Stiring-Wendel
Encyclopedia
Stiring-Wendel is a commune
in the Moselle
department in Lorraine
in north-eastern France
.
built a church, a school and residential facilities for the workers.
By imperial decree of Napoleon III, the city is elevated to a fully autonomous municipality June 3, 1857, and separate from Forbach.
After the Franco-Prussian War
of 1870, the city as part of Alsace-Lorraine
came under German
control. The steel industry collapsed with its final closure in 1897.
In 1897 the rise of the coal industry generated a new economy, and led to an increase in population. For example, in 1857 the population was 1900, where by 1957 it had grown to 16,000 residents.
After World War I
, in 1918, Alsace-Lorraine returned to French control.
The Forbach and Stiring-Wendel area were heavy battlefields during World War II
. Stiring-Wendel held many German POW
camps to run the mines, which were liberated after the battles. Most of the armored American forces in this area turned north at this point to counter the German advance into Belgium ("Battle of the Bulge
").
France began administering the German Saar
region as a protectorate
after World War II. The Marshall Plan
returned the Saar to German control in 1957, due to both economic and political demands. The borders of Germany and France were then aligned to the positions before 1870.
The people of Forbach and Stiring-Wendel are generally bi-lingual (French-German).
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 Moselle
Moselle
Moselle is a department in the east of France named after the river Moselle.- History :Moselle is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790...
department in Lorraine
Lorraine (région)
Lorraine is one of the 27 régions of France. The administrative region has two cities of equal importance, Metz and Nancy. Metz is considered to be the official capital since that is where the regional parliament is situated...
in north-eastern 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
Founded in 1846 at the site of the present Stiring-Wendel ironworks. The industrial family WendelDe Wendel family
The de Wendel Family is an industrialist family from Lorraine, France.In the 19th and 20th centuries the family gained might both industrial and political...
built a church, a school and residential facilities for the workers.
By imperial decree of Napoleon III, the city is elevated to a fully autonomous municipality June 3, 1857, and separate from Forbach.
After the Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
of 1870, the city as part of Alsace-Lorraine
Alsace-Lorraine
The Imperial Territory of Alsace-Lorraine was a territory created by the German Empire in 1871 after it annexed most of Alsace and the Moselle region of Lorraine following its victory in the Franco-Prussian War. The Alsatian part lay in the Rhine Valley on the west bank of the Rhine River and east...
came under German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
control. The steel industry collapsed with its final closure in 1897.
In 1897 the rise of the coal industry generated a new economy, and led to an increase in population. For example, in 1857 the population was 1900, where by 1957 it had grown to 16,000 residents.
After World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, in 1918, Alsace-Lorraine returned to French control.
The Forbach and Stiring-Wendel area were heavy battlefields during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Stiring-Wendel held many German POW
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
camps to run the mines, which were liberated after the battles. Most of the armored American forces in this area turned north at this point to counter the German advance into Belgium ("Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
").
France began administering the German Saar
Saarland
Saarland is one of the sixteen states of Germany. The capital is Saarbrücken. It has an area of 2570 km² and 1,045,000 inhabitants. In both area and population, it is the smallest state in Germany other than the city-states...
region as a protectorate
Saar (protectorate)
The Saar Protectorate was a German borderland territory twice temporarily made a protectorate state. Since rejoining Germany the second time in 1957, it is the smallest Federal German Area State , the Saarland, not counting the city-states Berlin, Hamburg and Bremen...
after World War II. The Marshall Plan
Marshall Plan
The Marshall Plan was the large-scale American program to aid Europe where the United States gave monetary support to help rebuild European economies after the end of World War II in order to combat the spread of Soviet communism. The plan was in operation for four years beginning in April 1948...
returned the Saar to German control in 1957, due to both economic and political demands. The borders of Germany and France were then aligned to the positions before 1870.
The people of Forbach and Stiring-Wendel are generally bi-lingual (French-German).
Notable people from Stiring-Wendel
- Sophie HuberSophie HuberSophie Huber is a female freestyle swimmer from France, who competed for her native country at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, PR China.- References :*...
, Beijing 2008 Olympics swimmer (Born in Forbach) - Patricia KaasPatricia KaasPatricia Kaas is a French singer and actress.Kaas is a very successful French-speaking singer, with an International following...
, Singer (Born in Forbach) - Nicolas Untersteller, Famous Painter and member of Académie des Beaux-ArtsAcadémie des beaux-artsThe Académie des Beaux-Arts is a French learned society. It is one of the five academies of the Institut de France.It was created in 1795 as the merger of the:* Académie de peinture et de sculpture...
- Charles de Wendel, Industrialist, Founder