Bitburg

Bitburg began as Beda, a stop on the Roman road from Trier towards Cologne. Around 330 Emperor Constantine strengthened the settlement as a road fort, whose central area became the later town. The town came under the protection of the archbishop of Trier by treaty in 1239. In 1262 Count Henry V of Luxembourg granted Bitburg its town charter. Its position in the Eifel placed it between the lands of Trier and Luxembourg.

The town shared the changing fortunes of the Duchy of Luxembourg, passing under Burgundian rule in 1443 and later to the Austrian Netherlands. French administration began in 1794; a court and land registry were established during the ensuing reorganization. Following Napoleon's defeat, the Congress of Vienna assigned Bitburg to Prussia in 1815, ending centuries of association with Luxembourg.