Thury-Harcourt | |
|---|---|
Part ofThury-Harcourt-le-Hom | |
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.svg) Coat of arms | |
 Location of Thury-Harcourt | |
  Thury-Harcourt  Thury-Harcourt | |
| Coordinates:48°59′02″N0°28′23″W / 48.984°N 0.4730°W /48.984; -0.4730 | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Normandy |
| Department | Calvados |
| Arrondissement | Caen |
| Canton | Le Hom |
| Commune | Thury-Harcourt-le-Hom |
Area 1 | 4.90 km2 (1.89 sq mi) |
| Population (2022)[1] | 1,996 |
| • Density | 407/km2 (1,060/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 14220 |
| Elevation | 18–156 m (59–512 ft) (avg. 100 m or 330 ft) |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
Thury-Harcourt (French pronunciation:[tyʁiaʁkuʁ]ⓘ) is a formercommune in theCalvadosdepartment in theNormandyregion in northwesternFrance. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune ofThury-Harcourt-le-Hom.[2] The town is 24 kilometres (15 mi) south ofCaen, in theOrne valley. It is part ofNorman Switzerland, which attracts visitors for various sports and outdoor activities with its hilly terrain.
The original name is Thury, but the Marquis of Thury received a benefice fromHenry d'Harcourt under the name of the Duke of Harcourt in 1709, requiring a change of name. The town was occupied by the forces ofNazi Germany in June 1940 after France's surrender ended theBattle of France. For four years the village lived under Nazi occupation as part of theGerman military administration in occupied France during World War II. Thury-Harcourt was liberated by British soldiers who were part of the59th (Staffordshire) Infantry Division. The59th (Staffordshire) Infantry Division fought their way into and through Thury-Harcourt in August 1944.[3][4]
At the local elections of March 2014, the mayor Paul Chandelier was re-elected. Themunicipal council consists of 19 members, including the mayor and 5 deputy mayors.[5]
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1962 | 1,191 | — |
| 1968 | 1,190 | −0.1% |
| 1975 | 1,363 | +14.5% |
| 1982 | 1,586 | +16.4% |
| 1990 | 1,803 | +13.7% |
| 1999 | 1,825 | +1.2% |
| 2008 | 1,914 | +4.9% |
| 2022 | 1,996 | +4.3% |
In the battles of theSecond World War, after theNormandy landings the town was bombed for the first time on 30 June 1944; the château escaped damage. It was during fierce fighting against the British59th (Staffordshire) Infantry Division on 13–4 August 1944 that the German forces retreated from the town and set fire to the chateau, which had suffered little damage up to that point. The fire destroyed many public archives, a library of nearly 15,000 volumes, and hundreds of family records.
Thury-Harcourt railway station was destroyed by air strikes in 1944 and reconstructed in the 1950s. The passenger line opened in 1873 and was closed in 1971. Freight service stopped in 1983.A tourist train fromLouvigny (close toCaen) toClécy operated from 1991 to 1994.
In the sixteenth century many families emigrated toCanada, taking with them the curate and abbot of the parish, (Lesueur). He founded the parishSaint-Sauveur, Quebec.Pierre Legardeur got general control ofNouvelle-France and gave his name to the towns ofLe Gardeur andRepentigny inQuebec.
The commune has hosted two majorCanoe polo events, the 2007,European championship and 2014ICF World Championships.[6][7][circular reference]
