Brest

Geography

Site

The plate of the Leon dominates the Rade of Brest top of almost rectilinear cliffs which materialize one of the major faults of the Armorican Massif. This wall is practically stopped only by a boxed Aber, the Penfeld, vestige of the bed of the Aulne before it digs the passage of the Goulet . With its mouth a rocky outcrop which carries the Château of Brest is the original site of the “city of the West”.

Situation

A popular saying affirms that one never passes by Brest, it is necessary to have a reason there to go there . Brest is located at the west of the Brittany, in the north of the Finistere, department of which it is a Sous-préfecture.

Installed on a peninsula, the Country of Leon, Brest are almost deprived of back-country: to the south, it gives directly on vast a roads, beyond which the peninsula of Crozon looks towards Quimper, while in the west and north the sea is only with one score of kilometers, and in the east Landerneau and Morlaix limited its influence a long time.

Climate

The records of maximum and minimal temperature in Brest (airport of Guipavas) between 1945 and 2001 are respectively of 35,2 °C on July 12th 1949 and -14 °C on January 28th 1947. The average temperature is of 10,9 °C. Precipitations are higher than 2,5mm 112 days per annum.

Demography

Brest is more the big city of the Breton West, with a population of: 156217 inhabitants in 1999, which places Brest at the 17th rank of the French cities on this date.

History

Prehistory

August 1st As of the Bronze Age, the point of Brittany is on the road of tin .

Antiquity

The site of Brest belonged to the territory of the Armorican Gallic people of the Osismes or Osismii . They occupied about the space of current Finistere.

The birth of Brest corresponds to the construction of a Roman strengthened camp named Gesocribate, at the end of the 3rd century. This castrum is contemporary walls of Vannes, Nantes, Rennes and Alet set up each time with material taken on the public monuments of these cities demolished for this occasion, index of a great urgency: it was necessary on the one hand to be protected from the attacks repeated from pirates known as “Saxon” or “Clippings”, from the bagaudes which plundered the campaigns and attacked even the not defended cities, and from possible cruel troops which one feared the arrival. In addition, the imperial government set up a military organization which will be called at the century following the Tractus armoricanus and nervicanus with constitution of a fleet, the Classis armoricana for the control of the coasts.

It was proposed that the capital of Osismes had been transferred from Vorgium (Carhaix) in Brest for reasons of defense and maritime control, and that she would have seen moving in safe from her walls the elites carhaisiennes. But it was established recently that if Brest received the quartering of a Roman legion in its walls, Carhaix is remained chief town until the dissolution of the Gallo-Roman administrative structures due to Breton immigration.

Coriosolites were in the same case, doubling their capital (in the grounds) of Corseul by the port lately strengthened of Alet (current the Saint-Servan, between Manche and Rancid). The absence of évêché attested in Carhaix and Corseul, but also in Brest and Alet (before the 8th century for this last city) is also to seek in the religious organization of first the Breton continental ones, based on abbeys-évêchés (Landevennec, Saint-pol., Tréguier, Dol…). The depopulation of Brest at the 9th century will make him prefer naturally Saint-Pol.-of-Leon and Quimper for seat of a diocese divided from now on between Leon and Cornwall: the memory of Osismes had disappeared.

The Roman castrum of the 3rd damaged century and partly ruined was reinforced with a new construction, the Castellum , built inside the old man Castrum by the count Morvan of Leon to protect itself from the Normands which devastated the area. This strengthened city will become castle at the 16th century when the civil population evacuates it to populate the suburbs. The castle will be modified until the 20th century.

The Middle Ages

August 1st With the the Middle Ages, the configuration of the coast and dangers broad oblige the totality of the sea traffic between the North and the South of Europe to pass to the foot cliffs and abbey of holy Mathieu, on which Brest depends then, one of the most important ports of all the Occident.

