Gerardmer

Gerardmer
region	Grand Est
Department	Vosges
Arrondissement	Saint-Dié-des-Vosges
Canton	Gérardmer (main town)
Community association	Hautes Vosges
Coordinates	48 ° 4 ' N , 6 ° 53' E Coordinates: 48 ° 4 ' N , 6 ° 53' E
height	584-1,125 m
surface	54.78 km 2
Residents	7,967 (January 1, 2017)
Population density	145 inhabitants / km 2
Post Code	88400
INSEE code	88196
Website	www.ville-gerardmer.fr
	; Gérardmer Town Hall

Gérardmer [ ʒeʀaʀˈme ] ( German Gerdsee , medieval Geroldsee ) is a French commune in the Vosges department in the Grand Est region (until 2015 Lorraine ). With 7,967 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2017), Gérardmer is the third largest municipality in the department. It belongs to the arrondissement of Saint-Dié-des-Vosges and is the main town ( chef-lieu ) of the canton of Gérardmer .

geography

The city is located on the banks of Lac de Gérardmer in the wooded area of the southwestern Vosges . The urban area is 54.78 km², of which 37.21 km² are forested. The city stretches up the mountain ridges from the valley of the Vologne , which flows out of the Lac de Gérardmer. The municipality is part of the Ballons des Vosges Regional Nature Park .

The districts of Kichompré, Le Kertoff, La Haie-Griselle, Les Xettes, Le Costet-Beillard, La Rayée and La Goutte du Chat belong to Gérardmer .

Neighboring municipalities of Gérardmer are Granges-sur-Vologne , Barbey-Seroux and Arrentès-de-Corcieux in the north, Gerbépal in the northeast, Xonrupt-Longemer in the east, La Bresse and Rochesson in the south, Sapois in the southwest, Le Tholy in the west and Liézey in the Northwest.

history

Saint-Barthélémy church in Gerardmer

The place was founded in the 13th century and first mentioned in 1285 ( Geramer ). It is named after Gerhard von Alsace (French Gérard d'Alsace, 1030-1070). The place name varied frequently over the centuries, e.g. B. to Giramoix (1343), Geroltzsee (1484), Gyraulmey (1556), Jerosmé (1663). The current shape has been used since 1779.

The history of the place is closely linked to that of the Duchy of Lorraine .

In 1875, the first French tourist office was set up in Gérardmer . Since then, the place has been known as the “Pearl of the Vosges” and has also become an attractive holiday destination for Parisians who could travel there by train.

Gérardmer suffered particularly badly during the Second World War. The place was captured by the German army on June 22, 1940. On November 17, 1944, the German units, fleeing from the approaching French, set the place on fire and blew up supply facilities for water and electricity. When the first French units marched in on November 19, they found 85% of the city destroyed. The responsible German general Hermann Balck was sentenced in absentia by the Paris military court to 20 years of forced labor in 1950 , but never had to serve his sentence.

Population development

year	1962	1968	1975	1982	1990	1999	2010	2017
Residents	8970	9326	9471	9106	8951	8830	8755	7967

View of the city and the lake

economy

Due to the abundance of forests, the most important industry is wood processing (sawmills, furniture manufacture, house building). Tourism also plays an important role (there is also a casino here ). There are many hotels in the city and in summer and winter the number of tourists is considerable compared to the number of residents.

Culture

The international du film fantastique festival has been held annually since 1994 .

Sculpture made of daffodils to represent Coluche , Daffodil Festival 2011

Every two years in April, when the daffodils bloom, the Daffodil Festival takes place. The residents pick thousands of daffodils that bloom wildly around the town and decorate figures on wagons from the yellow flowers and green moss, which then drive in a parade through the city.