Hénin-Beaumont

Administration
Hénin-Beaumont

Former coal miners' housing
Hénin-Beaumont
Location within Nord-Pas-de-Calais region Hénin-Beaumont
Country	France
Region	Nord-Pas-de-Calais
Department	Pas-de-Calais
Arrondissement	Lens
Canton	Hénin-Beaumont (chef-lieu)
Intercommunality	Communauté d'agglomération d'Hénin-Carvin
Mayor	Eugène Binaisse (2010–2014)
Statistics
Elevation	23–65 m (75–213 ft) (avg. 32 m/105 ft)
Land area¹	20.72 km² (8.00 sq mi)
Population²	26,100 (2005)
- Density	1,260 /km² (3,300 /sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code	62427/ 62110
¹ French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
² Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Hénin-Beaumont is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.

1 Geography
2 History
3 Population
4 Places of interest
5 Twin towns
6 See also
7 References
8 External links

Geography

Hénin-Beaumont used to be a coalmining and is now a light industrial town situated some 6 miles (9.7 km) east of Lens, at the junction of the N43, D919 and the D39 roads. The A21 autoroute passes through the northern part of the commune.

History

The commune came into existence in 1971, the result of a merger of the communes of Hénin-Liétard and Beaumont-en-Artois.

Hénin-Beaumont has been populated since before the arrival of the Romans, attested by excavations in the 19th century, where coins and other remains were found. In 880, the town was the victim of the Norman invasion.

The town’s name has changed over the centuries. From around the year 950, there are various documents listing it as Hennium, Henninium or Heninium and later as St Martinus Henain. In 1274 it appeared for the first time under the name Hanin-le-Liétard, after the seigneur, either in recognition of services rendered to the city for its fortifications, or simply to distinguish it from the nearby commune of Hénin-on-Cojeul.

In 1852, the discovery of coal deposits in the Pas-de-Calais brought Hénin-Liétard into the industrial age. From around 1856, many foreigner workers came to Henin-Liétard to work in the mines. The railway came to the town at around the same time, in 1859.

During World War I, the German occupation was harsh and destructive. On the night of 3/4 October 1914, the invaders looted and ransacked the town. In April 1917, the town suffered almost total destruction as the Allies dislodged the Germans, who blew up the church of Saint-Martin before leaving the city. After the signing of the armistice, the original inhabitants returned on December 2, 1918. The town hall was rebuilt in 1925. In 1928, La Compagnie des Mines de Dourges built the church of Sainte-Marie for the miners. The church of Saint-Martin was rebuilt in Greco-Byzantine style by the architect Boutterin in 1932. The new railway station was opened in 1933.

At the end of the Second World War Henin-Beaucourt was liberated by the Allies, in September 1944.

In the 2009 election to replace the incumbent Socialist mayor who had resigned after a corruption scandal, the National Front took first place in the first round with 39% of the vote. A left-wing list was second with 20% of the vote.^[1] This led all other parties including the center-right Union for a Popular Movement to support the list led by the independent left-wing candidate, Daniel Duquenne in the second round runoff. Duquenne won the race 52%-48%.^[2]

Population

Historical population of Hénin-Beaumont
Year	1962	1968	1975	1982	1990	1999	2005
Population	26524	26892	26405	26037	26257	25178	26100
From the year 1962 on: population without double counting—residents of multiple communes (e.g. students and military personnel) are counted only once.