Annemasse

Annemasse (French pronunciation: ​[anmas]) is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in eastern France. It is a chef-lieu de canton and part of a transborder agglomeration known as Grand Genève.

Annemasse
Commune
An aerial view of Annemasse
Flag
Coat of arms
Location of Annemasse
Annemasse
Annemasse
Coordinates: 46°11′45″N 6°14′11″E
CountryFrance
RegionAuvergne-Rhône-Alpes
DepartmentHaute-Savoie
ArrondissementSaint-Julien-en-Genevois
CantonAnnemasse
IntercommunalityAnnemasse – Les Voirons
Government
 • Mayor (2014-2020) Christian Dupessay
Area
1
4.98 km2 (1.92 sq mi)
Population
 (2017-01-01)[1]
35,712
 • Density7,200/km2 (19,000/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
74012 /74100
Elevation399–504 m (1,309–1,654 ft)
(avg. 433 m or 1,421 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

It lies near the border with Switzerland, approximately 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) east of Geneva. It is the second largest city in the Haute-Savoie department with 35,042 residents in 2017.[2]

Annemasse in Haute-Savoie.

Geography
Annemasse from space

Annemasse is part of the metropolitan area of Geneva, 2 km from the Swiss border, and 45 km from Annecy, the prefecture of the department. The city is surrounded by the Mont Salève (alt. 1300m) and the Arve River on the West, the Voirons (alt. 1450m) on the East and the Swiss border on the North.

Climate

The climate is temperate with influences from the Alps and the Leman Lake. The coldest months are January and February, and the hottest are in July and August. There is an annual average of 80 days with below zero temperatures. The minimum average is -1 °C and the maximum average is 26 °C. Annual rain is 975,7 mm with 118 rainy days a year.

Economy

The main activity is commerce: due to the current foreign exchange situation, a lot of Swiss residents come to Annemasse to purchase food and other commodities. A large proportion of the population work in Geneva, Switzerland, where the salaries are higher than in France.

Companies

Annemasse has 1,898 company locations on its territory, a large share of it being shops and services. The three main companies operating in Annemasse are Parker Hannifin (turnover: €134 million), Siegwerk (107 M €) and the Giant Casino Annemasse (17 M €, enlarged in 2003).

Transport

Annemasse is an important crossroad. It is the last exit of the French motorway A40 before the border and is thus well connected with the other cities of the region. It is also connected to Annecy via motorway A41.

Local transport is done with 6 bus lines by the TP2A company (Transports publics de l'Agglomération d'Annemasse). A tram is under construction to the Swiss border, scheduled to be open in 2016.

Annemasse has had a railway station since 1880. It is the second most important station of the department with 2,000 passengers a day. To encourage mobility, the CEVA project will extend the existing rail connection between Annemasse and Gare de Cornavin through Genève Eaux-Vives.

Annemasse also has a small airport for small tourist and business planes.

Administration
Christian Dupessey, 2009

The urban area of Annemasse (consisting of six cities or "communes") is the second largest agglomération in Haute-Savoie.

The city mayor 1977–2008 was Robert Borrel from the Socialist Party. Christian Dupessay (PS) was elected mayor in the 2008 elections following Borrel's retirement, and elected again in 2014.


Education
Kindergartens

Bois-Livron, Marianne-Cohn, Jean-Mermoz, La Fontaine, Les Hutins, Saint-Exupéry, Académie Montessuit

Primary schools
  • Public schools: Bois-Livron, Marianne-Cohn, Jean-Mermoz, La Fontaine, Les Hutins, Saint-Exupéry, Académie Montessuit
  • Privates schools: Chamarette, Saint-François
Secondary schools
High secondary schools
  • General education: Les Glières (Formation tertiaire BTS intégré)
  • General and technical education: Jean-Monnet
  • Professional education: Le Salève
Other schools

The Beaux Arts School

Religion

Annemasse has several religious places. There are two catholic churches: Saint-André and Saint-Joseph, one synagogue, two muslim religious organisations, and several protestant churches.


Servetus Monument
The Michael Servetus Monument in Annemasse, by Clothilde Roch.

In 1903, 350 years after the dissident Michael Servetus was executed in Geneva at the instigation of John Calvin, a committee was formed to erect a monument in Servetus' honour - led by a French Senator, Auguste Dide, an author of a book on heretics and revolutionaries. The committee commissioned a local Geneva sculptor, Clothilde Roch, to do a statue showing a suffering Servetus. The work was three years in the making and was finished in 1907. However, supporters of Calvin were still strong in Geneva, and the statue was rejected.

The committee then offered the statue to the neighboring Annemasse, which in 1908 placed it in front of the city hall, with the following inscriptions:

“The arrest of Servetus in Geneva, where he did neither publish nor dogmatize, hence he was not subject to its laws, has to be considered as a barbaric act and an insult to the Right of Nations.” Voltaire

"I beg you, shorten please these deliberations. It is clear that Calvin for his pleasure wishes to make me rot in this prison. The lice eat me alive. My clothes are torn and I have nothing for a change, nor shirt, only a worn out vest.” Servetus, 1553

In 1942, the pro-Nazi Vichy Government took down the statue, as it was a celebration of freedom of conscience, and melted it. In 1960, having found the original molds, Annemasse had it recast and returned the statue to its previous place.[3]

International relations

Twin towns - sister cities

Friendship pacts

See also

References
  1. "Populations légales 2017". INSEE. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
  2. (in French) National statistics : INSEE - Annemasse : Données générales
  3. Goldstone, Nancy Bazelon; Goldstone, Lawrence (2003). Out of the Flames: The Remarkable Story of a Fearless Scholar, a Fatal Heresy, and One of the Rarest Books in the World. New York: Broadway. ISBN 0-7679-0837-6.pp. 313-316
  • Annemasse flag
  • Arve River near Annemasse
  • Annemasse Railway Station, main entrance
  • Annemasse Railway Station, platforms
  • City Hall
  • Saint-André church
  • Saint-Joseph church
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