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Lille

Lille (, ; Rijsel ; Lile; Rysel) is a city in the northern part of France, within French Flanders. Positioned along the Deûle river, near France's border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France region, the prefecture of the Nord department, and the main city of the European Metropolis of Lille.

The city of Lille proper had a population of 236,234 in 2020 within its small municipal territory of 35 km², but together with its French suburbs and exurbs the Lille metropolitan area (French part only), which extends over 1666 km2, had a population of 1,515,061 that same year (Jan. 2020 census), the fourth most populated in France after Paris, Lyon, and Marseille. The city of Lille and 94 suburban French municipalities have formed since 2015 the European Metropolis of Lille, an indirectly elected metropolitan authority now in charge of wider metropolitan issues, with a population of 1,182,250 at the Jan. 2020 census.

More broadly, Lille belongs to a vast conurbation formed with the Belgian cities of Mouscron, Kortrijk, Tournai and Menin, which gave birth in January 2008 to the Eurometropolis Lille–Kortrijk–Tournai, the first European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation (EGTC), which has more than 2.1 million inhabitants.

Nicknamed in France the "Capital of Flanders", Lille and its surroundings belong to the historical region of Romance Flanders, a former territory of the county of Flanders that is not part of the linguistic area of West Flanders. A garrison town (as evidenced by its Citadel), Lille has had an eventful history from the Middle Ages to the French Revolution. Very often besieged during its history, it belonged successively to the Kingdom of France, the Burgundian State, the Holy Roman Empire of Germany and the Spanish Netherlands before being definitively attached to the France of Louis XIV following the War of Spanish Succession along with the entire territory making up the historic province of French Flanders. Lille was again under siege in 1792 during the Franco-Austrian War, and in 1914 and 1940. It was severely tested by the two world wars of the 20th century during which it was occupied and suffered destruction.

A merchant city since its origins and a manufacturing city since the 16th century, the Industrial Revolution made it a great industrial capital, mainly around the textile and mechanical industries. Their decline, from the 1960s onwards, led to a long period of crisis and it was not until the 1990s that the conversion to the tertiary sector and the rehabilitation of the disaster-stricken districts gave the city a different face. Today, the historic center, Old Lille, is characterized by its 17th-century red brick town houses, its paved pedestrian streets and its central Grand'Place. The belfry of the Hôtel de ville de Lille (Lille City Hall) is one of the 23 belfries in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais and Somme regions that were classified as UNESCO World Heritage Sites in July 2005, in recognition of their architecture and importance to the rise of municipal power in Europe.

The construction of the brand-new Euralille business district in 1988 (now the third largest in France) and the arrival of the TGV and then the Eurostar in 1994 put Lille at the heart of the major European capitals. The development of its international airport, annual events such as the Braderie de Lille in early September (attracting three million visitors), the development of a student and university center (with more than 110,000 students, the third largest in France behind Paris and Lyon), its ranking as a European Capital of Culture in 2004 and the events of Lille 2004 (European Capital of Culture) and Lille 3000 are the main symbols of this revival. The European metropolis of Lille was awarded the "World Design Capital 2020".

Origins
Archeological digs seem to show the area as inhabited by as early as 2000 BC, most notably in the modern quartiers of Fives, Wazemmes and Vieux Lille. The original inhabitants of the region were the Gauls, such as the Menapians, the Morins, the Atrebates and the Nervians, who were followed by Germanic peoples: the Saxons, the Frisians and the Franks.

The legend of "Lydéric and Phinaert" puts the foundation of the city of Lille at 640. In the 8th century, the language of Old Low Franconian was spoken, as attested by toponymic research. Lille's Dutch name is Rijsel, which comes from ter ijsel (at the island) from Middle Dutch ijssel ("small island, islet"), calque of Old French l'Isle ("the Island"), itself from Latin Īnsula, from īnsula ("island").

From 830 to around 910, the Vikings invaded Flanders. After the destruction caused by Normans' and the Magyars' invasion, the eastern part of the region was ruled by various local princes.

The first mention of the town dates from 1066: apud Insulam (Latin for "at the island"). It was then controlled by the County of Flanders, as were the regional cities (the Roman cities Boulogne, Arras, Cambrai as well as the Carolingian cities Valenciennes, Saint-Omer, Ghent and Bruges). The County of Flanders thus extended to the left bank of the Scheldt, one of the richest and most prosperous regions of Europe.

Middle Ages
The Carolingian duke Évrard lived in the city in the 9th century and participated in many of the day's political and military affairs. There was an important Battle of Lille in 1054. Raimbert of Lille (fl. c. 1100) was an early nominalist who taught at Lille.

From the 12th century, the fame of the Lille cloth fair began to grow. In 1144 Saint-Sauveur parish was formed, which would give its name to the modern-day quartier Saint-Sauveur.

The counts of Flanders, Boulogne, and Hainaut came together with England and East Frankia and tried to regain territory taken by Philip II of France following Henry II of England's death, a war that ended with the French victory at Bouvines in 1214. Infante Ferdinand, Count of Flanders was imprisoned and the county fell into dispute: it would be his wife, Jeanne, Countess of Flanders and Constantinople, who ruled the city. She was said to be well loved by the residents of Lille, who by that time numbered 10,000.

In 1225, the street performer and juggler Bertrand Cordel, doubtlessly encouraged by local lords, tried to pass himself off as Baldwin I of Constantinople (the father of Jeanne of Flanders), who had disappeared at the battle of Adrianople. He pushed the counties of Flanders and Hainaut towards sedition against Jeanne in order to recover his land. She called her cousin, Louis VIII ("The Lion"). He unmasked the imposter, whom Countess Jeanne quickly had hanged. In 1226 the king agreed to free Infante Ferdinand, Count of Flanders. Count Ferrand died in 1233, and his daughter Marie soon after. In 1235, Jeanne granted a city charter by which city governors would be chosen each All Saint's Day by four commissioners chosen by the ruler. On 6 February 1236, she founded the Countess's Hospital (Hospice Comtesse). It was in her honour that the hospital of the Regional Medical University of Lille was named "Jeanne of Flanders Hospital" in the 20th century.

The Countess died in 1244 in the Abbey of Marquette, leaving no heirs. The rule of Flanders and Hainaut thus fell to her sister, Margaret II, Countess of Flanders, then to Margaret's son, Guy of Dampierre. Lille fell under the rule of France from 1304 to 1369, after the Franco-Flemish War (1297–1305).

The county of Flanders fell to the Burgundian State next, after the 1369 marriage of Margaret III, Countess of Flanders, and Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy. Lille thus became one of the three capitals of said Duchy, along with Brussels and Dijon. By 1445, Lille counted some 25,000 residents. Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, was even more powerful than the King of France, and made Lille an administrative and financial capital.

On 17 February 1454, one year after the taking of Constantinople by the Turks, Philip the Good organised a Pantagruelian banquet at his Lille palace, the still-celebrated "Feast of the Pheasant". There the Duke and his court undertook an oath to Christianity.

In 1477, at the death of the last duke of Burgundy, Charles the Bold, Mary of Burgundy married Maximilian of Austria, who thus became Count of Flanders.

Early modern era
The 16th and the 17th centuries were marked by a boom in the regional textile industry, the Protestant revolts and outbreaks of the plague.

Lille came under the rule of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V in 1519. The Low Countries fell to his eldest son, Philip II of Spain, in 1555. The city remained under Spanish Habsburg rule until 1668. Calvinism first appeared in the area in 1542, and by 1555, the authorities were taking steps to suppress that form of Protestantism. In 1566, the countryside around Lille was affected by the Iconoclastic Fury. In 1578, the Hurlus, a group of Protestant rebels, stormed the castle of the Counts of Mouscron. They were removed four months later by a Catholic Wallon regiment, and they tried several times between 1581 and 1582 to take the city of Lille, all in vain. The Hurlus were notably held back by the legendary Jeanne Maillotte. At the same time (1581), at the call of Elizabeth I of England, the north of the Seventeen Provinces, having gained a Protestant majority, successfully revolted and formed the Dutch Republic. The war brought or exacerbated periods of famine and plague (the last in 1667–1679).

The first printer to set up shop in Lille was Antoine Tack in 1594. The 17th century saw the building of new institutions: an Irish College in 1610, a Jesuit college in 1611, an Augustinian college in 1622, almshouses or hospitals such as the Maison des Vieux hommes in 1624 and the Bonne et Forte Maison des Pauvres in 1661, and of a Mont-de-piété in 1626.

