Saint-François (Thionville) Explained

Saint-François is a district of the French commune of Thionville in the Moselle department and the Grand Est region. It had a population of just over 5,000 in the 2010s.

Geography

This district is located in the east of the Thionville municipality, north of the city center. The Moselle River runs through it.

A part of Saint-François, next to the hillside, is called La Malgrange.^[1]

Public Transportation

Between 1903 and 1935, this district was served by the line from Thionville to Mondorf-les-Bains.

Toponymy

• During the German occupation, the district was renamed Sankt Franz, otherwise written St. Franz. In French Lorraine: Sankt-Franz.^[2]

History

In 1828, Saint-François was a suburb located within cannon range of the ramparts of Thionville. It was then mostly inhabited by gardeners who supplied the town. This portion of territory is cultivated correctly: we can compare it, for products, with the Sablon territory in Metz.^[1]

In 1828, the district included ninety-one houses which were all surrounded by gardens. Their inhabitants were prosperous.^[1]

Civil and religious buildings

• It is near Saint-François where the Sainte-Suzanne Cemetery is located.^[1]
• There was a small chapel in this suburb which was sold and is no longer dedicated to worship.^[1]

Notes and References

1. Teissier, Histoire de Thionville, Verronnais, 1828
2. Marcel . Konne . Piernet . Albert-Louis . 1983 . Dierfer vun äiser Hemecht . Villages of our homeland . de . Hemechtsland a Sprooch .