1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
Le Havre[a] is a major port city in theSeine-Maritime department in theNormandy region of northernFrance. It is situated on the right bank of theestuary of theriver Seine on theChannel southwest of thePays de Caux, very close to thePrime Meridian. Le Havre is the most populous commune of Upper Normandy, although the total population of the greater Le Havreconurbation is smaller than that ofRouen. AfterReims, it is also the second largestsubprefecture in France. The nameLe Havre means "the harbour" or "the port". Its inhabitants are known asHavrais orHavraises.[8]
The city andport were founded byKing Francis I in 1517. Economic development in theearly modern period was hampered byreligious wars, conflicts with the English, epidemics, and storms. It was from the end of the 18th century that Le Havre started growing and the port took off first with the slave trade then other international trade. After the 1944 bombings the firm ofAuguste Perret began to rebuild the city in concrete. The oil, chemical, and automotive industries were dynamic during theTrente Glorieuses (postwar boom) but the 1970s marked the end of the golden age ofocean liners and the beginning of the economic crisis: the population declined, unemployment increased and remains at a high level today.
Changes in years 1990–2000 were numerous. The right won the municipal elections and committed the city to the path of reconversion, seeking to develop theservice sector and new industries (aeronautics,wind turbines). The Port 2000 project increased the container capacity to compete with ports of northern Europe, transformed the southern districts of the city, and ocean liners returned. Modern Le Havre remains deeply influenced by its employment and maritime traditions. Its port is the second largest in France, after that ofMarseille, for total traffic, and the largest Frenchcontainer port.
In 2005,UNESCO inscribed the central city of Le Havre as aWorld Heritage Site because of its unique post-WWII reconstruction and architecture.[9] TheAndré Malraux Modern Art Museum is the second of France for the number ofimpressionist paintings. The city has been awarded two flowers by the National Council of Towns and Villages in Bloom in the Competition of Cities and Villages in Bloom.[10]
The name of the town was attested in 1489, even before it was founded byFrançois I in the formle Hable de Grace thenVille de Grace in 1516, two years before its official founding.[11] The learned and transient name ofFranciscopolis in tribute to the same king, is encountered in some documents then that ofHavre Marat, referring toJean-Paul Marat during theFrench Revolution but was not imposed. However it explains why the complementary determinant-de-Grace was not restored.[11] This qualifier undoubtedly referred to the Chapel of Notre Dame located at the site of thecathedral of the same name. The chapel faced the Chapel Notre Dame de Grace ofHonfleur across the estuary.[11] The common nounhavre meaning "port" was out of use at the end of the 18th or beginning of the 19th centuries but is still preserved in the phrasehavre de paix meaning "safe haven". It is generally considered a loan fromMiddle Dutch from the 12th century.[12] A Germanic origin can explain the"aspiration" of the initialh.Havre de Grace, Maryland, in the United States retains the "de Grace" from colonial times.
New research however focuses on the fact that the term was attested very early (12th century) and inNorman texts in the formsHable,hafne,havene,havne, andhaule makes a Dutch origin unlikely. By contrast, aScandinavian etymology is relevant given the old Scandinavianhöfn (genitivehafnar) orhafn meaning "natural harbour" or "haven" and the phonetic evolution of the termétrave which is assuredly of Scandinavian origin is also attested in similar forms such asestable and probably dates back to the ancient Scandinavianstafn.[13]
When founded in 1517, the city was namedFranciscopolis afterFrancis I of France. It was subsequently namedLe Havre-de-Grâce ("Harbor of Grace"; henceHavre de Grace, Maryland). Its construction was ordered to replace the ancient harbours ofHonfleur andHarfleur whose utility had decreased due to silting.
The history of the city is inextricably linked to its harbour. In the 18th century, as trade from theWest Indies was added to that of France and Europe, Le Havre began to grow. On 19 November 1793, the city changed its name to Hâvre de Marat and later Hâvre-Marat in honor of the recently deceasedJean-Paul Marat, who was seen as a martyr of theFrench Revolution. By early 1795, however, Marat's memory had become somewhat tarnished, and on 13 January 1795, Hâvre-Marat changed its name once more to simply Le Havre, its modern name. During the 19th century, it became an industrial center.
At the end of World War I Le Havre played a major role as the transit port used to wind up affairs after the war.[14]
Gules, a salamander Argent crowned and enflamed Or, a chief Azure charged with three fleurs-de-lis Or, a canton Sable charged with a lion Or armed and langued Gules.
Map of Le Havre: to the south the Seine estuary; to the west theEnglish Channel.
Administratively, Le Havre is a commune in theNormandy region in the west of the department ofSeine-Maritime. The urban area of Le Havre corresponds roughly to the territory of theAgglomeration community of Le Havre (CODAH)[15] which includes 17 communes and 250,000 people.[16] It occupies the south-western tip of the natural region ofPays de Caux where it is the largest city. Le Havre is sandwiched between the coast of theChannel from south-west to north-west and the estuary of the Seine to the south.
Le Havre belongs to theParis Basin which was formed in theMesozoic period. The Paris Basin consists ofsedimentary rocks. The commune of Le Havre consists of two areas separated by a natural cliff edge: one part in the lower part of the town to the south including the harbour, the city centre and the suburbs. It was built on formermarshland andmudflats that were drained in the 16th century.[18] The soil consists of several metres ofalluvium or silt deposited by theSeine.[18] The city centre was rebuilt after the Second World War using a metre of flattened rubble as a foundation.[19][20]
The upper town to the north, is part of thecauchois plateau: the neighbourhood of Dollemard is its highest point (between 90 and 115 metres (295 and 377 feet)above sea level). Theplateau is covered with a layer offlintyclay and a fertilesilt.[21] The bedrock consists of a large thickness ofchalk measuring up to 200 m (656 ft) deep.[22] Because of the slope the coast is affected by the risk of landslides.[23]
Due to its location on the coast of the Channel, the climate of Le Havre istemperateoceanic. Days without wind are rare. There are maritime influences throughout the year. According to the records of the meteorological station of theCap de la Heve (from 1961 to 1990), the temperature drops below 0 °C (32 °F) on 24.9 days per year and it rises above 25 °C (77 °F) on 11.3 days per year. The average annual sunshine duration is 1,785.8 hours per year.[24]
Precipitation is distributed throughout the year, with a maximum in autumn and winter. The months of June and July are marked by some thunderstorms on average 2 days per month.[24] One of the characteristics of the region is the high variability of the temperature, even during the day.[25] The prevailing winds are from the southwest sector for strong winds and north-north-east for breezes,[26] snowstorms occur in winter, especially in January and February.[24]
Le Havre under snow
The absolute speed record for wind at Le Havre – Cap de la Heve was recorded on 16 October 1987 at 180 kilometres per hour (112 miles per hour).[24]
The main natural hazards are floods, storms, andstorm surges. The lower town is subject to a risingwater table.[27] The lack of watercourses within the commune prevents flooding from overflows. Le Havre's beach may rarely experience flooding known as "flooding from storms". These are caused by the combination of strong winds, high waves, and a largetidal range.
