1069:
German portions (Highways 258/399) was German territory until 1949, the German land formed one enclave. The intersecting north–south road from
Fringshaus to Konzen (now Highway B258, which has no connection to the Belgian road network) was also part of the oddly shaped enclave. In 1949 Belgium annexed these roads, thus separating the enclave into two enclaves for the next nine years. In 1958 Belgium ceded the center section of territory to West Germany, in addition to returning the adjacent east–west connecting road. This created one larger enclave in its present form. Highway B258 is the only portion of land that, once having been a part of the Roetgener Wald enclave, is now not within the enclave.
246:
326:
1110:) from 6 November 1922 until 23 April 1949, while Germany owned the connecting roads that were part of the Roetgener Wald enclave. These roads met at a traffic island north of Fringshaus, with the 2,279 m (0.563 acres) island itself being a part of Belgium. This counter-enclave was extinguished in 1949 when Belgium annexed the German roads that intersected at the traffic island. In 1958, when Belgium returned the east–west road to Germany, this traffic island also became part of the Roetgener Wald enclave.
225:
939:
830:
724:
599:
482:
313:
913:
804:
698:
569:
456:
1577:
1068:
was two enclaves from 1949 to 1958. Unlike its present configuration, the German enclave in 1922 was smaller in area because the central portion (between
Grenzweg and a boundary with three turning points west of the Schleebach stream) was Belgian territory. Because the road connecting the two outer
667:
trackbed. From 1922 to 1958, the center portion (between
Grenzweg and a boundary with three turning points west of the Schleebach stream) was Belgian territory. Until 1949, the east–west road that connected the two outer (German) portions was also German territory; therefore, the German land formed
390:
no longer operational, Belgium might have to return the land the line runs along to
Germany, which would result in the reunification of the exclaves with German territory. However, the foreign ministries of Germany and Belgium have since confirmed that the trackbed, even though disused, will stay as
288:
and Eupen, and succeeded. On 27 March 1920, a border demarcation commission, which included representatives from France, the United
Kingdom, Italy and Japan, determined that the Belgian state should be the owner of the railway line and its stations. At the time this generated six German
1495:
1455:
1304:
1052:
999:
669:
1331:
1409:"En Territoire Belge et à Quarante Centimètres de la Frontière" An historical and documentary study of the Belgian and Dutch enclaves of Baarle-Hertog and Baarle-Nassau
1668:
1051:
enclaves created in 1922; it contained five households. The railway suffered severe damage during World War II and was not rebuilt. It ceased being an enclave when
1308:
1658:
309:
After the Second World War, the railway's industrial use declined steadily, so that the line was finally completely shut down and partially dismantled by 1989.
65:
of the line, as well as the stations and other installations, were made provisional
Belgian territory in 1919 (permanent in 1922) under an article of the
306:
was returned to service as a wholly German line on 2 June 1940. However, after the defeat of
Germany in 1945, the pre-war situation was re-instated.
1648:
1540:
1673:
1416:
245:
272:
to
Belgium on 10 January 1920. As a consequence of the new border demarcation, the route of the line now changed several times between the
1638:
394:
By 4 December 2007, the dismantling of the now disused line had started; by
September 2008, the track had been completely removed between
253:
The line was built to carry coal and iron. The section of the line from Aachen to
Monschau was opened on 30 June 1885. The section from
1663:
1288:
1194:
1335:
1693:
1219:
1653:
1688:
1683:
1678:
1168:
668:
one oddly shaped enclave (that also included the road to Konzen). In 1949, it was split into two enclaves when Germany
325:
1362:
1082:
24:
1517:
672:; in 1958, Belgium returned the east–west road and also ceded the center section of the current enclave to Germany.
1643:
1055:
the entirety in 1949. Hemmeres was reintegrated into West Germany on 28 August 1958, by an agreement with Belgium.
189:
956:
745:
616:
507:
847:
45:
215:
1599:
790:
200:
54:
76:
of Germany on the line's western side, of which five remain. The treaty (not the location of the trackbed,
922:
813:
707:
578:
465:
178:
1382:
682:
1249:
1581:
282:
be placed under Belgian administration, as it was of particular economic importance for the towns of
263:
66:
1547:
1058:
548:
948:
839:
733:
608:
491:
356:
290:
224:
159:
647:
221:
Its part, when and where under Belgian control, was known officially as Belgian Railway line 48.
183:
1076:
677:
85:
1227:
367:
1412:
1031:
1003:
926:
892:
817:
711:
582:
469:
1411:. The University of Melbourne, School of Anthropology, Geography and Environmental Studies.