Unsuccessful French attacks on the city were launched in 1641 and 1645. In 1667, Louis XIV of France (the Sun King) successfully laid siege to Lille, resulting in it becoming French in 1668 under the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, provoking discontent among the citizens of the prosperous city. A number of important public works undertaken between 1667 and 1670, such as the Citadel (erected by Vauban), or the creation of the quartiers of Saint-André and la Madeleine, enabled the French king to gradually gain the confidence of his new subjects in Lille, some of whom continued to feel Flemish, but they had always spoken the Romance Picard language.

For five years, from 1708 to 1713, the city was occupied by the Dutch during the War of the Spanish Succession. Throughout the 18th century, Lille remained profoundly Catholic. It took little part in the French Revolution, but there were riots and the destruction of churches. In 1790, the city held its first municipal elections.

Post-French Revolution
In 1792, in the aftermath of the French Revolution, the Austrians, then in the United Provinces, laid siege to Lille. The "Column of the Goddess", erected in 1842 in the "Grand-Place" (officially named Place du Général-de-Gaulle), is a tribute to the city's resistance, led by Mayor François André-Bonte. Although Austrian artillery destroyed many houses and the main church of the city, the city did not surrender, and the Austrian Army left after eight days.

The city continued to grow and, by 1800, had some 53,000 residents, leading to Lille becoming the seat of the Nord département in 1804. In 1846, a railway connecting Paris and Lille was built. In the early 19th century, Napoleon I's continental blockade against the United Kingdom led to Lille's textile industry developing even more fully. The city was known for its cotton while the nearby towns of Roubaix and Tourcoing worked wool. Leisure activities were thoroughly organised in 1858 for the 80,000 inhabitants. Cabarets or taverns for the working class numbered 1,300, or one for every three houses. At that time the city counted 63 drinking and singing clubs, 37 clubs for card players, 23 for bowling, 13 for skittles, and 18 for archery. The churches likewise have their social organizations. Each club had a long roster of officers, and a busy schedule of banquets festivals and competitions. In 1853, Alexandre Desrousseaux composed his lullaby "P'tit quinquin".

In 1858, Lille annexed the adjacent towns of Esquermes, Fives, Moulins-Lille and Wazemmes. Lille's population was 158,000 in 1872, growing to over 200,000 by 1891. In 1896 Lille became the first city in France to be led by a socialist, Gustave Delory.

By 1912, Lille's population stood at 217,000. The city profited from the Industrial Revolution, particularly via coal and the steam engine. The entire region grew wealthy thanks to its mines and textile industry.

First World War
Lille's occupation by the Germans began on 13 October 1914 after a ten-day siege and heavy shelling, which destroyed 882 apartment and office blocks and 1,500 houses, mostly around the railway station and in the centre. By the end of October, the city was being run by German authorities. Because Lille was only 20 km from the battlefield, German troops passed through the city regularly on their way to and from the front. As a result, occupied Lille became a place for the hospitalisation and the treatment of wounded soldiers as well as a place for soldiers' relaxation and entertainment. Many buildings, homes and businesses were requisitioned to those ends.

Lille was liberated by the Allies on 17 October 1918, when General Sir William Birdwood and his troops were welcomed by joyous crowds. The general was made an honorary citizen of the city of Lille on 28 October.

The only audio recording known to have been made during World War I was recorded near Lille in October 1918. The two-minute recording captured the Royal Garrison Artillery conducting a gas shell bombardment.

Lille was also the hunting ground of the German World War I flying ace Max Immelmann, who was nicknamed "the Eagle of Lille".

Années Folles, Great Depression and Popular Front
In July 1921, at the Pasteur Institute in Lille, Albert Calmette and Camille Guérin discovered the first anti-tuberculosis vaccine, known as BCG ("Bacille de Calmette et Guérin"). The Opéra de Lille, designed by Lille architect Louis M. Cordonnier, was dedicated in 1923.

From 1931, Lille felt the repercussions of the Great Depression, and by 1935, a third of the city's population lived in poverty. In 1936, the city's mayor, Roger Salengro, became Minister of the Interior of the Popular Front but eventually killed himself after right-wing groups led a slanderous campaign against him.

Second World War

During the Battle of France, Lille was besieged by German forces for several days. When Belgium was invaded, the citizens of Lille, still haunted by the events of World War I, began to flee the city in large numbers. Lille was part of the zone under control of the German commander in Brussels, and was never controlled by the Vichy government in France. Lille was instead controlled under the military administration in Northern France. The départements of Nord and Pas-de-Calais (with the exception of the coast, notably Dunkirk) were for the most part liberated from 1 to 5 September 1944, by British, Canadian and Polish troops. On 3 September, German troops began to leave Lille out of fear of the British, who were on their way from Brussels. The city was liberated by a British force consisting largely of tanks.

Rationing came to an end in 1947, and by 1948, normality had returned to Lille.

Postwar
In 1967, the Chamber of Commerce of Lille, Roubaix and Tourcoing were joined, and in 1969 the Communauté urbaine de Lille (Lille urban community) was created, linking 87 communes with Lille.

Throughout the 1960s and the 1970s, the region was faced with some problems after the decline of the coal, mining and textile industries. From the early 1980s, the city began to turn itself more towards the service sector.

Pierre Mauroy served as Mayor of Lille for 28 years from 1973 to 2001. Mauroy was Prime Minister for part of the term of Francois Mitterrand.

In 1983, the VAL, the world's first automated rapid transit underground network, opened. In 1993, a high-speed TGV train line was opened connecting Paris with Lille in one hour. This, with the opening of the Channel Tunnel in 1994 and the arrival of the Eurostar train put Lille at the centre of a triangle connecting Paris, London and Brussels.

Work on Euralille, an urban remodelling project, began in 1991. The Euralille Centre was opened in 1994, and the remodeled district is now full of parks and modern buildings containing offices, shops and apartments. In 1994 the "Grand Palais" was also opened for the general public, which is free for the public to enter on the first Sunday of every month.

21st century
Lille was chosen as a European Capital of Culture in 2004, along with the Italian city of Genoa.

Lille and Roubaix were affected by the 2005 riots, like all of France's other urban centres.

In 2007 and again in 2010, Lille was awarded the label "Internet City".

The Saint-Joseph Chapel of Saint-Paul College was demolished in February 2021.

Climate
Lille can be described as having a temperate oceanic climate; summers normally do not reach high average temperatures, but winters can fall below freezing temperatures, though with averages still above the freezing mark. Precipitation is plentiful year round.

The table below gives average temperatures and precipitation levels for the 1991–2020 reference period.

Environment
Lille is noted for its air pollution, with a 2018 study attributing 1,700 deaths per year in the agglomeration of Lille to pollution. In 2018, Lille held France's record pollution peaks.

Population
The population data in the table and graph to the left below refer to the commune of Lille proper in its borders since 2000, i.e. a municipal territory of 35 km². This includes the former communes annexed by the commune of Lille: Esquermes, Fives, Moulins-Lille, and Wazemmes in 1858, Hellemmes-Lille in 1977, and Lomme in 2000.

The Lille metropolitan area (table to the right below), which is much larger than the small commune of Lille proper, covers a territory of 1666 km2 (French part of the metropolitan area only) and had a population of 1,515,061 in 2020 (Jan. census).

Economy
A former major mechanical, food industry and textile manufacturing centre as well as a retail and finance center, Lille is the largest city of a conurbation, built like a network of cities: Lille, Roubaix, Tourcoing and Villeneuve-d'Ascq. The conurbation forms the Métropole Européenne de Lille which is France's fourth-largest urban conglomeration with a 2016 population of over 1.15 million.

Revenues and taxes
For centuries, Lille, a city of merchants, has displayed a wide range of incomes: great wealth and poverty have lived side by side, especially until the end of the 1800s. This contrast was noted by Victor Hugo in 1851 in his poem Les Châtiments: « ''Caves de Lille ! on meurt sous vos plafonds de pierre !'' » ("Cellars of Lille! We die under your stone ceilings!")

Employment
Employment in Lille has switched over half a century from a predominant industry to tertiary activities and services. Services account for 91% of employment in 2006.

Employment in Lille from 1968 to 2015

Employment per categories in 1968 and in 2017

Unemployment in active population from 1968 to 2017

Enterprises
At the end of 2015, Lille hosts around 28,000 industry or service establishments.

