Givet

For the French football player, see Gaël Givet.

Givet
Around St. Hilary's Church and Charlemont Fort
Coat of arms
Givet
Location within Champagne-Ardenne region Givet
Coordinates:
Country	France
Region	Alsace-Champagne-Ardenne-Lorraine
Department	Ardennes
Arrondissement	Charleville-Mézières
Canton	Givet
Intercommunality	Ardennes Rives de Meuse
Government
• Mayor (2008–2014)	Claude Wallendorff
Area1	18.41 km2 (7.11 sq mi)
Population (2008)2	6,736
• Density	370/km2 (950/sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code	08190 / 08600
Elevation	103–124 m (338–407 ft) (avg. 124 m or 407 ft)
Website	givet.fr
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.

Givet (French pronunciation: ​[ʒi.vɛ]) is a commune in the Ardennes department in northern France very close to the Belgian border. It lies on the river Meuse where Emperor Charles V built the fortress of Charlemont. It borders the french municipalities of Fromelennes to the east and Rancennes to the south and Foisches to the southeast.

Later on, another building was added to the fort, the Caserne Rougé, the longest barracks of France at that time, named after Pierre François, Marquis de Rougé, general of the French armies k.a. 1761.

History

The town's history claims that Saint Hubert lived there in 720 and performed a miracle. The town has changed hands several times since the Roman era before becoming part of France in 1678, and was later invaded by Russians and Germans.

In World War II, Givet was occupied by the Germans on May 12, 1940. The city was liberated September 7, 1944. By December 1944, 11,000 American soldiers were billeted in the ancient Charlemont fortress. The German Ardennes Offensive targeted Givet and its crossing of the Meuse. The British, under Montgomery, organized a last-ditch defense, and on 24 December, the German drive was stopped about 10 kilometers from Givet.

Population

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±%
1793	4,100	—
1800	3,643	−11.1%
1806	3,879	+6.5%
1821	4,068	+4.9%
1831	4,220	+3.7%
1836	4,293	+1.7%
1841	5,689	+32.5%
1846	5,855	+2.9%
1851	5,639	−3.7%
1866	5,801	+2.9%
1872	5,104	−12.0%
1876	5,575	+9.2%
1881	6,972	+25.1%
1886	7,820	+12.2%
1891	7,083	−9.4%
1896	7,100	+0.2%
1901	6,947	−2.2%
1906	7,468	+7.5%
1911	7,759	+3.9%
1921	5,519	−28.9%
1926	6,803	+23.3%
1931	6,826	+0.3%
1936	6,923	+1.4%
1946	5,524	−20.2%
1954	6,656	+20.5%
1962	7,444	+11.8%
1968	7,865	+5.7%
1975	7,804	−0.8%
1982	7,587	−2.8%
1990	7,775	+2.5%
1999	7,372	−5.2%
2008	6,736	−8.6%

See also

• Communes of the Ardennes department

References

• INSEE

External links

• Official Web site (in French)
•