Timeline of Utrecht

The following is a timeline of the history of the municipality of Utrecht, Netherlands.

Prior to 18th century



 * ~50 AD - Roman fortress built on what is now the Dom square as part of the Limes Germanicus. Named Traiectum to signify it was at a crossing of what was at that time the main branch of the Rhine (now the Oude Gracht)
 * ~200 AD - Wooden fortress walls upgraded to imported tuff stone. Parts of these wall survive to date
 * ~270 AD - Limes Germanicus including the fortress at Trajectum abandoned due to continued invasions.
 * 636 - Chapel built by Dagobert I within the walls of the abandoned Roman fortress.
 * 695 - Catholic diocese of Utrecht established.
 * 720 - St. Martin's church founded by Willibrord (approximate date).
 * 918 - Balderic becomes bishop.
 * 1122
 * 22 June: Town privileges confirmed by Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor.
 * Oudegracht (canal) construction begins.
 * 1145 - (tower) built (approximate date).
 * 1267 - St. Martin's Cathedral built.
 * 1279 - Buurkerk (church) rebuilding begins.
 * 1370 - Public clock installed (approximate date).
 * 1382 - St. Martin's Cathedral tower built.
 * 1393 - (moat) constructed.
 * 1432 - built.
 * 1440
 * Guildhall St. Eloy's Hospice in use.
 * Illuminated manuscript Hours of Catherine of Cleves created in Utrecht (approximate date).
 * 1455 - 7 April: Gijsbrecht van Brederode becomes bishop elect of Utrecht after being elected by the chapters.
 * 1455 - 13 September: David of Burgundy becomes bishop of Utrecht by papal appointment.
 * 1459 - 2 March: Adriaan Florensz, the later Pope Adrian VI born.
 * 1470-4 - First Utrecht Civil War to quell continued opposition to his rule David of Burgundy imprisons Gijsbrecht van Brederode leading to the first Utrecht civil war.
 * 1471 - Printing press in operation (approximate date).
 * 1481-3 - Second Utrecht Civil War, David of Burgundy temporarily removed from power, but restored after the Siege of Utrecht (1483)
 * 1517 - (residence) built.
 * 1528 - Lordship of Utrecht established.
 * 1532 - Vredenburg (castle) built.
 * 1550 - St. Catherine Cathedral built (approximate date).
 * 1577 - Demolition of Vredenburg castle begins.
 * 1579 - 23 January: Treaty unifying northern provinces of the Netherlands signed in Utrecht.
 * 1584 - Catholic property secularized.
 * 1586 - Calvinists in power.
 * 1620s - Utrecht Caravaggisti artists active.
 * 1636 - Utrecht University and its library established.
 * 1637 - built.
 * 1644 - Schilders-Collegie founded.
 * 1672-3 - Occupation by French forces.
 * 1674 - 1 August: . Major damage to several landmark building, most notably the collapse of the nave of the Dom church.

18th-19th centuries

 * 1713 - International peace treaty relating to the War of the Spanish Succession signed in Utrecht.
 * 1773 - founded.
 * 1787 - 9 May: Prussians in power.
 * 1795 - 18 January: Utrecht "acquired by the French."
 * 1807 - (art society) formed.
 * 1808 - established.
 * 1813 - becomes mayor.
 * 1816 - (student society) founded.
 * 1823
 * Abstede, Catharijne, Lauwerecht, and Tolsteeg become part of city.
 * opens.
 * 1830 - built.
 * 1838 - City Museum of Antiquities opens.
 * 1843 - Utrecht Centraal railway station opens.
 * 1853 - Sonnenborgh Observatory established.
 * 1866 - Population: 58,607 in city; 172,487 in province.
 * 1872 - Aartsbisschoppelijk Museum opens.
 * 1873 - Museum Kunstliefde established.
 * 1879 - Regional Utrecht State Archives established.
 * 1884
 * (applied arts museum) opens.
 * Population: 74,364.
 * 1892 - Public library established.
 * 1893 -  (newspaper) begins publication.
 * 1894 - founded.
 * 1898 - opens.

20th century

 * 1902 - built.
 * 1906 - (electric tram) begins operating.
 * 1908 - (cinema) opens.
 * 1913 - (cinema) opens.
 * 1914 - Old Catholic St. Gertrude's Cathedral built.
 * 1916 - Nationale Bankvereeniging (bank) established.
 * 1919 - Population: 138,334.
 * 1921 - Centraal Museum established.
 * 1924 - Rietveld Schröder House built in the De Stijl design mode.
 * 1927 - construction begins (approximate date).
 * 1940 - Population: 165,029.
 * 1950 - Population: 193,190.
 * 1954 - Oudenrijn (section) and Zuilen become part of city.
 * 1960 - Population: 254,186.
 * 1961 - built.
 * 1967 - 12 June: in.
 * 1968 - cannabis coffee shop in business.
 * 1970 - Football Club Utrecht formed.
 * 1970s - part of moat converted to motorway.
 * 1976 - hi-rise built.
 * 1978 - cinema opens.
 * 1979 - Muziekcentrum Vredenburg (concert hall) and Museum Catharijneconvent open.
 * 1980 - Population: 237,037 municipality.
 * 1985 - May: Catholic pope visits Utrecht.
 * 1987 - Leefbaarheidsbudget (participatory budgeting) introduced.
 * 1998 - City Utrecht Archive established.
 * 2000 - Population: 233,667.

21st century

 * 2001 - Vleuten-De Meern becomes part of city.
 * 2002 - Regio Randstad regional governance group formed.
 * 2006 - museum opens.
 * 2008 - hi-rise built.
 * 2011 - Rabobank Bestuurscentrum hi-rise built.
 * 2012 - Utrecht befriends the city of Portland, Oregon, USA.
 * 2013 - Population: 321,916 municipality.
 * 2014
 * TivoliVredenburg concert hall opens.
 * Jan van Zanen becomes mayor.
 * 2015 - July: 2015 Tour de France cycling race starts from Utrecht.
 * 2017
 * May: Basic income pilot to begin.
 * August: Bicycle parking garage opens.
 * 2019 - March: 2019 Utrecht shooting
 * 2020 - September: re-conversion of motorway back to moat/canal completed.

Published in the 18th–19th centuries
In English
 * (+ 1851 ed.)
 * (+ 1851 ed.)
 * (+ 1851 ed.)
 * (+ 1851 ed.)
 * (+ 1851 ed.)

In other languages
 * (bibliography)
 * (bibliography)
 * (bibliography)

Published in the 20th century
In English
 * (+ 1876 ed.)
 * (+ 1881 ed.)
 * (+ 1876 ed.)
 * (+ 1881 ed.)
 * (+ 1881 ed.)
 * (+ 1881 ed.)

In Dutch