Comparison of local Meteorological data with other cities in France[28]
A study byAphekom comparing ten large French cities showed that Le Havre is the least polluted urban commune of France.[31] Le Havre is also the third best city in France with more than 100,000 inhabitants for air quality.[32] ACarbon accounting showed in 2009 that the municipality ejected some 32,500 tonnes ofCO2 per year.[33] In 2011 the average annual emissions ofsulfur dioxide by industry was between three micrograms per cubic metre in the centre of Le Havre to twelve micrograms per cubic metre in the district of Caucriauville.[34]
The municipality has set a target to reduce emissions of CO2 by 3% per year.[33] To achieve thissolar panels have been installed on several municipal buildings (city hall, hanging gardens).[35] Since 2008, Le Havre has been part of the network ofEnergy Cities and, in this context, it applies the steps ofAgenda 21 and an Environmental Approach to Urban Planning. The city has received many awards of eco-labels several times (Energy of the Future label in 2009–2011, sustainable Earth label in 2009). Since 1998, Le Havre's beach has received theBlue Flag yearly thanks to its range of facilities, which extend over 30,000m2.[36]
Le Havre has kept extensive green areas (750 hectares or 41m2 per inhabitant[35]), the two largest areas are the Montgeon Forest and Rouelles Park which are both located in the upper town. The gardens of the Priory of Graville and the hanging gardens offer views of the lower city. In the city centre, Saint-Roch Square and the City Hall Gardens provide the people with urban recreation areas. Variousecosystems are represented in the Beach Gardens and the Hauser Park (caves). Finally, the Plateau of Dollemard was classified as a "Sensitive Natural Area" of the department in 2001 to protect its landscape and ecosystems on the cliff.[35] The streets are lined with 13,000 trees of 150 different varieties.[37]
Plan of Le Havre and its town centre rebuilt after theSecond World War
Largely destroyed by the Allies during theSecond World War, the city was rebuilt according to the plans of the architectAuguste Perret between 1945 and 1964. Only theCity Hall and theChurch of Saint Joseph (107m-high) were personally designed by Auguste Perret. In commending the reconstruction workUNESCO listed the city of Le Havre on 15 July 2005 as aWorld Heritage Site.[9] This area of 133 hectares is one of the few inscribed contemporary sites in Europe.[9] The architecture of the area is characterized by the use of precast concrete using a system of a modular frame of 6.24 metres and straight lines.[9][38]
Another notable architectural work of the central city is that of theHouse of Culture built in 1982 by the Brazilian architectOscar Niemeyer and nicknamed "the Volcano" because of the shape of the building.[39] From 2012, this place was refurbished both inside and outside with fairly significant changes approved by the architect including greater openness to the outside of the plaza.
The Notre Dame and Perrey neighbourhoods are mainly residential. Les Halles is one of the commercial hubs of the city. The Saint Francis neighborhood was also rebuilt beginning in 1950[40] but in a radically different architectural style: the buildings are brick and have pitchedslate roofs. This is the restaurant district and the fish market.
The neighborhood of the church of Saint-Vincent extending toward the coast
To the east and north of the rebuilt central city are a stretch of old neighbourhoods (Danton, Saint-Vincent, Graville, Massillon, etc.) which were spared the bombings of World War II. The buildings, usually in brick, dated to the 19th and the first half of the 20th centuries. The shops are concentrated along several major roads in the Rond-Point neighbourhood. During the 1990s and 2000s, these neighborhoods have seen major redevelopments, particularly in the context of an OPAH: improvement of habitat by rehabilitation or reconstruction, creation of public facilities, and revitalization of business.[41]
At the end of the 20th century and beginning of the 21st century, the area around the railway station has undergone a major transformation. As the station is the gateway to the city with the main avenues intersecting here. New buildings have sprung up (University of Le Havre, the conservatory, headquarters of the SPB (Provident Society Bank), and ofCMA CGM,Novotel, Matmut, new CCI) some of which were designed by renowned architects. The bus station, certifiedNF since 2005, has been refurbished. North of the station, another construction project in place of the dilapidated island of Turgot-Magellan will be opened in 2013,[42] including 12,500 m2 (135,000 sq ft) of office space and an eight-storey hotel, complete with shops on the ground-floor.
Commercial area of the south side of theVauban Docks in 2009
The southern districts of Le Havre are mainly used for industrial and port activities. There are buildings in brick from the 19th century, large developments (Chicago, Les Neiges), worker estates, SMEs, warehouses, dock and port facilities, and transport infrastructure.[citation needed]
The southern districts have for some years experienced profound change due to European funding. It is revitalizing areas neglected by industrial and port activities by developing tertiary activities. Thus, the docks have been completely transformed into sports and entertainment complexes (Dock Océane), a mall (Docks Vauban), and an exhibition hall (Docks Café).Les Bains Des Docks was designed by the architectJean Nouvel. At the end of 2012 students from Sciences-Po Europe Asia and from INSA integrated new buildings next to the ISEL (Higher Institute of logistics studies) and the future ENSM (Ecole Nationale Supérieure Maritime).[43] The new medical axis around the newClinic des Ormeaux was built in the neighbourhoods where many homes are planned with the aim of promoting social mix. TheCity of the Sea and of Sustainable Development (Odyssey 21) will be organized around a metal tower one hundred metres high designed byJean Nouvel: the project was suspended in 2007 but the work should finally begin in 2013.[44] The municipality has to attract some 300,000 visitors per year.[45]
The upper town is composed of three parts: the "coast", the suburban districts of the plateau, and large peripheral housing estates.
The neighbourhoods on the "coast" (the Dead Cliff) are residential – more prosperous in the western part (Les Ormeaux, Rue Felix Faure) and more modest to the east (St. Cecilia, Aplemont). The Jenner tunnel passes under the "coast" and connects the upper town to the lower town. It is also on the coast that there are twofortifications of the city, FortsSainte-Adresse and Tourneville, and the main cemetery (Sainte-Marie cemetery). With the demise of the military functions of the city, the forts are gradually being converted: Fort Sainte-Adresse houses theHanging Gardens and Fort Tourneville hosted the Tetris project in 2013 – an axis of contemporary music with concert halls and rehearsal studios.[46]
To the north of the "coast" suburban districts such as Rouelles, Sainte-Cecile, la Mare au Clerc, Sanvic, Bleville, and Dollemard were developed during the first half of the 19th century.[47] In their extension North-west between Bleville and Octeville airport a new area is being developed: "Les Hauts de Bleville". This eco-district made up of housing units toHQE standards, a Joint Development Area (ZAC), and a school should have a total of 1,000 housing units.[48]
The peripheral suburbs of the commune grew in the postwar period. These are largehousing estates in Caucriauville, Bois de Bleville, Mont-Gaillard, and Mare-rouge where a disadvantaged population is concentrated. In October 2004 the National Agency for Urban Renewal (ANRU) signed with the municipality of Havre the first agreement to finance the rehabilitation of these areas. This finance agreement provides more than 340 million euros for the housing estates in the northern districts, where about 41,000 people reside. This development extends the budget for theGrand Projet de Ville (GPV). It allows the demolition and rebuilding of more than 1,700 homes.
For a long time Le Havre has exploited the strengths of its coastal location but also suffered from its relative isolation. This is why the accessibility of the city has been improved with the harbour highway A131 (E05) which links Le Havre to theA13 autoroute overTancarville Bridge. The city is one hour fromRouen and one and a half-hour fromÎle-de-France.[49] More recently theA29 autoroute (E44) has connected Le Havre to the north of France and passes over theNormandy Bridge which makesAmiens (in the north-east) two hours away andCaen (in the south-west) one hour.