Enterprises as per 31 December 2015

Main sights
Lille features an array of architectural styles with various amounts of Flemish influence, including the use of brown and red brick. In addition, many residential neighborhoods, especially in Greater Lille, consist of attached two- to three-storey houses aligned in a row, with narrow gardens in the back. These architectural attributes, many uncommon in France, help make Lille a transition in France to neighboring Belgium, as well as nearby Netherlands and England, where the presence of brick, as well as row houses or the terraced house is much more prominent.

Points of interest include
 * Birthplace of Charles de Gaulle
 * Lille Cathedral (Basilique-cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-la-Treille)
 * Citadel of Lille
 * Palais des Beaux-Arts de Lille
 * Jardin botanique de la Faculté de Pharmacie
 * Jardin botanique Nicolas Boulay
 * Jardin des Plantes de Lille
 * Maison Folie Moulins
 * Lille Synagogue

La Braderie
Lille hosts an annual braderie on the first weekend in September. Its origins are thought to date back to the twelfth century and between two and three million visitors are drawn into the city. It is one of the largest gatherings of France and the largest flea market in Europe.

Many of the roads in the inner city (including much of the old town) are closed and local shops, residents and traders set up stalls in the street.

Public transport

The Métropole Européenne de Lille has a mixed mode public transport system, which is considered one of the most modern in the whole of France. It comprises buses, trams and a driverless light metro system, all of which are operated under the Transpole name. The Lille Metro is a VAL system (véhicule automatique léger = light automated vehicle) that opened on 16 May 1983, becoming the first automatic light metro line in the world. The system has two lines, with a total length of 45 km and 60 stations. The tram system consists of two interurban tram lines, connecting central Lille to the nearby communities of Roubaix and Tourcoing, and has 45 stops. Sixty-eight urban bus routes cover the metropolis, 8 of which reach into Belgium.

Railways
Lille is an important junction in the European high-speed rail network. It lies on the Eurostar line to London (80-minute journey). The French TGV network also puts it only 1 hour from Paris and 38 minutes from Brussels and connects it to other major centres in France such as Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse. Lille has two railway stations next to each other: Lille-Europe station (Gare de Lille-Europe), which primarily serves high-speed trains and international services (Eurostar), and Lille-Flandres station (Gare de Lille-Flandres), which primarily serves lower-speed regional trains and regional Belgian trains.

Highways
Five autoroutes pass by Lille, the densest confluence of highways in France after Paris:
 * Autoroute A27 : Lille – Tournai – Brussels / Liège – Germany
 * Autoroute A23 : Lille – Valenciennes
 * Autoroute A1 : Lille – Arras – Paris / Reims – Lyon / Orléans / Le Havre
 * Autoroute A25 : Lille – Dunkirk – Calais – England / North Belgium
 * Autoroute A22 : Lille – Antwerp – Netherlands

A sixth one—the A24—would have linked Amiens to Lille if built, but the project was rejected several times then abandoned.

Air traffic
Lille Lesquin International Airport is 15 minutes from the city centre by car (11 km). In terms of shipping, it ranks fourth, with almost 38,000 tonnes of freight which pass through each year. Its passenger traffic, around 1.2 million in 2010, is modest due to the proximity to Brussels, Charleroi, and Paris-CDG airports. The airport mostly connects other French and European cities (some with low-cost airlines).

Waterways
Lille is the third-largest French river port after Paris and Strasbourg. The river Deûle is connected to regional waterways with over 680 km of navigable waters. The Deûle connects to Northern Europe via the river Scarpe and the river Scheldt (towards Belgium and the Netherlands), and internationally via the Lys (to Dunkerque and Calais).

Shipping statistics

Education
With a student population of over 110,000 students within its metropolitan area, Lille is one of the major French student cities.

With roots from 1562 to 1793 as University of Douai, (then as Université Impériale in 1808), the State University of Lille was established in Lille in 1854 with Louis Pasteur as the first dean of its Faculty of Sciences. A school of medicine and an engineering school were also established in Lille in 1854 and the University of Lille was united as the association of existing public Faculties in 1896. It was then split into three independent university campuses in 1970: Lille 1 University of Science and Technology, Lille 2 University of Law and Health and Lille 3 Charles de Gaulle University of Humanities, Social sciences, Literature and Arts.

In early 2018, the three universities merged to form the new University of Lille (student enrollment: 70,000). The new university is part of the Community of Universities and Institutions (COMUE) Lille Nord de France and the European Doctoral College Lille Nord de France.

Further institutions of higher education established or active in Lille include:

 * The Arts et Métiers ParisTech, an engineering graduate school of industrial and mechanical engineering, settled in Lille in 1900. This campus is one of the eight Teaching and Research Center (CER) of the school. Its creation was decided by Pierre-Nicolas Legrand de Lérant.
 * École Centrale de Lille is one of the five Centrale Graduate Schools of engineering in France; it was founded in Lille city in 1854, its graduate engineering education and research center was established as Institut industriel du Nord (IDN) in 1872, in 1968 it moved in a modern campus in Lille suburb.
 * École nationale supérieure de chimie de Lille was established as Institut de chimie de Lille in 1894 supporting chemistry research as followers of Kuhlmann's breakthrough works in Lille.
 * École supérieure de journalisme de Lille, journalism school created in 1924.
 * Skema Business School established in 1892 is ranked among the top business schools in France.
 * École pour l'informatique et les nouvelles technologies settled in Lille in 2009.
 * ESME-Sudria and E-Artsup settled in Lille in 2012.
 * The ESA – École Supérieure des Affaires is a Business Management school established in Lille in 1990.
 * IEP Sciences-Po Lille political studies institute was established in Lille in 1992.
 * The Institut supérieur européen de formation par l'action is also located in Lille.
 * The Institut supérieur européen de gestion group (ISEG Group) established in Lille in 1988.
 * The fashion School MOD'SPE Paris has a campus in Lille.
 * The European Doctoral College Lille Nord de France is headquartered in Lille Metropolis and includes 3,000 PhD Doctorate students supported by university research laboratories.
 * The Université Catholique de Lille was founded in 1875. Today it has law, economics, medicine, physics faculties and schools. Institutions of higher education affiliated with the Catholic University of Lille include:
 * École des hautes études commerciales du nord (EDHEC) founded in 1906. EDHEC's MSc Financial Markets program was ranked #1 worldwide by Financial Times in 2017; making it one of the most prestigious financial study programs globally.
 * École des Hautes études d'ingénieur (HEI) a school of engineering founded in 1885 and offering 10 fields of specialization.
 * Institut catholique d'arts et métiers (ICAM) founded in 1898, ranked 20th among engineering schools, with the specificity of graduating polyvalent engineers.
 * IESEG School of Management founded in 1964 (ranked 17th in the latest Financial Times global ranking of the 90 best masters in management, published on Monday 12 September 2016).

Lille is also site of the University and Polytechnic Federation of Lille (Fédération Universitaire et Polytechnique de Lille), a large private educational university that includes a medical school, business school, law school, etc.

The Arts

 * Renée Adorée (1898–1933), actress
 * Alfred-Pierre Agache (1843–1915), academic painter
 * Ernest Joseph Bailly (1753–1823), painter
 * Antoinette Bourignon (1616–1680), a French-Flemish mystic and adventurer.
 * Victor Chocquet (1821–1891), patron of the arts
 * Émile Bernard (1868–1941), neoimpressionist painter
 * Yvonne Chauffin (1905–1995), writer, winner of the 1970 edition of the Prix Breizh
 * Édouard Chimot (d. 1959), artist and illustrator, editor of the Devambez illustrated art-editions
 * Léon Danchin (1887–1938), animal artist and sculptor
 * Alain Decaux (1925–2016), TV presenter, minister, writer, member of the Académie française
 * Pierre De Geyter (1848–1932), textile worker, composed the music of The Internationale in Lille
 * Désiré Dihau (1833–1909), bassoonist and composer
 * Raoul de Godewaersvelde (1928–1977), singer
 * Gabriel Grovlez (1879–1944), pianist, conductor and composer
 * Pierre Dubreuil (1872–1944), photographer
 * Carolus-Duran (1837–1917), painter.
 * Julien Duvivier (1896–1967), director
 * Yvonne Furneaux (1928–), actress
 * Paul Gachet (1828–1909), doctor known for treating the painter Vincent van Gogh
 * Jacquemart Giélée (13th century), poet
 * Constance Jablonski, (born 1991) model
 * Kamini (1980–), rap singer, hits success in 2006 with the "rural-rap" Marly-Gomont
 * Édouard Lalo (1823–1892), composer.
 * Armand Lemay (1873–1963), architect
 * Adélaïde Leroux (born 1982), actress
 * Serge Lutens (born 1942), photographer, make-up artist and fashion designer
 * Phil. Macquet (born 1967], painter
 * Iris Mittenaere (born 1993), model, Miss France 2016, and Miss Universe 2016
 * Philippe Noiret (1930–2006), actor
 * Charles-Joseph Panckoucke, (1736–1788), intellectual and writer
 * Pascal Renwick (1954-2006), French voice actor
 * Albert Samain (1858–1900), poet.
 * Ana Tijoux (born 1977), rapper and singer whose family originally was from Chile

