Saint-Dizier is a common French, located in the department of the Haute-Marne and the area Champagne-Ardenne.

Its inhabitants is called Bragards. A legend (not checked) wants that is due to a seat in old times when the inhabitants of the city resisted valiantly. The king of the time (François 1st) would then have said on their subject: “Ha! Good sort! ” which would have then become “bragards”. There it should be seen there more of the folklore that History. The semi-official version would be an evolution of the word patois “brayards” in “bragards”.

Geography

Saint-Dizier is located in the north of the Haute-Marne, crossed by the Marne. The census of 2006 enters: 27000 inhabitants.

History

Although the first mention of the name of the commune appears only towards the end of the 9th century, the occupation in is strong old (traces of occupation starting from the Neolithic ).

The city gradually replaced the Gallo-Roman fortified town of Olonna, where according to the legend, of the survivors of the destruction of Andematunum/Langres would have brought back the skin of their bishop, Didier, and would have made a sanctuary of it.

The development of the city is done around its church (Notre-Dame), under the aegis of its lords, Dampierre. It is indeed under Guy II of Dampierre (1155-1215) that begin the construction of the castle and the church. It is Guillaume de Dampierre, husband of Marguerite countess of Flanders which, influenced by the organization of the Flemish cities, promulgates a charter of stamping, in 1228, which enables him to delegate part of its capacities to the aldermen of the city. They is the 3rd wire of Guillaume who will inherit the seigniory of St Dizier and Sompuis. He will be Champagne constable and will marry Laure d' Avraiville girl of Mathieu II duke of Lorraine. Guillaume wire junior by Jean Ier will take again the seigniory of St Dizier and will transmit it to its descent to Jeanne who will marry in second wedding Jacques de Vergy. The city then passes to the family of Vergy, combined party of the Burgundian ones.

Saint-Dizier, by his strategic position, sees itself besieged at the time of the conflict between the emperor Charles V (Charles Quint) and François Ier, in 1544. The fortified town goes after a resistance of several months. The King of France greeted itself the heroism of his inhabitants. Property of imperial, Saint-Dizier will be returned to France with the treaty of Crépy-in-Laonnois, on September 18th, 1544.

In 1755, a fire destroyed the three-quarters of the old city. The Notre-Dame church was also touched on this occasion. Only some houses of the Emile-Mauguet Place and the street of the Small-Savage escaped the destruction.

In 1814, Saint-Dizier was again the center of conflicts. In January, Napoleon I {{er}} drove out the Russians there: it was the first great victory of the Countryside of France. It gained one second victory in March there.

During the first world war, the commune was used between-other as starting point for the provisioning of the face during the Bataille of Verdun.

The requisition by the Luftwaffe (German air force) of its aerodrome at the time of the second world war was worth in Saint-Dizier to know many air raids by the Anglo-American forces.

The city, thanks to a know-how resulting from a long iron and steel past, then could develop and specialize in this field (cast iron of art, agricultural mechanics). In parallel, the factory of ice cream of the Ortiz brothers will develop and its mark, Miko, will be known universally.

To face the requirements in housing for the personnel for these industries in full expansion, one will build with the accesses of the city bragarde, in the middle of the years 1950, the first new city of France: Green-Wood.

In the middle of the years 1990 finally, the municipality began a work of daring urban renewal, transforming the downtown area radically.

See also: History of Saint-Dizier

Economy

The economy of the city knows a strong industrial decline, in particular in the sector of the metallurgy, whereas air base (arrived of the Rafale) and the new hospital are providers of employment.

  • industry is mainly occupied by the sector of the metallurgy (Etilam) a long time prosperous in north of Haute-Marne, but today in difficulty and involving a decline of dynamics of the city.

  • the great architect of the Art nouveau, Hector Guimard made manufacture at the foundry of Saint-Dizier his pig iron and cast iron decorative (balconies…). One sees of them the many ones and beautiful specimens by traversing the city.
  • the second great sector relates to the manufacture of machines and equipment, with in particular large factory of McCormick.
  • the city was also the place of installation of the Ortiz family, at the origin of the mark Miko, and where the company repurchased by Unilever has there a very important factory for the dynamism of the city bragarde.
  • Enfin the Air base 113 Saint-Dizier-Robinson is also a large provider of employment with more than 2000 soldiers. Besides it accommodates the first operational unit of fighter Rafale in the Air force, the Escadron of Hunting 1/7 Provence transformed on the new hunter into 2006, after an experimentation with Mount-with-Marsan.
The arrival of the Rafale with Saint-Dizier, took place on June 27th, 2006, in the presence of Dominique de Villepin Prime Minister, of Michele Alliot-Marie, Minister for Defense, and the Head of State Major of the Air force, the air General Richard Wolsztynski.