Indeed, Penfeld a long time constituted by itself an excellent natural port. It is sheltered and almost dissimulated behind a rock of approximately 200 meters in its bigger length which plunged in water on two sides and was isolated from the ground by a ravine on its third side.

Brest is in turn under the domination of the Duc of Brittany and the kingdom of England.

Old Mode

In 1593, Henri IV gives to Brest the title of city and in 1631, Richelieu makes of Brest a military port. It then creates the port and the arsenals, on banks of the river Penfeld. These constructions required an abundant labor which had to be placed.

In 1683, Vauban strengthened the city. At the end of the reign of Louis XIV the city from now on is made up and counts approximately: 15000 inhabitants.

In 1686, come by the sea on board the Bird and Malignant the , unload with Brest, three ambassadors of the king of Siam accompanied by six mandarins, three interpreters, two secretaries and a score of servants, responsible for many present, they came to return visit to the king Louis XIV to Versailles. Borrowing from foot the street Saint-Pierre, they filled with wonder the Residents of Brest which renamed the street in Rue of Siam.

At the 18th century the Brest-native engineer Antoine Choquet de Lindu directed work of the port and, in 1750, builds the Bagne of Brest which will be unused only in the middle of the 19th century. Vidocq, wire of a baker of Arras and the most famous Brest-native convict, will manage to escape some.

Blazon

Semi-party of France and Brittany or Left: with 1st of azure with three flowers of gold lily; with 2nd of hermine.

This means that the ecu is divided into two in the direction height, that are reproduced on the left half the weapons of France (of the flowers of lily gilded on blue bottom) and on the right half semi of hermines, emblem of Brittany.

It is in a register of deliberations of the municipal council that figure, at dated July 15th, 1683, the first mention of these Brest-native armorial bearings.

Revolution

Under the Revolution, Brest takes a new importance. This large military port must remain sure in France at all costs. In 1789, the city engages mainly for the Revolution. More big city of the west of Brittany, one however preferred to him Quimper like chief town of department of the Finistere during its creation under the constituent Assembly in 1791. In 1792, in fact even the federate residents of Brest, with the federate Marseillais, take the Tuileries at the time of the day of August 10th, in order to imprison the king. However, after the revolutionary toughening, in particular the coup d'etat of the Mountain against the Of Gironde in June 1793, the commune of Brest, mainly of Gironde, is detached from the new orientation of Gironde. It what is called takes part in then the “federalism”.

After the failure of this movement, repression is activated: in 1794, the various representatives of the people on mission install the revolutionary Tribunal of Brest, which will condemn seventy people to the Guillotine. In parallel, the navy is rectified by André Jeanbon Saint Andre. After the death of Robespierre, the news arrives at Brest tardily and does not generate any change initially: the guillotine continues its work. However, as of September, from the prisoners of the Terreur are released: those launch a vast trend of opinion against the Jacobins which they call quickly “terrorist”. They in particular show them to have been sanguinary, and to have even drunk the blood of the victims (without there being no trace in the sources). The higher bid brings finally the arrest of the majority of those which were related to Terror.

The old notable ones of the city, those which had been with the capacity at the time of the beginnings of the Revolution, find their influence and their place within the bodies of the city. Thus, at the time of the elections of 1795 for the new directorial assemblies, three of Gironde is elected. In 1800, Charles Ambroise de Caffarelli of Falga is named Maritime police chief of the Atlantic.

19th century

The city loses much influence however: because of the permanent English blockade, the Navy is quasi paralyzed and cannot play any more the part of outpost of the Republic. Thus, the city knows a phase of lull. The testimony of Jules Michelet describes well the environment of this port in 1833 at the time of its visit, but as the difficulties as there the Navy meets:

With the other end, it is Brest, the large military port, the thought of Richelieu, the hand of Louis XIV; extremely, arsenal and bagne, guns and vessels, armies and million, the force of France piled up at the end of France: all that in a tightened port, where one chokes between two mountains in charge of immense constructions. When you traverse this port, it is as if you pass in a small boat between two vessels of high edge; it seems that these heavy masses will come to you and that you will be taken between them. The general impression is large, but painful. It is an extraordinary feat of ingenuity, a challenge carried to England and nature. I feel the effort everywhere there, and the air of the bagne and chains it of the convict. It is precisely with this point where the sea, escaped from the strait of the English Channel, comes to break with as well fury as we placed the large deposit of our marine. Admittedly, it is well kept. I saw thousand guns there. One will not enter there; but one does not leave there as one wants. More than one vessel perished with the master key of Brest. All this east coast a cemetery. It loses there sixty boats each winter. The sea is English of inclination; she does not like France; she breaks our vessels; it ensable our ports| Jules Michelet, French history , 1861, Chamerot, Paris. (volume II, pages 9-10)

After one century of stagnation, the development of Brest took again under the Second Empire. In 1856, Napoleon III made it possible the town of throw a bridge on Penfeld. The Emperor and the Empress were accepted magnificiently when they remained in Brest of the August 9th to the August 12th 1858. In recognition of this reception, Napoleon III made increase the arsenal and prolong two railway lines to Brest and created the commercial port.

However, Napoleon III was put at most badly with the notable ones of the city. Indeed, the habit wanted that the King greets the middle-class rich person before the officers and the new rich person, all having to be placed then on the platform of reception according to their level of richness (more one was rich more one was close to the King). When Napoleon III inaugurated the bridge of Recouvrance, it moved directly towards the extreme line of the platform, whereas Joséphine advanced towards the extreme left, thus greeting initially the least rich of the notable ones, then it turned the back on noble and did not greet them.

20th century

In 1917, Brest becomes port of disembarkation of the Americans bound for the trenches of the First World War.

During the Second world war, the German troops enter to Brest the June 19th 1940. They build an underwater base then there. The first bombardments of Alliés on the city start in 1941 and will last until the release of the city on September 18th 1944 by the American troops after a seat of forty-three days, the Bataille of Brest. There then remained nothing any more the Brest old man. Only the castle, the Turn Tanguy and the Rue Saint-Malo resisted the bombs and were preserved.

Barbara , a poem of Jacques Prévert points out the dramatic destruction of Brest in these some worms:

(…) Oh Barbara It rains unceasingly on Brest As it rained front But it is not similar any more and all is damaged It is a rain of terrible and sorry mourning It is not even any more the storm Of steel iron of blood Quite simply clouds Who burst like dogs Dogs which disappear With the current on Brest And will rot with far With far very far from Brest There do not remain rien.

It should be noted nevertheless that this song exaggerates the destruction of Brest enormously. " With far very far from Brest From which there do not remain rien." Brest was far from more nothing to have after its release, in spite of the combat and the bombardments.

The commune of Brest increases in an important way in 1945, when its rebuilding started, by absorbing 3 common neighbors: Lambézellec, Saint-Marc and Saint-Pierre-Quilbignon. The inhabitants taken refuge for much in other areas (the the Sarthe in particular) then return to rebuild on the debris of the Brest old man a new city (1946 - 1961) according to the plans of Jean-Baptiste Mathon. One built huts of wood for those which did not have nowhere where to go. The plan of city of the rebuilding draws its influences in the plan of Georges Milineau worked out in 1929 and in the modern Mouvement, but respects the geometrical forms drawn by Vauban. Contrary to that of cities rebuilt almost with identical, it did not aim at the conservation of the esthetics and the historical heritage of the city, whose last vestige is the street of Saint-Malo.

In March 1950, begin the working strikes from the dockers and the workmen of the rebuilding, for a pay rise. Following an agitated demonstration on April 16th 1950, joining together 1000 to 2000 workmen, of the persons in charge of the Communist party and the CGT are stopped. The following day, 2500 strikers denounce these arrests and face the police force violently. Repression forty-nine wounded and a death, Edouard Refined, working of twenty-six years killed by CRS of a ball in the head. The trade unions then launch a general strike as a sign of mourning. Its burial joins together close to: 20000 people, while the National Assembly decides to blame officially only the violence of the strikers.

Directed long time towards the industry of armament, Brest draws its prosperity of post-war period there. But the decline of this industry imposes, at the end of the 20th century, the reconversion of the economic activities towards the services, research and new technologies.

Key dates

Source: Town of Brest - Brest Océane Metropolis.

250-350: construction of Castellum of Brest, Roman camp constituting the first citadel of Brest.
410-420: end of the Roman occupation.
1240: the duke Jean I {{er}} the Russet-red buys the castle, the village and the wearing of Brest to the count of Leon Herve III, ruined.
1341: Jean de Montfort seizes the castle and surrounds the borough of a rampart.
1386-1387: Jean IV of Brittany besieges vainly, twice, Brest held by the English.
1397: handing-over of Brest by Richard II of England to Jean IV of Brittany against a large allowance.
1505: visit of the duchess-queen Anne.
1512 (August 10th): Cordelière fights.
the 1592 members of a league make the seat of the castle for five months. Rene de Rieux, governor of Brest, demolishes besieging them.
1593 (December 31st): Henri IV grants the right of middle-class to the inhabitants of Brest, which counts 1500 inhabitants, and allows them to elect a mayor and two aldermen.
1629: Richelieu sends of Infreville in Brest in round of inspection.
1631: Richelieu creates the Flotte of the West and the Port in Penfell. Birth of the Arsenal, beginning of the harbor and military development of Brest, which will lead to the fortification of the site.
1681: Louis XIV joins together the borough of Holy Catherine (Recouvrance) in Brest, at the expense of Saint-Pierre-Quilbignon.
1683: Vauban draws up a plan of the fortifications to be undertaken.
16?? : extension of the territory of the city to the fortifications at the expense of Lambézellec.
1686 (June 18th): arrived of the ambassadors of Siam who pass by the street Saint-Pierre, future street of Siam.
1694: foreground of installation of Brest by Vauban.
1702: blessing of the Saint-Louis church.
1746-1784: great work of the naval engineer, Antoine Choquet de Lindu which will mark the city.
1750-1751: construction of the Bagne of Brest
1752 (January): constitution of the Academy of Navy.
1778 (June): the Beautiful Hen fights.
1785 (August): departure of Lapérouse and Fleuriot de Langle.
1789 (April): electoral assembly of the seneschalsy of Brest. Election of the Brest-native deputies to the general states.
1800 (July): nomination of the first maritime police chief, Cafarelli.
1830: creation of the Naval college (on Orion).
1852 (March): the principle of the transportation of the convicts in Guyana is established.
1856 (April): decree of creation of a bridge on the Penfell.
1858 (9 August 12th): stay of the emperor Napoleon III and the empress Eugenie. Inauguration of the Channel from Nantes to Brest.
1858 (September 1st): departure of the last convoy of convicts bound for Guyana. With the end of the year, there does not remain any more one convict in Brest.
1858: creation of the academic Company of Brest.
1859 (August): decree of creation of a commercial port in Porstrein
1861: Brest integrates 172ha (“extension”) of the commune of Lambézellec, of the current place of Freedom to the Octroi, to extend out the walls and to include its new commercial port.
1861 (June): opening of the bridge to circulation.
1861-1889: the commercial port leaves the Penfeld. It becomes, in the old handle of Porstrein which is filled, the Napoleon port.
1865 (April): arrival of the railroad and inauguration of the station.
1891: first Paris-Brest-Paris.
1917 - 1918: Brest, port of American disembarkation.
1920-1929: the city chokes in its fortifications and develops out of its walls. The Plan of installation, embellishment and extension of Brest studied by the architect Georges Milineau will try to organize these evolutions.
1930: inauguration of the Bridge Albert-Magnifying glass, known as “Bridge of Plougastel”.
1940 (June 19th): entry of the German troops in Brest.
1940 (July 8th): first allied bombardments of the city.
1941 (March 22nd): arrival of the German cruisers Scharnhorst, Gneisenau and Prinz-Eugen.
1942 (February 11th): departure of the German cruisers.
1943 (January 28th): decree of evacuation of the nonessential population.
1943: first studies of a plan of rebuilding carried out by Jean-Baptiste Mathon.
1943 (February 9th): opinion of mandatory evacuation of “nonessential”, evacuation of the school population.
1944 (August 13rd and 14th): total evacuation of the city (remain only approximately 2000 people: civil defense).
1944 (September 9th): Explosion of the shelter Sadi-Carnot (373 civilians and several hundreds of dead Germans)
1944 (September 18th): rendering of the German garrison of the Place of Brest and release of the city at the end of a seat which will leave it in ruins.
1945: creation of large Brest by aggregation of the common neighbors: Lambézellec, Saint-Pierre-Quilbignon and Saint-Marc.
1947: explosion of the Liberty Ocean, charged in ammonium Nitrate (more than with AZF), it destroys partly the district of Saint-Marc.
1946-1961: rebuilding of the city.
1950 (March-April): strikes of the workmen of the rebuilding and the dockers, who balance on April 17th with dead of a workman.
1960: creation of the scientific, future College University of Western Brittany.
1960 (September 7th): handing-over of the medal of Resistance to the city by the general de Gaulle.
1964: creation of the squadron of the Atlantic.
1974 (January 1st): creation of the Urban community of Brest which gathers 8 communes.
1994: inauguration of the Bridge of Iroise (in the presence of Edouard Balladur)
2000: creation of the Association of the communities of the Country of Brest.
2004: name change of the urban community and birth of Brest Metropolis Océane.