No direct rail link connects Le Havre andCaen yet many projects – known as the "Southwest Line" – to link Le Havre to the left bank of the Seine downstream from Rouen, near the estuary of the river, were studied in the second half of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century but none have been realized. By public transport it is necessary to go to Rouen by train or bus (using No. 20Green Bus). There is a Gray Coach toÉtretat andFécamp and there is VTNI for destinations in the Seine valley and Rouen who provide inter-urban services on behalf of the Department ofSeine-Maritime. Finally, the company AirPlus provides a shuttle service to the railway stations and airports of Paris.
The Channel maritime links withPortsmouth in southern England withP&O Ferries ended on 30 September 2005 to be taken over byLD Lines who had changed the configuration. Two services to Portsmouth are provided daily[49] from the Terminal de la Citadelle until ceasing operations in 2014, the route has since been taken over byBrittany Ferries. The link to Ireland was moved to the port ofCherbourg.
Crossing times to Portsmouth vary from five hours and thirty minutes to eight hours.[50] Popular alternative routes going to areas close to Le Havre includeNewhaven toDieppe, andPoole toCherbourg.
The city and the metropolitan area has a dense transport network. This solves the problem of a break between the lower town and the upper town and the two parts of the city are connected by long boulevards, winding roads, many stairs, afunicular, and finally the Jenner tunnel.
TheCODAH transport network is calledLia[51] and is operated by theOcean Port Transport company (CTPO), a subsidiary ofVeolia Transport. The overhaul of the bus network in 2008 helped to ensure a better service for all the towns in the metropolitan area. The CTPO operates a bus network consisting of 19 regular urban routes and six evening routes called the "Midnight Bus".[51] The Le Havre urban area is served by 165 vehicles and 41 regular bus routes with an average of 100,000 passengers per day.[51] From January 2011 there has been a regular shuttle service specific to the Industrial Zone and Port of Le Havre, thus adding to the cross-estuary service of VTNI.[49] Since 1890 the funicular has provided a link between the upper town and the lower town in four minutes with a cable car.[52]
Le Havre had a tramway system from 1894 until it closed in 1957. More recently a new tramway system, with 23 stations and 13 km (8 mi) of route,[53] was built, and opened on 12 December 2012. The first part of the line connects the beach to the station climbing to the upper town through a new tunnel near the Jenner tunnel then it splits into two: one link going to Mont-Gaillard, the other to Caucriauville.
Finally, since 2001 Le Havre agglomeration has operated the LER, a TER line connecting the Le Havre station toRolleville passing through five otherSNCF railway stations of the urban area.
From 2005, development work forSegregated cycle facilities have increased including a connection to theGreenway which promises to be an important network of quality. Between 2007 and 2011, the total length of cycle paths has doubled to 46 km (29 mi) in total length.[35] It is possible to rent bicycles through agencies of the Océane bus or from the town hall (Vel-H)[52] which has them on hand. Finally, 140 taxis work in Le Havre and serve 25 stations.[54]
Since 2015, the city of Le Havre is divided oversix Cantons, some of which also cover neighbouring communes.[56] For the parliamentary elections, Le Havre spans two constituencies: theseventh (former cantons I, V, VI, and VII) and theeighth (former cantons II, III, IV, VIII, IX).[57]
Since 23 October 2010 themayor has been Édouard Philippe (UMP). He also holds the presidency of theCODAH and has held a seat in the National Assembly for the 7th district of Seine-Maritime since 2012.[58] He succeededAntoine Rufenacht (UMP), who was mayor of Le Havre for fifteen years before resigning, as the head of the municipality. The city of Le Havre has long been the strongest bastion of theCommunist Party of France, who directed it from 1956 to 1995.[59] Overall, the inhabitants of Le Havre in the 7th electoral district (city centre and western neighbourhoods) tend to vote for the right while those of the 8th electoral district (eastern neighbourhoods) tend to choose the candidate of the left. For example, in the presidential election of 2007, the 7th electoral district voted for Nicolas Sarkozy (UMP) by 55.05% against 44.95% for Ségolène Royal (PS) while in the 8th electoral district 55.02% voted for the Socialist candidate.[60][61] However, the results of the 2012 presidential elections gave the PS wins in both districts with a smaller margin in the 7th (Hollande: 51.71% / Sarkozy: 48.29%) than in the 8th (Hollande 64.21% / Sarkozy: 35.79%).[60][61]
The number of inhabitants in Le Havre is between 150,000 and 199,999 so the number of councillors is 59 members. Themayor, 41 aldermen and 17 deputies form thecouncil of Le Havre elected in 2008.[62] It meets on average once a month at the town hall. The debates are generally public except for certain proceedings.[62]
Le Havre has experienced many territorial extensions by annexing neighbouring communes:
1852: Ingouville and parts of Graville-l'Eure and Sanvic
1919: all of Graville-Sainte-Honorine
1953: Bleville
1955: all of Sanvic
1971: part ofHarfleur (a district of Caucriauville)
1973: Rouelles (with the status of associated commune, 3,184 inhabitants in 2006)
The Le Havre Palace of Justice is located on the Boulevard de Strasbourg. With its annex, it includes a high court, a juvenile court, and a commercial court. The city also has a Labour Court and District Court. Among the legal services offered there are legal aid services and the application of penalties. Le Havre depends on theCourt of Appeal of Rouen. The prison, which dates from theSecond Empire, was completely destroyed in 2012. The new prison for Le Havre was completed in 2010 atSaint-Aubin-Routot east of the Le Havre agglomeration. It has an area of 32,000 m2 on a site of 15 hectares and can accommodate 690 people.[64]
TheHospital Group of Havre is a public health facility managed by a supervisory board chaired by theMayor of Le Havre. Its main structures are Flaubert Hospital (the oldest, located downtown), the Monod Hospital (inMontivilliers), the Pierre Janet Hospital (psychiatry), the house for adolescents, day hospitals, and seniors' residences. It is the largest employer in the CODAH. Built in 1987, the Jacques Monod Hospital offers a full range of care in medicine, surgery, gynecology, obstetrics, pediatrics, geriatrics, mental health follow-up care, rehabilitation, reintegration, and public health.
Finally, there are several private clinics that offer complete care: the private clinic of the Estuary groups together the old clinics ofPetit Colmoulins and François I. The private clinic of Ormeaux is located in the neighbourhood of Eure.
During the first half of the 20th century, the 129th regiment of infantry of the line was stationed at Le Havre and left an important mark on the city so a street was named after them. The 74th Infantry Regiment of commandos was present from 1963 to 1976. Finally, Le Havre is the godmother city forBPC Mistral. The ceremony was held at the City Hall on 15 November 2009, during a stopover at the Building.[65]
Le Havre experienced a population boom in the second half of the 19th century. Subsequently, the population drain of theFirst World War was offset by the annexation of the town of Graville (the city gained 27,215 people between 1911 and 1921). During theSecond World War the population decreased significantly (a loss of 57,149 people between 1936 and 1946) because of the exodus and bombings. After the war the commune saw its population increase until 1975. Since then population has decreased again, especially between 1975 and 1982: during these years of industrial crisis the population fell by 18,494 people. The trend continued in the 1980s although at a slower pace. The current policy of the municipality is to build new housing to attract new residents with the goal of exceeding 200,000 inhabitants, a level that was reached in the 1960s. The population of the commune of Le Havre was 191,000 inhabitants in 1999 which placed the city at 12th place among the most populated cities in France and in the first place inNormandy. In 2018INSEE counted 169,733 people living in the commune of Le Havre, while theurban area of Le Havre had 234,945 inhabitants and themetropolitan area of Le Havre had 337,086 inhabitants.[4]
Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. Updates on reimplementing the Graph extension, which will be known as the Chart extension, can be found onPhabricator and onMediaWiki.org.