Politics, military and public service

 * Martine Aubry (1950–), deputy, minister, and Mayor of Lille
 * Madeleine Damerment (1917–1944), French Resistance fighter, Legion of Honor, Croix de Guerre, Médaille de la Résistance
 * Pierre Joseph Duhem (1758–1807), physician and Montagnard
 * Louis Faidherbe (1818–1889), general, founder of the city of Dakar and senator
 * Charles de Gaulle (1890–1970), general, resistance fighter, President of France
 * Joseph Gratry (1805−1872) theologian and author.
 * Isabella of Hainault (1170–1190) Queen of France as the first wife of King Philip II.
 * Augustin Laurent (1896–1990), minister, deputy, resistance fighter, and Mayor of Lille
 * Achille Liénart (1884–1973), « cardinal des ouvriers »
 * Alain de Lille (c. 1128) a theologian and poet.
 * Yves de Lille (c. 1587–unknown), Flemish Capuchin friar and author
 * Pierre Mauroy (1928–2013), deputy, senator, Prime Minister of France, and Mayor of Lille

Science & Mathematics

 * Charles Barrois (1851–1939), geologist and palaeontologist.
 * Joseph Valentin Boussinesq (1842–1929), mathematician and physicist
 * Albert Calmette (1863–1933) and Camille Guérin (1872–1961), scientists who discovered the antituberculosis vaccine
 * Yvonne Choquet-Bruhat (1923–), mathematician and physicist
 * Jean Dieudonné (1906–1992), mathematician
 * Paul Hallez (1846–1938), biologist
 * Joseph Kampé de Fériet (1893–1982), researcher on fluid dynamics
 * Charles Frédéric Kuhlmann, (1803–1881), chemist professor
 * Gaspard Thémistocle Lestiboudois (1797–1876), naturalist
 * Matthias de l'Obel (1538–1616), physician to King James I of England, scientist
 * Henri Padé (1863–1953), mathematician
 * Paul Painlevé (1863–1933), mathematician and politician
 * Louis Pasteur (1822–1895), micro-biologist
 * Jean Baptiste Perrin (1870–1942), Nobel Prize in physics

Sport

 * Maxime Agueh (born 1978), footballer
 * Sanaa Altama (born 1990), footballer
 * Alain Baclet (born 1986), footballer
 * Nabil Bentaleb (born 1994), footballer
 * Ismael Ehui (born 1986), footballer
 * Patrick Francheterre (born 1948), ice hockey player, coach and manager
 * Amandine Henry (born 1989), footballer
 * Gaël Kakuta, footballer
 * Clarck N'Sikulu, footballer
 * Sarah Ousfar (born 1993), basketball player
 * Alassane Pléa, footballer
 * Lucas Pouille, tennis player
 * Alain Raguel (born 1976), footballer
 * Antoine Sibierski (born 1974), footballer
 * Didier Six (born 1954), footballer
 * Philippe Suywens (born 1971), footballer
 * Jerry Vandam, footballer
 * Raphaël Varane (born 1993), footballer
 * Abdellah Zoubir (born 1991), footballer

Media and sports
Local newspapers include Nord éclair and La Voix du Nord.

France's national public television network has a channel that focuses on the local area: France 3 Nord-Pas-de-Calais.

The city's most major association football club, Lille OSC, currently plays in Ligue 1, the highest level of football in France. The club has won eight major national trophies and regularly features in the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League. In the 2010–11 season, Lille won the league and cup double. In 2020–21, they won the league and supercup.

Lille's Stade Pierre-Mauroy was the playground for the final stages of the FIBA EuroBasket 2015. The same venue will host handball at the 2024 Summer Olympics as Paris getting the city being part instead football, where the city was eliminated as co-host city. It was in Lille that the 100th World Esperanto Congress took place, in 2015.

Lille is home to Lille Lacrosse, former French national lacrosse champion and continuously one of France's best lacrosse teams. The team plays its home games at Halle de glisse.

International relations
Lille is twinned with:

 * 🇺🇸 Buffalo, United States
 * 🇩🇪 Cologne, Germany
 * 🇩🇪 Erfurt, Germany
 * 🇱🇺 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
 * 🇮🇱 Haifa, Israel
 * 🇺🇦 Kharkiv, Ukraine
 * 🏴 Leeds, England, United Kingdom
 * 🇧🇪 Liège, Belgium
 * 🇵🇸 Nablus, Palestine
 * 🇲🇦 Oujda, Morocco
 * Rotterdam, Netherlands
 * 🇸🇳 Saint-Louis, Senegal
 * Tlemcen, Algeria
 * 🇮🇹 Turin, Italy
 * 🇪🇸 Valladolid, Spain
 * 🇵🇱 Wrocław, Poland

title: Lille


text:
Groningen (province)

Groningen (, ,  ; Grunn; ) is the northeasternmost province of the Netherlands. It borders on Friesland to the west, Drenthe to the south, the German state of Lower Saxony to the east, and the Wadden Sea to the north. As of January 2023, Groningen had a population of about 596,000, and a total area of 2955 km2.

Historically the area was at different times part of Frisia, the Frankish Empire, the Holy Roman Empire, and the Dutch Republic, the precursor state of the modern Netherlands. In the 14th century, the city of Groningen became a member of the Hanseatic League.

The provincial capital and the largest city in the province is the city of Groningen (231,299 inhabitants ). Since 2016, René Paas has been the King's Commissioner in the province. A coalition of GroenLinks, the Labour Party, ChristianUnion, People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, Democrats 66, and Christian Democratic Appeal forms the executive branch. The province is divided into 10 municipalities.

The land is mainly used for agriculture. There are seaports in Delfzijl and Eemshaven. The Groningen gas field, one of the world's largest, was discovered in 1959. The province is home to the University of Groningen and Hanze University of Applied Sciences.

History

Groningen was originally a part of Frisia. It became a part of the Frankish Empire around 785. Charlemagne assigned the Christianization of this new possession to Ludger.

In the 11th century, the city of Groningen was a village in Drenthe that belonged to the Bishopric of Utrecht, while most of the province was in the Prince-Bishopric of Münster.

During the Middle Ages, central control was remote, and the city of Groningen acted as a city-state, exerting a dominating influence on the surrounding Ommelanden. In the 14th century, Groningen became one of the towns within the Hanseatic League. In the years after, Groningen expanded its influence. At its peak almost all of the current province Friesland was under the influence and control of Groningen.

Shortly before 1498, Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor gave Groningen and Friesland to Albert III, Duke of Saxony, who could however not establish permanent control. In 1514/15 Groningen came to the Duchy of Guelders, and in 1536 as the Lordship of Groningen to the Habsburg Netherlands.

In 1594, Groningen was conquered from the Spanish by the Republic of the Seven United Provinces, precursor state of the Netherlands, to which it belonged henceforth.

During World War II, the Netherlands were occupied by Nazi Germany. In April 1945, the 2nd Canadian Division fought in the Battle of Groningen, which resulted in the liberation of the city and in the death of 130, the capture of 5,212, and the fleeing of 2,000 German soldiers. In May 1945, another 3,000 German soldiers were captured in the Battle of Delfzijl by the 5th Canadian Division, after which all of the northern provinces were liberated.

East Groningen was the scene of a particularly fierce class struggle in the 19th and 20th centuries. Perhaps not coincidentally, Groningen boasts the only municipality (Beerta) where the Communist Party of the Netherlands has ever had a mayor (Hanneke Jagersma).

Geography

Groningen is situated at 53.25°N, 6.73333°W in the northeast of the Netherlands. To the west is the province Friesland, to the south is the province Drenthe, to the east the German districts are Leer and Emsland in the state Lower Saxony, and to the north the North Sea, Ems, and Dollart. The northernmost point of the Netherlands is on Rottumerplaat at 53.555°N, 6.47806°W; the easternmost point of the Netherlands is in Bad Nieuweschans at 53.18028°N, 7.22778°W.