352:
543:
trackbed; northernmost German enclave, mainly home to industrial and warehouse businesses.
1366:
259:
to Eupen was opened on 3 August 1887. The link to Walheim was opened on 21 December 1889.
81:
355:. These were withdrawn for want of funds to maintain the line. Part of the track between
785:
trackbed; the smallest German enclave, consisting of one inhabited house with a garden.
111:
50:
1632:
231:
172:
90:
361:
297:
273:
1590:
1143:
312:
204:
155:
149:
1063:
652:
553:
209:
1172:
99:
1614:
1601:
1097:
1084:
971:
958:
862:
849:
760:
747:
631:
618:
522:
509:
590:
115:
1433:
1127:
372:
1576:
1359:
1273:
1036:
1008:
930:
897:
821:
776:
715:
403:
A 125 km (78 mi) cycle-way along the route was opened in 2013.
378:
193:
164:
135:
62:
1072:
1042:
944:
918:
878:
835:
809:
729:
703:
658:
604:
586:
574:
487:
473:
461:
442:
197:
141:
73:
58:
391:
Belgian territory and that the German exclaves will therefore remain.
497:
129:
123:
119:
84:, a traffic island inside a three-way German road intersection near
53:
that was built partly across what was then German territory by the
1591:
Hidden Monuments: Railway relics along the former Vennbahn railway
737:
324:
311:
244:
223:
300:
ordered that the area be re-annexed by the German Reich, and the
1305:"Belgium may lose land to Germany due to disused railway line"
661:, and intervening forest (Forst Rötgen); west and south of
1496:"The Times Atlas of the World. Belgium, Plate 61, V. III"
1541:"International Boundary Study, Belgium-Germany Boundary"
1457:
The Times Atlas of the World. Belgium, Plate 61, V. III
266:, the German Reich had to cede districts of Eupen and
114:, ran for some 75 kilometres (47 mi) across the
1289:
Belgien könnte Staatsgebiet an Deutschland verlieren
27:. The pre-1958 border southeast of Roetgen differed.
351:line operated tourist services, some of which were
986:Part of the municipality of Monschau, west of the
1169:"The Vennbahn: Belgium's railway through Germany"
1045:territory, was the sixth and southernmost of the
276:territory and Belgium. Belgium demanded that the
249:The former track is now part of a bicycle network
1434:"Jan S. Krogh's Geosite: Enclaves and Exclaves"
1195:"ZVS - Der Zug kommt - Die Bahn blieb belgisch"
1332:"Belgien behält seine Exklaven in Deutschland"
1130:(the exact number varies according to source)
8:
1046:
1021:
993:
987:
882:
780:
662:
538:
495:
395:
385:
346:
345:In latter years, until the end of 2001, the
336:
330:
301:
283:
277:
267:
254:
229:
170:
147:
139:
127:
34:
1220:"Vennbahn (German enclaves within Belgium)"
1303:Deutsche Presse-Agentur (9 January 2008).
410:
154:, with a 20 km (12 mi) eastward
72:This had the effect of creating six small
1539:U.S. Department of State (30 June 1961).
1460:(Map). Houghton Mifflin Co. Boston London
1250:"ZVS - Der Zug kommt - Die 8 Schautafeln"
1171:. avoe05. 3 February 2000. Archived from
188:. At Eupen it connected with the line to
1669:Railway lines in North Rhine-Westphalia
1138:
1136:
1120:
384:It was reported in 2008 that, with the
1307:. Monsters and Critics. Archived from
122:in a roughly southward direction from
16:Former railway line in Northern Europe
1518:"Vennbahn: Bahnhof Konzen/Fringshaus"
316:Map showing the enclaves and exclaves
262:After the First World War due to the
44:
7:
1659:History of rail transport in Germany
1498:. Houghton Mifflin Co. Boston London
1075:had a counter-enclave located near
293:, five of which still exist today.
14:
80:) also created one small Belgian
1575:
1381:Bleiberg, Larry (29 June 2022).
937:
911:
828:
802:
722:
696:
597:
567:
480:
454:
1649:Closed railway lines in Germany
1483:. Lexington Books, Lanham, MD.
1383:"The world's weirdest border?"
1:
1041:, (1922–1949), surrounded by
49:, "Fen Railway") is a former
23:Vennbahn Map showing current
1674:Railway lines opened in 1885
775:Part of the municipality of
992:trackbed; the southernmost
1710:
1494:Bartholomew, John (1955).
