The city of Utrecht

Pocket-sized and informative, this book presents a brief history of the Dutch cathedral city of Utrecht, telling its story from the days when Roman troops were billeted here, right up to the year 2000. Twenty centuries of activity in a city that gained its charter as early as 1122. There are ancient institutions, like the Teutonic Order or the brotherhood of St Eloy, there are many medieval buildings and a cross of churches dating from the 11th century that is unique in Europe. Nor is this city's story free from its dark side - there was bloodshed, massacre and religious intolerance, there was bitter poverty in the 19th century, there was foreign occupation - the French in the late 17th century, the Nazis in the mid-20th century. In this book, you can also read about some of the outstanding men and women connected with Utrecht - the missionary St Willibrord, pope Adrian VI, the pious sister Bertken, the painter Paulus Moreelse, the Reverend Voetius, the female writer Belle van Zuylen and, from modern times, mayor Van Asch van Wijck, professor F.C. Donders and architect Gerrit Rietveld.