Groningen is the 7th largest province of the Netherlands. It has a total area of 2955 km2, with 2316 km2 of land and 639 km2 of water. About 80% of the land or 1876 km2 is used for agriculture. The rest of the land is: 9% or 158 km2 of built-up or semi built-up area, 6% or 144 km2 of nature, 3% or 66 km2 of infrastructure, and 2% or 43 km2 of recreational area.

The land in Groningen is flat. A large area of the province is below sea level. The Hasseberg near Sellingen of 14.6 m above sea level is the highest point.

The Groningen gas field near Slochteren is the 8th largest natural gas field in the world. Since 1986, the exploitation of this gas field has caused earthquakes in the region with magnitudes up to 3.6.

In the Wadden Sea of Groningen, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2009, are the sandbank Simonszand and the natural reserve Rottum consisting of the three uninhabited islands Rottumeroog, Rottumerplaat, and Zuiderduintjes. The national park Lauwersmeer (IUCN category II) is located on the border between Groningen and Friesland.

Subdivisions
The province of Groningen is also called Stad en Ommelanden, which means the city of Groningen and its surrounding lands, which are the historical regions of Fivelingo, Hunsingo, Oldambt, Westerkwartier, and Westerwolde.

The province (Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics or NUTS level 2) is divided into three COROP regions (NUTS level 3): East Groningen, Delfzijl and surroundings, and the rest of Groningen. The COROP regions are used for statistical purposes.

The province is also divided into ten municipalities, each with its own local government. Currently, Groningen is the most populated and most densely populated municipality, containing the largest city.

Climate
The province of Groningen has an oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification: Cfb).

Demographics
On 1 January 2023, the province of Groningen had a population of 596,075 and a population density of 257 /km2, which make it the 9th most populous province and 8th most densely populated province of the Netherlands. The city of Groningen is the most populous city in the province and the 6th most populous city in the Netherlands.

On 1 January 2013, 92.2% of the total provincial population was born in the Netherlands; and of the 7.8% that was born abroad, the ten most common foreign countries of origin are the neighbour Germany (1.09%), the former colonies and dependencies Indonesia (0.60%), Netherlands Antilles and Aruba (0.55%), Suriname (0.54%), and other countries Turkey (0.41%), Soviet Union (0.36%), China (0.32%), Poland (0,26%), Yugoslavia (0.26%), and United Kingdom (0.18%).

Religion
In 2015, 18.7% of the population belonged to the Protestant Church in the Netherlands while 4.9% was Roman Catholic, 1.3% was Muslim and 6.7% belonged to other churches or faiths. Over half (68.4%) of the population identified as non-religious.

Economy

The city of Groningen is the economic center of the province. In the 14th century, the city became a member of the Hanseatic League. Currently some of the city's major employers are University Medical Center Groningen with 12,141 employees, University of Groningen with 5,591 employees, Municipality of Groningen with 3,063 employees, Education Implementation Service (DUO) with 2,000 employees, and Gasunie with 1,748 employees.

The other economically important area is the Ems delta with the sea ports of Delfzijl and Eemshaven. In 2015, a total of 11,589 cargo vessels arrived at the two Groningen Seaports combined, 7,111 sea vessels and 4,478 inland vessels. The ports had a cargo throughput of 11,309,000 tonnes. The chemical industry near Delfzijl is located at the Chemie Park in Farmsum, with factories of AkzoNobel, Lubrizol, and Teijin Aramid. Both GDF Suez and Vattenfall have a natural gas-fired power plant in Eemshaven, and Essent is building a coal-fired power plant there.

The Gross domestic product (GDP) of the province was 25 billion € in 2018, accounting for 3.2% of the Netherlands economic output. GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power was 37,300 € or 124% of the EU27 average in the same year.

In 1959, the Groningen gas field near Slochteren was discovered, and the NAM started to exploit the field in 1963. This caused Dutch disease and induced earthquakes.

In 2013, Groningen had a labor force of 268,000 people and unemployment rate of 9.6%, which is the second highest unemployment for a province in the Netherlands.

Language
Groningen is home to the Low Saxon dialect called Gronings (Grönnegs / Grunnegs in Gronings regional language), In the eastern part of Friesland variations of the Groninger 'language' is spoken. Gronings has local nuances, for example, the people in the eastern part speak Gronings with more German influence. Nowadays, many inhabitants of the province do not speak the dialect, especially in the city of Groningen where many outsiders have moved.

Cuisine
Traditional dishes and delicacies from Groningen are boerenkoolstamppot, droge worst, krentjebrij, oudewijvenkoek, poffert, and spekdik. Traditional alcoholic drinks are boerenjongens, boerenmeisjes, fladderak, and heet bier.

Museums

Museumhuis Groningen is an umbrella organization for museums and other heritage organizations in the province of Groningen and has 58 members. The Groninger Museum is the most visited museum in the province with 209,195 visitors in 2015. The other museums and heritage organizations with more than 25 thousand visitors in 2015 are Fort Bourtange in Bourtange, Noordelijk Scheepvaartmuseum in Groningen, Ter Apel Monastery in Ter Apel, Fraeylemaborg in Slochteren, Nationaal Bus Museum in Hoogezand, and Museumspoorlijn STAR in Stadskanaal.

Sports

FC Groningen from the city of Groningen is the only football club from the province in the Eredivisie. Their home stadium Euroborg has a capacity of 22,550 seats. In the 2012–2013 competition, FC Groningen became 7th of the 18 teams. SC Veendam played in the Eerste Divisie, but filed for bankruptcy in 2013.

The city of Groningen is also the base of basketball club GasTerra Flames, volleyball club Lycurgus, and korfball club Nic.

The ice rink at the multi-sport center Kardinge in the city of Groningen is used for national speed skating championships, most recently the 2013 KNSB Dutch Sprint Championships.

Politics

A provincial government in the Netherlands consists of a Provincial Council, the directly elected legislative branch, and a Provincial Executive, the executive branch. The King's Commissioner, who is appointed by the national government, is chairman of both branches. The Provincial Council of Groningen consists of 43 members and the Provincial Executive consists of the King's Commissioner and six deputies. The government has its seat in the city of Groningen, which is the provincial capital.

René Paas, member of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), has been the King's Commissioner since 18 April 2016. He succeeded Max van den Berg who was the King's Commissioner in Groningen from 2007 to 2016.

In the provincial elections of 2011, the Labour Party became the largest party with nearly 25% of the votes and 12 seats in the Provincial Council. The next three largest parties are the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) and the Socialist Party (SP) with 6 seats each, and the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) with 5 seats. In 2011, two months after the elections, the member of the Party for the North (PvhN) continued as an independent under the name Free Mandate. The next provincial elections are planned for 18 March 2015.

Following the 2011 elections, the Provincial Executive was formed by a coalition of the Labour Party, the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, Democrats 66 (D66), and GreenLeft (GL). In 2013, GreenLeft left the coalition and was replaced by the ChristianUnion (CU). The Labour Party has three deputies, the other coalition parties have one deputy each.

!colspan="2" align="left"| Party ! Votes ! % ! Seats !colspan="2"| Total ! 241,479 ! 100 ! 43
 * bgcolor=""|
 * align="left"| Socialist Party
 * 39,093
 * 16.19
 * 8
 * bgcolor=""|
 * align="left"| Labour Party
 * 29,711
 * 12.30
 * 6
 * bgcolor=""|
 * align="left"| Christian Democratic Appeal
 * 27,160
 * 11.25
 * 5
 * bgcolor=""|
 * align="left"| Democrats 66
 * 23,422
 * 9.70
 * 4
 * bgcolor=""|
 * align="left"| People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
 * 22,089
 * 9.15
 * 4
 * bgcolor=""|
 * align="left"| Christian Union
 * 21,124
 * 8.75
 * 4
 * bgcolor=""|
 * align="left"| Party for Freedom
 * 19,340
 * 8.01
 * 3
 * align="left"| Groninger Belang
 * 15,869
 * 6.57
 * 3
 * bgcolor=""|
 * align="left"| GroenLinks
 * 15,701
 * 6.50
 * 3
 * bgcolor=""|
 * align="left"| Party for the Animals
 * 9,078
 * 3.76
 * 2
 * align="left"| Party for the North
 * 5,173
 * 2.14
 * 1
 * colspan="7" style="background: #C0C0C0"|
 * align="left"| Other parties
 * 13,719
 * 5.68
 * 0
 * 3.76
 * 2
 * align="left"| Party for the North
 * 5,173
 * 2.14
 * 1
 * colspan="7" style="background: #C0C0C0"|
 * align="left"| Other parties
 * 13,719
 * 5.68
 * 0
 * align="left"| Other parties
 * 13,719
 * 5.68
 * 0
 * 0
 * }

Roads

In the province of Groningen, there are three national roads (rijkswegen), which are maintained by Rijkswaterstaat. The motorway A7 (E22) connects the city of Groningen with the provinces of Friesland and North Holland in the west and with Winschoten and Germany in the east. The motorway is interrupted for the ring road of the city of Groningen, where it is the expressway N7. The motorway A28 (E232) starts at the city of Groningen and runs south connecting it with the provinces of Drenthe, Overijssel, Gelderland, and Utrecht. The expressway N33 runs south from Eemshaven, via Appingedam and Veendam, to Drenthe. Other roads are overseen by the province (N roads), municipalities, or water boards.