1479:Vinokurov, Evgeny (2007).
1454:Bartholomew, John (1955).
1330:WDR.de (10 January 2008).
1274:Railbike des Hautes Fagnes
1128:German exclaves in Belgium
670:ceded the roads to Belgium
236:, Liège province, Belgium.
1664:Railway lines in Wallonia
1047:
1022:
998:enclave after 1949 (when
994:
988:
883:
781:
663:
539:
496:
428:
425:
422:
419:
416:
413:
396:
386:
347:
337:
331:
302:
284:
278:
268:
255:
230:
171:
148:
140:
134:(the site of the depot),
128:
95:which lasted until 1949.
35:
1334:. WDR.de. Archived from
1098:50.62628972°N 6.234778°E
57:. It is now entirely in
1694:Cycleways in Luxembourg
1407:Whyte, Brendan (2004).
55:Prussian state railways
1639:Belgium–Germany border
1481:The Theory of Enclaves
923:North Rhine-Westphalia
814:North Rhine-Westphalia
708:North Rhine-Westphalia
579:North Rhine-Westphalia
466:North Rhine-Westphalia
342:
317:
250:
237:
228:Vennbahn viaduct near
214:it connected with the
1654:Enclaves and exclaves
1224:Enclaves of the World
1103:50.62628972; 6.234778
407:Enclaves and exclaves
329:Kriegslok 50 3666 on
328:
315:
248:
227:
42:German pronunciation:
25:Belgian-German border
1689:Cycleways in Germany
1684:Cycleways in Belgium
1679:Transport in Prussia
1584:at Wikimedia Commons
1553:on 23 September 2003
1365:1 April 2008 at the
1148:Vennbahn Cycle Route
972:50.52472°N 6.19417°E
863:50.56500°N 6.21806°E
761:50.59778°N 6.24806°E
632:50.63667°N 6.24222°E
523:50.66000°N 6.19000°E
264:Treaty of Versailles
192:where it joined the
179:Losheim (Hellenthal)
110:The line, which was
67:Treaty of Versailles
1611: /
1311:on 10 February 2008
1094: /
968: /
859: /
757: /
657:, southern part of
628: /
519: /
98:The route is now a
1338:on 17 January 2008
343:
341:, 1 September 2001
318:
251:
238:
46:[ˈfɛnbaːn]
1644:Defunct railroads
1580:Media related to
1418:978-0-7340-3032-0
1017:
1016:
977:50.52472; 6.19417
868:50.56500; 6.21806
766:50.59778; 6.24806
637:50.63667; 6.24222
528:50.66000; 6.19000
1701:
1626:
1625:
1623:
1622:
1621:
1616:
1615:50.424°N 6.221°E
1612:
1609:
1608:
1607:
1604:
1589:
1579:
1563:
1562:
1560:
1558:
1552:
1546:. Archived from
1545:
1536:
1530:
1529:
1527:
1525:
1514:
1508:
1507:
1505:
1503:
1491:
1485:
1484:
1476:
1470:
1469:
1467:
1465:
1451:
1445:
1444:
1442:
1440:
1429:
1423:
1422:
1404:
1398:
1397:
1395:
1393:
1378:
1372:
1371:
1357:
1351:
1350:
1347:
1345:
1343:
1327:
1321:
1320:
1318:
1316:
1300:
1294:
1293:
1285:
1279:
1278:
1271:
1265:
1264:
1262:
1260:
1246:
1240:
1239:
1237:
1235:
1230:on 18 March 2014
1226:. Archived from
1216:
1210:
1209:
1207:
1205:
1191:
1185:
1184:
1182:
1180:
1165:
1159:
1158:
1156:
1154:
1140:
1131:
1125:
1109:
1108:
1106:
1105:
1104:
1099:
1095:
1092:
1091:
1090:
1087:
1067:
1050:
1049:
1040:
1025:
1024:
1012:
997:
996:
991:
990:
983:
982:
980:
979:
978:
973:
969:
966:
965:
964:
961:
943:
941:
940:
917:
915:
914:
901:
886:
885:
874:
873:
871:
870:
869:
864:
860:
857:
856:
855:
852:
834:
832:
831:
808:
806:
805:
784:
783:
772:
771:
769:
768:
767:
762:
758:
755:
754:
753:
750:
728:
726:
725:
702:
700:
699:
686:
666:
665:
656:
646:Western part of
643:
642:
640:
639:
638:
633:
629:
626:
625:
624:
621:
603:
601:
600:
573:
571:
570:
557:
542:
541:
534:
533:
531:
530:
529:
524:
520:
517:
516:
515:
512:
501:
500:
486:
484:
483:
460:
458:
457:
411:
399:
398:
389:
388:
376:
365:
350:
349:
340:
339:
334:
333:
305:
304:
287:
286:
281:
280:
271:
270:
258:
257:
235:
234:
216:Liège-Luxembourg
213:
187:
176:
175:
168:
153:
152:
145:
144:
133:
132:
118:to the south of
94:
48:
43:
38:
37:
1709:
1708:
1704:
1703:
1702:
1700:
1699:
1698:
1629:
1628:
1619:
1617:
1613:
1610:
1605:
1602:
1600:
1598:
1597:
1587:
1572:
1567:
1566:
1556:
1554:
1550:
1543:
1538:
1537:
1533:
1523:
1521:
1516:
1515:
1511:
1501:
1499:
1493:
1492:
1488:
1478:
1477:
1473:
1463:
1461:
1453:
