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Fismes

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Commune in Grand Est, France
Fismes
Commune
The Town Hall SquareThe Town Hall Square
Coat of arms of FismesCoat of arms
Location of Fismes
Fismes is located in FranceFismesFismesShow map of FranceFismes is located in Grand EstFismesFismesShow map of Grand Est
Coordinates: 49°18′28″N 3°40′53″E / 49.3078°N 3.6814°E / 49.3078; 3.6814
CountryFrance
RegionGrand Est
DepartmentMarne
ArrondissementReims
CantonFismes-Montagne de Reims
IntercommunalityCU Grand Reims
Government
 • Mayor (2020–2026) Charles Gossard
Area16.75 km (6.47 sq mi)
Population5,803
 • Density350/km (900/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code51250 /51170
Elevation57–179 m (187–587 ft)
French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Fismes (French pronunciation: [fim]) is a commune in the Marne department in the Grand Est region of north-eastern France.

The commune has been awarded three flowers in the Competition of cities and villages in Bloom.

Geography

Fismes is located 25 km west by northwest of Reims and some 12 km east by southeast of Braine. Access is by National Highway N31 from Reims through the heart of the commune and the town and continuing west to Soissons. There is also the D967 road from Longueval-Barbonval in the north to the town and continuing southwest to Chery-Chartreuve. There is also the D386 going south from the village to Saint-Gilles. Apart from Fismes there are three hamlets: Fismette and Baslieux are continuations of the urban area of Fismes while Villette is in the east of the commune. Fismes station has rail connections to Reims.

The Vesle river flows through the commune from east to west with the Ruisseau du Moulin and the Ruisseau Saint-Marie flow from the north into the Vesle. The Ardre river flows from the south to join the Vesle west of the town.

Neighbouring communes and villages

Places adjacent to Fismes
Paars Longueval-Barbonval Baslieux-les-Fismes
Bazoches-sur-Vesles Fismes Magneux
Chery-Chartreuve Saint-Gilles Unchair

History

Antiquity

Fismes, on the right bank of the Vesle, developed from a Gallic ancient town named, during the Gallo-Roman era, "Ad Fines Suessionum" (limit of the Suessiones' territory) or "Ad Fines Remorum" (limit of the Remi's territory), as the city was situated on the boundary of the two Gallic tribes Suessiones and Remi.

As Charles Rostaing indicates, the Latin word "fines" is a translation from the Gallic toponym equoranda which means "boundary" or "limit".

Middle Ages

The barbaric period did not spare Fismes. During the first half of the Middle Ages, the Normands and the Hungarians, destroyed the city of Fismes multiple times. These ravages pushed the agglomeration of the city towards the heights of the Vesle's right bank.

In 1226 Thibault IV, the Chansonnier (songwriter), helped Fismes become a free city, thanks to hard work of natives that participated in the war led by Thibault. By a charter and a seal that bears the emblem of the commune and under the aegis of a mayor and two deputies, Fismes became autonomous. Thus, the village was able to develop its artisanship, businesses, festivals and markets.

The walls of the city continued to expand; a church of stone, a château which occupied the current plaza of the post office and would one day house as governor, the poet Eustache Deschamps, as well as the City Hall, that continues to occupy the same place, were all constructed in this formative epoch.

The Hundred Years War between the English and the French brought, once again, the city of Fismes to ruins. Later the religious wars and the Fronde completely destroyed the walls of the city and the chateau of Fismes.

Modern Era

From Louis XIII to Charles X almost all the future Kings of France passed through Fismes which was their last stop on the way to their coronation at the Cathedral of Reims. The Coronation of Charles X was the final time this happened as the July Revolution brought an end to the traditional coronation ceremony.

In 1646, Louis II de Bourbon acquired the manorial rights to Fismes and bestowed them on César de Costentin de Tourville for his good services to the King. In 1647, the land was passed on to the eldest son of Cesar, François-Cesar.

During the Fronde, the ramparts of the city and the chateau were completely destroyed.

After the revolution, a time of much inner conflict among the people of Fismes, Napoleon came to Fismes in order to sign two important declarations. Following Napoleon and the French Revolution, 30,000 Prussians arrived in Fismes and, once again, plundered the village.

Memorial Bridge for the 28th Infantry Division (United States).

In the 19th century, France experienced the rapidly expanding industrial revolution. Sugar beet, porcelain of Fismes (which was rare and expensive), the foundry, the railway, hat making, tanneries and mills mark the advancements of the region and the economic history of this century.

The 20th century began in worse conditions than the preceding finished. Fismes was greatly affected by the First World War. The Germans invaded the city, then remained on the Chemin des Dames before they completely demolished the city in 1918.

Fismes attempted to reconstruct itself slowly. Unfortunately, due to its position as a railway town through which passed trains filled with deportees being sent to Germany, the city suffered during the course of the Second World War. 14 residents of Fismes, who were seized for acts of resistance, died in Nazi concentration camps. Among them was the mayor of Fismes, Doctor Genillon.

