Бапаум қаласы: тарихы мен географиясы

Bapaume bapom (original Dutch name Batpalmen) is a commune in the Pas de Calais department in the Hauts de France region of northern France.

Bapaume is a farming and light industrial town located some 23 km south by south east of Arras and 50 km north east of Amiens. Access to the commune is by the D 917 road from Ervillers in the north which passes through the commune in a zig zag then continues south east to Beaulencourt. The D 930 goes east by north east to Frémicourt. The D 929 branches off the D 917 at the edge of the commune and goes south west to Warlencourt Eaucourt. The A1 autoroute passes south down the eastern edge of the commune and serves the city by the exit 14.

Bapaume has been called the Seuil de Bapaume (Bapaume threshold) due to its position as a crossing point between Artois and the Flanders plain on one side, and the Somme valley and the Paris Basin on the other. From the mid 11th century there was a Bapaume toll which was revised in 1202 and again in 1442. Many roads pass through Bapaume, both old roads between the two regions then the autoroute (1965) and the TGV (1993). In the 19th century, however, the city council opposed the passage through its territory of the Paris–Lille railway. This position was regretted by 1859 when the municipality called for the construction of a railway linking Achiet le Grand (on the Paris Lille route) to Bapaume with animal traction (possibly they were afraid of steam). The first section of the Achiet–Marcoing railway linked the two communes and was commissioned in 1871, with steam traction. The line was later extended to Marcoing. The TGV came to the town in 1993.

Bapaume (Batpalmen or Bapalmen in Flemish) means "beat your palms" in the sense of "suffering" because of the poverty of the land or some past devastation.

The current city is not in its original location. During the Gallic period the town was located some 1500 m to the west near an abundant source: the source of the Sensée river. During the Roman Empire the town prospered as it was next to the road linking Bavay to Amiens. This period lasted about three centuries. The barbarian invasions of 255–280 totally destroyed this first Bapaume. Under the Late Roman Empire the city was rebuilt in the same place by Batavi settlers who were enlisted as soldier farmers. Defensive mounds were built around the site of the current Bapaume and the road from Arras to Saint Quentin and Péronne was diverted to pass near the defences. This town was called Helena and was the place where Aetius repulsed the Frankish invasion attempt in 448. This invasion was successful in 454 and ended the Roman presence. During the following centuries the city was devastated several times. The Franks built a castle on the Roman mound as the area was inhabited by bandits who hid in the Arrouaise forest. A bandit called Bérenger seized the castle by a ruse and made his mark on it. After his death the people of Helluin (Helena) came to shelter near the fort and thus Bapaume was born. Helluin disappeared gradually. It is through several excavations at this place that traces of this city were found and its history.

The city gradually grew in importance, the main traffic was not east–west but north–south. To ensure the passage against the bandits a toll was established by the counts of Flanders with soldiers escorting the merchants on the part crossing the Arrouaise Forest and north of the city. Churches were built with this toll. The Lords of Bapaume were subject to the Counts of Flanders. On 28 April 1180 the marriage of Philip Augustus and Isabelle of Hainaut, daughter of Baldwin V was celebrated at Bapaume. Due to this union, in 1191 Bapaume was placed under the control of the King of France.

Philip Augustus returned several times to Bapaume to grant communal charters. The city became independent with the construction of a town hall with a belfry, the creation of a coat of arms and a seal, and a citizens' militia. In 1202 the toll was first revised then a second time in 1291. It was Louis IX of France, in 1237, who attached Bapaume to the County of Artois from under the thumb of Robert d'Artois, his brother, provided it paid homage to the kings of France. The city enjoyed a period of prosperity from the toll and its fine linen weaving (Batiste) by mulquiniers in the countryside. Robert I, Count of Artois was succeeded by Robert II, Count of Artois then Mahaut, Countess of Artois as head of the County of Artois. The nephew of Mahaut called himself Robert III of Artois and claimed the throne for a long time and, in revenge, helped the English. There followed a long period of war and disasters. Countess Mahaut often resided at the castle as she traveled frequently. She had her own room there and undertook numerous fortification works. On her death Bapaume passed to the Count of Flanders in 1330. He undertook major works including a surrounding wall and large ditches around the city in 1335. The entire castle and city was one of the most beautiful fortresses and was called the "Key of Artois". In the 19th century Bapaume was not considered a walled city. The dismantling of fortifications was therefore undertaken in 1847. This was done by the Army as part of maneuvers and experiments with explosives. The walls and bastions were leveled and the ditches were filled. Only the tower and part of the Dauphin bastion are still visible. Work has been done recently to restore the underground galleries and make them available to visit: firstly, the Bastion of Reyne south east of the city and then, on the other side, the Dauphin Bastion. These tunnels served as shelter during the two world wars.

