Charleville-Mézières

Charleville- Mézières is the capital city with 49 433 inhabitants (as of 1 January 2011) of the French Department Ardennes.

The city was established in 1966 composed of the formerly independent towns Charleville Mézières. Incorporated were also the places Etion, Mohon and Montcy -Saint -Pierre.

Geography

The town of Charleville -Mézières is located on the Maas ( frz: Meuse) that has formed here before entering their gap through the Ardennes four, already somewhat incised meanders. The first and third of the peninsula formed by the loops were punctured with shipping channels. In continuation of the Canal des Ardennes, 10 kilometers upstream reaches of the river Mézières at Dom- le- Mesnil through the valley of the bar, which developed Maas is also known as Canal de la Meuse.

In the neck of the area enclosed by the top loop of the river peninsula was created in a small space between the two sections of the Right Bank, the fortified town of Mézières. North and south on the two left river banks as well as upstream and downstream are their " Faubourg ", ie suburbs. To the west on the outside of this loop (left bank ), the neighboring Warcq. In the northern part of the following Maas loop the residence town of Charleville was built, whose core merges seamlessly into younger buildings. The historic boundary between the northern suburbs of Charleville Mézières and is marked by the railway line to Hirson. In the third loop is the end to be my Montcy -Saint -Pierre, in the fourth of the neighboring Montcy - Notre -Dame.

History

Archaeological traces of settlements both Gallo-Roman as well as from early Carolingian period were found under both parts of the city, to the remains of an arch bridge. About the evaluation of some discoveries, archaeologists are still divided.

Mézières is the older of the two cities. The Romans put here on the road from Reims ( DVROCORTORVM ) to Cologne ( COLONIA AGRIPPINA ... ) a fort that his function was as a name, CASTRICVM. However, it will be forfeited later, because the city was founded 899 the place Maceriae ( "debris " ) was called. In the Middle Ages Mézières was an important commercial center. From the 16th century the city was militarily important and its fortifications were modernized.

Charleville was founded on May 6, 1606 Duke Charles I. Gonzaga. The new duke seat replaced the medieval village of Arches. He immediately stood in competition with Sedan, another noble residence, and especially Mézières, a garrison city with a glorious past.

In 1748 was royale at the suggestion of Nicolas de Chastillon ( 1699-1765 ), the commander of the citadel of Charleville, Citadelle de Charleville and Marc- Pierre de Voyer d' Argenson de Paulmy, Secretary of the État à la Guerre, the École du genie de Mézières was founded. In this role, especially young aristocrats visited the school, which make up the main part of the military engineers of the First French Republic (1792-1804) recruited.

The town was laid out on level ground with each other at right angles to roads. Your center is the magnificent Place Ducale, similar to the Paris' Place des Vosges.

On May 12, 1940 ( third day of the western campaign ) were French light mechanized units withdrawn and blown up all the bridges over the Meuse - with the exception of a bridge at Mézières, where French fortress troops should hold both sides of the Meuse. During the day, advance units of the three German Panzer Corps reached (which 120 km pushed forward in three days were ) the Maas: from Dinant to Sedan on a length of 130 kilometers. The French 7th Army (General Giraud ) came under strong pressure from the German 9th Panzer Division and Stukas and retired to Antwerp.

Culture

Since 1961 takes place in Charleville- Mézières every three years, the International Puppet Festival, most recently in September 2009.

Economy

In Charleville a component plant the car manufacturer PSA Peugeot Citroën is located with 2,400 employees.

Sons and daughters of the town

• Laurent Baumel, politicians
• Edmond Dubois - Crance, politicians and general
• François- Antoine Habeneck, musicians
• Jean Nicolas Pierre Hachette, mathematician
• Claude Herbulot, butterfly researcher
• Jean Nicolas de Monard, General
• Arthur Rimbaud, poet
• Marcelle Sauvageot, writer and teacher
• Félix Savart, physician and physicist
• Auguste Vaillant, anarchist and assassin
• Rudolf von Xylander, German officer

Twinning

Charleville- Mézières maintains with the following cities twinning:

• Germany Euskirchen, North Rhine -Westphalia, Germany (since 1961)
• Dülmen Germany, North Rhine -Westphalia, Germany (since 1963 )
• Germany Nordhausen, Thuringia, Germany
• Italy Mantua, Italy
• France Nevers, France
• Japan Iida, Japan