Bry-sur-Marne

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Bry-sur-Marne

Coat of arms
Paris and inner ring departments
Coordinates: 48°50′28″N 2°31′20″E / 48.8411°N 2.5222°E / 48.8411; 2.5222Coordinates: 48°50′28″N 2°31′20″E / 48.8411°N 2.5222°E / 48.8411; 2.5222
Country France
Region Île-de-France
Department Val-de-Marne
Arrondissement Nogent-sur-Marne
Canton Bry-sur-Marne
Government
 • Mayor (2008–2014) Jean-Pierre Spilbauer
Area
 • Land1 3.35 km2 (1.29 sq mi)
Population (2009)
 • Population2 15,309
 • Population2 Density 4,600/km2 (12,000/sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code 94015 / 94360
Elevation 36–100 m (118–328 ft)

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.

Bry-sur-Marne is a commune in the Val-de-Marne department in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located 12.6 km (7.8 mi) from the center of Paris.

The commune of Bry-sur-Marne is part of the sector of Porte de Paris, one of the four sectors of the "new town" of Marne-la-Vallée.

History

Prehistory and early history

Bry's name comes from the Celtic word Briw, which means a bridge or a river crossing. The area has been inhabited since Neolithic times.[1] The town's motto, which features on its coat of arms, is "Moult viel que Paris" - old French for "Much older than Paris".[2]

In 1903, archeologist Adrien Mentienne uncovered the bones of a large bovine which died 15,000 years ago. In 1982, the skeleton of a woman who died in the 5th century BC was uncovered beneath the playground of a school in Bry. It is now housed in the town's museum.

From that century onwards, there was a permanent human presence where Bry now stands. In 1886, a necropolis was found which contained pottery, Gaul and Frankish weaponry, silver and gold jewelry, and coins, dating from the Gaul era to the Merovingian. The first known written mention of the town named Bry was in a charter signed by King Charles the Bald in 861.

The first church was built in 1130.

From the feudal era to modern times

In 1404, Robert de Châtillon, cousin of King Charles VI, was Bry's feudal lord. His castle no longer stands, and its exact location is uncertain. Bry's current château was built in the 1690s. It became the town hall in 1866. It was rebuilt after the Franco-Prussian War of 1870.

The railway came to Bry in 1926, followed by the motorway (1970) and the RER (1977). The town's hospital was built in 1936.[3]

Population

Historical population
Year Pop.  ±%  
1793 425—    
1800 417−1.9%
1806 414−0.7%
1821 358−13.5%
1831 379+5.9%
1836 378−0.3%
1841 362−4.2%
1846 387+6.9%
1851 412+6.5%
1856 411−0.2%
1861 703+71.0%
1866 845+20.2%
1872 917+8.5%
1876 972+6.0%
1881 1,050+8.0%
1886 1,330+26.7%
1891 1,437+8.0%
1896 1,699+18.2%
1901 2,125+25.1%
1906 2,733+28.6%
1911 2,949+7.9%
1921 3,468+17.6%
1926 4,417+27.4%
1931 5,166+17.0%
1936 5,182+0.3%
1946 5,100−1.6%
1954 6,660+30.6%
1962 9,046+35.8%
1968 11,672+29.0%
1975 12,270+5.1%
1982 12,168−0.8%
1990 13,826+13.6%
1999 15,000+8.5%
2006 14,985−0.1%
2009 15,309+2.2%

Personalities

  • Photographer Louis Daguerre died in Bry-sur-Marne in 1851 and a monument marks his grave there.
  • Laurel Zuckerman, author

Daguerre's diorama

Bry's most treasured artwork is a diorama painted by Louis Daguerre.[4][5] The painting changes as each day wears on, mimicking daylight and night-time; the painted candlesticks light up at night. It is kept in the local church.

Monument to Louis Daguerre

Transport

Bry-sur-Marne is served by Bry-sur-Marne station on Paris RER line A.

International relations

The town has been twinned with Sawbridgeworth in Hertfordshire, England and Moosburg an der Isar in Germany since 1973.

Organisations

The Institut national de l'audiovisuel has its headquarters in the commune.[6]

See also

References

  1. ↑ (French) Official town web page on the town's history
  2. ↑ (French) Official town web page on the coat of arms
  3. ↑ see reference note n°1
  4. ↑ (French) All about Daguerre's diorama
  5. ↑ (French) About the diorama on the town's website
  6. ↑ "Mentions légales." Institut national de l'audiovisuel. Retrieved on 5 May 2011. "Siège social et adresse postale : 4 avenue de l'Europe - 94366 Bry-sur-Marne cedex "

External links

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Communes in the Metropolitan Area of Paris
Population over 2 million
Population over 100,000
Population over 75,000
Population over 50,000
Population over 25,000
Population under 25,000
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