Policy and administration

The current mayor is François Cuillandre.

The principal town hall of Brest is located at the Town hall, Place of Freedom. There exist 5 town halls of district (Bellevue, Saint-Marc, Right Bank, Lambézellec and Europe).

Mayors

Intercommunality

Cantons

Brest is divided into 10 cantons:

the Canton of Brest-Bellevue is made of part of Brest (17 472 inhabitants),
the Canton of Brest-Mare-White-Bohars-Guilers is made of part of Brest and communes of Bohars and Guilers (16 780 inhabitants),
the Canton of Brest-Center is made of part of Brest (21 285 inhabitants),
the Canton of Brest-Kerichen is made of part of Brest (18 921 inhabitants),
the Canton of Brest-Lambezellec is made of part of Brest (17 928 inhabitants),
the Canton of Brest-The Hermitage-Gouesnou is made of part of Brest and commune of Gouesnou (15 478 inhabitants),
the Canton of Brest-Plouzané is made of part of Brest and commune of Plouzané (16 170 inhabitants),
the Canton of Brest-Recouvrance is made of part of Brest (16 521 inhabitants),
the Canton of Brest-Saint-Marc is made of part of Brest (22 383 inhabitants),
the Canton of Brest-Saint-Pierre is made of part of Brest (14 909 inhabitants).

Economy

In spite of its image of industrial town whose activity depends mainly on the military orders, the tertiary sector accounts for 75% of the activity in the basin of Brest. This tendency to tertiarisation still continues, which allows the maintenance of the employees, in spite of the industrial decline.

9th French commercial port by counting civil naval repair, the city evolves to the trades of research and design, but remains resolutely attached to the sea. She thus asserts the place of first European pole for sciences and technology related to the sea: 60% of French research in the maritime field are based in Brest.

Economic institutions

Chamber of commerce and of industry of Brest

See also: Chamber of commerce and of industry of Brest

Brest is the seat of the Chamber of commerce and industry of Brest, which manages infrastructures of civil naval repair, the Aéroport of Brest Brittany, as well as the commercial port of Brest, the fishing port of Brest, the port of Camaret, the port of Landerneau, the port of Lanildut, the port of the River mouth Wrac' H.