Saint Dizier is the seat of the Chamber of commerce and industry of Haute-Marne. It manages the Aérodrome of Chaumont-Semoutiers.

Demography

Administration

Sub-prefect: Jacques Lauvergnat

Saint-Dizier initially was only one chief town of canton of the district of Wassy, then when this one was removed in 1926, of that of Chaumont. In 1940, the district was reconstituted, but its chief town was fixed at Saint-Dizier instead of Wassy.

The district has 11 cantons, 114 communes and: 78808 inhabitants. The city is divided into 4 cantons, but is the chief town only of 3d' between them:

  • Saint-Dizier-Center, including/understanding only part of Saint-Dizier: 14547 inhabitants.
  • Saint-Dizier-North-Is, 3 communes and: 8130 inhabitants.
  • Saint-Dizier-South-Is, 3 communes and: 8617 inhabitants.
  • Saint-Dizier-West, whose chief town is Éclaron-Braucourt-Holy-Livière, 9 communes and: 10654 inhabitants.

Personalities bragardes

  • Jean-François Lescuyer (1820-1887), Ornithologist.
  • Andre Pirro (1869-1943), Musicologist, Professor with the Sorbonne, holder of the Pulpit of Musicology. Specialist in Baroque music and work for organ of Jean-Sebastien Bach.
  • Andre Isoir, Organist.
  • Jean-Paul Penin, Leader.
  • Raoul Laurent, mayor with Saint-Dizier with his city council man of the time, whose first names were given to the streets bottom Green-Wood, of which the street of Raouls, within the pieces of accession to small and average property;
  • Jacques Gaillot, bishop of Évreux then bishop in partibus of Partenia.
  • Louis Ortiz, creator of the mark Miko
  • the Tété singer (first name carried in Casamance who would mean “the guide”) was born in Dakar on July 25th, 1975 from a West-Indian mother and a Senegalese father but, in 1977, it moves in Bordeaux to migrate 3 years later towards St-Dizier and to pass there most of its youth.
  • Maurice Chanet, champion of Europe of boxing.
  • Jackson Chanet, wire of Maurice Chanet, champion of Europe of boxing in the 2005, born on February 7th, 1978 in Saint-Dizier.

Tourist monuments and places

  • Lake of DER-Chantecoq;
  • Villa 45 Close-Mortar;
  • road Viaduct of Marnaval, Photograph;
  • Museum of the brewery;
  • municipal Museum, it gathers interesting collections in paleontology, ornithology, archeology, beautiful arts and some Guimard pig iron and cast iron;
  • the old medieval castle become sub-prefecture in 1959;
  • the Notre Dame church started in 1202, but seriously damaged at the time of the fire of 1775;
  • the church Saint Martin de Gigny in the new suburb of Gigny;
  • Parcollet House with apparent wood sides dating from the 16th century;
  • the town hall set up in 1824;
  • the corn exchange built in 1860 and transformed into theater with Italian in 1906;
  • the church Martin saint of the Valley;
  • the district of the picturesque Valley and its voyottes;
  • the holy church Therese of the Green Wood;
  • the Chamber of commerce and of industry built in 1897;
  • the Museum of the French memory;
  • the Monument representing the seat of 1544 dedicated to the memory of Bragards (1906);

Events

Specialities

Bragardise, speciality of Saint-Dizier created in 1994 on the initiative of a dozen bakers and confectioners, is tasty cookies, sold per package of 200 grams, subtle mixture of cane sugar, flour, and butter, with the taste of cinnamon and coconut.

See too

  • Common of Haute-Marne

External bonds

  • official site of the city

  • Saint-Dizier on the site of the national geographical Institute

  • Saint-Dizier on the site of INSEE
  • Saint-Dizier on the site of Quid
  • Localization of Saint-Dizier on a chart of France and communes bordering
  • Plane on Saint-Dizier on Mapquest
  • Site of current events on economic Saint-Dizier
  • Gate on the craftsmen and tradesmen of Saint-Dizier
  • Discussion forum on Saint-Dizier and his surroundings

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