Malmedy

Sections of commune

Bellevaux-Ligneuville, Bévercé and Malmedy.

Characteristics

the memorial of the Massacre of Baugnez: the December 17th 1944, of the soldiers of the S shot 84 American prisoners of war there. See also Battle of the Ardennes, Sunday, December 17, 1944
Circuit of Spa-Francorchamps of the Grand Prix of Formula 1
the natural reserve of the High Fagnes
Seat of the police station of district.
the C-W communication and the pronunciation “Malmédy” would date from time when the city belonged to Prussia (see Wallonia malmédienne). There this stressing not existing in the German language, the inhabitants found a skilful way of defying their administration of supervision. The C-W communication remains on certain German plates of indication.
Carnival: Cwarmé.

History

The city will be founded towards 648 by Saint Remacle, prior of the abbey of Solignac. Malmedy from which the name would come from the expression has malo mundarum meant " by purifying the place of the mal" developed as of 648 around the cloister Bénédictin set up by Remacle saint.

Between its foundation and 1794, the history of Malmedy merges with that the abbey Principauté of Stavelot-Malmedy of which it constitutes one of the two poles.

During 1.146 years, Malmedy and Stavelot formed the Principality of Stavelot-Malmedy to the head of which followed one another 77 prince-abbots of the Saint Empire and Counts de Logne. However, as of the 11th century, of the competitions opposed the two cities, the abbey of Malmedy supporting supremacy badly that of Stavelot imposed to him.

As of the 16th century, Malmedy sees several industries developing on its ground: drapery, tannery and industry of gunpowder.

At the 17th century, Malmedy and Stavelot are the most important centers of tanneries of Europe. At that time, other industries are also re-elected in Malmedy: manufacture cotton, manufactures sets of failures, dominos, gingerbreads and especially the paper mill which will make the fortune of Malmedy. In spite of its statute of neutrality and the protection of the prince-abbots, Malmedy was invaded at least fifty times by troops of passage, whose depredations had disastrous consequences for the population… The city was completely burnt in 1689 on the order of Nicolas de Catinat, general of Louis XIV.

In 1795, after the propagation of the French revolution and the territorial conquests of the France, the Principauté of Stavelot-Malmedy disappeared and its territories were joined together in France. Malmedy then became sub-prefecture of the department of Ourte, chief town of the 2nd communal district of the Ourte, seat of a County court and extended its jurisdiction, in particular on the towns of Verviers and Spa.

It will preserve this statute until the end of the Napoleonean period .

Prussian period (1815-1919)

Under the Treated of Vienna in 1815, the canton of Malmedy, which also included/understood at the time that of Saint-Vith is attached to the Prussia. This situation will last approximately a century.

During the first fifty years, the typical location of Malmedy, city Romance (and even Walloon) in German-speaking Prussia, does not pose too many problems. The inhabitants are free to use French with their own way, including in the deliberations of the town council. During a visit at the city in 1853, the king of Prussia Frederic-Guillaume IV will even affirm to be to trust to have, with the steps of his kingdom, “a small country where one speaks French”.

On the other hand, the things gradually will change with the come to power of the chancellor Bismarck and more still with the Franco-German Guerre of 1870 and the Kulturkampf which to soon will succeed him. With the eyes of the Prussian administration, Malmedy suffers from the double disadvantage to be at the same time French-speaking and in catholic majority.

From this moment, it will undergo an attempt at forced germanisation, the teaching of French being interdict in the schools with the profit of that of German. In addition, prohibition was made with the communes of the canton of Malmedy subsidize the worships, the priests being seen prohibiting to preach in French (prohibition that some will circumvent while preaching as a Walloon).

Certain irreducible will go until creating in 1897 the " Wallon" club; with the abbot Nicolas Pietkin, who exists still nowadays but, as a whole, the majority of the population, centered on the problems of the daily newspaper was going little by little to adapt to the situation, even if within the houses, the Walloon remained for much the language used preferably.

Between two wars

After the First World War, that Malmédiens made under the German uniform, Malmedy, as the remainder of the cantons of the East, made return to the Belgium pursuant to the Traité of Versailles.

The treaty provided that the populations concerned were to come to a conclusion about fastening in Belgium by referendum. This one was organized in a contestable way, the opponents being requested to go to sign on a list open to their municipal authorities. On the whole of the 33 276 voters concerned on the whole of the cantons of the East, only 271 will also openly dare to express their disapproval.

In addition, a polemic will oppose a évêché time of Cologne, on which Malmedy depended, to the Saint Seat. To solve the question, the Vatican will temporarily create a diocese of Malmedy-Eupen-Saint-Vith, entrusted to the bishop of Liege and whose seat was in Malmedy. The parish church was of this chief promoted with the row of cathedral, row which Malmédiens allot to him still today notwithstanding the fact that the transitory one évêché was definitively absorbed by that of Liege in 1925.

