Les Mazures
Les Mazures is a commune with 942 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2011 ) in the Ardennes department in the Champagne- Ardenne region.
Geography
Les Mazures lies on the border with Belgium in a forest and lakes area north of Lake Vieilles Forges at the department D988 road, 82 kilometers northeast of Reims and 15 kilometers northwest of Charleville- Mézières. Neighboring municipalities of Les Mazures are Bourg- Fidele in the West, Laifour in the northeast, southeast and Renwez Sécheval in the southwest. The municipal area covers 3614 hectares, the average altitude is 264 meters above sea level, the Mairie stands at a height of 326 meters.
Les Mazures is a climate of type Cfb ( according to Köppen and Geiger ) assigned: Warm Temperate rain climate ( C ), fully wet ( f), the warmest month below 22 ° C, at least four months above 10 ° C ( b). There is a maritime climate with moderate summer.
History
In the 11th century Les Mazures belonged to a family de Mont Cornet. The village was mentioned in a document from 1135. In another document from 1190, the altar of Sainte Gertrude de Masuris is mentioned and 1204, in a document of Pope Innocent III. Les Mazures is again called Masuris. 1303, the parish of Masuris was founded. Gilo de Mont Cornet then founded an abbey, the Abbaye de Notre Dame de Consolation of Masuris, none of which has been preserved.
The old church of Saint Gertrude the community appeared in 1792 as too small and was replaced by another. With the French Revolution, the work was interrupted and only resumed in 1810.
From July 1942 to January 1944 there were in Les Mazures a concentration camp, in which 288 Jews were interned from Antwerp in Belgium. When the camp was disbanded in January 1944, the inmates were taken to the concentration camp at Auschwitz. Of these, 49 survived the war, 22 had escaped and 27 survived in Auschwitz.
Culture and sights
Les Mazures is represented with two flowers in the Conseil national des villes et villages fleuris ( National Council of flowery towns and villages ). The " flowers " are awarded as part of a regional competition, a maximum of three flowers can be achieved.
In the hamlet Neuve- Forge (, new steelworks ') in 1755 built a metal processing plant. The area of the company is 15 acres in size. 1916, the operation was discontinued. Today the surviving buildings serve as residences.
In the chapel of Notre- Dame-de- Consolation is a grave slab of Jehanne de Mont Cornet, wife of Enguerran de Rumigny, from the 14th century. It is classified as a monument historique (monument).
Local products
The municipal area protected geographical indication ( PGI ) for ham ( jambon sec or Noix de jambon sec des Ardennes ) and poultry ( Volailles de la Champagne) apply.