its place within the broader context of German history. The opening of the work establishes the author's intention to illuminate the history and features of Malmedy, a town that has remained overlooked in the grand narrative of German history. Kellen discusses his motivations for exploring this lesser-known region after studying Alsace-Lorraine and expresses his desire to understand the cultural interactions between the Germanic and Walloon communities. He recounts his journey to Malmedy and describes the town's picturesque landscape and mineral springs, setting the stage for a deeper exploration of its historical background and the sociolinguistic environment in subsequent chapters. (This is an automatically generated summary.)