MAUBEUGE

'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.

Contents

History

Economy

Miscellaneous

See also

References

External link

History

Maubeuge (ancient ''Malbodium'', from Latin, derived from the Old Frankish name ''Malboden'', meaning "assizes of Boden") 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 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.

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

★ Siege of Maubeuge (August 24 – September 7, 1914)

References

★

External link

★ Official website (in French)

★ Webpage about the fortifications