1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
Pont-à-Mousson (French pronunciation:[pɔ̃.t‿a.musɔ̃]) is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselledepartment in north-eastern France. Its inhabitants are known as Mussipontains in French. It is an industrial town (mainly steel industry), situated on the river Moselle. Pont-à-Mousson has several historical monuments, including the 18th century Premonstratensian abbey.
Demographics
In 2018, 14,434 people lived in the town, while its agglomeration had a population of 23,824.[3]
Historical population
Year
Pop.
±%
1793
6,428
—
1800
6,738
+4.8%
1806
7,000
+3.9%
1821
7,005
+0.1%
1831
7,039
+0.5%
1836
7,261
+3.2%
1841
7,131
−1.8%
1846
7,140
+0.1%
1851
7,079
−0.9%
1856
7,709
+8.9%
1861
8,115
+5.3%
1872
8,211
+1.2%
1876
10,970
+33.6%
1881
11,293
+2.9%
1886
11,585
+2.6%
1891
11,595
+0.1%
1896
12,701
+9.5%
1901
12,847
+1.1%
Year
Pop.
±%
1906
13,543
+5.4%
1911
14,009
+3.4%
1921
8,891
−36.5%
1926
11,726
+31.9%
1931
12,646
+7.8%
1936
11,343
−10.3%
1946
10,239
−9.7%
1954
11,416
+11.5%
1962
12,802
+12.1%
1968
13,406
+4.7%
1975
14,830
+10.6%
1982
14,942
+0.8%
1990
14,645
−2.0%
1999
14,592
−0.4%
2007
14,065
−3.6%
2012
15,053
+7.0%
2017
14,228
−5.5%
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During the seventeenth century the university of Pont-à-Mousson grew rapidly until there were about 2,000 students. There were four faculties covering theology, the arts, law and medicine. Students were drawn from across western and central Europe. Over time a rivalry grew up between students in the St Martin district, located on the right-bank of the river Moselle and dominated by Jesuits, and the left-bank students based in the St Laurent quarter and considered the rowdier of the two student tribes. Rivalry peaked with the violent "printers' battles" when the rival factions were known respectively as the "Ponti Mussoni" and the "Mussiponti". The "Mussiponti" won, and in the region the inhabitants of the town became known thereafter as "Mussipontains/Mussipontines".
18th and 19th centuries
The Duchy of Lorraine became French following the death in 1766 of Duke Stanisław Leszczyński, and in 1769 Louis XV had the Jesuit Academy transferred to Nancy. The only notable educational establishment remaining at Pont-à-Mousson was a military training school.
The town continued to flourish as a centre of the visual arts, however, rivalling Épinal to the south in this respect. A papier-mâché factory also contributed to the cultural development of Pont-à-Mousson.
It was the regional capital between 1790 and 1795, but underwent extensive destruction in the ensuing wars, and was subject to foreign occupation in 1814 and 1815. During the Franco-Prussian War it experienced severe street fighting.
Pont-à-Mousson Company
The Pont-à-Mousson Company (PAM) was created in 1856 by a group of Lorraine businessmen to operate the Marbache iron mine and to use the ore to manufacture cast iron.[6] Xavier Rogé was the manager. In 1862 the enterprise was liquidated due to lack of sufficient capital to cover the high investment expenses. Rogé managed to raise capital in the Saarland and restart the business, selling most of its production to forges in the Ardennes and Champagne.
In 1866, Rogé visited England and became aware of the new and promising market for cast-iron water pipes. He focused the company on pipe production, and found a ready market when cities began to make large investment in water supply after 1871.[7] He adopted the English method of casting pipes in vertical rather than horizontal moulds.[8] He was succeeded by Camille Cavallier, who transformed the moderately sized cast iron pipe manufacturer into a giant, always concentrating on making pipes. Annual cast iron production rose from 80,000 to 183,000 tons between 1900 and 1913.[7]
The company, later known as Saint-Gobain PAM is still producing ductile cast iron pipes and fittings for drinking water, irrigation and sewage applications; its logo still reflects the multi-arched bridge over the river.[9] The plant of Pont-à-Mousson, having its 160th anniversary in 2016, is the largest employer in the city, with an average 1000 employees spread among two plants, a research center and the headquarters of the company.
20th century
Strategically positioned at an important river crossing, Pont-à-Mousson and the surrounding region saw terrible fighting during the twentieth century wars between France and Germany. In the World War Ifighting at Bois-le-Prêtre, Croix des Carmes, and Grand-Couronné are names that recall savage fighting between French and German soldiers. The town suffered further destruction in 1944, before being liberated by the U.S. Third Army under the command of Lieutenant General George S. Patton, supported by an active local resistance movement.
Gaston-Breton, Tristan (8 August 2005), "Camille Cavallier", Les Echos, Ces innovateurs ou ces aventuriers qui ont transforme l'economie, retrieved 29 August 2017
Vuillemin, Jean (October 2002), "Camille Cavallier", Arts et Métiers Magazine (in French), Fondation des Arts et Métiers, archived from the original on 29 August 2017, retrieved 29 August 2017