Poles of competitiveness

Brest is represented in three Poles of competitiveness labellized by the State in 2005:

the pole Sea Brittany,
the pole Images and Networks,
the Valorial pole, on sciences of living and the agroalimentary one.

Brest-Iroise technopolis

The Brest-Iroise Technopolis gathers 4.600 people and federates the worlds of the company, higher education and research, more particularly in the following fields:

Sciences and technologies of the sea,
Sciences and communication and information technologies,
Sciences of alive (agro-alimentary - health - biotechnology).

Principal employers

List principal employers on the territory of Brest Métropole Océane, by branches of industry, in 2005, source INSEE.

Transport

The Automobile remains the individual means of transport privileged by the Residents of Brest, the Vélo being only little used, for good part because of the relief of the city.

Public transport

Served by a railway station and road which overhangs the commercial port, Brest and its agglomeration is also equipped with a drunk network of called Bibus (CTCUB until 1986) composed of 22 lines including 3 with the request.

A project of tram is being studied by Semtram, the iron mode being privileged. He will traverse starting from 2012 the city of is in west by connecting Technopôle to Kergaradec and Froutven.

Maritime transport

The commercial port, especially dedicated to the transport of Bulk, hydrocarbons and Container S, is also used for the small transport of passengers, bound for the peninsula of Crozon and of the islands of the Mer of Iroise.

Air transport

The Airport of Brest Brittany, located on the commune of Guipavas, is the Breton airport for the passenger traffic, accounting for 45% of this traffic in the area. A news Air terminal, of a form evoking a Line manta, should be brought into service in 2007 to carry the capacity of the airport to 1,8 million passengers per annum.

Seek and higher education

Principal economic pole of the point Brittany, Brest has of many higher establishments and research:

a multi-field university: University of Western Brittany (UBO)
a Academic institute of training of the Masters (IUFM of Brittany)
Of the universities:

National school of engineers de Brest (ENIB)
3Ecole Nationale Sup3erieure of telecommunications of Brittany (ENST Brittany)
3Ecole Nationale Sup3erieure of the engineers of the studies and techniques of armament (ENSIETA)
Institute of higher learning of electronics and numerical (ISEN Brest)
National college of business of Brittany Brest (ESC Brittany Brest)
Naval college (Official site)
University of Arts of Brest (ESAB)
University in microbiology and food safety (Esmisab)

Of the research organizations

European Center of virtual reality (CERV)
French Institute of research for the exploitation of the sea (Ifremer)
French polar Institute - Paul Emile Victor
Information center of research and experimentation on accidental pollution of water (CEDAR)
hydrographic and oceanographical Service of the navy (SHOM)

Culture

Cultural organizations

Libraries

The network of the public libraries of Brest consists of 10 branches distributed in the various districts of Brest. The central Library (or Library of Study), located at 22 rue Traverse, shelters important encyclopedic collections of university level like: 30000 patrimonial volumes: works old, handwritten, special charts and plans, funds (1500 works and periodicals of the 16th century at our days on the failures, funds sea, funds Breton, funds peerage-book). Since 1968, the Public library of Brest is registered on the list of the classified libraries.

Museums

The Musée of the Navy shelters a very beautiful collection of models of ships, tables, sculptures. It is in the Château.

The Musée of the Tour Tanguy is a free municipal museum presenting various historical documents and models reconstituting the Brest old man of before 1939.

Le' Musée of Beautiful-Arts' the wants to be a point of anchoring in the new city: a place where to find, through the artistic expression, a memory elsewhere unobtrusive. This is why one privileged from the start the acquisition of European painting since the end of the 16th century until our days.

The Musée Memorial Fort Montbarey tells the history of Finistere during the Second world war and its release.

The Center of art Passerelle is given for objective to promote contemporary plastic creation by supporting the exchanges with other forms of artistic expression (demonstrations in event-driven matter, impromptus poetic, choreographic and musical).

