Malmedy
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Malmedy is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Liège. It belongs to the French Community of Belgium. On January 1st, 2005 Malmedy had a total population of 11,650. The total area is 99.96 km² which gives a population density of 116.54 inhabitants per km².
At the end of the First World War, Malmedy and neighbouring Eupen were subject to a plebiscite to determine whether the region would be separated from Germany and annexed to Belgium. The plebiscite ballots required names and addresses of the voters, and the German-speaking population of Eupen was no doubt somewhat intimidated. However, French-speaking Malmedy probably would have voted for Belgium anyway. Both were formally annexed on March 6, 1925.
In 1944, during the Battle of the Bulge, the area was the site of the Malmedy massacre, where some 100 American prisoners of war were executed by German SS troops. Moreover, on 23, 24 and 25 December 1944 the city was bombed repeatedly by the United States Army Air Forces despite the fact it was actually under control of U.S. troops. Approximately 200 civilians were killed in the tragic attacks, while the number of American casualties has never been revealed by the U.S. Department of War.
Some old sources spell the city's name "Malmédy" as this accent was intentionally added when being part of Prussia and Germany, but its official website lists it as "Malmedy", with no accent.
See also
- Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, which also has a corner named after Malmedy
External link
- [Ville de Malmedy (Belgique)], official website of the city of Malmedy. In French, German, English, and Flemish.
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