Bergues

Bergues (in Dutch: Sint-Winoksbergen West-Fleming: Bergen , litt. Mount-Saint-Winoc) is a common French, located in the department of the Northern and the area Nord-Pas-de-Calais.

Its inhabitants is called Berguois or, familiarly, Berguenards.

Geography

Bergues is located in the Blootland at approximately 10 kilometers at the south of Dunkirk.

Communications

By the French Highway A25: Dunkirk (10 km) and Lille (70 km), Channel tunnel (40 km) by the French Highway A16.

History

The name of the city comes from Flemish “ groene berg ” which means “green hill”.

Early middle ages

According to the legend, Winoc, wire of Breton king, would have been withdrawn between 665 and 675 with some companions on Groenberg, a hill isolated in edge from the old coastal marshes. Their establishment however quickly developed until becoming a small monastery; for this Winoc reason again sought the calm one in Wormhout, more in the south, where he died into 717.

The cartulaire of St Bertin, written by the monks of the abbey of Sithiu as from the 7th century (currently St Omer) mentions that Bergues was formerly called the " Baal" mount;. That would indicate the existence of a worship bread former to the installation of Christian monks. Baal designates a local divinity whom one calls upon at the tops of the hills.

In second half of the 9th century, when the Norman ones began their incursions, the count Baudouin II the Bald person built a primitive fortification. Later, about 1022, the count Baudouin IV the Bearded one set up the Saint-Winoc church on the ashes left by the Norman ones and made there deposit the bones of the saint. The bases had thus been posed for the future abbey.

The trade, the very favorable situation close to the sea and the presence of an important spiritual center such as the abbey were stimulative for the young establishment. It is certain that at that time, in 1028, the counts of Flanders built true a Fortified town. The attribution of a charter in 1240 gave an additional dash to the city which experienced a fast topographic development. Administrative independence found its expression in the Beffroi whose construction was authorized by the count in 1240.

Bergues became a port and a textile center of regional importance, with starting from 1276 its own wool market and also during the following centuries 2 markets of fabrics and fabrics very run. The Flemish counts brought to the whole of the fortifications provided with turns. Same the unfavourable situation at the border with enemy France did not have truly an influence, although the war is manifest in the history of Winoksbergen saint: in 1297 Robert II of Artois conquered the city which it had however to yield in 1301; Charles VI of France takes the place on September 3rd, 1383 and the fire; in 1494, the red cock shouted with the top of the center; and in 1558 plunderings by the troops of the French marshal of Thermal baths followed.

Modern time

In 1566, Bergues is in the middle of the violent demonstrations iconoclasts which were baited on the objects of catholic worship. By twice, the city receives the visit of fanatic iconoclasts. In the context of the revolt of the Netherlands, Bergues is besieged in 1583 by Alexandre Farnèse which takes it and puts it in ruin. The king of Spain, Philippe II, allowed his rebuilding (an act which strongly determines still now the aspect of Bergues).

The city always had an administrative office and legal, was a flourishing spiritual center and placed a garrison. The establishment of large families in manific houses of Master was a consequence. The port on Colme could lodge at this time 40 to 50 ships, connected to the sea by the channel of Bergues.

Bergues remained the “chief town” of a Châtellenie until the Révolution

After a first seat in 1652, the armies of Louis XIV take the city in 1658, then again in 1667, before it is definitively attached to France by the peace of Aachen in 1668. The Fort François near to the city is taken by Vauban in 1676, which largely re-examines the fortifications of Bergue thereafter. The sun king developed Dunkirk until making of it a great maritime base and a port city which entirely eclipses Bergues during the following centuries.

Since the French revolution

The French revolution gives to Bergues a very important political role. Within the framework of the territorial reorganization of France in 1790, Bergues becomes the chief town of a District (which will become later the Arrondissement of Dunkirk). It is since Bergues that Convention makes apply its laws in maritime Flanders. All the liturgical objects, the goods of the emigrated S and the requisitions are sent to Bergues. Under the Terreur, the district of Bergues sends in its prisons, several mayors of the surrounding communes which had taken delay in the corn requisitions that it had imposed to them. The role of the district declined with the Thermidor 9.

At the same time, the French revolution marks the beginning of an economic collapse, a decline and a permanent impoverishment. All the ecclesiastical institutions are removed and the majority destroyed; separately the trade of grains, all the activities disappeared and eclipsed by the wearing of Dunkirk plus any ship does not come. It loses moreover the secular military interest from the proximity of the Dunkirk fortress, by which the redundant and superfluous functions are removed.

During the First World War, the long-range guns and the air raids devastated the commune.

Within the framework of the defense of Dunkirk, in 1940, Bergues was the scene of sharp combat, the artillery shootings and the bombardments which touched it in the middle: when on June 2nd of this year a brêche was carried in defense, the city had been devastated to 60%. The the Belfry, most beautiful of France, was dynamited on September 16th, 1944; it was rebuilt in 1961. Bergues nowadays has nothing any more but one regional importance weak inter alia in the curricular area. Near Dunkirk the industrial one, one lives between the many monuments, remainders of a rich past. The vocation of the city is now in tourism which strongly developed these last years.

Administration

Demography

Places and monuments

  • ramparts, long 5300 meters of which a part was built within Vauban.
  • the Beffroi, started at the 14th century, then remade with the 16th siècleIl is destroyed on September 16th 1944 following a dynamiting of the German troops. Finally rebuilt in 1961. It was classified historic building on November 2nd, 2004 then classified with the world heritage of humanity by UNESCO on July 16th, 2005.
  • the municipal museum (old Pawnshop), built within Wenceslas Cobergher.
  • the abbey of Holy Winoc, destroyed in 1789 whose only some vestiges remain: the marble main door, the Pointed tower rebuilt in 1812, and the square tower ().
  • This city has several entries of which the Door of Cassel and the Door of Honschoote, these two doors being classified historic buildings.
  • the city is connected to Dunkirk by the channel of Bergues.

Personalities related to the commune




See too

External bonds

  • Official site
  • the Community of Communes of the Canton of Bergues
  • Bergues on the site of the national geographical Institute
  • Bergues on the site of INSEE
  • Bergues on the site of Quid
  • Localization of Bergues on a chart of France and communes bordering
  • Plane on Bergues on Mapquest

Sources

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