Utrecht Stadsdag (2) City Day: The Two Documents

In 1122 the bishop
Godebald ruled the

city.(read the nice

backgrounds

in the to be enlarged

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He wanted to reclaim (ontginnen) the peat (veengronden) in the Kromme Rijn area.
He also wanted to build a dam in the Kromme Rijn near Wijk bij Duurstede.
This would mean that the city wasn’t easy to reach for ships anymore, so also a canal had to be duged (Vaartse Rijn).

It is clear that it would cost a lot of money to the furious citizens of Utrecht.

In 1122 the Emperor Hendrik V resided at that time at his Palace Lofen (on the Dom Square now) and it is possible that he wanted to mediate between the citizens and the bishop.

However, short after Whitsuntide the servants of the bishop attacked the courtiers (hovelingen) of the emperor. The Utrecht citizens helped the emperor and the bishop was arrested.

Imagine what a lot of people were involved on that small area.

Godebald was forced by Hendrik V to renunciation and to grant city rights to the city.

There are two documents parchments (perkament) on sheep skin. The first one (45x65 cm) contains the rights.
The second one (46x80 cm) contains details about the charge of toll.

Both were signed at Palace Lofen on Sunday 2 June 1122 and signed by the seal of the emperor.

On the right side of the close up of the document you can read (after enlarging) the name of Godebald, 3rd sentence from below.

Utrecht Stadsdag (1) City Day: The 1st Anniversary

Today is the first anniversary of the Stadsdag, the birth-day of the city of Utrecht, for on June 2, 1122 the city received City rights. Today the city is 887 years old.

The tradition is that on a birthday "beschuit met muisjes" (biscuit with sucred aniseed in a form that could be a micro mouse) is eaten.

For boys the colour is blue and white, for girls the colour is pink and white and for Utrecht the colour is red and white, for these colours are the colours of the flag of city.

Also the flags on the Dom Tower and the flag in front of the Town Hall waved their red-white colours for this special occasion.

This year the celebration is a bit sober for it was hardly a month ago, on 7 May, that the Utrecht Party Leefbaar Utrecht presented a motion to celebrate this day.

But nevertheless compliments to the Catharijne Convent (museum) and the Utrechtse Archief which quickly organized this day.