Heraldry

Arms of Fismes
Arms of Fismes
 Blazon:

Quarterly, 1 and 4 of Gules a dexter arm of argent armed with a sword the same surmounted by a helmet of azure quarter turned from profile; 2 and 3 barry of argent and azure of 10 pieces debruised by 3 chevrons of gules, the first écimé; over all an inescutcheon of azure with 3 persons armed in Or: at dexter with a lance, at centre with a sword and at sinister with a halberd, bordered in argent charged with the legend SIGILL. MAIORIS ET IURATORIUN COMMUNIE DE FIMES in capital letters plain of sable.



Administration

Administrative situation

The town has been the capital of the Canton of Fismes since its inception during the French Revolution. It belongs to the arrondissement of Reims (district of Reims until 1801).

Fismes is part of the Communauté urbaine du Grand Reims.

List of Successive Mayors

Mayors from the French Revolution to 1937
From To Name Party Position
1793 1794 François Bonde
1794 1795 Henri Servant
1795 1798 Claude Louis le Tellier
1798 1805 Henri Servant
1805 1805 Pierre Edmé Barbey
1806 1810 Henri Servant
1810 1811 Barbey de Chambrecy
1811 1814 Louis Heurtevin
1814 1814 Antoine or Jean Baptiste Pilloy
1814 1814 Gérard Billet
1814 1815 Antoine Clement
1815 1822 Gérard Billet
1822 1829 Pierre Barbey de Chambrecy
1829 1836 Jean Philippe Brule
1836 1871 Pierre Louis Regnault
1871 1890 Jean Philippe Brule
1890 1919 Constantin Couvreur
1919 1919 Henri Goumant
1919 1929 Edgard Maquerlot
1929 1932 Lucien Laplanche
1932 1934 Paul Bouche
1934 1936 Fernand Genillon Doctor
1936 1937 Louis Cochoit
Mayors from 1937
From To Name Party Position
1937 1944 Fernand Genillon Arrested in the exercise of his duties. Died for France at Buchenwald in 1944
1944 1945 Ernest Guyomar
1945 1947 Henri Bertho
1947 1948 Edmond Launoy
1948 1971 Marc Olivier
1971 1977 Aimé Bouchez
1977 2001 Paul Caffe PS Teacher
2001 2020 Jean Pierre Pinon PS Craftsman carpenter retired, General Counsel for the Canton of Fismes
2020 2026 Charles Gossard

Demography

The inhabitants of the commune are known as Fismois or Fismoises in French.

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1793 2,025—    
1800 2,129+0.72%
1806 2,139+0.08%
1821 1,938−0.66%
1831 2,110+0.85%
1836 2,120+0.09%
1841 2,366+2.22%
1846 2,422+0.47%
1851 2,371−0.42%
1856 2,505+1.11%
1861 2,705+1.55%
1866 2,840+0.98%
1872 2,717−0.74%
1876 3,218+4.32%
1881 3,275+0.35%
1886 3,238−0.23%
1891 3,303+0.40%
1896 3,343+0.24%
YearPop.±% p.a.
1901 3,355+0.07%
1906 3,411+0.33%
1911 3,330−0.48%
1921 2,338−3.47%
1926 3,186+6.38%
1931 3,151−0.22%
1936 3,111−0.26%
1946 3,029−0.27%
1954 3,222+0.78%
1962 3,490+1.00%
1968 3,634+0.68%
1975 4,233+2.20%
1982 4,674+1.43%
1990 5,286+1.55%
1999 5,313+0.06%
2007 5,344+0.07%
2012 5,413+0.26%
2017 5,487+0.27%
Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. Updates on reimplementing the Graph extension, which will be known as the Chart extension, can be found on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org.
Source: EHESS and INSEE

Economy

A train of the Chemins de fer de la Banlieue de Reims at Fismes station before the First World War, next to a large sugar refinery.

The local economy was dominated by the presence of a sugar factory which ceased operations in 1978. The activity of light metalworking has also been present for a long time.

Since 2008 the commune of Fismes has been integrated into the production zone for Champagne. The parcels of land authorized for planting vineyards are not yet known.

The main business enterprises are Campa (manufacturing premium electric heaters), Finaxo (methods for water treatment and waste), Profinox, Fimaluplast (Aluminium Joinery and PVC), and Experton-Revollier (wire mesh surfaces); a family group recently took over the Ghent company.