It is during this period that produced also scission of canton of Malmedy which lost its German-speaking communes, which were going to constitute the new canton of Saint-Vith, to preserve only the communes of what is still always called the Wallonia malmédienne, namely the current communes of Waimes and Malmedy.

Between two wars was marked in Malmedy as in the remainder of the area by an opposition between the partisans of the maintenance of the situation acquired following the treaty of Versailles and holding them of the return to Germany. This opposition still became acuter after the accession of Hitler to the capacity in Germany and the encouragement by the Nazi regime of the current militant for the return to Germany. It created for itself even a party called Heimattreue Front (patriotic Face) whose program was openly rattachist and whose certain members professed ideas Nazis openly.

Second world war

After the release of the Second world war and the capitulation of Belgium at the end of the Countryside the 18 day old, Malmedy will be annexed to the IIIème Reich. It will result from it that Malmédiens in age to carry the weapons will be obliged to make their military service within Wehrmacht, paying a heavy tribute with the war, in particular on the face of the East. In addition, during these 5 dark, many years were Malmédiens which perished in the Concentration camps Nazi S to have marked their attachment in Belgium.

The city will be released by the American troops in September 1944.

During the Battle of the Ardennes, the city will be the theater of two dramatic events. December 17th, 1944, with the crossroads of Baugnez, 4 kilometers in the south of the city, the Waffen-SS will massacre more than 70 American soldiers captive and disarmed facts. This episode of the battle is known under the name of Massacre of Malmedy.

Important road junction, the city will not fall however to the German hands during the battle from the Ardennes, in spite of an attack carried out on December 21st, 1944 by troops carried out by famous the Otto Skorzeny and pushed back by the American troops which protected the city.

On the other hand, Malmedy will be victim December 23rd, 24th and 25th 1944 of bombardments of the United States Air Force which will make more than 200 dead in the civil population (the number of American soldiers victims of these bombardments has, seems it, never officially revealed) and will reduce in ash the essence of the historical heart of the city.

In 1977, the commune of Malmedy amalgamated with those of Bévercé and Bellevaux-Ligneuville thus making pass its population of 6 300 with 10 000 inhabitants.

Economy

Malmedy Expo - Hall of the fairs (located in the old tanneries)
Paper mill S
Building
Careers
automobile Pisciculture
Grand Prix of Belgium and other competitions with the Circuit of Spa-Francorchamps
Tourism and trade

Culture and traditions

The cultural upheavals that the city during its history knew, typical of the frontier countries, gave to the population malmédienne a special character whose one can truly seize the spirit only while intensely taking part in his daily life! But despite everything these vicissitudes, Malmédiens seem to have preserved recognized qualities of the 18th century by an English chemist in these terms “the inhabitants of Malmedy are honest, industrial, opulent, gracious, sociable and courteous towards the foreigners”.

It should be stressed the heart musician of the population… For approximately 10 000 inhabitants, one counts there 7 male choral societies, 2 lyric units, 4 brass bands, 1 circle accordionist, 1 circle mandolin player… without forgetting 1 academy of extremely active music.

By a very festive spirit, Malmédiens which raised on the level of their Walloon language and their typical folklores… never do not miss the occasion to meet to have fun the festival. In addition to the " Cwarmê " (carnival) the inhabitants of Malmedy still celebrate the Midsummer's Day of summer, the Saint-Pierre (day of village fair in Malmédy, the Saint-Géréon (" Tribodlèdje ") (at the 10th century, the population of Malmedy had increased so much so that one needed a parish church, Saint-Géréon, it was in 1007. Hitherto, one had been satisfied with a Absidiole of the abbey, the St. Lawrence vault) and still the Saint Martin's day (" Evêuyes "). Come to be added to these festivals, traditional Christmas and Easter, one July 21st not like the others which one entitles the " True Fête" or of the more particular rejoicings like the " Heye as of Rwès " (Epiphany). " Cus' born " (harvest of potatoes) and " Jahrgang ", word of the Walloon malmédien… indicating the meeting again of a school class… But at all events, there is not a true festival with Malmedy without Rimê Walloon E , speech or poems as a Walloon. And wink with their history, Malmédiens chose to honor to them " major membership of the Wallonia to double the names of the streets and the instructions on the parking meters " in Walloon. For a few years, the Confrérie of the Giant Omelet has invited you, at the time of the festivals of the August 15th to come to taste a giant omelet of 10 000 eggs, made in a giant frying pan 4 meters in diameter.

Specialities

Kisses of Malmedy: Meringue S natures or furnished with fresh cream
Waffles with the fresh cream
Tart with the bilberries
the Russian salad (carnavalesque period)

Bonds

the communal site
Mâm' dî.net
Historic insight of Malmedy by Robert Christophe
Art and history
December 1944 by Gotti Laurent
Photographs carnival by Dominic Jacob
Malmedy: Regional gathering the students inhabitant of Li2ege originating in the area malmédienne.

Malmédiennes personalities

Architect Henry Cunibert
Abbot Nicolas Pietkin

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