Mazingarbe
Encyclopedia
Mazingarbe is a commune
in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France
.
Mazingarbe’s first inhabitants, as far as can be ascertained, were Neolithic
farmers who grew grain and raised sheep, pigs and oxen. Many flint tools have been found dating from this period.
Other archaeological excavations have unearthed pottery, clay tiles, tools, jewelry and bones, evidence of occupation of the site at the beginning of the first millennium of a Gallo-Roman villa at a place called Le Marais Bray.
In 1046 the village was mentioned as the villa Mazengarba confirmed as a possession of the abbey of Marchiennes. The estate and its lands remained the property of the church until the French Revolution
. Under the Ancient Regime, the population was predominantly agricultural. Like most towns and villages of the Artois
, Mazingarbe had suffered the ravages of invasions, wars and looting, epidemics of plague, fires and harsh winters. In 1790, there were 328 inhabitants. The records of Croÿ, dating from the early 17th century, show Mazingarbe at that time as a modest little village gathered around a church.
Mazingarbe was home to less than 800 people before the opening, in 1859, of the first coal mine, No. 2. Pits No. 6 (1876) and No. 7 (1877) followed later. The population grew at the same speed as industry, the city hosting several waves of immigrant workers, first Belgians and Italians and then later mostly Polish. The creation of a treatment plant and coal processing plant in 1896, which later became a large chemical complex, significantly enhanced the town.
Mazingarbe suffered heavy damage during the Great War. The battlefront was only two kilometres away at Vermelles
.
The Second World War didn’t spare the town either. An Allied aerial bombardment of the factories and mines, in September 1943, claimed 27 civilian victims.
passes through the commune.
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
History
The village was known as Masengarba in 1046, Masengarbe in 1232 and Mazengarbe in 1558.Mazingarbe’s first inhabitants, as far as can be ascertained, were Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
farmers who grew grain and raised sheep, pigs and oxen. Many flint tools have been found dating from this period.
Other archaeological excavations have unearthed pottery, clay tiles, tools, jewelry and bones, evidence of occupation of the site at the beginning of the first millennium of a Gallo-Roman villa at a place called Le Marais Bray.
In 1046 the village was mentioned as the villa Mazengarba confirmed as a possession of the abbey of Marchiennes. The estate and its lands remained the property of the church until the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
. Under the Ancient Regime, the population was predominantly agricultural. Like most towns and villages of the Artois
Artois
Artois is a former province of northern France. Its territory has an area of around 4000 km² and a population of about one million. Its principal cities are Arras , Saint-Omer, Lens and Béthune.-Location:...
, Mazingarbe had suffered the ravages of invasions, wars and looting, epidemics of plague, fires and harsh winters. In 1790, there were 328 inhabitants. The records of Croÿ, dating from the early 17th century, show Mazingarbe at that time as a modest little village gathered around a church.
Mazingarbe was home to less than 800 people before the opening, in 1859, of the first coal mine, No. 2. Pits No. 6 (1876) and No. 7 (1877) followed later. The population grew at the same speed as industry, the city hosting several waves of immigrant workers, first Belgians and Italians and then later mostly Polish. The creation of a treatment plant and coal processing plant in 1896, which later became a large chemical complex, significantly enhanced the town.
Mazingarbe suffered heavy damage during the Great War. The battlefront was only two kilometres away at Vermelles
Vermelles
Vermelles is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:A ex-coalmining town, Vermelles is situated southeast of Béthune and southwest of Lille, at the junction of the D39, D75 and D943 roads and by the banks of the river...
.
The Second World War didn’t spare the town either. An Allied aerial bombardment of the factories and mines, in September 1943, claimed 27 civilian victims.
Geography
Mazingarbe is located 3 miles (4.8 km) northwest of Lens, at the junction of the D176 and the D75 roads. The A26 motorwayA26 autoroute
The A26 is a long French motorway connecting Calais and Troyes. It is also known as the Autoroute des Anglais as it is the main route from the Dover-Calais ferries and the Channel Tunnel to most parts of France and often contains large numbers of British cars, particularly during the summer...
passes through the commune.
Population
| 1962 | 1968 | 1975 | 1982 | 1990 | 1999 | 2006 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9300 | 10060 | 8992 | 8114 | 7829 | 7470 | 7564 |
| Census count starting from 1962: Population without duplicates | ||||||
Places of interest
- The church of St.Rictrude, dating from the nineteenth century.
- A nineteenth century chateau, now the Hotel deVille (Town Hall).
- The war memorial.
- Two chapels.
- The Commonwealth War Graves CommissionCommonwealth War Graves CommissionThe Commonwealth War Graves Commission is an intergovernmental organisation of six independent member states whose principal function is to mark, record and maintain the graves, and places of commemoration, of Commonwealth of Nations military service members who died in the two World Wars...
cemeteries.