Public transport

Public transport falls under the rules for government procurement in the European Union. Tenders for regional bus and railway services are selected by the province of Groningen. Qbuzz is contracted for bus services in the period 2009–2015 and Arriva for railway services in the period 2005–2020. Nederlandse Spoorwegen operates the railway services from Groningen railway station southward to Drenthe and beyond.

The railway network in the Netherlands is maintained by ProRail. There are six railways located partially or entirely in the province of Groningen. The railway station Groningen connects several of these railways.

Airports

The international airport that serves Groningen is Groningen Airport Eelde, which is located in Eelde in the province of Drenthe. The airport is co-owned by the provinces of Groningen and Drenthe and the municipalities of Groningen, Assen, and Tynaarlo. Its summer destinations are Antalya, Faro, Girona, Gran Canaria, Heraklion, Kos, Palma de Mallorca, and Tenerife. Its winter destinations are Innsbruck and Salzburg. Starting on 5 June 2014, there will also be flights to London. For other international destinations, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is the nearest airport. The general aviation airports in the province are Oostwold Airport in Oostwold and Stadskanaal Airfield in Stadskanaal.

Science and education

The University of Groningen in the city of Groningen was founded in 1614 and is the only research university (universiteit) in the province. On 1 September 2013, it had 29,407 students and 5,238 full-time equivalent of staff members. The university has ten faculties: Arts, Behavioural and Social Sciences, Economics and Business, Law, Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Medical Sciences, Philosophy, Spatial Sciences, Theology and Religious Studies, and University College Groningen.

The Hanze University of Applied Sciences, the NHL University of Applied Sciences, and the Stenden University of Applied Sciences in the city of Groningen are the province's publicly funded universities of applied sciences (hogescholen).

Media
The Dagblad van het Noorden is a regional daily newspaper based in the city of Groningen and is owned by NDC Mediagroep. It was founded in 2002 by merging the Nieuwsblad van het Noorden, the Groninger Dagblad, and the Drentse Courant. In 2015, the newspaper had a circulation of 96,515.

RTV Noord is a regional public broadcaster of radio and television based in the city of Groningen, with Radio Noord and TV Noord. Their radio station has 121,000 daily listeners and a market share of 28% (2012) and their TV station has 171,000 daily viewers and a market share of 26.7% (2012).

Notable residents
People from the province of Groningen:

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Groningen (province)


text:
Groningen

Groningen (, ,  ; Grunn or Grunnen) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen province in the Netherlands. Dubbed the "capital of the north", Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of the northern part of the country; as of December 2021, it had 235,287 inhabitants, making it the sixth largest city/municipality in the Netherlands and the second largest outside the Randstad.

Groningen was established more than 950 years ago and gained city rights in 1245. Due to its relatively isolated location from the then successive Dutch centres of power (Utrecht, The Hague, Brussels), Groningen was historically reliant on itself and nearby regions. As a Hanseatic city, it was part of the North German trade network, but later it mainly became a regional market centre. At the height of its power in the 15th century, Groningen could be considered an independent city-state and it remained autonomous until the French era.

Today Groningen is a university city, home to some of the country's leading higher education institutes; University of Groningen (Rijksuniversiteit Groningen), which is the Netherlands's second oldest university, and Hanze University of Applied Sciences (Hanzehogeschool Groningen). Students comprise an estimated 25% of its total population and makes it the country's demographically youngest city.

Etymology
The origin and meaning of 'Groningen' and its older variant, 'Groeningen', are uncertain. A folk origin story relates the idea that, in 453 BC, exiles from Troy who were guided by a mythical figure called Gruno (or Grunius, Gryns or Grunus), along with a group of Phrygians from Germany, founded a settlement in what is now Groningen, and built a castle on the bank of the Hunze, which they called 'Grunoburg', and which was later destroyed by the Vikings.

One modern theory is that 'Groningen' meant 'among the people of Groni' ('Groningi' and 'Groninga' in the 11th century), derived from Gronesbeke, which was the old name for a small lake near the Hunze (on the northern border of Zuidlaarderveen). As the name Grone (variant Groene) is an old Frisian personal name, the origin may very well be in a settlement originally founded by the family of Grone and their followers, which in Frisian would be called Groninga. Another theory is that the name was derived from the word groenighe, meaning 'green fields'.

In Frisian, it is called Grins. In Groningen province, it is called Groot Loug. Regionally, it is often simply referred to as Stad (the "city"), and its inhabitants are referred to as Stadjers or Stadjeder. The Dutch sometimes refer to it as "the Metropolis of the North", or Martinistad (after the Martinitoren tower.)

History
The city was founded at the northernmost point of the Hondsrug area. While the oldest document referring to Groningen's existence dates from 1040, the area was occupied by Anglo-Saxons centuries prior. The oldest archaeological evidence of a settlement in the region stems from around 3950–3650 BC, and the first major settlement in Groningen trace back to the year 3 AD.

In the 13th century Groningen was an important trade centre and its inhabitants built a city wall to underline its authority. The city had a strong influence on its surrounding lands and the Gronings dialect became common. The city's most influential period was at the end of the 15th century, when the nearby province of Friesland was administered from Groningen. During these years the Martinitoren was built which is considered to be the city's most significant landmark.

In 1536, Groningen accepted Emperor Charles V, the King of Spain and the Habsburg ruler of the other Netherlands as its ruler, thus ending the region's autonomy. The city was captured in the Siege of Groningen (1594) by the Dutch and English forces led by Maurice of Nassau. After the siege, the city and the province joined the Dutch Republic.

During the 17th century, Groningen served as a crucial hub for the Dutch West India Company (WIC). This powerful trading company was responsible for maritime trade, colonization, and the transportation of goods and people.

The WIC transported over 300,000 slaves from the African coast to the Dutch colonies between 1621 and 1792. Warships like the Groeningen sailed from Groningen’s shipyards to Africa’s west coast, carrying enslaved Africans to plantations in Brazil, Suriname, and the Antilles. These same ships returned to Europe laden with valuable commodities such as sugar, coffee, and tobacco.

The University of Groningen was founded in 1614 with initial course offerings in law, medicine, theology and philosophy. During this period the city expanded rapidly and a new city wall was built.

The Siege of Groningen (1672) led by the bishop of Münster, Bernhard von Galen during the Third Anglo-Dutch War failed and the city walls resisted; an event that is celebrated annually with music and fireworks on 28 August as "Gronings Ontzet" or "Bommen Berend". In the early 19th century when the kingdom of Holland under king Jerôme Bonaparte was founded, Groningen was integrated into the French system of administration, and then annexed in 1811 into the French Empire under emperor Napoleon I (until 1813). During the French administration of the area, Groningen was called Groningue.

During World War II, the main square and the Grote Markt were largely destroyed in the Battle of Groningen in April 1945. However, the church Martinitoren, the Goudkantoor, and the city hall were undamaged.

Geography
There is a town named after Groningen in Saramacca District, Suriname. a former Dutch colony. It was named after the hometown of Dutch governor-general of Suriname Jan Wichers, who established the town as a fort in 1790.

Canals
Numerous canals (grachten) surround the city, locally called diep. The major canals that travel from the city are the Van Starkenborghkanaal, Eemskanaal, and Winschoterdiep. Groningen’s canals, no longer used for commercial goods transport, were once vital hubs in trade and transport. The rivers crossing close to the Binnenstad have been used for trade for at least a thousand years. The Dutch West India Company and foreign investors established their Groningen headquarters in Reitemakersrijge. Additional warehouses were strategically built along the canals at Noorderhaven to store colonial produce. These warehouses often held goods obtained from plantations in the Dutch colonies.

