Malmedy

Malmedy
Malmedy from the south
Flag
Malmedy Location in Belgium
Coordinates: 50°25′N 06°01′E / 50.417°N 6.017°E / 50.417; 6.017
Country	Belgium
Region	Wallonia
Community	French Community
Province	Liège
Arrondissement	Verviers
Government
- Mayor	André Denis
Area
- Total	99.96 km2 (38.6 sq mi)
Population (1 January 2010)[1]
- Total	12,161
- Density	121.7/km2 (315.1/sq mi)
Postal codes	4960
Area codes	080
Website	http://malmedy.be
Map of Malmedy

Malmedy (German obsolete Malmünd) is a municipality of Belgium. It lies in the country's Walloon Region, Province of Liège. It belongs to the French Community of Belgium, within which it is French-speaking with facilities for German-speakers. On January 1, 2006 Malmedy had a total population of 11,829. The total area is 99.96 km² which gives a population density of 118 inhabitants per km².

History

Malmedy Cathedral, built in 1777

Malmedy Abbey, founded in 648, the sister of Stavelot Abbey

Plaque next to the shelter where civilians had been hiding during the bombings of 23,24,25 December 1944

Malmedy, central square

Some old sources spell the city's name "Malmédy" as this accent was intentionally added when being part of Prussia and Germany, but its official website lists it as "Malmedy", with no accent. In 1919 the city was annexed by the treaty of Versailles from Germany to Belgium, along with the neighboring city of Eupen, it formed an area of a German speaking community of Belgium. From 1940-1945 Malmedy was re-incorporated back into Germany, which was reversed after the war.

Under the complex administrative structures of Belgium, which has separate structures for territorial administration and for language community rights, Malmedy is part of the Walloon Region and of the French Community of Belgium. But since it has a significant German speaking minority, it is one of Belgium's municipalities with language facilities (or "municipalities with facilities"). Malmedy and Waimes are the two municipalities in the Walloon Region with facilities for German speakers. The population of Malmedy is approximately 80% Francophones (French speakers) and 20% German speakers. The variety of German spoken there is Moselle Franconian.

The main church of Malmedy was built in 1777 and served as a cathedral from 1920 to 1925. It still holds the title of cathedral. Malmedy was historically part of a clerical microstate, the Principality of Stavelot-Malmedy, but was annexed by France in 1795 and by Prussia in 1815.^[2]

After World War I

At the end of the First World War, Malmedy and neighbouring Eupen were subject to a plebiscite to determine whether the region would be separated from Germany and annexed to Belgium. The plebiscite ballots required registration of the names and addresses of the pro-German voters (the others were assumed to be pro-Belgian), and the German-speaking population of Eupen and Malmedy was intimidated.^{[citation needed]} Both were formally annexed on March 6, 1925.

World War II

In 1944, during the Battle of the Bulge, the area was the site of the Malmedy massacre, where 84 American prisoners of war were executed by German SS troops. Moreover, on 23, 24 and 25 December 1944 the city was bombed repeatedly by the United States Army Air Forces despite the fact it was actually under control of U.S. troops. Approximately 200 civilians were killed in the tragic attacks, while the number of American casualties has never been revealed by the United States Department of Defense.

See also

• Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, which also has a corner named after Malmedy - actually: part of the circuit is on Malmedy ground

References

1. ^ Population per municipality on 1 January 2010 (XLS; 221 KB)
2. ^ Jean Finot. New York Times, May 30, 1915.

External links

• (French) (German) (English) (Dutch) Ville de Malmedy (Belgique), official website of the city of Malmedy.
• Pictures from carnival Dominic Jacob
• (French) Recettes Liegeoises et Ardennaises, Recipes from Malmedy and the Liege/Ardennes region.
• (French) L'Etat belgique; données linguistiques