Montrouge (French pronunciation: [mɔ̃ʁuʒ] ) is a commune in the southern Parisian suburbs, located 4.4 km (2.7 mi) from the centre of Paris. It is one of the most densely populated municipalities in Europe. After a long period of decline, the population has increased again in recent years.

Montrouge
Town hall and St Jacques church
Town hall and St Jacques church
Coat of arms of Montrouge
Location (in red) within Paris inner suburbs
Location (in red) within Paris inner suburbs
Location of Montrouge
Map
Montrouge is located in France
Montrouge
Montrouge
Montrouge is located in Île-de-France (region)
Montrouge
Montrouge
Coordinates: 48°49′02″N 2°19′19″E / 48.8172°N 2.3219°E / 48.8172; 2.3219
CountryFrance
RegionÎle-de-France
DepartmentHauts-de-Seine
ArrondissementAntony
CantonMontrouge
IntercommunalityGrand Paris
Government
 • Mayor (2020–2026) Étienne Lengereau[1]
Area
1
2.07 km2 (0.80 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)[2]
47,657
 • Density23,000/km2 (60,000/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
92049 /92120
Elevation67–85 m (220–279 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

History

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The name "Montrouge" means Red Mountain - from mont (mountain) and rouge (red) - because of the reddish colour of the earth in this area.

The name of the community was first mentioned in monastery documents in 1194.

Throughout the Middle Ages, the hamlet was home to monasteries and a number of religious orders, while in the 15th century it became the site of quarries used for the reconstruction of Paris. The late sixteenth century saw the plain of Montrouge named "reserve for royal hunts", and during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries it was known for its windmills, which have all now disappeared.

On 1 January 1860, the city of Paris was enlarged by annexing neighbouring communes. On that occasion, most of the commune of Montrouge was annexed to Paris, forming what is now called Petit-Montrouge, in the 14th arrondissement of Paris. The remainder of Montrouge was preserved as an independent town.

In 1875, the town gained a few thousand square metres from the neighbouring communes of Châtillon and Bagneux (principally in the neighbourhood (le quartier) called Haut Mesnil).

On 8 January 2015, Municipal Police officer Clarissa Jean-Philippe was shot and killed in the commune, purportedly by Amedy Coulibaly. Coulibaly was reported to be an accomplice of Saïd and Chérif Kouachi, the suspected perpetrators of the Charlie Hebdo shooting. The next day, he was gunned down by police during a siege that left four hostages dead and several other people injured.[3]

Population

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Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1793 869—    
1800 810−1.00%
1806 1,128+5.67%
1821 1,464+1.75%
1831 3,847+10.14%
1836 5,995+9.28%
1841 7,125+3.51%
1846 7,813+1.86%
1851 9,223+3.37%
1856 9,910+1.45%
1861 3,534−18.63%
1866 4,809+6.35%
1872 4,377−1.56%
1876 6,371+9.84%
1881 8,595+6.17%
1886 10,334+3.75%
1891 11,992+3.02%
1896 14,317+3.61%
YearPop.±% p.a.
1901 17,298+3.86%
1906 19,261+2.17%
1911 22,771+3.40%
1921 25,813+1.26%
1926 26,310+0.38%
1931 30,343+2.89%
1936 33,260+1.85%
1946 34,735+0.43%
1954 36,298+0.55%
1962 45,260+2.80%
1968 44,922−0.12%
1975 40,304−1.54%
1982 38,517−0.65%
1990 38,106−0.13%
1999 37,733−0.11%
2007 46,500+2.65%
2012 48,909+1.02%
2017 50,260+0.55%
Source: EHESS[4] and INSEE (1968–2017)[5]

Economy

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Head office of French statistical agency INSEE at 88, avenue Verdier in Montrouge

Industrial development started in 1925 and soon, many printing factories were to be found in the town. Most of these have disappeared today. Since the early years of the twenty-first century, professional services and telecommunications have been the main business activities.

Public transport

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Mairie de Montrouge Metro Station

Montrouge is served by Mairie de Montrouge and Barbara stations on Paris Métro Line 4, and by Châtillon – Montrouge station on Paris Métro Line 13.

The Châtillon - Montrouge station is located at the border between the commune of Montrouge and the commune of Châtillon, on the Châtillon side of the border. The Barbara station is located at the border between the commune of Montrouge and the commune of Bagneux. The Mairie de Montrouge station opened in March 2013, with the further extension of Line 4 opening to Bagneux–Lucie Aubrac in January 2022.[6]

Bus line 68 runs from Metro Châtillon Montrouge all the way up through Montparnasse, the Louvre, the Paris Opera and ends at the Place de Clichy, the site of the Moulin Rouge. Bus line 126 runs from Porte d'Orléans to Boulogne-Billancourt, while line 128 goes from the same place to Robinson RER station. Bus line 323 runs on the southern border of Montrouge on its way between Issy-les-Moulineaux and Ivry-sur-Seine. Several lines (187, 188, 197, 297) use the Route nationale 20 that crosses eastern Montrouge to reach southern parts of the Parisian agglomeration.

The arts in Montrouge

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Montrouge was the home of a number of well-known twentieth century artists, listed below. Currently the town is also well known for two contemporary art exhibitions:

  • The Montrouge Contemporary Art Show, which has existed for over 50 years
  • The JCE, that is European Young Artists exhibition.

Education

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Montrouge has seven public primary schools: Aristide Briand, Buffalo, François Rabelais, Nicolas Boileau, Raymond Queneau, Renaudel A, and Renaudel B.[7]

Public junior high schools: Haut Mesnil, Maurice Genevoix, Robert Doisneau.[8]

Public high schools: Lycée Jean Monnet (Montrouge), Lycée Jean Monnet, Lycée Maurice Genevoix.[8]

There is a private secondary school, Groupe Scolaire du Haut-Mesnil.[8]

Notable people

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Émile Cresp Place, Belfry, Town Hall and St Jacques church.
 
Inside the Belfry Montrouge, France
 
Emile Cresp Place, Christmas 2016

Personalities associated with the commune

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Others

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires" (in French). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 13 September 2022.
  2. ^ "Populations légales 2021" (in French). The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
  3. ^ "UPDATE PROFILE The Kouachi brothers and Amedy Coulibaly: comrades in terrorism". dpa-international.com. 9 January 2015. Archived from the original on 10 January 2015.
  4. ^ Des villages de Cassini aux communes d'aujourd'hui: Commune data sheet Montrouge, EHESS (in French).
  5. ^ Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE
  6. ^ Lenhardt, Marjorie (2022-01-13). "Après 45 ans d'attente, la ligne 4 du métro arrive "enfin" à Bagneux !". Le Parisien (in French). Retrieved 2022-01-13.
  7. ^ "Les écoles du primaire." Montrouge. Retrieved on September 7, 2016.
  8. ^ a b c "Le secondaire." Montrouge. Retrieved on September 7, 2016.
  9. ^ "FÊTE NATIONALE IN MONTROUGE (92): FIREWORKS AND POPULAR BALL ON JULY 13, 2024". Sortir Paris. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
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