Compiègne
Compiègne is a commune in the Oise department in northern France. It is located on the Oise River. Its inhabitants are called Compiégnois.
Administration
Compiègne is the seat of two cantons:- Compiègne-1
- Compiègne-2
History
Population
- 1882: 13,393
- 1990: 41,663, 44,703
- 1999: 41,076, 44,703, 69,903, urban
Sights
Museums
- Château de Compiègne - the castle itself, and museums of the Second French Empire and of motoring and tourism within its walls
- Musée Antoine Vivenel
- Museum of historic figurines
- Memorial of internment and deportation
Compiègne Forest
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.
The University of Technology of Compiègne
Compiègne is home to the University of Technology of Compiègne, 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.Transport
The Gare de Compiègne railway station offers connections with Paris, Amiens, Cambrai and several regional destinations. The nearest motorway is the A1 Paris-Lille.Cycling
Since 1968 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.Personalities
Compiègne was the birthplace of:- Roscellinus, philosopher and theologian, often regarded as the founder of Nominalism
- Pierre d'Ailly, theologian and cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church
- Albert Robida, illustrator, etcher, lithographer, caricaturist, and novelist
- Eugène Albertini, teacher in Latin literature, historian of ancient Rome, and epigrapher of Latin texts
- Marcel Tabuteau, Oboist, regarded as the founder of American oboe playing.
- Suzanne Lenglen, tennis player, international female sport star
- Lucas Debargue, pianist and composer who worked in both the classical and jazz fields.
International relations
Twin towns – sister cities
Compiègne is twinned with: Kiryat Tivon, Israel, since 1988 Landshut, Germany, since 1962 Raleigh, North Carolina, United States, since 1989 Shirakawa, Fukushima, Japan, since 1988 Vianden, Luxembourg, since 1964 |