Océanopolis is a park of discovered oceans. It comprises 3 houses (moderate, polar and tropical, and associates with scientific contents impressive settings in scene, its 42 aquariums containing, in addition to a few 3,7 million liters of sea water: 10000 animals of 1.000 different species.

The Conservatory national botanical , nested in the middle of the small valley of Stang-Alar, is a single space of 40 hectares international reputation. It collects, preserves and cultivates the rare species in the process of disappearance of the islands of the whole world.

Tourist monuments and places

Brest is known for its Pont of Recouvrance, its military arsenal and its Rue of Siam. The Castle and the Tour Tanguy are the two oldest monuments. In Recouvrance, the hundred meters of the bottom of the Street Saint-Malo, authenticates popular habitat of the 18th century, constitute a picturesque walk. While following the coastal lane by the road of the Cornice, one can join the Phare of Portzic.

International festival of the sea, the boats and the sailors

Every 4 years, since 1992, in July, Brest accommodate the great international festival of the sea, the boats and the sailors. The nail of the festival is the great regatta during which the whole of the fleet sails of Brest with Douarnenez where the festival is prolonged, while skirting the rock and cut out coast Bretonne point, and passing for much between the Tas of Pea.

Brest 1992 was the first edition. The opening of the Penfeld to the civilians constituted an attraction which partly explains the unexpected success of the festival, with nearly a million visitors. The strong moment of the festival was without question the setting with water, on July 14th, of a Goélette, counterpart of a Aviso of the beginning of the 19th century. Baptized “Recouvrance”, of the name of the most famous district of Brest, it carries high the colors of the city. For this time she has proposed cruisings, is present at each festival and can often be admired in the wearing of Brest, with the Malbert quay.
Brest 1996 was held from July 13rd to 20th 1996.
Brest 2000 was held 13 with the July 17th 2000.
Brest 2004 was held July 10th with the July 15th (at the evening) 2004. She accommodated nearly 2000 traditional sailing ships coming from 20 different nations. This festival brings major innovations compared to the preceding festivals, like Jangada S (Brazilian boats), boats Vikings, Yoddler S .
Brest 2008 will take place from July 11th to 17th 2008.

Festivals

Every Thursday evenings of summer since 1998, the City organizes Thursdays of the Port, evenings of free concerts and arts of the street on the quays of the commercial port, which make rimer artistic quality and popular success.

Every year in April, Kevrenn Brest Sant-Mark launches the Printemps of the bell ringers , which makes it possible ten to twenty Bagad to present to the public their repertory of the season to come, after a procession of different the bagadoù. It ends in a “triumph” where the few hundreds of musicians exploit together the steps of the Town hall, Place of Freedom. This festival originates in the fiftieth birthday of Kevrenn Brest Sant-Mark which had been created to collect funds to help the victims of the explosion of the Ocean Liberty in 1947. Brest had already organized 1953 with 1970 the Festival of the bagpipes , which inspired in 1972 the Festival interceltic of Lorient.

The Festival European of short film with in November place. It is organized by association West coast.

The festival of electronic music Astropolis, proceeds in Brest and the Manor of Keroual, with Guilers, the beginning of August.

Other festivals also were born in the city like that of the tale (in November), the festival of the radio and listening in Brest (in December, organized by association Wavelength) and finally the Intergalactic Festival of the Alternative Image (in October, organized by Canal Ti Wind).

The Forum of the co-operative uses organizes a French-speaking meeting of the actors of the Internet and multi-media in July the even years.

