Beaumont-en-Verdunois () is a

commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...

in the

Meuse The Meuse ( , , , ; wa, Moûze ) or Maas ( , ; li, Maos or ) is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea from the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta. It has a t ...

department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

of the

Grand Est Grand Est (; gsw-FR, Grossa Oschta; Moselle Franconian/ lb, Grouss Osten; Rhine Franconian: ''Groß Oschte''; german: Großer Osten ; en, "Great East") is an administrative region in Northeastern France. It superseded three former administrat ...

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...

of northeastern

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. Since the

Battle of Verdun The Battle of Verdun (french: Bataille de Verdun ; german: Schlacht um Verdun ) was fought from 21 February to 18 December 1916 on the Western Front in France. The battle was the longest of the First World War and took place on the hills north ...

in 1916, the village has had no permanent residents (official

population Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction using a ...

: 0), as is the case with other destroyed villages in the region:

Bezonvaux Bezonvaux () is a commune in the Meuse department in the Grand Est region in northeastern France. History Since the end of the Battle of Verdun in 1916, it has been unoccupied (official population: 0) along with Beaumont-en-Verdunois, Haumont- ...

Haumont-près-Samogneux Haumont-près-Samogneux (, literally ''Haumont near Samogneux'') is a commune in the Meuse department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. The capture of the town by the German Fifth Army began the Battle of Verdun during World War I in 1916. S ...

Louvemont-Côte-du-Poivre Louvemont-Côte-du-Poivre () is a commune in the Meuse department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. Since the end of the Battle of Verdun in 1916, it has been unoccupied (official population: 0) along with Bezonvaux, Beaumont-en-Verdunois, H ...

Cumières-le-Mort-Homme Cumières-le-Mort-Homme is a ghost commune in the Meuse department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. Since the end of the Battle of Verdun in 1916, it has been unoccupied (official population: 0), as have Bezonvaux, Beaumont-en-Verdunois, H ...

and

Fleury-devant-Douaumont Fleury-devant-Douaumont (, literally ''Fleury before Douaumont'') is a commune in the Meuse department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. During the Battle of Verdun in 1916 it was captured and recaptured by the Germans and French 16 times. Si ...

. From 1925 onwards, the mayorship of the town has been within one family, today held by Pierre Libert.

History

World War One

On 21 February 1916, the

commenced and the area surrounding

Verdun Verdun (, , , ; official name before 1970 ''Verdun-sur-Meuse'') is a large city in the Meuse department in Grand Est, northeastern France. It is an arrondissement of the department. Verdun is the biggest city in Meuse, although the capital ...

, including the village of Beaumont-en-Verdunois began suffering heavy shelling. Beaumont-en-Verdunois was lost by French troops on 23 February 1916, and regained on the 8 October 1918, though the village was almost completely destroyed at this point as a result of relentless shelling from both German and French sides. As a result of the war, the land was made uninhabitable to such an extent that a decision was made not to rebuild it. The site of the destroyed village is within the

Zone rouge The ''Zone Rouge'' (English: Red Zone) is a chain of non-contiguous areas throughout northeastern France that the French government isolated after the First World War. The land, which originally covered more than , was deemed too physically ...

, an area of completely devastated land unsuitable for agriculture or human life. Today, the village has no permanent residents, and the site of the commune is maintained as a monument to the French war effort, officially designated as a "village mort pour la France." ("village that died for France") It is managed by a municipal council of three members appointed by the prefect of the Meuse department.

References

Communes of Meuse (department) Former populated places in France {{Meuse-geo-stub

History

World War One

See also

References