Stiring-Wendel | |
|---|---|
 Église Saint-François | |
 Coat of arms | |
 Location of Stiring-Wendel | |
  Stiring-Wendel  Stiring-Wendel | |
| Coordinates:49°12′N6°56′E / 49.20°N 6.93°E /49.20; 6.93 | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Grand Est |
| Department | Moselle |
| Arrondissement | Forbach-Boulay-Moselle |
| Canton | Stiring-Wendel |
| Intercommunality | CA Forbach Porte de France |
| Government | |
| • Mayor(2020–2026) | Yves Ludwig[1] |
Area 1 | 3.6 km2 (1.4 sq mi) |
| Population (2022)[2] | 11,048 |
| • Density | 3,100/km2 (7,900/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 57660 /57350 |
| Elevation | 205–254 m (673–833 ft) (avg. 240 m or 790 ft) |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
Stiring-Wendel (French pronunciation:[stiʁɛ̃vɑ̃dɛl];Lorraine Franconian:Stiringe;GermanStieringen-Wendel) is acommune in theMoselledepartment inGrand Est in north-easternFrance, wedged betweenForbach,Schœneck,Spicheren andSaarbrücken.
Charles de Wendel undertook construction of the very modern Stiring factory in 1846, mainly to manufacture railway rails. A coal extraction shaft was sunk near the factory buildings, and during theSecond French Empire the Compagnie de Stiring sold coal to the Wendel company at generally favorable prices.In 1865 the Wendel metallurgical factories were taking7⁄8 of the output from the Compagnie de Stiring, paying below market prices.[3]
Charles de Wendel and his partner Théodore de Gargan founded the city of Stiring-Wendel.The workers' town, dominated by the factories and their managers, was a model that was followed in France into the 1930s.[4]Charles de Wendel initiated a policy of recruiting from the children of his workers, with son following father.In the 1850s he began a system by which promotions would be assured, based on seniority, which encouraged loyalty.[5]The industrial familyWendel built a church, a school and residential facilities for the workers.
By imperial decree ofNapoleon III, the city was elevated to a fully autonomous municipality on 3 June 1857, and separate from Forbach. Fighting occurred in the area on 6 August 1870 during theFranco-Prussian War.[6] After the Prussian victory, the city as part ofAlsace-Lorraine came underGerman control. The steel industry collapsed with its final closure in 1897.In 1897 the rise of the coal industry generated a new economy, and led to an increase in population. For example, in 1857 the population was 1900, where by 1957 it had grown to 16,000 residents.
AfterWorld War I, in 1918, Alsace-Lorraine came under French control once again.
There was significant combat in the Forbach and Stiring-Wendel area duringWorld War II. Due to its location in between the FrenchMaginot Line and GermanSiegfried Line, the town's population was evacuated in 1939.[7] During theGerman occupation, Stiring-Wendel held manyPOW camps, where inmates were forced to work the mines. The town was liberated by the70th Infantry Division of the US Army on 2nd March 1945.[8] Most of the armored American forces in this area turned north at this point to counter the German advance into Belgium ("Battle of the Bulge").
France began administering the GermanSaar region as aprotectorate after World War II. TheMarshall Plan returned the Saar to German control in 1957, due to both economic and political demands. The borders of Germany and France were then aligned to the positions before 1870, drawing the border line right next to Stiring-Wendel.
The people of Forbach and Stiring-Wendel are generally bi-lingual (French-German).
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1968 | 13,757 | — |
| 1975 | 12,665 | −1.17% |
| 1982 | 13,581 | +1.00% |
| 1990 | 13,743 | +0.15% |
| 1999 | 13,129 | −0.51% |
| 2009 | 12,337 | −0.62% |
| 2014 | 12,430 | +0.15% |
| 2020 | 11,043 | −1.95% |
| Source: INSEE[9] | ||
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