E / 50.267; 6.117Coordinates: 50°16′N 06°07′E / 50.267°N 6.117°E / 50.267; 6.117
Country Belgium
Community German-speaking Community
Region Wallonia
Province Liège
Arrondissement Verviers
Government
 • Mayor Christian Krings (Krings-FBL)
 • Governing party/ies Krings-FBL
Area
 • Total 146.93 km2 (56.73 sq mi)
Population (1 January 2016)[1]
 • Total 9,637
 • Density 66/km2 (170/sq mi)
Postal codes 4780-4784
Area codes 080
Website www.st.vith.be

St. Vith (German: Sankt Vith; French: Saint-Vith; Luxembourgish: Sankt Väit) is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Liège, and in the German speaking Community of Belgium. It was named after Saint Vitus.

On January 1, 2006, St. Vith had a total population of 9,169. The total area is 146.93 km², giving a population density of 62 inhabitants per km². The official language of the municipality is German.

The municipality consists of the following sub-municipalities: Sankt Vith, Crombach, Lommersweiler, Recht, and Schönberg.

History

St. Vith was an important marketplace of the region by the 12th century and received town rights in 1350. The town was damaged by fires in 1543, 1602, and 1689. It was part of the Duchy of Luxemburg until the defeat of French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. As a result of the Congress of Vienna it was given to the Kingdom of Prussia.

St. Vith was transferred to Belgium on March 6, 1925, by the Treaty of Versailles after the defeat of the German Empire in World War I.

American soldiers in St. Vith during the Battle of the Bulge

An important road and railway junction, St. Vith was fought over in the 1944 Battle of the Bulge during World War II. The United States Army defended the town against German assault for a few days, delaying the German attack plan, before eventually being forced to retreat. Once it was captured by German forces, the town was bombed by the US Air Force on 25 and 26 December 1944 and by RAF Bomber Command with 300 aircraft on the 26.[2] St. Vith was mostly destroyed during the ground battle and subsequent air attack. American forces retook the town on January 23, 1945. The only remaining pre-war architecture remaining is the Büchel Tower.

St. Vith is the setting for Michael Oren's novel, Reunion, concerning a fictional reunion of an American battalion which participated in the Battle of the Bulge.

Sister cities

See also

References

  1. ↑ Population per municipality as of 1 January 2016 (XLS; 397 KB)
  2. ↑ "Bomber Command 60th Anniversary Battle Diary December 1944
 Stavelot
Trois-Ponts		 Malmedy, Amel Büllingen
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   St. Vith  
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