Maubeuge
Encyclopedia : M : MA : MAU : Maubeuge
| Maubeuge | |
|---|---|
| Country | |
| Région | Nord-Pas-de-Calais |
| Départment | Nord |
| Arrondissement | Avesnes-sur-Helpe |
| Canton | Maubeuge-Nord Maubeuge-Sud |
| INSEE | |
| Postal Code | 59600 |
| Mayor Current Term | Rémi Pauvros 2001-2008 |
| Intercommunality | Agglomération Maubeuge Val de Sambre |
| Longitude | 3,96667 |
| Latitude | 50,2833 |
| Altitudes | average : minimum : maximum : |
| Area | km² |
| Population without double-counting | 34,051 inhab. (1999) |
| Population Density | inhab./km² |
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.
History
Maubeuge (ancient Malbodium, from Latin "bad place or dwelling") owes its origin to 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 Hainault. 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.
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.
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.
See also
References
External link
From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.