Between 2012 and 2017, thebirth rate was 14.3 per thousand and themortality rate was 10.4 per thousand: even though theRate of natural increase is positive it does not compensate for the clearly negativenet migration rate (-0.7%).[69] In 2017 19% of Le Havre's population was under 15 years old and 39% were under 30 years old,[69] which was above the average for metropolitan France.[70] 24% of men and 26% of women were over 60 years old.[69] The most populous quarters are the city centre, Sanvic, Caucriauville, Anatole France/Danton and Côte Ouest/Ormeaux.[47] In 2009 theforeign population was estimated at 8,525 persons or 4.8% of the population.[71] 12,148 immigrants lived in Havre, or 6.8% of the urban population.[72] Most had North African (5060) or African (3114) origins.[73]
With the economic changes that have affected the city, theProfessions and Socio-professional categories (PCS) have changed dramatically since the 1980s: between 1982 and 1999, the number of workers has declined by about a third (−10,593), their share of the activelabour force was 16% in 1982 and 12.5% in 1999.[74] The population of workers is concentrated in the southern suburbs close to the port and the industrial zone.[47] At the same time the numbers of executives and intellectual professions increased by 24.5%, which is explained in part by the creation and development of theUniversity of Le Havre. In 2017 the city had a lower proportion of managers and intellectual occupations than the national average (14.4% against 18.1%).[69][75] The proportion of workers (22.5%) was higher than the national average (19.9%).[69][75] Going from 16.7% to 21.7% of the labour force, the rate of unemployment has increased between 2007 and 2017, and it remains higher than in the rest of the country (13.9%).[69][75] The proportion Le Havre people in short-term employment (CDD and interim work) is higher than the national average.[69][75] Finally, the proportion of Le Havre people with a degree from higher education dramatically increased from 17.3% in 2007 to 23.2% in 2017[69] against 29.9% for entire France.[75]
Although well developed and diversified, the local economy relies heavily on industrial sites, international groups, and subcontractedSMEs. The Le Havre economy is far from decision centres which are located mainly in Paris and major European economic cities. There is therefore a low representation of head offices in the city with the exception of some local economic successes such as the Sidel Group (now a subsidiary ofTetra Pak) – a distributor of interior furniture, and theship-ownerDelmas which was recently acquired by theCMA-CGM group.
Container Terminal, near the François Ilock.Fishing Port
With 68.6 million tons of cargo in 2011, the port of Le Havre is the second largest French seaport in trade volume behind that ofMarseille and 50th largest port in the world.[76] It represents 60% of total French container traffic with nearly 2.2 million Twenty-foot equivalent unit|EVP]s in 2011.[77][78] At the European level, it is eighth largest for container traffic and sixth largest for total traffic. The Port receives a large number ofoil tankers that transported 27.5 million tonnes of crude oil and 11.7 million tonnes of refined product in 2011.[77] Finally, 340,500 vehicles passed through theRoll-on/roll-off terminal in 2010.[78] 75 regular shipping lines serve 500 ports around the world.[78] The largest trading partner of the port of Le Havre is the Asian continent which alone accounts for 58% of imports by container and 39.6% of exports.[77] The rest of the traffic is distributed mainly to Europe and America.
Le Havre occupies the north bank of the estuary of theSeine on theChannel. Its location is favourable for several reasons: it is on the most frequented waterway in the world; it is the first and last port in theNorth Range of European ports – the largest in Europe which handles a quarter of all global maritime trade.[79] As adeepwater port, it is accessible to all types of ships whatever their size around the clock.[79] At the national level, Le Havre is 200 kilometres (124 mi) west of the most populous and richest region in France:Île-de-France. Since its founding in 1517 on the orders ofFrançois I, Le Havre has continued to grow: today it measures 27 km (17 mi) from east to west, about 5 km (3 mi) from north to south with an area of 10,000 hectares (24,711 acres).[79] The last big project calledPort 2000 increased the handling capacity for containers.
The port provides 16,000 direct jobs[78] to the Le Havre region, to which must be added indirect jobs in industry and transport. With approximately 3,000 employees in 2006, the activities of distribution and warehousing provide more jobs,[80] followed by road transport (2,420 jobs) and handling (2,319 jobs).[80]
In 2011, 715,279 passengers passed through the port of Le Havre[77] and there were 95 visits bycruise ships carrying 185,000 passengers.[81] The port expects 110 cruise ship calls in 2012. Created in 1934, the leisure boat harbour of Le Havre is located to the west and is the largest French boat harbour in theChannel with a capacity of 1,160 moorings.[82] Finally, there is a small fishing port in the Saint-François district and aHawker centre.
Most industries are located in the industrial-port area north of the estuary and east of the city of Le Havre. The largest industrial employer (2,400 employees[83]) of the Le Havre region is the Renault public company in the commune ofSandouville. The second important sector for the industrial zone ispetrochemicals. The Le Havre region has more than a third of French refining capacity. It provides about 50% of the production of basic plastics and 80% of additives and oils[84] with more than 3,500 researchers working in private and public laboratories. Large firms in the chemical industry are mainly in the communes of Le Havre (Millenium Chemicals Le Havre),Montivilliers (TotalEnergies,Yara,Chevron Oronite SA,Lanxess, etc.) andSandouville (Goodyear Chemicals Europe). A total of 28 industrial establishments manufacture plastics in the Le Havre area many of which are classed as SECESO.[citation needed]
There are several firms in the aerospace industry: SAFRAN Nacelles, a supplier toAirbus, Boeing and other commercial air-framers, making jet engine nacelles andthrust reversers, is located inHarfleur and employs 1,200 people from the Le Havre area.[85] Finally,Dresser-Rand SA manufactures equipment for the oil and gas industry and employs about 700 people.[86] In the energy field, theEDF thermal power plant of Le Havre has an installed capacity of 1,450MW and operates using coal with 357 employees.[87] TheAREVA group announced the opening of a factory for buildingwind turbines: installed in the port of Le Havre, it should create some 1,800 jobs.[88] The machines are designed forOffshore wind power in Brittany, the UK, andNormandy.
Other industries are dispersed throughout the Le Havre agglomeration: theBrûlerie du Havre, which belongs to Legal-Legoût, located in the district of Dollemard that roasts coffee,Sidel located both in the industrial area of Port of Le Havre andOcteville-sur-Mer designs and manufactures blow moulding machines and complete filling line machines for plastic bottles.
The two largest employers in the service sector are theGroupe Hospitalier du Havre with 4,384 staff[89] and theCity of Le Havre with 3,467 permanent employees.[90] The city has long been home to many service companies whose activity is related to port operations: primarily the ship-owning companies and also themarine insurance companies. The headquarters ofDelmas (transport and communications, 1,200 employees) and SPB (Provident Society Banking, insurance, 500 employees) have settled recently at the entrance to the city. The head office of Groupama Transport (300 employees) is also present.
The transport sector is the largest economic sector in Le Havre with 15.5% of employment. Logistics occupies a large part of the population and theISEL trains engineers in this field. Since September 2007 the ICC has welcomed local students in their first year in the relocated Europe-Asia campus of theInstitute of Political Studies of Paris. Higher Education is represented by theUniversity of Le Havre which employs 399 permanent professors and 850 lecturers[91] as well as by engineering companies like Auxitec and SERO.