Climate
Groningen has an oceanic temperate climate, like all of the Netherlands, although slightly colder in winter than other major cities in the Netherlands due to its northeasterly position. Weather is influenced by the North Sea to the north-west and its prevailing north-western winds and gales.

Summers are somewhat warm and humid. Temperatures of 30 °C or higher occur sporadically; the average daytime high is around 22 °C. Very rainy periods are common, especially in spring and summer. Average annual precipitation is about 800 mm. Annual sunshine hours vary, but are usually below 1600 hours, giving much cloud cover similar to most of the Netherlands. Climate in this area has mild differences between highs and lows, and there is adequate rainfall year-round. The Köppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate is "Cfb". (Marine West Coast Climate/Oceanic climate).

Winters are cool; on average above freezing, although frosts are common during spells of easterly winds. Night-time temperatures of -10 °C or lower are not uncommon during cold winter periods. The lowest temperature ever recorded is -26.8 °C on 16 February 1956. Snow often falls, but rarely stays long due to warmer daytime temperatures, although white snowy days happen every winter.

Economy
Hotel and catering industries constitute a significant part of the economy in Groningen. Focus on business services has increased over time and areas such as IT, life sciences, tourism, energy, and environment have developed.

Until 2008 there were two major sugar refineries within the city. The Suiker Unie plant was constructed in the outskirts of Groningen, but became a part of the city due to expansion. The factory had 98 employees before it was closed in 2008 due to a reduction in demand. As of 2017, CSM Vierverlaten in Hoogkerk remains the only beet sugar production plant in the city. Other notable companies from Groningen include publishing company Noordhoff Uitgevers, tobacco company Niemeyer, health insurance company Menzis, distillery Hooghoudt, and natural gas companies GasUnie and GasTerra.

Immigration
As of 2020, Groningen had a total population of 232,874 people.

Religion
The majority of people in Groningen, slightly more than 70%, are non-religious. With 25.1%, the largest religion in Groningen is Christianity.

Population growth
The municipality of Groningen has grown rapidly. In 1968 it expanded by mergers with Hoogkerk and Noorddijk, and in 2019 it merged with Haren and Ten Boer. All historical data are for the original city limits, excluding Hoogkerk, Noorddijk, Haren and Ten Boer.

It has a land area of 168.93 km2, and a total area, including water, of 180.21 km2. Its population density is 1,367 residents per km2 (3,540 per square mile). On 1 January 2019, it was merged with the municipalities of Ten Boer and Haren. The Groningen-Assen metropolitan area has about half a million inhabitants.

Culture
Groningen is nationally known as the "Metropolis of the North". The city is regarded as the main urban centre of the Northern part of the country, particularly in the fields of education, business, music and other arts. It is also known as "Martinistad", referring to the tower of the Martinitoren, which is named after Groningen's patron saint Martin of Tours. The large student population also contributes to the very diverse cultural scene for a city of its size.

Since 2016 Groningen has been host of the International Cycling Film Festival, an annual film festival for bicycle related films. It takes place in the art house cinema of the old Roman Catholic Hospital.

The first major international chess tournament after World War II was held in Groningen in 1946. The tournament, won by Mikhail Botvinnik of the USSR, was the first time the Soviet Union had sent a team to a foreign event. An international chess "Schaakfestival Groningen tournament" has been held in the city in most years since 1946.

Museums
Groningen is home to the Groninger Museum. Its new building designed by Alessandro Mendini in 1994 echoes the Italian post-modern concepts and is notable for its futuristic and colourful style. The city has a maritime museum, a university museum, a comics museum and a graphics museum. Groningen is also the home of Noorderlicht, an international photographic platform that runs a photo gallery and organizes an international photo festival. The Forum Groningen that opened in 2019 is a cultural center consisting of a museum, art cinema, library, bars, rooftop terrace and tourist information office.

Theatre and music
Groningen has a city theatre called the Stadsschouwburg, located on the Turfsingel, a theatre and concert venue called Martini Plaza, and a cultural venue on the Trompsingel, called the Oosterpoort. Vera is located on the Oosterstraat, the Grand Theatre on the Grote Markt, and Simplon on the Boterdiep. Several cafés feature live music, a few of which specialize in jazz music, including the Jazzcafe De Spieghel on the Peperstraat. Groningen is the host city for Eurosonic Noorderslag, an annual music showcase event for bands from across Europe.

Nightlife
Groningen's active nightlife depends largely on its student population, with the Grote Markt, Vismarkt, Poelestraat and Peperstraat crowded nightly, most bars not closing until five in the morning. From 2005 to 2007, Groningen was named "best city centre" of the Netherlands. Groningen has a red-light district, called Nieuwstad.

Sports
FC Groningen, founded in 1971, is the local football club, and as of 2000 they play in the Eredivisie, the highest football league of the Netherlands. Winners of the KNVB Cup in the 2014–15 season, their best Eredivisie result was in the 1990–91 season when they finished third. Their current stadium which opened in January 2006 has 22,525 seats. It is called the Hitachi Capital Mobility Stadion; it was known as the "Euroborg stadium" before 2016, and "Noordlease Stadion" from 2016 to 2018.

American sports are fairly popular in Groningen; it has American football, baseball, and basketball clubs. Groningen's professional basketball club Donar play in the highest professional league, the Dutch Basketball League, and have won the national championship seven times. The Groningen Giants are the American football team of the city who play in the premier league of the AFBN and are nicknamed as the "Kings of the North".

The running event called 4 Miles of Groningen takes place in the city on the second Sunday of October every year with over 23,000 participants. The 2002 Giro d'Italia began in Groningen, including the prologue and the start of the first stage. The city hosted the start and finish of the fifth stage of the 2013 Energiewacht Tour.

Education
As of 2020, around 25% of the 230,000 inhabitants in Groningen are students. The city has the highest density of students and the lowest mean age in the Netherlands.

There are also Middle Schools, such as H.N. Werkman College

The University of Groningen (in Dutch: Rijksuniversiteit Groningen), established in 1614 is the second oldest university in the Netherlands (after the University of Leiden). The university educated the country's first female student, Aletta Jacobs, the first Dutch national astronaut, Wubbo Ockels, the first president of the European Central Bank, Wim Duisenberg, and two Nobel laureates; Heike Kamerlingh Onnes (in Physics) and Ben Feringa (in Chemistry). The university has about 31,000 students—22% of which are international.

The Hanze University of Applied Sciences (in Dutch: Hanzehogeschool Groningen) was founded in 1986 and is more focused on the practical application of knowledge, offering bachelor and master courses in fields like Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Communication and Multimedia Design, and Renewable Energy. With around 8.1% international students, Hanze hosts more than 28,000 students and is one of the largest universities of applied sciences by enrollment in the Netherlands.

Politics
The Groningen municipal council has 45 members which, after the 2022 local elections, was made up as follows: From 2022, the ruling municipal coalition consisted of GroenLinks, PvdA, Party for the Animals, the Socialist Party and ChristenUnie.

International relations
Groningen is twinned with the following cities: Groningen also has a trilateral partnership with the nearby northern German cities of Bremen and Oldenburg.

Cycling and walking
Groningen is known as the "World Cycling City"; around 57% of its residents use a bicycle for regular commute within the city. In 2000, Groningen was chosen as the Fietsstad 2002, the top cycle-city in the Netherlands for 2002. Similar to most Dutch cities, Groningen has developed to accommodate a large number of cyclists. An extensive network of bike paths were planned to make it more convenient to cycle to various destinations instead of taking a car.

The city has segregated cycle-paths, public transport, and a large pedestrianised zone in the city centre. Groningen's city centre was remodeled into a "pedestrian priority zone" to promote walking and biking. This was achieved by applying the principle of filtered permeability—the network configuration favours active transportation and selectively "filters out" traveling in a car by reducing the number of streets that run through the centre. The streets that are discontinuous for cars connect to a network of pedestrian and bike paths which permeate the entire centre. In addition, these paths go through public squares and open spaces, increasing aesthetic appeal and encouraging participation. The logic of filtering a mode of transport is fully expressed in a comprehensive model for laying out neighbourhoods and districts—the fused grid.

Trains
Groningen railway station (in Dutch: Hoofdstation) is the main railway station and has regular services to most of the major cities in the country. The city's remaining two railway stations are Europapark and Noord.

