Compiègne (French pronunciation: [kɔ̃pjɛɲ]; Picard: Compiène) is a commune in the Oise department of northern France.[3] It is located on the river Oise,[4] and its inhabitants are called Compiégnois.

Compiègne
Compiène (Picard)
Town hall
Town hall
Coat of arms of Compiègne
Location of Compiègne
Map
Compiègne is located in France
Compiègne
Compiègne
Compiègne is located in Hauts-de-France
Compiègne
Compiègne
Coordinates: 49°24′54″N 2°49′23″E / 49.4149°N 2.8231°E / 49.4149; 2.8231
CountryFrance
RegionHauts-de-France
DepartmentOise
ArrondissementCompiègne
CantonCompiègne-1 and 2
IntercommunalityCA Région de Compiègne et Basse Automne
Government
 • Mayor (2020–2026) Philippe Marini[1]
Area
1
53.1 km2 (20.5 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)[2]
40,394
 • Density760/km2 (2,000/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
60159 /60200
Elevation31–134 m (102–440 ft)
(avg. 41 m or 135 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Administration

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Compiègne is the seat of two cantons:[3]

History by year

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Population

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Compiègne is the central commune of an urban unit with 70,699 inhabitants, and a larger commuter zone with 141,504 inhabitants as of 2017.[7] The population data in the table and graph below refer to the commune of Compiègne proper.

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1793 8,000—    
1800 7,058−1.77%
1806 7,165+0.25%
1821 7,228+0.06%
1831 8,879+2.08%
1836 8,895+0.04%
1841 9,076+0.40%
1846 9,762+1.47%
1851 10,795+2.03%
1856 10,364−0.81%
1861 12,137+3.21%
1866 10,714−2.46%
1872 10,775+0.09%
1876 13,393+5.59%
1881 14,008+0.90%
1886 14,375+0.52%
1891 14,498+0.17%
1896 15,225+0.98%
YearPop.±% p.a.
1901 16,503+1.63%
1906 16,868+0.44%
1911 17,046+0.21%
1921 16,179−0.52%
1926 17,361+1.42%
1931 17,852+0.56%
1936 18,885+1.13%
1946 18,218−0.36%
1954 22,325+2.57%
1962 24,427+1.13%
1968 29,700+3.31%
1975 37,699+3.47%
1982 40,384+0.99%
1990 41,896+0.46%
1999 41,254−0.17%
2007 41,714+0.14%
2012 40,028−0.82%
2017 40,199+0.09%
Source: EHESS[8] and INSEE (1968–2017)[9]

Sights

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View of Compiègne
 
Compiegne-Noyon Hospital

Museums

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Compiègne Forest

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The Glade of the Armistice in the Compiègne Forest was the site of the signing of two armistices; those of 11 November 1918 and 22 June 1940. Hitler specifically chose the location of the second, and had the original signing carriage moved from Paris to Compiègne, as an irony for the defeated French.

The site still houses several memorials to the 1918 armistice, including a copy of the original railway carriage. The original, Marshal Foch's Carriage was taken to Germany as a trophy of victory following the second armistice. Various rumors about what happened to this railway-carriage thereafter, have flourished ever since. Some believe it was destroyed by the SS in Thuringia in April 1945; others say this happened in Berlin, but most likely was it destroyed during an allied air-raid on Berlin. The latter version seems most plausible, since Ferdinand Foch's carriage actually was displayed at a Berlin museum.[10][11][12]

The University of Technology of Compiègne

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Compiègne is home to the University of Technology of Compiègne (UTC), one of the top ranking engineering school in France, founded as a Technology University in 1972 to provide an alternative to the traditional "grandes écoles" for students interested in technologies and applied science.[13]

Transport

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Compiègne station offers connections with Paris, Amiens, Cambrai and several regional destinations. The nearest motorway is the A1 Paris-Lille.

Cycling

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Since 1977, Compiègne is the traditional start city of the famous Paris–Roubaix bicycle race. It was also the finish city of 3rd stage in the 2007 Tour de France.

Notable people

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Compiègne has been home to:

International relations

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Compiègne is twinned with:

Compiègne is also partnered with:

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires". data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises (in French). 2 December 2020.
  2. ^ "Populations légales 2021" (in French). The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
  3. ^ a b INSEE commune file
  4. ^ a b c Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Compiègne" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 6 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 811.
  5. ^ Deborah A. Fraioli (2005). Joan of Arc and the Hundred Years War. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 101. ISBN 978-0-313-32458-1.
  6. ^ 1900 Summer Olympics official report. p. 15. Accessed 14 November 2010. (in French)
  7. ^ Comparateur de territoire: Unité urbaine 2020 de Compiègne (60502), Aire d'attraction des villes 2020 de Compiègne (078), INSEE
  8. ^ Des villages de Cassini aux communes d'aujourd'hui: Commune data sheet Compiègne, EHESS (in French).
  9. ^ Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE
  10. ^ Moved to Berlin - Steven Budiansky, "The Complete story of Codebreaking during WW2",ISBN 0-684-85932-7, page 136
  11. ^ Moved to Berlin, and there destroyed in an air-raid - Brian Hanley, "Planning for Conflict in the 21st Century", page 116" available here [1]
  12. ^ Also William L Shirer in his "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich" (unknown ISBN) states it was destroyed during a bombing raid on Berlin
  13. ^ "utc - UTC". www.utc.fr. Archived from the original on 12 May 2016.
  14. ^ "Elbląg - Podstrony / Miasta partnerskie". Elbląski Dziennik Internetowy (in Polish). Archived from the original on 15 March 2011. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
  15. ^ "Elbląg - Miasta partnerskie". Elbląg.net (in Polish). Retrieved 1 August 2013.
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