Asnières-the-Bourges

Asnières-the-Bourges is a northern district of the town of Bourges, locally indicated by the simple name of “Asnières”. With dominant residential, Asnières-the-Bourges also counts some companies along the avenue of the Futurology. Its aspect “village”, due to the old houses which form the heart of it, is appreciated by its inhabitants who assert the charm of it.

History

Early middle ages

The existence of a human establishment on the current territory of Asnières seems attested as of Ve century of the Christian era. The etymology of the name comes from Latin asinus , the ass. Like many cities bearing the same name or of the derivatives, it indicates that this city raised asses, extremely used for the agricultural work or the pack at the time feudal. In the case of Asnières-the-Bourges, it is probable that they were useful for construction of the Saint-Etienne cathedral.

Repercussions of the Reform

The history of Asnières is actually marked with the first chief by the religious fights born from the protesting schism of XVIe century. Jean Calvin, studying in right and theology at the university of Bourges, would have thus évangélisé the population of Asnières in 1530: as of this time, the borough was thus divided between catholics and Protestants.

The massacres of the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre of 1572, if they struck the Protestants of Bourges hard, seem on the other hand not to be wide to the inhabitants of Asnières, the catholics berruyers while having been apparently dissuaded by their co-religionists from Asnières. However, many Protestants of the borough fled towards the Germanic territories in order to avoid all future development of this religious hatred. For this reason, the revocation of the Édit of Nantes will push the remained Protestants with Asnières with living their faith without the knowledge of the catholics, persuaded by conversions of pure form.

The modern time

Whereas only the catholics had been authorized to present their complaints at the time of the General states organized by Louis XVI, the universalism of the revolutionary period will be worth in Asnières in 1793 a communal autonomy which will last however only two years. If the competitions between religious communities persisted, it was held register of no major conflict since the end of the XVIIIe century. Remainder, a church will be built in 1847, catholic counterpoint with the Protestant temple built at the beginning of the XIXe century (the temple was yielded in 1977 to a baptized cabin of freemasons “Jacques Cœur”).

Mainly agricultural, the population of Asnières of the XIXe century devotes itself to the ovine breeding, the culture of hemp and that of the vine. These three manufacturing sectors périclitant gradually during the XIXe century, the inhabitants of Asnières turned then towards the great farms of the department or to the emergent industry.

Asnières and Protestantism: the destiny of François Coillard

Born on July 17th, 1834 in Asnières-the-Bourges, François Coillard was trained at the protesting institute of Glay where it decided to devote his life to the evangelization of populations of Southern Africa. Thirty years during, his wife Christina Macintosh and will work to him as missionaries in Lesotho and the Zambezi (at the level of current the Zimbabwe and Zambia), in the steps of the colonists. François Coillard died in 1904, and gave his name in 1950 to a street of the center of Asnières.

Population

According to the national census of 1999, Asnières counts 3741 inhabitants. The rate of employment is there of 38,2%, which due in particular to the massive presence of is reprocessed in the district.

It is of habit to call the inhabitants of Asnières the Cockchafers, that to which testifies the bar “With the small cockchafer”.

Political organization and administrative

At the municipal council of Bourges, Asnières profits from a dedicated assistant mayor, and its appendix of the town hall is entitled to celebrate marriages. At dated January 1st, 2005, the mayor-assistant in charge with Youth, the Policy of the City, Health, and communal businesses of Asnières was Mr. Michel Verdier.

External bonds

Site “Bourges Encyclopedia”: Page devoted to Asnières-the-Bourges

In connection with François Coillard: http://www.gospelcom.net/dacb/stories/lesotho/f-coillardfrancois.html

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