Maubeuge
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Commune of Maubeuge |
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| Location | |
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| Administration | |
|---|---|
| Country | France |
| Region | Nord-Pas-de-Calais |
| Department | Nord |
| Arrondissement | Avesnes-sur-Helpe |
| Canton | Maubeuge-Nord Maubeuge-Sud |
| Intercommunality | Agglomération Maubeuge Val de Sambre |
| Mayor | Rémi Pauvros (2001-2008) |
| Statistics | |
| Land area¹ | 18.85 km² |
| Population² (1999) |
33,546 |
| - Density | 1,779.6/km² (1999) |
| Miscellaneous | |
| Postal code | 59600 |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
| 2 Population sans doubles comptes: residents of multiple communes (e.g. students and military personnel) only counted once. | |
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Maubeuge is a town and commune of northern France, in the département of Nord, situated on both banks of the Sambre (here canalized), 36 km east of Valenciennes and about 9 km from the Belgian border.
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[edit] History
Maubeuge (ancient Malbodium, from Latin, derived from the Old Frankish name Malboden, meaning "assizes of Boden") owes its origin to Maubeuge Abbey, a double monastery, for men and women, founded in the 7th century by Saint Aldego, the relics of whom are preserved in the church. It subsequently belonged to the territory of Hainaut. It was burnt by Louis XI of France, by Francis I of France, and by Henry II of France, and was finally assigned to France by the Treaty of Nijmegen.
It was fortified at Vauban by the command of Louis XIV of France, who under Turenne first saw military service there. Besieged in 1793 by Prince Josias of Coburg, it was relieved by the victory of Wattignies, which is commemorated by a monument in the town. It was unsuccessfully besieged in 1814, but was compelled to capitulate, after a vigorous resistance, in the Hundred Days.
[edit] Economy
There are important foundries, forges and blast furnaces, together with manufactures of machine tools and porcelain. It is united by electric tramway with Hautmont, also an important metallurgical center.
[edit] Miscellaneous
As a fortress Maubeuge has an old enceinte of bastion trace which serves as the center of an important entrenched camp of 18 miles perimeter, constructed for the most part after the war of 1870, but since modernized and augmented.
The town has a board of trade arbitration, a communal college, a commercial and industrial school.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
[edit] External links
- Official website (in French)
- Webpage about the fortifications