There are many growth factors in the tourist industry:blue flag rating, World Heritage status from UNESCO, the labelFrench Towns and Lands of Art and History, cruise ship development, a policy of value-creation from heritage, and theCity of the Sea project. In January 2020 the city had 26 hotels with a total of 1,428 rooms.[69]
Le Havre is the seat of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Le Havre. It manages theLe Havre Octeville Airport.
Le Havre's festival calendar is punctuated by a wide range of events.
In spring aChildren's Book Festival was recently created. In May there is theFest Yves, a Breton festival in the Saint-François district. On the beach of Le Havre and Sainte-Adresse there is ajazz festival calledDixie Days in June. In July,detective novels are featured in the Polar room at the Beach hosted byThe Black Anchors. Between the latter also in the context ofZ'Estivales is an event offering many shows ofstreet art throughout the summer supplemented by the festival of world musicMoZaïques at the fort of Sainte-Adresse in August since 2010. In mid-August there is aFlower parade which passes through the streets of the central city.
In the first weekend of September the marine element is highlighted in theFestival of the Sea. This is a race between Le Havre andBahia in Brazil. Also every November there is a fair held in the Docks Café. The Autumn Festival in Normandy, organized by the departments ofSeine-Maritime andEure, and the Region ofNormandy, runs from September to November and offers numerous concerts throughout the region as well as theatre performances and dance. In late October, since 2009, there is rock music festival which has been at the fort of Tourneville since the moving of thePapa's Production association site there. The West Park Festival, after its inauguration in 2004, has been held in the park of the town hall of Harfleur.
Since 1 June 2006 aBiennale of contemporary Art has been organized by the groupPartouche.[92]
View of the rebuilt central city: the belfry of the town hall and the bell tower of theChurch of Saint-Joseph du Havre.Graville Abbey
Many buildings in the city are classified as "historical monuments", but the 2000s marked the real recognition of Le Havre's architectural heritage. The city received the label "City of Art and History" in 2001, then in 2005UNESCO inscribed the city of Le Havre as aWorld Heritage Site.[9]
The oldest building still standing in Le Havre is the Graville Abbey. The other medieval building in the city is the Chapel of Saint-Michel of Ingouville. Because of the bombing in 1944, heritage from themodern era is rare:Le Havre Cathedral, theChurch of Saint Francis, theMuseum of the Hotel Dubocage of Bleville, theHouse of the ship-owner and the old palace of justice (now theNatural History Museum) are concentrated in the Notre-Dame and Saint-François areas. The buildings of the 19th century testify to the maritime and military vocations of the city: theHanging Gardens, theFort of Tourneville,Vauban docks, and theMaritime Villa. The heritage of the 1950s and 1960s which were the work of theAuguste Perret workshop forms the most coherent architecture: theChurch of Saint Francis and the Town Hall are the centrepieces. The all curved architecture of the"Volcano", designed byOscar Niemeyer, contrasts with that of the rebuilt centre. Finally, the reconstruction of many districts is a showcase for the architecture of the 21st century. Among the achievements by renowned architects are the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (René and Phine Weeke Dottelond),Les Bains Des Docks (Jean Nouvel).[9]°
Le Havre Cathedral: the first stone of the building was laid in 1536. It is the seat of the Bishop of Le Havre.
Church of Saint Joseph, one of the most recognized symbols of the city. The belltower is one of the tallest in France, rising to a height of 107 metres. It was designed byAuguste Perret.
Chapel of Saint Michel d'Ingouville (15th century)[98]
Graville Abbey, a monastery dedicated to Sainte Honorine, set in grounds on the northern bank of theSeine River.[99]
Presbyterian Reform Church (Église Réformée), 47 rue Anatole France, built in 1857, bombed in 1941, the roof and ceiling were rebuilt in 1953 by two architects from the famousAuguste Perret office: Jacques Lamy and Gérard Dupasquier, The only building in town offering both ancient and the new Perret school of architecture in the same building. Holy Office each Sunday morning at 10.30.
Five Museums in Le Havre have the distinction of being classified asMusées de France (Museums of France)[100] an official label granted only to museums of a high status. The five museums are:
An old house in Le Havre, now Musée du Vieux Havre
A Museum dedicated to the history of Le Havre with many objects from theAncien Régime and the 19th century: furniture, old maps, statues, and paintings.
Founded in 1881 but heavily damaged during World War II, the Museum of Natural History is housed in Le Havre's former law courts, built in the mid-18th century; the façade and monumental staircase are listed as historical monuments. The museum houses mineralogy, zoology, ornithology, palaeontology and prehistory departments as well as 8,000 early 19th-century paintings from the collection of local naturalist and travellerCharles-Alexandre Lesueur (1778–1846).[103] The museum was destroyed during Allied bombings on 5 September 1944. The library was lost, along with its collections of photographs, scientific instruments and archives. The mineral and geological collections were all destroyed, including a rare collection of local mineral specimens ofNormandy. The destruction of the museum was so intense, that all the catalogues, lists of donations, lists of purchases and other archives prevented even a precise inventory of all that was lost."[104]
From the 18th century; like the Museum of Old Havre it is dedicated to the History of Le Havre and contains many relics from theAncien Régime as well as furniture, old maps, statues, and paintings.
The Museum at the Priory of Graville displays many items of religious art including statues, madonnas, and other religious objects many of which are classified by the Ministry of Culture. It also houses the Gosselin collection of 206 model houses created by Jules Gosselin in the 19th century.[105]
Other less important museums reflect the history of Le Havre and its maritime vocation. Theapartment-control (Apartement-Temoine) was a standard apartment designed by in 1947–1950 and shows a place of daily life in the 1950s. The maritime museum displays objects related to the sea and the port. Finally, there are numerous exhibitions in the city such as theSPOT, a centre forcontemporary art,[106] art galleries, andLe Portique – a contemporary art space opened in 2008; the municipal library of Le Havre regularly organizes exhibitions.
Saint Roch Square
Other attractions include:
The former tribunal (18th century)
The Town Hall: the modernbelfry which now contains offices
There are two main cultural axes in Le Havre: the central city and the Eure district. TheEspace Oscar Niemeyer consists of a part of the "Great Volcano", a national theatre seating 1,093[107] (which houses theNational Choreographic Centre of Le Havre Haute-Normandie directed by Hervé Robbe) and secondly the "Little Volcano" with a 250-seat multi-purpose hall[107] for live performances. The wholeEspace Oscar Niemeyer has been worked on since 2011: thelittle volcano will be transformed into a multimedia library. As for the performances at theGreat Volcano, they are now taking place in the old ferry terminal until the end of construction. Other cultural institutions of the city centre are being transformed: the cinema of art and a trial ofLe Sirius facing the university will reopen in 2013.Le Tetris at the fort of Tourneville will, in 2013, be a place devoted to contemporary music. Other cultural venues are scattered in the city centre: the cinemaLe Studio, the theatre of the City Hall (700 seats),[108] theLittle Theatre (450 seats),[109] theThéâtre des Bains Douches (94 seats),Akté theatre (60 seats), and thePoulailler (Henhouse)) (associative theatre with 50 seats) host numerous shows each year. The National Choreographic Centre of Le Havre Haute-Normandie specialises in the creation and production of dance shows. Other shows and performances are given in other places and at the Conservatory Arthur Honegger.
