Bry's name comes from the Celtic word Briw, which means a bridge or a river crossing. The area has been inhabited since Neolithic times.[3] The town's motto, which features on its coat of arms, is "Moult viel que Paris" - old French for "Much older than Paris".[4]
In 1903, archeologist Adrien Mentienne uncovered the bones of a large bovine which died 15,000 years ago. In 1982, the skeleton of a woman who died in the 5th century BC was uncovered beneath the playground of a school in Bry. It is now housed in the town's museum.
From that century onwards, there was a permanent human presence where Bry now stands. In 1886, a necropolis was found which contained pottery, Gaul and Frankish weaponry, silver and gold jewelry, and coins, dating from the Gaul era to the Merovingian. The first known written mention of the town named Bry was in a charter signed by King Charles the Bald in 861.
The first church was built in 1130.
From the feudal era to modern times
In 1404, Robert de Châtillon, cousin of King Charles VI, was Bry's feudal lord. His castle no longer stands, and its exact location is uncertain. Bry's current château was built in the 1690s. It became the town hall in 1866. It was rebuilt after the Franco-Prussian War of 1870.
The railway came to Bry in 1926, followed by the motorway (1970) and the RER (1977). The town's hospital was built in 1936.[5]
Population
Historical population
Year
Pop.
±% p.a.
1793
425
—
1800
417
−0.27%
1806
414
−0.12%
1821
358
−0.96%
1831
379
+0.57%
1836
378
−0.05%
1841
362
−0.86%
1846
387
+1.34%
1851
412
+1.26%
1856
411
−0.05%
1861
703
+11.33%
1866
845
+3.75%
1872
917
+1.37%
1876
972
+1.47%
1881
1,050
+1.56%
1886
1,330
+4.84%
1891
1,437
+1.56%
1896
1,699
+3.41%
Year
Pop.
±% p.a.
1901
2,125
+4.58%
1906
2,733
+5.16%
1911
2,949
+1.53%
1921
3,468
+1.63%
1926
4,417
+4.96%
1931
5,166
+3.18%
1936
5,182
+0.06%
1946
5,100
−0.16%
1954
6,660
+3.39%
1962
9,046
+3.90%
1968
11,672
+4.34%
1975
12,270
+0.72%
1982
12,168
−0.12%
1990
13,826
+1.61%
1999
15,000
+0.91%
2007
15,183
+0.15%
2012
16,319
+1.45%
2017
16,624
+0.37%
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The commune has one public preschool, Maternelle Jules Ferry; three combined public preschools and elementary schools, La Pépinière, Paul Barilliet, and Louis Daguerre; as well as one public elementary school, Henri Cahn.[8] The commune has a public junior high school, Collège Henri Cahn.[9]
The commune also has a private elementary through junior high school, Institut Saint Thomas de Villeneuve.[10]
There are multiple public senior high schools in surrounding communes:
Bry's most treasured artwork is a diorama painted by Louis Daguerre.[17][18] The painting changes as each day wears on, mimicking daylight and night-time; the painted candlesticks light up at night. It is kept in the local church.
^"Lycée Louis ARMAND." Bry-sur-Marne. Retrieved on September 3, 2016. The "Hôtel de Ville" is not the school address, but the address of the Bry-sur-Marne town hall.
^"Lycée Hector Berlioz." Bry-sur-Marne. Retrieved on September 3, 2016. The "Hôtel de Ville" is not the school address, but the address of the Bry-sur-Marne town hall.
