Meximieux

Meximieux

Meximieux
Administration
Country France
Region Rhône-Alpes
Department Ain
Arrondissement Bourg-en-Bresse
Canton Meximieux
Intercommunality Plaine de l'Ain
Mayor Christian Bussy
(2008–2014)
Statistics
Elevation 206–310 m (676–1,020 ft)
(avg. 226 m/741 ft)
Land area1 13.75 km2 (5.31 sq mi)
Population2 7,334  (2008)
 - Density 533 /km2 (1,380 /sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code 01244/ 01800
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.

Meximieux is a commune in the Ain department in eastern France.

Contents

Geography

Located 35 km north east of Lyon and 10 km from Ambérieu-en-Bugey, the town is where the Dombes plateau meets the plain of the Ain River. Historically, Meximieux was part of the former province of Bresse. Over the centuries its importance has developed from its location on the main route between Lyon and Geneva, and it now lies on the Autoroute 42 from Lyon.

History

Records of Meximieux date back to Roman times when it home to a small farming settlement called Maximiacus.

Population

Historical population of Meximieux
Year 1793 1800 1806 1821 1831 1836 1841 1846 1851 1856
Population 1565 1691 1805 1765 1997 2065 2086 2286 2473 2439
Year 1861 1866 1872 1876 1881 1886 1891 1896 1901 1906
Population 2552 2559 2387 2363 2276 2250 2137 2138 2340 2104
Year 1911 1921 1926 1931 1936 1946 1954 1962 1968 1975
Population 1858 1796 1895 2037 2044 2089 2132 2392 2669 3457
Year 1982 1990 1999 2008
Population 4253 6230 6835 7334

Its inhabitants are known as Meximiards.

International relations

Meximieux has been twinned with German town of Denkendorf, in Baden-Württemberg since 1986.

Personalities

The town was the birthplace of Claude Favre de Vaugelas, a 17th-century grammarian and man of letters.

Resistance

Meximieux is one of the 17 French cities to be awarded with the medal of resistance (Médaille de la Résistance). The French resistants of Meximieux fought with the allies in an outstanding collaboration with the U.S. army. This resulted in the victory against a German counter offensive on Meximieux the 1 and 2 September 1944. U.S. Army General, Michael S. Davison, became an honorary citizen of Meximieux.

See also

References

External links