The second cultural centre of the city is in the Eure district near the Basin Vauban. Docks Océane is a multi-purpose hall (concerts, shows, and sporting events) which can accommodate up to 4,700 spectators in 1,800 square metres (19,000 sq ft).[110] The largest cinema in Le Havre is located on the Docks Vauban (2,430 seats).[111] The Docks Café is an exhibition centre of 17,500 square metres (188,000 sq ft) used for shows, fairs, and exhibitions. TheMagic Mirrors offers many concerts managed by the city and leased to private organizers.
Following the closure ofCabaret Electric which was located in theEspace Oscar Niemeyer in 2011 a new auditorium,Le Tetris, is under construction at the Fort of Tourneville. It was scheduled to open in September 2013 with a large festival free-of-charge.[citation needed] It will consist of two halls with 800 and 200 seats, exhibition space, housing for artists in residence, a restaurant etc.Le Tetris will be a venue for contemporary music as well as theatre, dance, and visual arts. An "expectation" outside the walls was held on the site of the fort during 2012 and early 2013.[citation needed]
The main library is located in the city centre, named after the writerArmand Salacrou. It has branches in all districts. A new multimedia library at the "Volcano" is being refurbished for 2014. Thousands of references are available in specialized libraries in the Higher School of Art, the Museum of André Malraux, and the Natural History Museum. Medieval manuscripts andIncunables are conserved at the public library. The archives of the city, at the Fort of Tourneville, possesses documents from the 16th to the 20th centuries.[112]
Claude Monet (1840–1926), a resident of Le Havre from the age of five, in 1872 paintedImpression soleil levant (Impression, Sunrise), a painting that gave its name to theimpressionist movement. In 1867–1868, he painted many seascapes in the Le Havre region (Terrasse à Sainte-Adresse (Garden at Sainte-Adresse), 1867Bateaux quittant le port (Boats Leaving the Port), 1874). TheMusée Malraux houses some of his paintings : Waterlilies, London Parliament et Winter Sun at Lavacourt. Two other Impressionists,Camille Pissarro (1830–1903) andMaxime Maufra (1861–1918) also represented the port of Le Havre which also inspiredPaul Signac (1863–1935),Albert Marquet (1875–1947), andMaurice de Vlaminck (1876–1958).
Then came the school ofFauvism in which many artists did their training at Le Havre:Othon Friesz (1879–1949), Henri de Saint-Delis (1876–1958),Raoul Dufy (1877–1953),Georges Braque (1882–1963), Raymond Lecourt (1882–1946), Albert Copieux (1885–1956), who followed the course of theSchool of Fine Arts of Le Havre in the time of Charles Lhuillier. They left a number of paintings on the theme of the city and the port. In 1899,Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864–1901) paintedLa serveuse anglaise du Star (The English waitress of Star) (Museum Toulouse-Lautrec, Albi) of a girl he met in a bar in the city.
With nearly 70 films, Le Havre is one of the provincial cities most represented in the cinema.[114] Several directors have chosen the port facilities as part of their movie:
The film bySophie Marceau,La Disparue de Deauville, made in 2007, contains many scenes around the port of Le Havre, in the Coty shopping centre of Coty and in the streets of the central city.
Le Havre appears in several literary works as a point of departure to America: in the 18th century,Father Prevost embarkedManon Lescaut andDes Grieux forFrench Louisiana. Fanny Loviot departed from Le Havre in 1852, as an emigrant to San Francisco and points further west, and recounted her adventures inLes pirates chinois (A Lady's Captivity among Chinese Pirates in the Chinese Seas, 1858).
In the 19th century, Le Havre was the setting for several French novels:Honoré de Balzac described the failure of a Le Havre merchant family inModeste Mignon. Later, the Norman writerGuy de Maupassant located several of his works at Le Havre such asAu muséum d'histoire naturelle (At the Museum of Natural History) a text published inLe Gaulois on 23 March 1881 and again inPierre et Jean.Alphonse Allais located his intrigues at Le Havre too.La Bête humaine (The Human Beast) byÉmile Zola evokes the world of the railway and runs along theParis–Le Havre railway. Streets, buildings, and public places in Le Havre pay tribute to other famous Le Havre people from this period: the writerCasimir Delavigne (1793–1843) has a street named after him and a statue in front of the palace of justice alongside another man of letters,Bernardin de Saint-Pierre (1737–1814).
In the 20th century,Henry Miller located part of the action in Le Havre in his masterpieceTropic of Cancer, published in 1934.Bouville was the commune where the writer lived who wrote his diary inLa Nausée (The Nausea) (1938) byJean-Paul Sartre who was inspired by Le Havre city where he wrote his first novel. There are also the testimonies ofRaymond Queneau (1903–1976), born in Le Havre, the city served as a framework for his novelUn rude hiver (A harsh winter) (1939). The plot ofUne maison soufflée aux vents (A house blown to the winds) byÉmile Danoën, winner of the Popular Novel Prize in 1951, and its sequelIdylle dans un quartier muré (Idyll in a walled neighbourhood) were located in Le Havre during theSecond World War. Under the namePort de Brume Le Havre is the setting for three other novels by this author:Cerfs-volants (Kites),L'Aventure de Noël (The Adventure at Christmas), andLa Queue à la pègre (Queue to the underworld).Michel Leiris wroteDe la littérature considérée comme une tauromachie (Of literature considered like a bullfight) in December 1945.
Twomystery novels take place in Le Havre:Le Bilan Maletras (The Maletras Balance) byGeorges Simenon andLe Crime de Rouletabille (Crime at the Roulette table) byGaston Leroux. InRouge Brésil (Red Brazil), winner of theGoncourt Prize in 2001,Jean-Christophe Rufin describes Le Havre in the 16th century as the port of departure of French expeditions to theNew World: the heroVillegagnon leaves of the port to conquer new lands for the French crown which become Brazil. Martine–Marie Muller tells the saga of a clan ofStevedores from Le Havre in the 1950s to the 1970s inQuai des Amériques (Quay of the Americas).
Benoît Duteurtre published in 2001,Le Voyage en France (Travel in France), for which he received thePrix Médicis: the main character, a young American impassioned by France, lands at Le Havre which he describes in the first part of the novel. In 2008, Benoît Duteurtre publishesLes pieds dans l'eau (Feet in the water), a highly autobiographical book in which he describes his youth spent between Le Havre andÉtretat. The city hosted writers such asEmile Danoën (1920–1999) who grew up in the district of Saint-François, Yoland Simon (born 1941), and Philippe Huet (born 1955). Canadian poetOctave Crémazie (1827–1879) died at Le Havre and was buried in Saint Marie Cemetery. The playwrightJacques-François Ancelot (1794–1854) was also a native of Le Havre. Two famous historians,Gabriel Monod (1844–1912) andAndré Siegfried (1875–1959) were from the city.
Le Havre also appears in comic books: for example, inL'Oreille cassée (The Broken Ear) (1937),Tintin embarks on the vesselCity of Lyon sailing to South America. The meeting between Tintin andGeneral Alcazar inLes Sept Boules de cristal (The Seven Crystal Balls) (1948) is in Le Havre, according to notes byHergé in the margins ofLe Soir, the first publisher of this adventure. The first adventure ofRic Hochet (1963), the designerTibet andAndré-Paul Duchâteau,Traquenard au Havre (Trap at Le Havre) shows the seaside and the port. Similarly, in 1967, for the albumRapt sur le France (Rapt on France), the hero passes by the ocean port.Frank Le Gall, inNovembre toute l'année (November all year) (2000) embarks Theodore Poussin at Le Havre on theCap Padaran.
