Rombas

Rombas
Coat of arms
Rombas
Location within Lorraine region  Rombas
Coordinates: 49°15′01″N 6°05′42″E / 49.2503°N 6.095°ECoordinates: 49°15′01″N 6°05′42″E / 49.2503°N 6.095°E
Country	France
Region	Alsace-Champagne-Ardenne-Lorraine
Department	Moselle
Arrondissement	Metz
Canton	Rombas
Intercommunality	Communauté de communes du Pays Orne-Moselle
Government
• Mayor	Lionel Fournier
Area^1	11.69 km^2 (4.51 sq mi)
Population (2007)^2	10,100
• Density	860/km^2 (2,200/sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code	57591 / 57120
Elevation	162–383 m (531–1,257 ft) (avg. 200 m or 660 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.

Rombas is a commune in the Moselle department in Alsace-Champagne-Ardenne-Lorraine in north-eastern France.

Geography

Rombas is located in the lower Orne Valley, near Metz, Nancy and Luxembourg.

History

• The first human settlements date back to the Upper Paleolithic (-15,000 BP) on the site called Les Roches.
• Discovery in 1870 at the site called La tuilerie de Ramonville of Neolithic axes (-4,000 BP)
• The Germanic frank Rumo founded Rombas in the 5th century.
• The town went through several name changes over the course of history, it has been named Romesbach in 972, Romabach in 984, Rumesbach in 1128, Ramisbach in 1160-1162, Romesbas in 1185, Romebac in 1245, Romebair in 1247, Roumebac in 1280, Rombair in 1335-1338, Rombas in the 15th century, Rombach from 1870 to 1918 while absorbed by Germany; and finally Rombas from 1918.

Population

Historical population of Rombas
(Source: INSEE)

Year	1962	1968	1975	1982	1990	1999	2007
Population	10 492	12 412	13 303	11 733	10 844	10 743	10 100
From the year 1968 on: No double counting—residents of multiple communes (e.g. students and military personnel) are counted only once.

Sights

• The Drince tower, located on the edge of Pierrevillers, it overlooks Rombas at its highest elevation, between Metz and Thionville.
• The Fond Saint-Martin and Les Roches.
• The old church, demolished in 1755, was heavily fortified.
• The St Remy church, 1756, was replaced in 1938 by a modern church. Sculpture : Christ de Pitie from 16th century.

Notable people from Rombas

• Mireille Guiliano, French-American author, born in Moyeuvre-Grande, 1946.
• Marie Hackin, compagnon de la Libération, born in Rombas, 1905.

Bibliography

• Jean-Jacques Sitek, Rombas, mémoire de la Vallée de l'Orne, 1993.
• Jean-Jacques Sitek, Rombas, Hier et Aujourd'hui, 1999.

Notes & references

• Translated from the French Wikipedia article 12 June 2008 (UTC)

External links

• Official website of the town of Rombas
• List of Rombas' mayors
• Site about Rombas with live webcam
• Rombas on the French National Geographic Institute website