The macroseismic field of the Roermond earthquake of April 13, 1992, has been compared with those of large historical earthquakes (M(L) greater than or equal to 5.5) in the Lower Rhine Embayment and its vicinity: those of Duren (1755, 1756), Tollhausen (1878), North-Brabant (1932) and Euskirchen (1951). The historical earthquakes were reconstructed and analysed mainly on the basis of contemporary historical documents. All investigated earthquakes caused at least moderate damage in their epicentral regions. While the earthquakes of Diiren (1756) and Tollhausen (1878) reached the epicentral intensity VIII, the others produced only epicentral intensities between VII and VII-VIII. The mean value of the absorption coefficient alpha = 0.002 +/- 0.001 km(-1) was calculated from the intensity attenuation curves. The macroseismic focal depths of the Tollhausen (1878), North-Brabant (1932) and Euskirchen (1951) earthquakes range from 9 to 8 km, whereas the Diiren (1755, 1756) and Roermond (1992) earthquakes occurred at a depth range from 14 to 18 km. The strongest event in historical time was the Diiren (1756) earthquake. Its macroseismically determined local magnitude M(L) = 6.1 was slightly larger than the local magnitude of the Roermond earthquake M(L) = 5.9.
