Éclaron-Braucourt-Holy-Livière

Éclaron-Braucourt-Holy-Livière is a common French, located in the department of the Haute-Marne and the area Champagne-Ardenne, more precisely in the area of the Champagne scrap-metal.

The commune results from the fusion of the villages of Éclaron and Braucourt (order of the prefect of the 12/26/1972) joined by that from Holy-Livière (decree of the 12/26/1974), until this year located in the department of the Marne. Each commune is represented by a deputy mayor.

During the French revolution the Holy-Livière commune of was called Beautiful-Meadow and Montlivière.
The inhabitants of Éclaron-Braucourt-Holy-Livière are " Eclaronnais, Eclaronnaises"

Some general information

The communes of Éclaron and Braucourt are located at approximately 10 km in the south of Saint-Dizier, sub-prefecture of the north of the Haute-Marne, on the road axis Nancy - Troyes (old RN 384, become RD384, very attended). The borough of Holy-Livière is located on the road of Vitry-le-François, with 4km of Éclaron.

The commune is in full heart of Wet Champagne, with the argilo-sandy basement of the lower cretaceous (aptien and gault). This characteristic induces a landscape typically of the woodlands and marshy.

The neighbouring forest is the national forest of DER (DER is a word derived from the Celt derw or derff , the oak, highlighting the principal gasoline met). This solid mass is one of the remainders of the immense of the Ardennes primitive forest. It covers almost 2500 hectares and the game abounds there. This forest was the property of the families Rothschild (finances) and Werlé (owners of the champagne Widow-Clicquot) before becoming domanial after the First World War.

From the hydrological point of view, the commune is crossed by the river Blaise, affluent of the Marne, and is at the edge of the Lac of DER-Chantecoq: the haut-marnaise part of the more artificial big lake of Europe is completely located on fining of Éclaron - Braucourt - Holy Livière.

A test of history

The human occupation of the commune is old. According to certain historians, the territory was traversed by ways in antiquity: one coming from the valley of the Blaise and gaining Ambrières and Perthes (capital of the Pagus Partensis ), the other connecting Brienne the Old woman (on the Roman main roads Rome - Boulogne-sur-Mer) to Saint-Dizier ( ancient Olonna ), way very right taken again today by the Éclaron road - Saint-Dizier. He was to also exist diverticula. Some Roman currencies and of the sarcophagi of the Early middle ages were found on the territory of the commune.

Braucourt is oldest of the three villages. Its name appears as of the 8th century ( Beraudi Curia , the field of Beroald, or Berwald, Germanic name). The village, strengthened, belonged to the very powerful abbey of Montier-in-DER then became the possession of the lords of Éclaron. A charter of stamping was established in 1511. There would have been a castle with the locality the Castle of the Moors , as well as a convent of women with Nonerie . The village was devastated at the time of the passage in the area of the troops of Charles Quint (16th century).

The first mention of Éclaron, go of hunting, appears in 992 pennies the form Sclarons , in a document of the abbey of Montier-in-DER, then Esclaron in comitatu Pertensi , Esclarons and Esclairons , at the 16th century. The etymology is dubious, the name which can come from clearness (allusion to the village, this clearing or essart in the forest of DER) but also from Latin scalae (scale, degree) in spite of the lack of unevenness in the area.

The village then belongs to the family of Esclaron, then with the family of Dampierre - Dizier Saint at the 13th century. She becomes baronnie then and passed to the 15th century to the house of Joinville. The family of the Own way made a great appointment of hunting of them, where they were rained to receive hosts of mark. Certain streets of the commune still bear their name. The forest activity dominates at the time and the gruery (seat of the administration seigneuriale of the forest) was important. The town hall currently occupies this building. With the disappearance of the last dukes of Own way, the commune loses a little its importance. The last of the famous line, Marie of Lorraine (Miss de Guise), bequeaths by will a revenue to build a hospital and a school with Éclaron. The baronnie then passed to the descendants Guise (duchess of Montpensier then to the various dukes of Orleans). The new owners, with the national ambitions, forsook the borough, being interested only in the reports/ratios which they could get to them. Éclaron settles then in the modern era.

It is made mention for the first time of Holy-Livière in 1135. The village was called Sancta Liberia (name derived from Holy Releases, decapitated Gallo-Roman martyrdom with Soulosse under the reign of Julien the Apostate into 362) then Sainte Lyvière and finally Holy-Livière as from 1720. There existed formerly a feudal mound whose tower was destroyed and the stones recovered to build the church.

A completed economic activity

The common one had an industrial strong potential which does not exist today any more. These production units, victims of the technological mutations and progress, employed in their time of tens of people.

The first activity was the exploitation of the forest of DER. One extracted there since strong a long time from the firewood or the timber. It was then forwarded to the common bordering neighbors of the Marne, from where it was floated towards the great centers (Paris inter alia). The boom of the metallurgical activity of the area will see the bucheronnage evolving to the development of the charcoal. A sharp competition will exist besides between the two activities.

It, indeed, is made mention as of the 15th century of a blast furnace on the commune of Éclaron (the Furnace) which will disappear. The site will be used as mill with tan and flour then will leave place, about 1830, again with a blast furnace which will disappear at the end of the 19th century. The ore comes from the mines close and wood to the forest to DER.

A factory of agricultural machinery will take its place then will disappear in its turn. Since 1905, the electricity of the commune will come from this site.

In 1868 is created in Éclaron a sugar refinery. It will produce sugar until 1914, date on which a reconversion takes place in alcohol distilling. The unit will be modernized in 1948. In 1971 the Agricultural cooperative of Distilling and Dehydration is created, with the various activities: distilling mainly (approximately 110.000 hl/campagne), dehydration of alfalfa and graminaceous (manufacture of stoppers for the breeding) and onion conditioning. The activity will cease with the beginning of the year 2000.

