Givet

Around St. Hilary's Church and Charlemont Fort

Coat of arms

Givet

Location within Grand Est region

Givet

Coordinates: 50°08′20″N 4°49′30″E / 50.1389°N 4.825°ECoordinates: 50°08′20″N 4°49′30″E / 50.1389°N 4.825°E

Country

Givet

Ardennes Rives de Meuse

Government

• Mayor (2008–2014)

Claude Wallendorff

Area¹

18.41 km² (7.11 sq mi)

Population (2008)²

6,736

• Density

370/km² (950/sq mi)

Time zone

CET (UTC+1)

• Summer (DST)

CEST (UTC+2)

INSEE/Postal code

08190 / 08600

Elevation

103–124 m (338–407 ft)
(avg. 124 m or 407 ft)

Website

givet.fr

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.

Givet (French pronunciation: [ʒi.vɛ]) is a commune in the Ardennes department in northern France very close to the Belgian border. It lies on the river Meuse where Emperor Charles V built the fortress of Charlemont. It borders the French municipalities of Fromelennes to the east and Rancennes to the south and Foisches to the southeast.

Later on, another building was added to the fort, the Caserne Rougé, the longest barracks of France at that time, named after Pierre François, Marquis de Rougé, general of the French armies k.a. 1761.

The town's history claims that Saint Hubert lived there in 720 and performed a miracle. The town has changed hands several times since the Roman era before becoming part of France in 1678, and was later invaded by Russians and Germans.

In World War II, Givet was occupied by the Germans on May 12, 1940. The city was liberated September 7, 1944. By December 1944, 11,000 American soldiers were billeted in the ancient Charlemont fortress. The German Ardennes Offensive targeted Givet and its crossing of the Meuse. The British, under Montgomery, organized a last-ditch defense, and on 24 December, the German drive was stopped about 10 kilometers from Givet.

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Wikipedia