Culture and heritage

Civil heritage

The commune has a number of buildings and structures that are registered as historical monuments:

  • The Laplanche Foundry (19th century)
  • The Ets Déodat Fancy Goods Factory (20th century)
  • The Ets Beucher Wire Works (20th century)
  • The Goumant Sugar Refinery (20th century)
  • The War Memorial (20th century) This First World War memorial was sculpted by François Mourgues with the help of architect Edward Veis and marbler Mr. Renaud
  • The Ets Gantois Wire Works (20th century)
  • The Roland Flour Mill (20th century)
Other sites of interest
  • The Town Hall
  • The Town ramparts
  • The Royal Milestones on the route to Soissons which was the route to the coronation
  • Heurtevin House where the kings of France often spent their last night as prince;
  • The American Memorial Bridge in honour of the 28th Infantry division from Pennsylvania;
  • The Bread Museum

Religious heritage

The Church of Saint Macre
  • The Church of Saint Macre (12th century) is registered as an historical monument.
  • The Pillar of the door on Saint Gilles;

Picture Gallery

  • The old Town Hall The old Town Hall
  • East face of the town hall. East face of the town hall.
  • The Church square. The Church square.
  • The 1914-1918 war memorial. The 1914-1918 war memorial.
  • The American Memorial bridge. The American Memorial bridge.
  • The Bridge at Fismes on 3 May 1918 The Bridge at Fismes on 3 May 1918

Fismes Memorial '18

The Fismes Memorial site is located along the Vesle river, near the memorial bridge that was constructed with the help of the State of Pennsylvania.

The Battle of Fismes and Fismette that occurred during World War I sparked a lasting friendship between the City of Fismes and the United States, particularly Pennsylvania. This bloody battle took place from 3 August to 1 September 1918 and was the last major German attack on the Allies during World War I. The 32nd American Division lost 2,000 men during its first attempt to cross the Vesle and attack the Germans. The 28th American Infantry Division, consisting of soldiers mostly from Pennsylvania, replaced the former division, forced the Germans to retreat, and proceeded to liberate Fismes.

As a result of the aid Fismes received from the American armies during World War I, the city constructed a memorial to honor the lives of the men in the 28th American Infantry Division. The main intentions of this memorial are to commemorate the soldiers' sacrifices and strengthen the ties that exist between Fismes and the United States, specifically Pennsylvania. The memorial site is the result of a collaboration of the City of Fismes with the Fismes Office of Tourism and the Association of Leisure and Recreation Services.

The memorial consists of informational plaques and a set of sculptures from renowned artist Christian Lapie. Christian Lapie

The memorial was officially inaugurated on 15 September 2018. The mayor of Meadville, Pennsylvania, one of Fismes' sister cities, was present at the ceremony along with Meadville government and community members. Fismes' sister cities of Triuggio, Italy and Bad Oeynhausen, Germany were represented as well.

Notable people linked to the commune

  • Athanase Coquerel (1820-1875), theologian
  • Félix Billet
  • Camille Auguste Mercier (1848-1881), scholar
  • Sophie Manéglier (1803-1892), writer
  • Albert Uderzo, French cartoonist and co-creator of Astérix, born in Fismes.
  • César de Costentin de Tourville (died in 1647), Count of Fismes, military officer, father of Marshall Anne-Hilarion de Tourville, vice-admiral of France.

Twinning

Fismes is twinned with:

See also

References

  1. "Répertoire national des élus: les maires" (in French). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 13 September 2022.
  2. "Populations légales 2021" (in French). The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
  3. Fismes in the Competition for Towns and Villages in Bloom Archived December 10, 2014, at the Wayback Machine (in French)
  4. Google Maps
  5. Les noms de lieux, PUF, coll. Que sais-je ?, Paris, 1969
  6. ^ Des villages de Cassini aux communes d'aujourd'hui: Commune data sheet Fismes, EHESS (in French).
  7. List of Mayors of France
  8. Le nom des habitants du 51 - Marne, habitants.fr
  9. Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE
  10. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée IA51000140 Laplanche Foundry (in French)
  11. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée IA51000136 Ets Déodat Fancy Goods Factory (in French)
  12. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée IA51000135 Ets Beucher Wire Works (in French)
  13. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée IA51000139 Goumant Sugar Refinery (in French)
  14. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée IA51000558 War Memorial (in French)
  15. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée IA51000225 Ets Gantois Wire Works (in French)
  16. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée IA51000141 Roland Flour Mill (in French)
  17. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée PA00078711 Church of Saint Macre (in French)
  18. Husson, Jean-Pierre. "Le Pont-monument de Fismette à Fismes (Marne)". www.cndp.fr. Supplément du Bulletin municipal. Archived from the original on 22 December 2018. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  19. Pinon, Jean-Pierre. "Project for the Establishment of a Memorial Site in Fismes 1914-1918". County Centennial Committee of the First World War. Hôtel de Ville à Fismes.
  20. fr:Christian Lapie
  21. "Twin towns". Complete France.
  22. "Twin cities". Bad Oeynhausen website (German). Archived from the original on 30 November 2020. Retrieved 23 February 2021.

External links

Marne (department) Communes of the Marne department
Category: