Inhabitants are called Saint-Germanois or Saint-Germinois. With its elegant tree-lined streets it is one of the more affluent suburbs of Paris, combining both high-end leisure spots and exclusive residential neighborhoods (see the Golden Triangle of the Yvelines).
Saint-Germain-en-Laye is a sub-prefecture of the department. Because it includes the National Forest of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, it covers approximately 48 km2 (19 sq mi), making it the largest commune in the Yvelines. It occupies a large loop of the Seine. Saint-Germain-en-Laye lies at one of the western termini of Line A of the RER.
In 1688, James II of England exiled himself to the city after being deposed from the throne in what has become known as the Glorious Revolution. He spent the remainder of his days there, and died on 16 September 1701.[3]
Prior to the French Revolution in 1789, it had been a royal town and the Château de Saint-Germain the residence of numerous French monarchs. The old château was constructed in 1348 by King Charles V on the foundations of an old castle (château-fort) dating from 1238 in the time of Saint Louis. Francis I was responsible for its subsequent restoration. In 1862, Napoleon III set up the Musée des Antiquités Nationales in the erstwhile royal château. This museum has exhibits ranging from Paleolithic to Celtic times. The "Dame de Brassempouy" sculpted on a mammoth's ivory tusk around 23,000 years ago is the most famous exhibit in the museum.
Kings Henry IV and Louis XIII left their mark on the town. Louis XIV was born in the château (the city's coat of arms consequently shows a cradle and the date of his birth), and established Saint-Germain-en-Laye as his principal residence from 1661 to 1681. Louis XIV turned over the château to James VII & II of Scotland and England after his exile from Britain after the Glorious Revolution in 1688. James lived in the Château for 13 years, and his daughter Louisa Maria Stuart was born in exile here in 1692. James II is buried in the parish church.
Saint-Germain-en-Laye is famous for its 2.4-kilometre (1.5 mi) long stone terrace built by André Le Nôtre from 1669 to 1673. The terrace provides a view over the valley of the Seine and, in the distance, Paris. During the French Revolution, the name was changed along with many other places whose names held connotations of religion or royalty. Temporarily, Saint-Germain-en-Laye became Montagne-du-Bon-Air. During his reign, Napoleon I established his cavalry officers training school in the Château-Vieux.
One of the German bunkers built in 1942
The Treaty of Saint-Germain was signed in 1919 and was applied on 16 July 1920. The treaty officially registered the breakup of the Habsburg empire, which recognized the independence of Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary, and the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (Yugoslavia).[4]
During the occupation from 1940 to 1944, the town was the headquarters of the Oberbefehlshaber West, the commander of the German armed forces on the Western Front.[5] It has been called "the most occupied city in France."[6]
On 1 January 2019, the former commune Fourqueux was merged into Saint-Germain-en-Laye.[7]
The parish church, which is dedicated to Germain of Paris, was originally constructed in the eleventh century, and the present building (the fourth on the site) was built in the 1820s in a Neoclassical style, with six Tuscan columns supporting a pediment on the main façade. The church houses the mausoleum of James II of England and was visited by Queen Victoria in 1855.[8]
The population data in the table and graph below refer to the commune of Saint-Germain-en-Laye proper, in its geography at the given years. The population of Fourqueux, absorbed in 2019, is not included.
Historical population
Year
Pop.
±% p.a.
1793
13,400
—
1800
8,954
−5.60%
1806
9,798
+1.51%
1821
10,291
+0.33%
1831
10,671
+0.36%
1836
10,951
+0.52%
1841
13,618
+4.46%
1846
13,488
−0.19%
1851
12,527
−1.47%
1856
14,283
+2.66%
1861
15,708
+1.92%
1866
17,478
+2.16%
1872
22,862
+4.58%
1876
17,199
−6.87%
1881
15,790
−1.69%
1886
16,312
+0.65%
1891
14,262
−2.65%
1896
16,489
+2.94%
Year
Pop.
±% p.a.
1901
17,297
+0.96%
1906
17,288
−0.01%
1911
18,344
+1.19%
1921
20,008
+0.87%
1926
22,180
+2.08%
1931
21,996
−0.17%
1936
22,539
+0.49%
1946
22,013
−0.24%
1954
29,429
+3.70%
1962
34,621
+2.05%
1968
38,308
+1.70%
1975
37,509
−0.30%
1982
38,499
+0.37%
1990
39,926
+0.46%
1999
38,423
−0.43%
2007
41,517
+0.97%
2012
39,476
−1.00%
2017
40,765
+0.64%
Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. Updates on reimplementing the Graph extension, which will be known as the Chart extension, can be found on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org.
On 6 July 2022 the Île-de-France tramway Line 13 Express opened, serving the two former Grande Ceinture Ouest station, as well as two additional stations within Saint-Germain-en-Laye.[13][14]
The Achères–Grand-Cormier station is also situated within the Saint-Germain-en-Laye commune. It is served by the Paris RER line A and the Transilien Paris – Saint-Lazare suburban rail line. The station is located in the middle of the Forest of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, far from the urbanized part of the commune.
Sport
Football
Saint-Germain-en-Laye has a proud footballing history. From 1904 to 1970, it was represented by Stade Saint-Germain, but following a 1970 merger with Paris FC, became Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). PSG is a top-flight football team that is the most successful team in France in terms of trophies.[15]
Sporting facilities
There is one main sporting facility in Saint-Germain-en-Laye: the Stade Municipal Georges Lefèvre. It covers over 12 hectares and contains:
– 5 football pitches
– 3 stands
– 1 athletic track
– 22 tennis courts
– 1 clubhouse
– 1 multibeach terrain
[16]
Economy
Capcom Entertainment France, a Capcom subsidiary, has its head office in Saint-Germain-en-Laye.[17]
As of 2016[update] the schools in this commune had 20,581 students, with 7,300 of them living in Saint-Germain-en-Laye. There is a high ratio of overall students to town inhabitants. The municipal nursery and primary schools have 3,549 students. 1,026 students attend private schools in the commune.
Schools
As of 2016[update] the municipality operates ten nursery schools and nine primary schools.[18]
The Lycée International de Saint Germain-en-Laye is a hybrid public/private international school.[18] It teaches children from nursery to high school age, who follow both the public French curriculum and an international program. There are 14 language program options, some of which are public and others private.