Literature

Works evoking the " Brest" old man;

On board the Star Matutine of Pierre Mac Orlan (1920)
Kleier eured of Roparz Hemon (1934)
the anchor of mercy of Pierre Mac Orlan (1941)
Poem Barbara in Words of Jacques Prévert (1946)
Quarrel of Brest of Jean Genet (1947)
the maritime prison of Michel Mohrt
Nenn Jani of Roparz Hemon (1974)
Customers of the Good Dog yellow of Pierre Mac Orlan (1926)

the rebuilding of Brest

Brest-in-huts: History of a provisional city, 1945-1975 of Francoise Rouxel (1998)
Brest in rebuilding: Antimémoires of a city of Pierre Goic (2001)

Music

the Backfire of Brest: brass band.
the Brass band Zebaliz'
Fanfarnaum'
Kevrenn Brest Sant Mark: bagad.
Matheus Unit: traditional.
the firefly: pole of teaching of the current musics.
Excentric Jazz Band
Korollerien Lenn VOR
the Orchestra of Harmony: the musical association of the town of Brest.
the university orchestra of Brest.
To live the World: percussions.
the Volute and Sautereaux: old music.
Electric Bazaar Co

Live performance

To live the Street: fact of reviving to it so rare and charming Rue Saint-Malo
the House of the Theater is a place of transmission and theatrical experimentation.
the Theater of the Moment: theater opening to the public for creations of the troop.

Troops:

Girls of the Rain: committed theater.
IMPRO.INFINI: professional theater of improvisation of Brest
Derezo Company: professional company of theater.
LIBIDO: League Improvisation of Brest and Island Of Ushant.
Morosoff Theater: contemporary theater.

Theaters:

Quartz: National scene.
the Furnace: National center of Arts of the Street.
Vauban Space: cabaret-concert.
the Hull: The Room dedicated to the Current musics.
Center of musical creation (CCM): association having for vocation to form with the musical techniques and of production the musicians amateurs or professionals, and to propose places of repetitions.

Local mediums

Radios

Radio operator Neptune: associative private radio in Brest.
Mutine Frequency: associative radio since 25 years.
Radio operator U: the youngest last and of the associative radios on Brest, since 2001.

Televisions

channel Ti wind: the different TV.
Brest-native general Television, TGB manufactures TV, in Brest and around, in ESA and non-profit-making.

Community life of the districts

The town of Brest has:

8 houses for all
9 laic patronages
6 social centres

and of associations sets of themes such as the GPAS, the CAP/CSF, the Office Information Youth, the Office of the Brest-native Pensioners, etc…

These associations are animated and managed by the voluntary ones. They are often affiliated with a Federation of Popular education.

Sport

The town of Brest was seen entrusting the Big departure of the Tour de France cyclist 2008, which will make it tower of the Brittany in 3 stages.

Sports equipment

1 skating rink
5 covered swimming pools
2 cycle-racing tracks
1 track of stunt bike
3 golfs (Country of Brest)
1 swin golf
5 riding schools
76 courts of tennis
1 natural site of climbing
4 large walls of climbing
1 flying-club
75 grounds of big games (football and Rugby)
90 adventure playgrounds covered, gymnasia, specialized rooms
9 shooting ranges
1 circuit covered of karting
equipment for skate-board in several districts
45.000 bachelors all confused sports

The nautical activities are gathered under the nautical Station label, which gathers 4 nautical centers of which the Brest-native nautical Center, opened all the year. The marina of Brest, marina of Brittany comprises 1460 places and 120 places visitors

collective Sports

Brest-native Stage: Football - L2
Standard of Brest: Basketball - Pro B
Albatross of Brest: Hockey - D2

Famous characters

Note: Certain characters correspond to several categories. They are listed only under the first category their correspondent.

Artists and writers

Soldiers

Policies and servants of the State

Scientists

Sportsmen

Others

Eugene-François Vidocq, adventurous French of passage as a convict
Jean Quéméneur, imaginary character hero of the Brest-native song the lament of Jean Quéméneur
Loïk Le Floch-Prigent, chairman of the company Elf Aquitaine between July 1989 and August 1993.

Twinnings

Twinning-co-operation

Protocol of friendship

See too

Old charts

Random links:

Benoit Lamy | Redding (California) | Road tunnel of Saint-Gothard | Mirja Hietamies | Attitude of phrase