Sedan, Ardennes
Sedan (French pronunciation: [sədɑ̃]) is a commune in the Ardennes department and Grand Est region of north-eastern France. It is also the chef-lieu (administrative centre) of the arrondissement of the same name.
Sedan | |
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Subprefecture and commune | |
 Sedan in mid-September 2007 | |
.svg.png) Coat of arms | |
Location of Sedan 
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  Sedan  Sedan | |
| Coordinates: 49°42′12″N 4°56′20″E | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Grand Est |
| Department | Ardennes |
| Arrondissement | Sedan |
| Canton | Sedan-1, 2 and 3 |
| Intercommunality | Ardenne Métropole |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2014–2020) | Didier Herbillon |
| Area 1 | 16.28 km2 (6.29 sq mi) |
| Population (2017-01-01)[1] | 16,428 |
| • Density | 1,000/km2 (2,600/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 08409 /08200 |
| Elevation | 149–301 m (489–988 ft) (avg. 157 m or 515 ft) |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
Location
The town is situated about 200 km from Paris, 85 km north-east of Reims, and 10 km south of the border with Belgium. The historic centre occupies a peninsula formed by a bend in the River Meuse.
History
Sedan was founded in 1424. In the 16th century Sédan was an asylum for Protestant refugees from the Wars of Religion.
Until 1651, the Principality of Sedan belonged to the La Tour d'Auvergne family. It was at that time a sovereign principality. Their representative, Marshal Turenne, was born at Sedan on 11 September 1611. With help from the Holy Roman Empire, it defeated France at the Battle of La Marfée. Immediately after its victory, Sedan was besieged and its prince, Frédéric Maurice de La Tour d'Auvergne, duc de Bouillon, submitted to France. It was annexed to France in return for sparing the prince’s life after he became involved in a conspiracy against France.
Sedan was the birthplace of Jacques MacDonald, a general who served in the Napoleonic Wars.
During the Franco-Prussian War, on 2 September 1870, French emperor Napoleon III was taken prisoner with 100,000 of his soldiers at the First Battle of Sedan. Due to this victory, which made the unification of Germany possible, 2 September was declared Sedan Day (Sedantag) and a national German holiday in 1871. It remained a holiday until 1919.
Sedan was occupied by the Germans for four years during World War I.[2] On 13 November 1917, the German Crown Prince paraded the 13th Infantry Division over the course of "d'Alsace-Lorraine".
From May 12-15, 1940, during World War II, German troops invaded neutral Belgium and crossed the Meuse River by winning the Second Battle of Sedan . The battle allowed them to win the Battle of France by bypassing the Maginot Line, which was the French fortification system, and entrapping the Allied Forces that were advancing east into Belgium, as part of the Allied Dyle Plan strategy.
Points of interest
Castle
Today Sedan is known for its castle, that is claimed to be the largest fortified medieval castle in Europe with a total area of 30,000 square metres (7.4 acres) on seven levels. Construction started in 1424 and the castle's defences were constantly improved over the ages. It is the only remaining part of the once enormous fortifications in and around the town.
Sedan Castle
Central courtyard of the castle
War memorial at the castle's Turenne gate
Other points of interest
- Jardin botanique de Sedan
- Festival médiéval de Sedan in May
Population
| Historical population | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1800 | 10,634 | — |
| 1806 | 10,838 | +1.9% |
| 1821 | 12,123 | +11.9% |
| 1831 | 13,806 | +13.9% |
| 1841 | 15,585 | +12.9% |
| 1851 | 16,759 | +7.5% |
| 1866 | 13,793 | −17.7% |
| 1872 | 14,039 | +1.8% |
| 1876 | 16,593 | +18.2% |
| 1881 | 19,556 | +17.9% |
| 1891 | 20,292 | +3.8% |
| 1901 | 19,349 | −4.6% |
| 1911 | 19,516 | +0.9% |
| 1921 | 17,509 | −10.3% |
| 1926 | 18,298 | +4.5% |
| 1936 | 18,559 | +1.4% |
| 1946 | 13,514 | −27.2% |
| 1954 | 17,637 | +30.5% |
| 1962 | 20,336 | +15.3% |
| 1968 | 23,037 | +13.3% |
| 1975 | 25,995 | +12.8% |
| 1982 | 24,977 | −3.9% |
| 1990 | 22,667 | −9.2% |
| 1999 | 21,548 | −4.9% |
| 2006 | 19,934 | −7.5% |
| 2015 | 17,248 | −13.5% |
Economy
A centre of cloth production, begun under the patronage of Cardinal Mazarin, supported the town until the late nineteenth century.
Sport
CS Sedan Ardennes is based in the town.
Personalities
The following notable people lived there:
- Henri de la Tour d'Auvergne, Vicomte de Turenne (1611–1675), Marshal of France
- Jean de Collas (1678–1753), architect
- Étienne-Jacques-Joseph-Alexandre MacDonald (1765–1840), Marshal of France
- Charles Baudin (1792–1854), admiral
- René Guyon (1876–1963), jurist
- Yves Congar (1904–1995), French Dominican theologian and cardinal
- Pierre Cartier (born 1932), mathematician
- Yannick Noah (born 1960), former professional tennis player
- Michel Fourniret (born 1942), serial killer
- Frédéric Brillant (born 1985) professional soccer player
Twin towns
- 🇺🇸 Sedan, Kansas
See also
- Communes of the Ardennes department
- CS Sedan Ardennes, football club based in Sedan
- French Towns and Lands of Art and History
- Stade Louis Dugauguez, a multi-use stadium in Sedan
Notes
- "Populations légales 2017". INSEE. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
- "First World War". Wir-rheinlaender.lvr.de. Retrieved 2012-12-13.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sedan. |
- Sedan city council website (in French)
- The German breakthrough in 1940
- Webpage about the fortifications of Sedan
- Article on the Battle of Sedan at 'Battlefields Europe'
- INSEE
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