Groningen has six railway routes:
 * Groningen – Delfzijl
 * Groningen – Roodeschool / Eemshaven
 * Groningen – Leeuwarden
 * Groningen – Veendam
 * Groningen – Weener / Leer
 * Groningen – Meppel / Zwolle

On those six routes, ten lines stop at:
 * Groningen – Groningen North – Sauwerd – Bedum – Stedum – Loppersum – Appingedam – Delfzijl West – Delfzijl
 * Groningen – Groningen North – Sauwerd – Winsum – Baflo – Warffum – Usquert – Uithuizen – Uithuizermeeden – Roodeschool – (Low Service) Eemshaven
 * Groningen – Zuidhorn – Grijpskerk – Buitenpost – De Westereen – Feanwâlden – Hurdegaryp – Leeuwarden Camminghaburen – Leewarden
 * Groningen – Buitenpost – Leewarden
 * Groningen – Groningen Europapark – Kropswolde – Martenshoek – Hoogezand-Sappemeer – Sappemeer oost – Zuidbroek – Veendam
 * Groningen – Groningen Europapark – Kropswolde – Martenshoek – Hoogezand-Sappemeer – Sappemeer oost – Zuidbroek – Scheemda – Winschoten – (Lower service) Bad Nieuweschans – Weener – (Due to a broken bridge, trains do not go on to Leer. Take a bus from Groningen or Weener)
 * Groningen – Groningen Europapark – Haren – Assen – Beilen – Hoogeveen – Meppel – Zwolle
 * Groningen – Assen – Zwolle – Amersfoort Centraal – Utrecht Centraal – Gouda – Rotterdam Alexander – Rotterdam Centraal
 * Groningen – Assen – Zwolle – Lelystad Centrum – Almere Centrum – Amsterdam South – Schiphol – Leiden Centraal – Den Haag Centraal / The Hague Centraal

Buses
Groningen has bus lines and Q-Link—a network of buses similar to a tram/metro network.

City & Q-Link Lines:
 * 1: Main Station – City Center – UMCG North – Station Groningen North – Zernike – P+R Reitdiep
 * 2: Groningen Europapark – UMCG Main Entrance – UMCG North – Station Groningen North – Zernike – Station Zuidhorn
 * 3: Lewenborg – P+R Kardingen – Main Station – P+R Hoogkerk – Leek
 * 4: Beijum – P+R Kardingen – Main Station – P+R Hoogkerk – Peize – Roden
 * 5: Harkstede – P+R Meerstad – UMCG Main Entrance – City Centre – Main Station – P+R Haren – Zuidlaren – Annen
 * 6: P+R Haren – Main Station – UMCG Main Entrance – Ten Boer – Appingedam – Delfzijl
 * 7: De Wijert – Main Station – Westerhaven – Vinkhuizen – Paddepoel – Station Groningen North
 * 8: P+R Hoogkerk – Hoogkerk – Westerhaven – Main Station -Groningen Europapark – Corpus den Hoorn – Martini hospital – P+R Hoogkerk
 * 9: Eelde – Paterswolde – Martini hospital – Corpus den Hoorn – De Wijert – Main Station – Westerhaven – Paddepoel – Station Groningen North or Zernike
 * 10: Corpus den Hoorn – Martini hospital – Main Station – Korrewegwijk – Station Groningen North
 * 12: Main Station – Groningen Europapark – Euvelgunne – Eemspoort – P+R Meerstad – P+R Kardingen
 * 15: Main Station – Paddepoel – Zernike
 * 18: P+R Hoogkerk – Vinkhuizen – Paddepoel – Zernike

Q-Liner Lines:
 * 300: Groningen – P+R Westlaren (Zuidlaren) – P+R Gieten – P+R Borger – Emmen
 * 304: Groningen – P+R Hoogkerk – Drachten
 * 309: Groningen – Assen Busstation Marsdijk – Kloosterveen
 * 312: Groningen – P+R Haren – P+R Annen – P+R Gieten – Gasselte – Stadskanaal
 * 314: Groningen – Drachten
 * 315: Groningen – Heereveen – Emmeloord

Night Lines:
 * 402: Groningen → Corpus den Hoorn → Paterswolde → Eelde → Vries → Tynaarlo → Groningen
 * 406: Groningen – Ten Boer – Appingedam – Delfzijl
 * 417: Groningen → P+R Hoogkerk → Peize → Roden → Leek → P+R Hoogkerk – Groningen
 * 418: Groningen → Haren → Zuidlaren → Annen → P+R Gieten → P+R Annen → P+R Westlaren → P+R Haren → Groningen
 * 419: Groningen – Assen Busstation Marsdijk – Station Assen

Regional lines: Other Lines:
 * 35: Groningen – Aduard – Oldehove
 * 39: Groningen – Vinkhuizen – Zuidhorn – Grootegast – Surhuisterveen
 * 50: Groningen – Haren – Glimmen – Vries – Station Assen
 * 51: Groningen – Haren – Zuidlaren – Annen – Loon – Station Assen
 * 61: Groningen – Bedum – Middelstum – Uithuizen
 * 65: Groningen – Winsum – Zoutkamp
 * 76: Groningen – Hoogezand
 * 85: Lewenborg – Groningen – Leek – Oosterwolde
 * 86: Groningen – Peize – Norg
 * 88: P+R Hoogkerk – Oostwold – Leek
 * 107: Zernike – P+R Gieten – Gasselte – Stadskanaal
 * 109: Zernike – Tynaarlo – Assen Busstation Marsdijk
 * 133: Groningen – P+R Hoogkerk – Via A7 – Grootegast – Surhuisterveen
 * 139: Groningen – Hoogkerk – Grootegast – Surhuisterveen
 * 160: Groningen – Eemshaven
 * 163: Groningen – Winsum – Lauwersoog (connecting the ferry to Schiermonnikoog)
 * 171: Zernike – Via A7 – Hoogezand – Veendam
 * 174: Groningen – Hoogezand- Zuidbroek – Veendam
 * 178: Groningen – Slochteren – Siddeburen – Appingedam (limited Service to Appingedam)
 * 182: Zernike – Drachten
 * 183: Zernike – Leek
 * 184: Zernike – Roden
 * 189: Groningen – Marum – Drachten
 * 563: Lewenborg – Thesinge – Sint Annen – Ten Boer
 * 564: Ten Boer – Woltersum – Appingedam
 * 637: Groningen → Zuidhorn → Grijpskerk → Zoutkamp
 * 679: Zernike ← Winschoten

Direct bus routes from Groningen to Bremen, Hamburg, Berlin, and Munich are also available.

Motorways
The A28 motorway connects Groningen to Utrecht (via Assen, Zwolle and Amersfoort). The A7 motorway connects it to Friesland and Zaandam (West), and Winschoten and Leer (East).

Airport
Groningen Airport Eelde is an international airport located near Eelde, in Drenthe, with scheduled services to Guernsey, Gran Canaria, Antalya, Crete, Mallorca & Bodrum.

Notable people

 * Abel Janszoon Tasman (1603–1659), explorer, seafarer, merchant for the Dutch East India Company
 * Albert Dominicus Trip van Zoudtlandt (1776–1835), lieutenant-general at the Battle of Waterloo
 * Geert Adriaans Boomgaard (1788–1899), soldier, first validated supercentenarian
 * Heike Kamerlingh Onnes (1853–1926), physicist, Nobel laureate
 * Dirk Jan de Geer (1870–1960), statesman and Dutch Prime Minister (1926–29, 1939–40), advocated peace settlement between the Netherlands and Nazi Germany in 1940
 * A. W. L. Tjarda van Starkenborgh Stachouwer (1888–1978), last colonial Governor-General of the Netherlands East Indies
 * Michel Velleman (1895–1943), Jewish magician
 * Jan Wolthuis (1903–1983), lawyer and collaborator, active in far-right politics after WWII
 * Esmée van Eeghen (1918–1944), Dutch resistance member executed by the Nazis in Paddepoel, Noorddijk
 * Pete Hoekstra (born 1953), United States ambassador to the Netherlands, former Republican member of Congress representing Michigan's 2nd congressional district
 * Gerard Kemkers (born 1967), speed skating bronze medalist at 1988 Winter Olympics
 * Anda Kerkhoven (1919–1945), Dutch resistance member executed by the Nazis near Glimmen
 * Bauke Mollema (born 1986), cyclist
 * Kim Feenstra (born 1985), model
 * Ben Woldring (born 1985), internet entrepreneur
 * Noisia (2000–present), music producers
 * Vicetone (2012-present), DJ and music producer duo

title: Groningen