Dompierre-aux-Bois

Dompierre-aux-Bois
Dompierre-aux-Bois
Location within Lorraine region Dompierre-aux-Bois
Coordinates: 48°59′44″N 5°35′09″E / 48.9956°N 5.5858°E / 48.9956; 5.5858Coordinates: 48°59′44″N 5°35′09″E / 48.9956°N 5.5858°E / 48.9956; 5.5858
Country	France
Region	Alsace-Champagne-Ardenne-Lorraine
Department	Meuse
Arrondissement	Arrondissement of Commercy
Canton	Canton of Vigneulles-lès-Hattonchâtel
Intercommunality	Communauté de communes du Sammiellois
Government
• Mayor (2008–2014)	Patrick Cousin
Area¹	8.07 km² (3.12 sq mi)
Population (1999)²	45
• Density	5.6/km² (14/sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code	55160 / 55300
Elevation	253–382 m (830–1,253 ft) (avg. 910 m or 2,990 ft)
¹ French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. ² Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Dompierre-aux-Bois is a commune in the Meuse department in Lorraine in north-eastern France. Dompierre-aux-Bois belongs to the association of the villages called "Dompierre" in France (22 villages). The inhabitants meet every year during the month of July.

Characteristics

Name

The Latin origin of the name of Dompierre-aux-Bois is Domnus Petrus in Sylvis.

Setting

The village is located in a valley, in a wooded area. The territory of the village is of 806 hectares. In the middle of the village, there is stream that was called "Ru du Moulin" in 1972. Now, it is simply called "Ruisseau de Dompierre". This stream's source is in the building where people would come in the past to wash their laundry. This building was initially built in 1821 and rebuilt in 1925. Since 1980, the spring is used to supply water to several neighbouring villages. As a result, the stream is now thinner, and during droughts, it's almost dry.

General view of Dompierre-aux-bois in the winter
The town hall of Dompierre-aux-Bois

Population

1836: 385 persons 1911: 198 persons 2005: 60 persons, of which 20 are under 20 years of age.

Resources

In the 19th century, Dompierre-aux-Bois was essentially living of wood production. It was called the Meuse department's capital of the clog, with a production of 45,000 units per year. There was also a sawmill and a papermill. Embroidery was also an important activity with about 60 women working in this activity. Today, most residents of Dompierre live of agriculture.

History

Dompierre-aux-Bois was badly hit during the First World War. On 27 September 1914, 24 women, children and elderly who had stayed back in the church of the village were killed. The village was entirely destroyed during the war and its French population displaced as it was in a German controlled area.