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Montreuil |
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Montreuil
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Location within Nord-Pas-de-Calais region
Montreuil
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| Administration | |
|---|---|
| Country | France |
| Region | Nord-Pas-de-Calais |
| Department | Pas-de-Calais |
| Arrondissement | Montreuil |
| Canton | Montreuil |
| Intercommunality | Communauté de communes du Montreuillois |
| Mayor | Bruno Béthouart |
| Statistics | |
| Elevation | 2–43 m (6.6–141 ft) |
| Land area1 | 2.85 km2 (1.10 sq mi) |
| Population2 | 2,498 (2006) |
| - Density | 876 /km2 (2,270 /sq mi) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 62588/ 62170 |
| 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. | |
Montreuil or Montreuil-sur-Mer (French pronunciation: [mɔ̃tʁœj syʁ mɛʁ]) is a sub-prefecture in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France. It is located on the Canche river, not far from Étaples. The sea, however, is now some distance away.
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It is surrounded by medieval ramparts, part of the reinforcement work of the famed French military engineer Vauban from his fortification of Northern France in the 17th Century.
Population (1999): 2,688 inhabitants for the city, 21,603 inhabitants for the canton and 99,288 inhabitants for the arrondissement.
Montreuil was the headquarters of the British Army in France during the First World War. General Haig was quartered in a nearby château. A statue commemorating his stay can be seen outside the theatre on the Place Charles de Gaulle. During the German occupation of the town during the Second World War, the statue was taken down; however, it was saved by the townspeople, and was rebuilt in the 1950s.
Lawrence Sterne visited the town in 1765. His visit was recounted in his novel A Sentimental Journey Through France and Italy.
Montreuil was the setting for much of the early part of Victor Hugo's novel Les Misérables. The novel's protagonist, Jean Valjean, served as mayor of the city, and also owned a large factory. The city was the setting for much of the early conflict between Valjean and the novel's antagonist, Javert. It was also Fantine's hometown.
Montreuil is twinned with: