Battle of Lafelt 1747

The Ename Center is doing a valuation study of the battle field of Lafelt 1747 (municipalities of Riemst, Bilzen and Lanaken, province Limburg). The battle is also known as the Battle of Maastricht. This study is commissioned by the Flemish Heritage Agency. Zolad+, the intercommunal archaeological service which has its seat in Riemst, is member of the steering group of the project.
The Battle of Lafelt took place 2 July 1747 near Maastricht (The Netherlands). It is considered to be a key event in what is known as the “War of the Austrian Succession” (1740-1748). French troops, supported by Spain, Prussia and Bayern confronted Austrians supported by Russia, England and the Dutch Republic.

For different reasons the battle field of Lafelt is of high archaeological value. The Battle of Lafelt is one of the big scale 18th century battles in Europe of which the battle field is still preserved and where archaeological research is still possible. More than 150.000 soldiers participated at the battle. It is estimated that 5.000 people were killed in action and that 10.000 soldiers were wounded. Recent threats such as the exploitation of clay and the construction of private houses give the valuation study a sense of urgency.