In 1921, a factory of ocher and dyes are born. It will cease its activity and the site will be taken again in 1946 by a sawmill which will amalgamate thereafter with a company of Saint Dizier, the Manufacture of Articles and Metal Furnishing of Ironwork, the MAAFM. This company closed its doors in the years 1980.

A sawmill, specialized in the manufacture of pallets, was creates in 1917.

Current economy

As in each large borough, some craftsmen get an activity in varied fields.

Since the beginning of the years 2000, a shipping company truck driver created a base on the site of distilling.

The rural activity, that one should not, and by far, not to forget, is still important on the commune where the system of polycuture/breeding dominates, with some alternatives however. The grounds much more argillaceous of Braucourt are more favourable with the fattening of the bovines (temporary and permanent meadows or cereals - corn ensilage). The lighter grounds of Holy-Livière and Éclaron allow, in addition to the breeding, an easier culture of cereals, oilseeds and industrial beet.

An activity with share, tourism

The enlarging of the tank of Champaubert, in the years 1960-1970, will see the landscape common to change it. One built on his territory the dam, feeder canal there, one reinforces the old stopping and one déforeste part of his forest, drowned soon. The Interdépartementale Institution of the Stoppings Tanks of the Basin of the Seine (IIBRBS), to supervise work creates the seat of its district with Éclaron, where it is always. The lake of the DER, intended for the base to be only a " zone technique" transforms itself little by little into tourist area with the assistance of a tourist mixed trade-union of installation. The commune thus becomes gradually the Seaside resort of Haute-Marne.

One finds indeed, on the three villages:

2 great well arranged beaches

2 camp-sites ****

1 marina

1 circle of oar

4 clubs of veil

1 departmental school of veil

In parallel, the growing attraction of the tourists for the lake, will make it possible to develop other activities of outdoor: hiking (with the path of great excursion 24B Lake of the East - Troisfontaines-l' Abbey) in the immense lanes of the forest of DER, bicycle touring (cycle track supplements around the lake going until Saint-Dizier), fishing.

In autumn and in spring, the commune sees on its territory appearing another type of tourist: the ornithologist come to attend the passage of the ashy cranes and other geese of the harvests.

This tourist activity of outdoor, if it attracts many people on the commune and in fact its reputation, does not make however its richness of it.

Monuments and sites to be seen

The three communes of course present jointly a remarkable inheritance: the lake of DER, with its typical medium: shores, forests…

However, one can see:

With Éclaron

the Saint Laurent church of the 16th century, classified historic building in 1909, with the Gothic style blazing. There exists inside classified furniture (pulpit and stoup of the 17th century), organ of the {{XVIIIe}} century and an active whole of statues of the 14th century at the 17th century.

The bell-tower knew many vicissitudes: set fire to, not held Napoleonean promises, threat of collapse in the years 1950 and deposits in the years 1960. The church finally found its bell-tower in October 2005.

Some large middle-class houses of the 19th century are to be observed (private).

a mill with flour, on the Blaise, restored with beams and bricks and reconverted while restoring and the " Fosse" downwards.

the town hall, old gruery and the large building of the elementary school, old residence of a notable rich person.

Of many social housing of time 18th century out of red brick small apparatus. They are located towards the district of the station and testify to the last industrial activity of the borough. It are registered with the inventory of the industrial inheritance.

With Braucourt

the Romance church of Assomtion of the Virgin (12th century). Its western frontage with its typical gallery out of wooden is classified historic building. The nave is registered with the inventory of the historic buildings. Classified sculptor.

the town hall-school characteristic of the 19th century.

the site of Champaubert-with-Wood, village marnais absorbed, accessible today only by Braucourt. The church safeguarded, on a headland, is one of the images symbols of the lake of DER. With each draining, the substructions of the old commune appear.

With Holy-Livière

the Sainte church Releases from the {{XVIIIe}} century with a rich person sculptor going from the {{XIVe}} century at the 18th century. Gate vault of the 17th century.

an old mill, on the Blaise, building restored in beams and bricks. Reconverted in discotheque.

The corner of the personalities

The common one saw being born two large soldiers: the generals of Ponthon (1777-1849) and Furrier (1777-1862) which has both been useful under the First Empire. Their names are registered under the vault of the Triumphal arch, in Paris.

She saw the passage of the dukes of Own way coming on their baronnie from Éclaron for hunting, training with them the kings of France François I {{er}}, Henri II, François II as well as the queen of France and Scotland Marie Stuart, little girl of Claude of Lorraine, first duke of Own way. Napoleon i passed to Éclaron in 1814, little before its abdication.

Bibliography and other sources

Emile Jolibois, Old and Modern Haute-Marne , 1971, ISBN 2-84178-037-6
Louis Richard & Alain Catherinet, Origin of the names of communes, hamlets and other old and modern places inhabited in Haute-Marne , Edition Dominique Guéniot, 2004, ISBN 2-87825-300-0.

Merimée Database, ministry for the Culture and the Communication.

Administration

Demography

External bonds

the site of the commune of Holy-Livière
the site of Éclaron per Guy Jacquinot
Éclaron-Braucourt-Holy-Livière on the site of the national geographical Institute
Éclaron-Braucourt-Holy-Livière on the site of INSEE
Éclaron-Braucourt-Holy-Livière on the site of Quid
Localization of Éclaron-Braucourt-Holy-Livière on a chart of France and communes bordering
Plane on Éclaron-Braucourt-Holy-Livière on Mapquest

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