Bapaume society was transformed during the French Revolution. During the Terror, the Castle was not sufficient to imprison citizens suspected of not being favourable to the Revolution. Homes vacated by residents who had fled were requisitioned to serve as prisons. Joseph Le Bon came to the commune revive the actions of the revolutionary committee. The city was the capital of the district from 1790 to 1795.

The Battle of Bapaume was fought on 2 and 3 January 1871 during the Franco Prussian War of 1870 on the territories of Biefvillers lès Bapaume and Bapaume. General Louis Léon César Faidherbe at the head of the Northern Army stopped the Prussians.

During World War II Bapaume was again an area of intense fighting. The mayor, Abel Guidet, was a member of the Resistance and was arrested and deported to the camp of Gross Rosen where he died on 27 November 1944. Since 1948 there has been a monument showing the moment of his arrest to honour his memory. At the Town Hall are an urn with soil from Groß Rosen and a painting featuring the Mayor.

There is a Centre of Detention which is particularly known for being the last detention centre that hosted Lucien Léger (1937–2008) who was the oldest prisoner in France (and Europe) and stayed there for several years until his release in 2005.

The town hall with its current belfry was built in 1931 and 1932 with architecture similar to the previous building built in 1610 and destroyed in 1917. The first belfry was built in the 12th century according to charters that had been issued to the city of Bapaume. Subsequently, the building became too small and aldermen obtained permission to extend it in 1374. Because of the wars that followed the belfry became dangerous and was demolished in 1537. A new belfry was started in 1583 but after many vicissitudes the building was built then destroyed and it was Philip II of Spain in 1590 who authorized the construction of a new building which was completed in 1610. It had columns and arches on the façade similar to the Arras Town Hall. For its construction the Bapaume aldermen had authorisation to establish a right of passage.

A statue of Louis Faidherbe was dedicated on 27 September 1891 and originally sculpted by Louis Noël. On 29 September 1916 the statue was requisitioned by the Germans who believed it was bronze and the statue disappeared. The pedestal, pitted by shrapnel, remained empty for 13 years. It was not until 1926 that the town decided to ask the sculptor Déchin, stepson of Louis Noël, from Paris to recreate the statue from the original plans. The new monument was inaugurated on 18 August 1929 by Paul Painlevé, Minister of War. During the redevelopment of the square in 1997 the statue was moved a few metres lower on 26 September.

A monument was erected in front of the town hall in memory of Albert Taillandier and Raoul Briquet who were killed in the explosion of the Town Hall on 25 March 1917. They were both elected representatives of Pas de Calais but of different parties: Taillandier was a Conservative while Briquet was a Socialist. They were on an inspection mission to the front on behalf of the National Assembly of France and wished to spend the night in the building but they were trapped and killed by the explosion. Ernst Jünger wrote in his Storm of Steel that the explosion was caused by an Improvised explosive device (IED) that had been left by retreating German troops.

This structure consists of a stone wall, topped by a pediment decorated with the coat of arms of the city, bordered on either side of a balustrade. Under the pediment above the three column list of soldiers killed in 1914–1918 are the words "Pro Patria" in large size followed by the text "La ville de Bapaume à ses enfants" (The city of Bapaume to its children). Further down on the side there is a standing woman with a child clearly symbolizing a widow and an orphan. The woman, hair partially covered with a veil which descends down her back until mid legs, has her right arm raised to designate a name using a palm held in her hand. She has, in a sign of protection, her left hand placed on the left shoulder of the child who, in short pants, head high, and confident, holds a beret in his right hand and holding a wreath around the left forearm. The bottom section of the monument contains a list in four columns of the missing from the 1939–1945 war.

A Motte and bailey castle. Nothing is left of the old castle other than sections of wall from the fortifications of the city. The site itself has retained its crater shape and was converted into a green park and place for walking. This site is nicknamed "Le Donjon" (The Dungeon) by the people of Bapaume. The Australian War Cemetery has an area of 459 m2 with 88 graves from the First World War. This cemetery was opened in March 1917 by the 3rd Australian Casualty Clearing Station and used until June 1917. In April and May 1918 23 German graves were added.