Château-Thierry | ||
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Subprefecture and commune | ||
Town hall
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Coordinates: 49°02′N 3°24′E / 49.04°N 3.40°ECoordinates: 49°02′N 3°24′E / 49.04°N 3.40°E | ||
Country | France | |
Region | Hauts-de-France | |
Department | Aisne | |
Arrondissement | Château-Thierry | |
Canton | Château-Thierry | |
Intercommunality | Château-Thierry | |
Government | ||
• Mayor (2008–2014) | Jacque Krabal | |
Area1 | 16.55 km2 (6.39 sq mi) | |
Population (2012)2 | 14,329 | |
• Density | 870/km2 (2,200/sq mi) | |
Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | |
• Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | |
INSEE/Postal code | 02168 /02400 | |
Elevation | 59–222 m (194–728 ft) (avg. 63 m or 207 ft) |
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1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. 2Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once. |
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
Château-Thierry (French: [ʃato tjeʁi]) is a French commune situated in the department of the Aisne, in the administrative region of Hauts-de-France and in the historic Province of Champagne.
The origin of the name of the town is unknown. The local tradition attributes it to Theuderic IV, the penultimate Merovingian king, who was imprisoned by Charles Martel, without a reliable source. Château-Thierry is the birthplace of Jean de La Fontaine and was the location of the First Battle of the Marne and Second Battle of the Marne. The region of Château-Thierry (the arrondissement, to be exact) is called the country of Omois. Château-Thierry is one of 64 French towns to have received the Legion of Honour.
In the late years of the western Roman empire, a small town called Otmus was settled on a site where the Soissons-Troyes road crossed the Marne river.
During the 8th century, Charles Martel kept king Theuderic IV prisoner in the castle of Otmus. At this time, the town took the name of Castrum Theodorici, later transformed in Château-Thierry (Castle of Thierry, Thierry is the French or early Roman language translation of Theuderic).