1452:
1448:
1438:
1436:
1431:
1430:
1426:
1419:
1406:
1405:
1401:
1391:
1389:
1380:
1379:
1375:
1369:
1367:Wayback Machine
1358:
1354:
1348:
1341:
1339:
1329:
1328:
1324:
1314:
1312:
1302:
1301:
1297:
1291:
1287:Tagesschau.de:
1286:
1282:
1276:
1272:
1268:
1258:
1256:
1248:
1247:
1243:
1233:
1231:
1218:
1217:
1213:
1203:
1201:
1193:
1192:
1188:
1178:
1176:
1175:on 3 March 2016
1167:
1166:
1162:
1152:
1150:
1142:
1141:
1134:
1126:
1122:
1117:
1102:
1100:
1096:
1093:
1088:
1085:
1083:
1081:
1080:
1061:
1053:Belgium annexed
1034:
1006:
1000:Belgium annexed
976:
974:
970:
967:
962:
959:
957:
955:
954:
938:
936:
912:
910:
895:
867:
865:
861:
858:
853:
850:
848:
846:
845:
829:
827:
803:
801:
765:
763:
759:
756:
751:
748:
746:
744:
743:
723:
721:
697:
695:
680:
650:
636:
634:
630:
627:
622:
619:
617:
615:
614:
598:
596:
593:municipalities)
568:
566:
551:
527:
525:
521:
518:
513:
510:
508:
506:
505:
481:
479:
455:
453:
443:Münsterbildchen
409:
400:and Sourbrodt.
377:is now used by
370:
359:
323:
296:On 18 May 1940
243:
207:
181:
162:
108:
88:
82:counter-enclave
41:
30:
29:
28:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1707:
1705:
1697:
1696:
1691:
1686:
1681:
1676:
1671:
1666:
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1656:
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1646:
1641:
1631:
1630:
1595:
1594:
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1571:
1570:External links
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1132:
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1112:
1111:
1086:50°37′34.643″N
1070:
1059:Roetgener Wald
1056:
1015:
1014:
984:
952:
934:
908:
905:
902:
889:
888:
875:
843:
825:
799:
796:
793:
787:
786:
779:, west of the
773:
741:
719:
693:
690:
687:
674:
673:
644:
612:
594:
564:
561:
558:
549:Roetgener Wald
545:
544:
535:
503:
477:
451:
448:
445:
439:
438:
435:
431:
430:
427:
424:
421:
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322:
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239:
112:standard gauge
107:
104:
61:, because the
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20:
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13:
10:
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4:
3:
2:
1706:
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1620:50.424; 6.221
1592:
1586:
1583:
1578:
1574:
1573:
1569:
1549:
1542:
1535:
1532:
1520:. 6 July 2007
1519:
1513:
1510:
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1490:
1487:
1482:
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1459:
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1450:
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1425:
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1044:
1038:
1033:
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1029:
1028:
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985:
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815:
811:
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742:
740:municipality)
739:
735:
731:
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713:
709:
705:
694:
691:
688:
684:
679:
676:
675:
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654:
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613:
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606:
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592:
588:
584:
580:
576:
565:
562:
559:
555:
550:
547:
546:
536:
532:
504:
502:municipality)
499:
493:
489:
478:
476:municipality)
475:
471:
467:
463:
452:
449:
446:
444:
441:
440:
436:
433:
432:
412:
406:
404:
401:
392:
382:
380:
374:
369:
363:
358:
357:Kalterherberg
354:
327:
320:
314:
310:
307:
299:
294:
292:
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1548:the original
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1432:Krogh, Jan.
