Camp David

Oyonnax (to pronounce " indifferently; Oyonn' has " or Oyonn axis ") is a common French, the second of the department of the Ain in term of population. Its inhabitants are called Oyonnaxiens.

Geography

Oyonnax is located at the north of the department of Ain in extreme cases the Top Bugey, in the Massif of the Jura, with the door of the Natural park of the High-Jura, in the middle of an area of lakes, forests and rivers. Its extended enough communal territory, is spread out folds of the Berthiand mounts to the plate of Échallon, while passing by the valley of Lange and Sarsouille. It is delimited by the communes of Dortan, Arbent, Échallon, Charix, Apremont, Bellignat, Géovreisset and Samognat. The localities of Geilles, Bouvent, Massiat, Chatonnax, Mons and Veyziat also form part of the commune of Oyonnax. In the extreme south-east of the commune, with 831m of altitude the Lac Genin is, of a surface of 8 ha and 17m of depth (divided between Oyonnax, Échallon and Charix).

History

The name of the city takes its origin at the 12th century, when the lord de Thoire and Villars authorizes the establishment of constructions and pastures on his " oyenna" , i.e. its properties. Oyenna will be tranformera then in Oyennax, then in Oyonnax, current name of the city. Agricultural village since centuries, Oyonnax will change as from the 17th century thanks to the craft industry, to become an industrial city.

Oyonnax was during the Second world war the theater of a striking fact: the men of the maquis of the area ravelled in its streets the November 11th 1943 in spite of the presence very close to the occupant, in order to mean with the Alliés the determination of the resistance. Oyonnax is, in particular thanks to this fact, one of the rare towns of France to raise the medal of resistance.

In the middle of the Fifties, a housing shortage leads the town of Oyonnax, in full growth, with almost doubling the number of residences, thanks to the construction of the districts of the Plain and the Forging mill, a new " city; juxtaposée" with old. In less than 20 years, the number of inhabitants also doubles.

In 1973, the commune of Oyonnax amalgamates with the commune of Bouvent (fusion simple) and with the commune of Veyziat (fusion association).

Administration

Demography

Economy

The Craft industry, in particular the turning of articles in Wood or horn was initially a means of freeing itself from the difficulties of the Paysan S, due to the roughness of the Climat and the relative poverty of the ground. The surrounding rivers made it possible to the craftsmen to use water mills.

The city specialized towards the end of the 18th century in the manufacture of combs out of wood then in horn while following close the technological changes. This production was industrialized at the end of the 19th century, before undergoing a revolution: the arrival of the plastic , with the Celluloid in 1880 then the Galalithe in 1918, the Rhodoïd in 1930 and finally starting from 1935 the Polystyrene and other matters more adapted to the techniques of Moulding.

Oyonnax will not then cease developing in the field of the Plasturgie, with the creation of hundreds of companies covering all the components of the sector, and a range of products very varied energy of the Lunette to the pieces of furniture of garden while passing by the Jouet S. the industry of Oyonnax was marked by Gilac, Grosfillex, Bollé or Berchet.

Oyonnax is today in the center of the Plastics Valley, which was recognized in 2005 like Pole of competitiveness for the plasturgie. The basin gathers 660 companies in the sector of the plasturgie, on 14 industrial parks. The European pole of the plasturgie, inaugurated in 1989, is a center of competences equipped with average scientists and technical powerful.

Gallery photographs