Le Havre is the birthplace of many musicians and composers such as Henri Woollett (1864–1936),André Caplet (1878–1925)[116] andArthur Honegger (1892–1955).[117] There was also Victor Mustel (1815–1890) who was famous for having perfected theharmonium.[118]
Le Havre has long been regarded as one of the cradles of French rock andblues. In the 1980s many groups have emerged after a first dynamic development in the 1960s and 1970s. The most famous personality of Le Havre rock isLittle Bob who began his career in the 1970s. The port tradition in many of the groups was repeated in the unused sheds of the port, such as Bovis hall which could hold 20,000 spectators. A blues festival, driven by Jean-François Skrobek, Blues a Gogo existed for eight years from 1995 to 2002. Several artists have been produced such as:Youssou N'Dour,Popa Chubby,Amadou & Mariam, Patrick Verbeke etc. It was organized by the Coup de Bleu association whose former president was head of music CaféL'Agora in the Niemeyer Centre which produced the new Le Havre scene. During these same years, theFestival of the Future, the local version of theFête de l'Humanité (Festival of Humanity), attracted a large audience.
Currently, the musical tradition continues in the Symphony Orchestra of the city of Le Havre, the orchestra of Concerts André Caplet, the conservatory, and music schools such as the Centre for Vocal and Musical Expression (rock) or the JUPO (mainlyjazz), associations or labels like Papa's Production (la Folie Ordinaire, Mob's et Travaux, Dominique Comont, Souinq, Your Happy End etc.). The organization by the association of West Park Festival since the 2000s inHarfleur and since 2004 at the Fort of Tourneville is a demonstration. Moreover, since 2008, the associationI Love LH was started and promotes Le Havre culture and especially its music scene by organizing original cultural events as well as the free distribution of compilation music by local artists.
Le Havre is a board game about the development of the town of Le Havre. It was inspired by the gamesCaylus andAgricola and was developed in December 2007.[citation needed]
The legacy of theNorman language is present in the language used by the people of Le Havre, part of which is identified as speakingcauchois. Among the Norman words most used in Le Havre there are:boujou (hello, goodbye),clenche (door handle),morveux (veuse) (child), andbezot (te) (last born).
Le Havre is located in theAcademy of Rouen. The city operates 55kindergartens (254 classes) and 49 communal primary schools (402 classes).[119] The department manages 16 colleges and the region ofNormandy manages 9 schools.[120] The Jules Valles college in Caucriauville is classified as asensitive institution and eleven colleges are in a priority education zone (ZEP). Aboarding school of excellence, the Claude Bernard college, opened in 2011. The first college in Le Havre dates to the 16th century, the high school François I was founded during theSecond Empire and is the oldest in Le Havre. The philosopherJean-Paul Sartre (1905–1980) andRaymond Aron (1905–1983) taught there. The writerArmand Salacrou (1899–1989) studied in this institution.
The interior of theUniversity of Le Havre libraryThe Vauban Basin and the ISEL building (right)
In 2011 there were approximately 12,000 students in all disciplines in Le Havre.[131] Opened in 1986, theUniversity of Le Havre is recent, medium-sized and well located: the largest campus is virtually in the centre of the city near railway andtram stations.[132] The campus includes a University Library (2006), a gym, several dining halls with student housing, a structure incorporating a theatre, an orientation service, and student associations. In 2010–2011, 6,914 students were enrolled including 5,071 undergraduates, 1,651 Masters students, and 192 postgraduate students.[133] The university also trains 317 engineering students[133] including the Logistical Studies Higher Education Institute (ISEL). It offers 120 Diplomas of State prepared by the Faculty of Science and Technology, Faculty of International Affairs, and the Faculty of Arts and Humanities. Many courses are offered are related to the port operations, logistics, industry, andsustainable development. Twelve languages are taught and 17% of students are foreigners.[134] The University of Le Havre is also a research centre with nine laboratories. It works in partnership with other higher education institutions (INSA Rouen,IEP,IUFM, and Normandy University). TheUniversity Institutes of Technology of Le Havre occupies two main sites: one in the upper town in the Caucriauville-Rouelles district which was opened in 1967 and another in the Eure district since 2011. The IUT has a total of 1,881 students divided into ten departments preparing for the DUT.[133] There is also a branch of the teacher training institute of Rouen (IUFM) for two courses (CAPET of technology and CRPE school teacher).
In addition there is a large number of specialized higher education institutions covering a wide range of different areas. Founded in 1871,[135] theÉcole Supérieure de Commerce du Havre, one of the oldest in France, has merged withSup Europe andl'IPER to create theNormandy Business School in 2006. This school had over 2,800 students on its five campuses (Le Havre,Caen,Deauville,Oxford andParis) in 2015.[136] Since the 2007 school year, theInstitute of Political Studies of Paris opened a Euro-Asia cycle[137] in Le Havre. TheNational School of The Merchant Marine trains Officers of the First Class for the Merchant Marine: currently located at Sainte-Adresse, it will move to theBassin Vauban in 2015 in a building that will house 1,000 students.[138] TheNational Higher School of Petrol and Motors (ENSPM) is a school for specialist petroleum engineers, petrochemists, and engine makers. The ITIP (National Institute for International Transportation and Ports) prepares students for careers in themultimodal transport and port business. The (Institut national des sciences appliquées|National Institute of Applied Sciences of Rouen) (INSA) opened a branch in Le Havre in 2008 with a civil engineering and sustainable construction department. The SPI (Axis of Science for the Engineer) is expected to reopen in 2012 in a new building in the Eure district.[139]
In the arts, the Conservatory of Departmental RadianceArthur Honegger is attended by 1,680 students (music, dance and drama).[140] TheGraduate School of Art of Le Havre (ESAH) offers several degrees and preparation for competition. Finally 800 people study in paramedical and social schools mostly in the IFSI (Institute of Training in Nursing) which has approximately 600 students.[133][141]
The city of Le Havre has some of the oldest sports clubs in France: theLe Havre Rowing Society (1838),[142] theRegatta Society of Le Havre (1838), andLe Havre Athletic Club (1872), doyen of French football and rugby clubs.[143][144][145]
Le Havre is dominated by three professional sports teams: the first is theLe Havre AC football team who were relegated fromLigue 1 after the 2008–2009 season but gained promotion back to Ligue 1 in 2023. Its training centre is well-reputed for having trained a number of international French players, includingVikash Dhorasoo,Julien Faubert,Jean-Alain Boumsong,Lassana Diarra, andSteve Mandanda. The second major sports team isSaint Thomas Basketball who represent the city inLNB Pro A. Thirdly the HAC women's team who play in the first division with many international players in its ranks. The team won their first major national title, the Coupe de France for women's handball in 2006.Le Havre Rugby athletic club plays inFédérale 3 (equivalent to fifth division). The Hockey Club of Le Havre played at the fourth level nationally (Division 3) for the 2008–2009 season. The team is nicknamed the "Dock's du Havre".[146]
The maritime side of the city is found in many sports: for example, the tradition of sailing is old. On 29 July 1840 the first French pleasure boatregatta was held. Today, Le Havre is known as a water sports andSeaside resort. The marina can host deepwater vessels around the clock in any weather. Built in theInterwar period, it is now the largest inSeine-Maritime with about 1,300 moorings[147] additional moorings were installed in the Vauban basin in 2011–2012.[148] TheHavraise Rowing Society has trained many rowers to a high level as Thierry Renault. TheClub Nautique Le Havrais (CNH) is the centre of mixed swimming, synchronized swimming, and men's water polo. TheCentre Nautique Paul Vatine is the fifth largest club in the country for the number of sports licenses it holds; it ranks second in the Division 1 of the Championship France for Catamaran Clubs.[149]
Several major local sportsmen began their career at Le Havre: the swimmerHugues Duboscq was an Olympic medallist several times. In judo the French team has two members from Le Havre: Dimitri Dragin and Baptiste Leroy.Jerome Le Banner is a professionalkick-boxer at world level who participates in theK-1 championship. Finally the navigator Paul Vatine, who was lost at sea in 1999, won theTransat Jacques Vabre several times.
