Albert (Somme)

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Albert
Albert coat of arms
Albert (France)
Albert
region Hauts-de-France
Department Somme
Arrondissement Péronne
Canton Albert ( chef-lieu )
Community association Pays du Coquelicot
Coordinates 50 ° 0 ′  N , 2 ° 39 ′  E Coordinates: 50 ° 0 ′  N , 2 ° 39 ′  E
height 42–121 m
surface 13.80 km 2
Residents 9,928 (January 1, 2017)
Population density 719 inhabitants / km 2
Post Code 80300
INSEE code 80016
Website http://www.ville-albert.fr/

Template: Infobox municipality in France / maintenance / different coat of arms in Wikidata

Albert is a French commune and cantonal capital with 9928 inhabitants (at January 1, 2017) in the department of Somme in the region of Hauts-de-France . She is a member of the community association Communauté de communes du Pays du Coquelicot .

geography

Albert is located in the north of the Somme department at the junction of the old Roman road from Amiens to Bapaume over the River Ancre .

history

The place was used as a Roman post in 54 BC. BC (during the Gallic War ) and was known under the name Ancre (also Encre ) until the 17th century . After the fall of the Marquis d'Ancre , the rule was the favorite of Louis XIII. Charles d'Albert transferred; since then the place is called Albert .

Albert was a place of pilgrimage for several centuries; On the top of the basilica was a golden statue of the Virgin Mary, which could be seen from afar and was supposedly found by a shepherd. Pope Leo XIII. Albert called the Lourdes of the north in 1898 .

During the First World War the church tower was hit by German artillery in January 1915; the statue of the Virgin hung from its anchorage at a 120-degree angle. In June 1916 British troops marched through the heavily damaged Albert and took up positions to begin the Battle of the Somme . The front line passed over Albert several times, which was completely destroyed in 1918. On the south-eastern outskirts, on Rue du 11 Novembre , lies the Nécropole nationale d'Albert with the remains of 6,290 French soldiers in individual graves and ossuary.

Henry Potez , who was born in nearby Méaulte and founder of Aéroplanes Henry Potez , was mayor of the city from 1947 to 1959.

economy

Several local mechanical engineering companies, which, among other things, act as suppliers for Airbus , are organized in the Pôle Hydraulique et Mécanique d'Albert (PHMA). You employ more than 2000 people in and around Albert. The EADS Group has a location in Méaulte .

  • Notre-Dame de Brebières basilica

  • Destroyed in the First World War (1915/16)

  • the rebuilt basilica

Attractions

  • The Notre-Dame de Brebières basilica was built in the neo-Byzantine style in 1885–1895, destroyed in 1916 and then rebuilt.
  • The town hall is built in the Flemish Art Deco style and was opened in 1932.
  • The Musée Somme 1916 documents life in the trenches during the First World War.
  • The International Animal Film Festival FIFA takes place in the Théâtre du Jeu de paume every year

Twin cities

Albert maintains partnerships with:

sons and daughters of the town

Web links

Commons : Albert (Somme)  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Martin Gilbert : Somme , p. 59 ( online )