Balan, Ardennes

Balan
Commune
War memorial and town hall
War memorial and town hall
Coat of arms of Balan
Coat of arms
Location of Balan
Map
Balan is located in France
Balan
Balan
Balan is located in Grand Est
Balan
Balan
Coordinates: 49°41′23″N 4°57′40″E / 49.6897°N 4.9611°E / 49.6897; 4.9611
CountryFrance
RegionGrand Est
DepartmentArdennes
ArrondissementSedan
CantonSedan-3
IntercommunalityCA Ardenne Métropole
Government
 • Mayor (2020–2026) Alban Collinet[1]
Area
1
4.65 km2 (1.80 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)[2]
1,612
 • Density350/km2 (900/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
08043 /08200
Elevation158 m (518 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Balan (French pronunciation: [balɑ̃]) is a commune in the Ardennes department in the Grand Est region of northern France.

The commune has been awarded three flowers by the National Council of Towns and Villages in Bloom in the Competition of cities and villages in Bloom.[3]

Geography

Balan is located just east of Sedan and north-east of Bazeilles. Access to the commune is by the D8043A road from Sedan which continues south-east to Bazeilles. The D17 also passes through the town and continues east to Rubécourt-et-Lamécourt. The Route nationale N43 (E46) highway passes through the commune with the nearest exit being Exit  3  just south-east of the commune. Much of the central area of the commune is urban with the northern part farmland and some forest.[4]

The Meuse river forms the south-western border of the commune as it flows north through Sedan.

Neighbouring communes and villages

History

From 1560 to 1642 Balan was part of the Principality of Sedan.

Heraldry

Arms of Balan
Arms of Balan
 Blazon:

Party per pale, first Azure a chevron of Or; second Argent, a fess of Gules charged with a mullet of Or between 2 martlets of Sable.



Administration

List of Successive Mayors[5]

Mayors from the 16th century to 1935
From To Name
1560 1574 Robert de la Tour
1574 Jean Foulon
1727 1730 Nicolas Gouveno
1730 1738 Noizet
1738 1739 Louis Halma
1739 1757 Jean Halma
1757 1759 Servais Godfroi
1759 1767 Henri Beuvart
1767 1786 Jean-Baptiste Thiéry
1786 1790 Claude Pierret
1790 1802 Gibou Valdory
1802 1812 Jacques Rognon
1812 1816 Branchu
1816 1821 de Bovier
1821 1837 Hourbette Malicet
1837 1848 Renard Maissin
1848 1850 Hourbette
1850 1852 Thiriet
1852 1856 Branchu
1856 1867 Lambert Plaisance
1867 1875 Martin Gourdet
1875 1890 Jean-Baptiste Somveille
1890 1891 Appolon Gombo
1891 1895 Onézime Crepel
1895 1898 Charles François Bonhomme
1898 Eugène Oudet
1913 Emile Bonneville
1913 Jules Michaux
1919 André Bazeille
1934 1935 Edouard Taltasse
Mayors from 1995
From To Name
1995 2020 André Drouard
2020 current Alban Collinet

Demography

The inhabitants of the commune are known as Balanais or Balanaises in French.[6]

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1793 632—    
1800 646+0.31%
1806 662+0.41%
1821 811+1.36%
1831 1,068+2.79%
1836 1,196+2.29%
1841 1,115−1.39%
1846 1,245+2.23%
1851 1,274+0.46%
1866 1,510+1.14%
1872 1,545+0.38%
1876 1,736+2.96%
1881 1,676−0.70%
1886 1,693+0.20%
1891 1,606−1.05%
1896 1,496−1.41%
1901 1,458−0.51%
YearPop.±% p.a.
1906 1,432−0.36%
1911 1,400−0.45%
1921 1,299−0.75%
1926 1,335+0.55%
1931 1,351+0.24%
1936 1,410+0.86%
1946 1,214−1.49%
1954 1,344+1.28%
1962 1,518+1.53%
1968 1,461−0.64%
1975 1,419−0.42%
1982 1,376−0.44%
1990 1,568+1.65%
1999 1,612+0.31%
2007 1,653+0.31%
2012 1,591−0.76%
2017 1,618+0.34%
Source: EHESS[7] and INSEE[8]

Culture and heritage

The Bonhomme Spinning Mill

Civil heritage

The commune has several buildings and sites that are registered as historical monuments:

  • The Bonhomme Spinning Mill (Now a Community Hall) (19th century)[9]
  • The Godchaux Weaving Mill (Now a Warehouse) (20th century)[10]
  • The Stackler Textile Works (Now a Business incubator) (19th century)[11]
  • The Bazaille Chard Plant (1906)[12]

Notable people linked to the commune

See also

References

  1. ^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires" (in French). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 13 September 2022.
  2. ^ "Populations légales 2021" (in French). The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
  3. ^ Balan, Ardennes in the Competition for Towns and Villages in Bloom Archived December 10, 2014, at the Wayback Machine (in French)
  4. ^ Google Maps
  5. ^ List of Mayors of France (in French)
  6. ^ Le nom des habitants du 08 - Ardennes, habitants.fr
  7. ^ Des villages de Cassini aux communes d'aujourd'hui: Commune data sheet Balan, EHESS (in French).
  8. ^ Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE
  9. ^ Ministry of Culture, Mérimée IA08000321 Bonhomme Spinning Mill (in French)
  10. ^ Ministry of Culture, Mérimée IA08000322 Godchaux Weaving Mill (in French)
  11. ^ Ministry of Culture, Mérimée IA08000323 Stackler Textile Works (in French)
  12. ^ Ministry of Culture, Mérimée IA08000324 Bazaille Chard Plant (in French)
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