The city has 99 sports facilities including 46 gymnasiums, 23 sports fields, and 5 swimming pools.[150] TheStade Océane (Ocean Stadium), inaugurated in July 2012, replaced theStade Jules Deschaseaux. With 25,000 seats, it can host football matches as well as other sporting and cultural events.[151] Basketball and Handball matches are playued in theDock Océane hall (3600 seats) whileice hockey is played at the ice hockey rink (900 seats). Of the five swimming pools in the city, two are operated by the municipality: the CNH (which has an Olympic pool for competitions) andLes Bains Des Docks (which was designed by the architectJean Nouvel). Le Havre has the largest free outdoorskatepark in France with approximately 7,000 m2 allocated to the urbanBoardsport.[152] The port infrastructure allows for many water activities such as sailing, fishing, canoeing, and rowing. Finally, the beach is a place forkitesurfing,windsurfing andsurfing.
Le Havre has been and is still the venue of major sports events: the Tour de France has passed a dozen times by the Ocean Gate, the last stage took place here in 2015. Sailing events are often held and theTransat Jacques Vabre transatlantic race has been held every two years since 1993 linking Le Havre to Latin America. The course of theSolitaire du Figaro was partly in Le Havre in 2010. Since 2006, weekends of freestyle board sports have been popular (skateboarding, rollerblading, funboard, kiteboarding, skydiving etc.). Every summer roller blade events are organized in the city on Friday evening every fortnight and have great success. The first International Triathlon was held in 2012.[153] Finally, there are several opportunities for runners with ten kilometres (6.2 miles) in Le Havre or the strides of Montgeon.
Five newspapers cover the Le Havre agglomeration: the dailiesLe Havre libre,Le Havre Presse,Paris Normandie in its Le Havre edition in collaboration withLe Havre Presse andLiberté-Dimanche (communal Sunday edition of the previous three) are part of the Hersant group which is currently in serious financial trouble and looking for a buyer. A free weekly of information,Le Havre Infos (PubliHebdo group[154]) has been published since 2010 every Wednesday and is available in many places in the city.[155][156]
Several magazines provide local information:LH Océanes (Municipal magazine) andTerres d'Agglo (Agglomeration Area magazine) to which must be added several free magazines:Aux Arts (cultural information more focused on theBasse-Normandie region)Bazart (cultural events in Le Havre but now with circulation across all of Normandy), andHAC Magazine (news aboutHAC). Several newspapers are also available on the Internet: Infocéane, Le Havre on the Internet.
A local televised edition onFrance 3,France 3 Baie de Seine, is broadcast every evening then again onFrance 3 Haute Normandie.Radio Albatros is a local station installed in the Sanvic du Havre district transmitting on FM frequency 88.2.[157]Radio Vallée de la Lézarde, based inÉpouville,RESONANCE on 98.9, andRCF Le Havre are other radio stations. It was in Le Havre radio stations that the journalist and television hostLaurent Ruquier, who was born in Le Havre in 1963, began his career. Several national and regional radio stations are relays for Le Havre: local information onFrance Bleu Haute Normandie, local relay from 12 noon to 4pm onVirgin radio Normandie 101.8 FM, local relay for Information from 6am to 9am and from 4pm to 8pm onNRJ Le Havre 92.5 FM. Associations likeLHnouslanuit andOnly-Hit have tried to develop alternative and cultural local radio by featuring local community associations (Papa's Production, Ben Salad Prod, Asso6Sons, Agend'Havre, Pied Nu, I Love LH).[158]
At the request of Monsigneur André Mulch,Archbishop of Rouen,Pope Paul VI decided on 6 July 1974 through thepapal bullQuae Sacrosanctum on the creation of thediocese of Le Havre (Portus Gratiae inLatin meaning "Port of Grace"). The diocese was created from part of the parishes of theArchdiocese of Rouen to the west of a line joiningNorville toSassetot-le-Mauconduit. Monseigneur Michel Saudreau, its first bishop, was ordained on 22 September 1974. The church of Notre Dame was promoted toCathedral Notre Dame du Havre. Today, the commune of Le Havre is divided into eightparishes[159] and 24 places of worship (churches and chapels). The oldest chapel is Saint-Michel d'Ingouville which dates back to the 11th century. TheChurch of Saint Joseph du Havre, built byAuguste Perret, dominates the city with its spire 107m high. There are several monastic establishments (Carmel of the Transfiguration,Franciscan Monastery,Little Sisters of the Poor, etc.).
The Protestant Church of Le Havre was built in the city centre in 1862. Bombed in 1941, it lost itspediment, itsbell tower, and roof. Rebuilt in 1953 by the architects Jacques Lamy and Gérard Dupasquier,[160] who worked in the Auguste Perret office, is the only building in Le Havre uniting the original architecture of the 19th century with the architecture of the Perret school. Le Havre also has seven evangelical Protestant churches:Salvation Army,Seventh Day Adventist,Apostolic Church,Assembly of God,Baptist Church,Good News Church, etChurch of Le Havre as well as several Protestant churches of African origin.
The city also has seven Muslim places of worship: the socio-cultural association of Muslims in Upper Normandy, En-Nour Mosque on Rue Paul Claudel, El Fath Mosque on rue Victor Hugo, Bellevue mosque on rue Gustavus Brindeau, and three prayer rooms located on rue Audran, Boulevard Jules Durant, and rue Lodi. The synagogue, located in the rebuilt central city, was visited by PresidentJacques Chirac in April 2002.[161] It is the seat of theassociation consistoriale israélite du Havre whose president is Victor Elgressy.
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(in French) Claire Étienne-Steiner, Le Havre. City, Port, and Agglomeration, Connaissance du patrimoine de Haute-Normandie, Rouen, 1999,ISBN2-910316-19-X
^abcFrançois de Beaurepaire (pref. Marianne Mulon),The names of Communes and former parishes of Seine-Maritime, Paris, A. et J. Picard, 1979, 180 p.,ISBN2-7084-0040-1,OCLC6403150, p. 92-93(in French)
^Elisabeth Ridel,The Vikings and the words: The contribution of old Scandinavian to the French language, éditions errance, Paris, 2009, p. 203, 226, 227, 228.(in French)
^Bullock, Arthur (2009).Gloucestershire Between the Wars: A Memoir. The History Press.ISBN978-0-7524-4793-3. Pages 102-110.
^"Les Collections Biologiques du Muséum avant le désastre du 5 Septembre 1944." Bulletin de la Société Géologique de Normandie et des Amis du Muséum du Havre. Tome 40. 1936–1950. Pages 12, 17, 22.(in French)
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