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426:Coordinates
423:Enclaved by
402:
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383:
353:steam-hauled
344:
308:
298:Adolf Hitler
295:
274:German Reich
261:
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160:Oberweywertz
109:
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71:
51:railway line
33:
31:
18:
1618: /
1439:21 February
1387:www.bbc.com
1370:(in French)
1349:(in German)
1315:22 February
1292:(in German)
1277:(in German)
1179:25 February
1101: /
1062: [
1035: [
1007: [
975: /
929:district –
896: [
866: /
820:district –
764: /
736:province –
714:district –
681: [
651: [
648:Lammersdorf
635: /
585:district –
552: [
526: /
494:province –
472:district –
420:Exclave of
397:Trois-Ponts
371: [
360: [
208: [
205:Trois-Ponts
182: [
163: [
150:Trois-Ponts
89: [
1633:Categories
1603:50°25′26″N
1254:www.zvs.be
1234:8 February
1199:www.zvs.be
1144:"Vennbahn"
1115:References
1089:6°14′5.2″E
1077:Fringshaus
1013:enclave).
960:50°31′29″N
887:trackbed.
851:50°33′54″N
749:50°35′52″N
678:Rückschlag
620:50°38′12″N
511:50°39′36″N
232:Bütgenbach
190:Herbesthal
173:Bütgenbach
86:Fringshaus
1606:6°13′16″E
1026:enclaves:
963:6°11′39″E
951:province)
842:province)
791:Mützenich
752:6°14′53″E
623:6°14′32″E
611:province)
591:Simmerath
514:6°11′24″E
379:railbikes
368:Sourbrodt
321:Operation
201:main line
116:High Fens
100:cycle way
1582:Vennbahn
1363:Archived
1153:30 March
1048:Vennbahn
1032:Hemmeres
1023:Vennbahn
1004:Hemmeres
995:Vennbahn
989:Vennbahn
931:Monschau
925:state –
893:Ruitzhof
884:Vennbahn
877:West of
854:6°13′5″E
822:Monschau
816:state –
782:Vennbahn
777:Monschau
716:Monschau
710:state –
664:Vennbahn
581:state –
540:Vennbahn
537:West of
468:state –
437:(acres)
387:Vennbahn
348:Vennbahn
332:Vennbahn
303:Vennbahn
291:exclaves
279:Vennbahn
194:Brussels
136:Monschau
74:exclaves
63:trackbed
36:Vennbahn
1392:11 July
1342:9 March
1259:23 June
1204:23 June
1073:Belgium
1043:Belgian
1020:Former
945:Belgium
919:Germany
879:Belgium
836:Belgium
810:Germany
795:12.117
730:Belgium
704:Germany
659:Roetgen
605:Belgium
587:Roetgen
575:Germany
488:Belgium
474:Roetgen
462:Germany
285:Malmedy
269:Malmedy
241:History
198:Cologne
142:Malmedy
59:Belgium
1415:
942:
927:Aachen
916:
904:0.937
833:
818:Aachen
807:
727:
712:Aachen
701:
689:0.016
602:
583:Aachen
572:
498:Raeren
485:
470:Aachen
459:
447:1.826
429:Notes
338:Raeren
256:Raeren
218:line.
156:branch
130:Raeren
124:Aachen
120:Aachen
78:per se
1557:4 May
1551:(PDF)
1544:(PDF)
1524:4 May
1502:4 May
1464:4 May
1066:]
1039:]
1011:]
949:Liège
933:town)
900:]
840:Liège
824:town)
798:2,994
738:Eupen
734:Liège
718:town)
685:]
655:]
609:Liège
563:2,470
560:9.98
556:]
492:Liège
434:(km)
417:Area
414:Name
375:]
364:]
212:]
203:. At
186:]
167:]
158:from
106:Route
93:]
1559:2013
1526:2013
1504:2013
1466:2013
1441:2013
1413:ISBN
1394:2022
1344:2008
1317:2008
1261:2021
1236:2013
1206:2021
1181:2009
1155:2018
1002:the
589:and
366:and
177:and
138:and
126:via
32:The
907:232
881:'s
692:4.0
450:451
335:at
169:to
146:to
1635::
1385:.
1252:.
1222:.
1197:.
1146:.
1135:^
1064:de
1037:de
1009:de
898:de
683:de
653:de
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210:fr
184:de
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