Montrouge
Coordinates: 48°49′06″N 2°19′12″E / 48.81833, 2.32
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Commune of Montrouge |
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| Location | |
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| Paris and inner ring départements | |
| Coordinates | 48°49′06″N 2°19′12″E / 48.81833, 2.32 |
| Administration | |
|---|---|
| Country | France |
| Region | Île-de-France |
| Department | Hauts-de-Seine |
| Arrondissement | Antony |
| Intercommunality | Communauté de communes de Châtillon-Montrouge |
| Statistics | |
| Land area¹ | 2.07 km² |
| Population² (July 1, 2005 estimate) (March 8, 1999 census) |
44,100 37,733 |
| - Density | 21,304/km² (2005) |
| Miscellaneous | |
| INSEE/Postal code | 92049/ 92120 |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
| 2 Population sans doubles comptes: residents of multiple communes (e.g. students and military personnel) only counted once. | |
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Montrouge is a lively and pretty commune in the southern Parisian suburbs, located 4.4 km. (2.7 miles) from the center of Paris, France. It is one of the most densely populated municipalities in Europe. After a long period of decline, the population has increased again in recent years.
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History
There are a number of colorful traditions about the name "Montrouge", but it appears that it in fact comes from the Latin words monte mount and rubeus red, meaning Red Mountain, because of the reddish color of the earth in this area.
The name of the community was first mentioned in monastery documents in 1194.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the hamlet was home to monasteries and a number of religious orders, while in the 15th century it became the site of quarries used for the reconstruction of Paris. The late sixteenth century saw the plain of Montrouge named "reserve for royal hunts", and during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries it was known for its windmills, which, sadly, have all now disappeared.
On January 1, 1860, the city of Paris was enlarged by annexing neighboring communes. On that occasion, most of the commune of Montrouge was annexed to Paris, forming what is now called Petit-Montrouge, in the 14th arrondissement of Paris. The remainder of Montrouge was preserved as an independent town.
In 1875, the town gained a few thousand square metres from the neighboring communes of Châtillon and Bagneux (principally in the neighborhood (le quartier) called Haut Mesnil).
Economy
Industrial development started in 1925 and soon, many printing factories were to be found in the town. Most of these have disappeared today. Since the early years of the twenty-first century, professional services and telecommunications have been the main business activities.
- Aeronautical and electronic engineering, Alstom, Schlumberger, Siemens AG, ST Microelectronics
- Telecommunications, Orange
- The Papier d'Arménie (lit. Armenian Paper)
Public Transport
Montrouge is served by the Châtillon – Montrouge station on Paris Métro Line 13. This station is located at the border between the commune of Montrouge and the commune of Châtillon, on the Châtillon side of the border.
The community is also served by Porte d'Orléans station on Paris Métro Line 4. This station, although administratively located on the territory of the 14th arrondissement of Paris, lies closer to the town center of Montrouge than does the Châtillon – Montrouge station, and is thus used by many people in Montrouge.
Metro Line 4 is being extended to the south. Three new stations (Mairie de Montrouge, Verdun Sud, and Bagneux) have been planned. The first one will open by mid 2012, while no date has been set for the later two.
Bus line 68 runs from Metro Chatillon Montrouge all the way up through Montparnasse, the Louvre, the Paris Opera and ends at the Place de Clichy, site of the Moulin Rouge.
The Arts in Montrouge
As you can see from the list below, Montrouge was the home of a number of well-known twentieth century artists. Currently the town is also well known for two contemporary art exhibitions:
- The Montrouge Contemporary Art Show, which has existed for over 50 years
- The JCE, that is European Young Artists exhibition.
And Montrouge is a town that loves parades, art walks and other local festivities, as any inhabitant will tell you.
People
Some famous Montrougiens:
- Émile Boutroux (1845–1921), philosopher and member of the Académie française
- Coluche (b. 1944 in Paris–1986) (Michel Collucci), comedian and sometime political figure, founder of the "Restos du coeur" soup kitchens.
- Robert Doisneau (1912–1994), photographer, born in Gentilly, lived in Montrouge from 1937 on.
- Raymond Federman (b. 1928) American novelist and academic currently living in San Diego.
- Jean-Jacques Goldman, lyricist and singer, he has lived most of his life in Marseille.
- Pablo Picasso (1881-1973). The cubist had his workshop in Montrouge from 1916 to 1918.
- Bernard Pivot (b. 1935). Famous journalist and television personality. Born in Lyon,Mr. Pivot has lived in Montrouge since 2003.
- Claude Sautet (1924–2000), director and screenwriter.
Others
- Fort de Montrouge, located mainly in the commune of Arcueil.
External links
- Montrouge official website (French)
- History of Montrouge (French)
- Montbouge, webzine of Montrougiens (French)
- Salon Européen des Jeunes Créateurs (French)
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