Nœux-les-Mines
Encyclopedia
Nœux-les-Mines is a commune
in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France
.
and 25 miles (40.2 km) southwest of Lille
, at the junction of the D937 and D65 roads. As the name of the town itself might imply, it was established as a coal mining
centre, however with the decline of the mining industry in the area Nœux-les-Mines has evolved to become a light industrial and farming town.
, before being rebuilt in the 10th century, when it became known as Noewe.
It was part of the small province of Gohelle, itself part of the province of Artois
, and was mainly an agricultural town with associated small activities incidental to farming, such as flour mills, sugar mills and breweries.
The name was transformed from Noewe to Nœux-lez-Béthune over the years, but became Nœux-les-Mines in 1887, a few years after the discovery of coal deposits in 1850, when the population numbered a mere 1100 inhabitants. From the opening of the first pit in 1851 the town experienced a strong surge in population up until 1962. All the pits were closed down between 1956 and 1968.
In 1996, the commune transformed one of its old mine
ramps into an artificial ski slope, which operates throughout the year. Within this same sports complex (Loisinord) is a boating lake.
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...
.
Geography
Nœux-les-Mines is situated some 4 miles (6.4 km) south of BéthuneBéthune
Béthune is a city in northern France, sub-prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais department.-Geography:Béthune is located in the former province of Artois. It is situated South-East of Calais, West of Lille, and North of Paris.-Landmarks:...
and 25 miles (40.2 km) southwest of Lille
Lille
Lille is a city in northern France . It is the principal city of the Lille Métropole, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the country behind those of Paris, Lyon and Marseille. Lille is situated on the Deûle River, near France's border with Belgium...
, at the junction of the D937 and D65 roads. As the name of the town itself might imply, it was established as a coal mining
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
centre, however with the decline of the mining industry in the area Nœux-les-Mines has evolved to become a light industrial and farming town.
History
Nœux-les-Mines was first recorded in the 4th century as Vitri. It was destroyed in 882 by the NormansNormans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
, before being rebuilt in the 10th century, when it became known as Noewe.
It was part of the small province of Gohelle, itself part of the province of 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:...
, and was mainly an agricultural town with associated small activities incidental to farming, such as flour mills, sugar mills and breweries.
The name was transformed from Noewe to Nœux-lez-Béthune over the years, but became Nœux-les-Mines in 1887, a few years after the discovery of coal deposits in 1850, when the population numbered a mere 1100 inhabitants. From the opening of the first pit in 1851 the town experienced a strong surge in population up until 1962. All the pits were closed down between 1956 and 1968.
In 1996, the commune transformed one of its old mine
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
ramps into an artificial ski slope, which operates throughout the year. Within this same sports complex (Loisinord) is a boating lake.
Population
| 1962 | 1968 | 1975 | 1982 | 1990 | 1999 | 2006 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14,113 | 13,325 | 13,567 | 13,166 | 12,351 | 11,966 | 12,256 |
| Census count starting from 1962: Population without duplicates | ||||||
Places of interest
- The church of St.Martin, dating from the nineteenth century.
- 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...
cemetery. - The coal mining museum.
- A modern church dedicated to St.Barbe.
- An eighteenth-century farmhouseFarmhouseFarmhouse is a general term for the main house of a farm. It is a type of building or house which serves a residential purpose in a rural or agricultural setting. Most often, the surrounding environment will be a farm. Many farm houses are shaped like a T...
. - An oil-pressing mill.
Notable people
- Footballer Raymond KopaRaymond KopaRaymond Kopa , is a former French football offensive midfielder, integral to the French national team of the 1950s....
, star of Real MadridReal MadridReal Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
and the French national teamFrance national football teamThe France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
that reached the 1958 World Cup Finals1958 FIFA World CupThe 1958 FIFA World Cup, the sixth staging of the World Cup, was hosted by Sweden from 8 June to 29 June. The tournament was won by Brazil, who beat Sweden 5–2 in the final for their first title. To date, this marks the only occasion that a World Cup staged in Europe was not won by a European...
in Sweden.