Brest (; ) is a
port city
A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ham ...
in the
Finistère
Finistère (, ; br, Penn-ar-Bed ) is a department of France in the extreme west of Brittany. In 2019, it had a population of 915,090. department,
Brittany
Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, Historical region, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known ...
. Located in a sheltered bay not far from the western tip of the peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after
Toulon
Toulon (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Tolon , , ) is a city on the French Riviera and a large port on the Mediterranean coast, with a major naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, and the Provence province, Toulon is th ...
. The city is located on the western edge of continental France. With 142,722 inhabitants in a 2007 census, Brest forms
Western Brittany's largest metropolitan area (with a population of 300,300 in total), ranking third behind only
Nantes
Nantes (, , ; Gallo: or ; ) is a city in Loire-Atlantique on the Loire, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the sixth largest in France, with a population of 314,138 in Nantes proper and a metropolitan area of nearly 1 million inhabita ...
and
Rennes
Rennes (; br, Roazhon ; Gallo: ''Resnn''; ) is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France at the confluence of the Ille and the Vilaine. Rennes is the prefecture of the region of Brittany, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine department ...
in the whole of historic Brittany, and the
19th most populous city in France; moreover, Brest provides services to the one million inhabitants of Western Brittany. Although Brest is by far the largest city in Finistère, the ''préfecture'' (regional capital) of the department is the much smaller
Quimper
Quimper (, ; br, Kemper ; la, Civitas Aquilonia or ) is a commune and prefecture of the Finistère department of Brittany in northwestern France.
Administration
Quimper is the prefecture (capital) of the Finistère department.
Geography
The ...
.
During the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
, the history of Brest was the history of its
castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...
. Then
Richelieu made it a
military harbour in 1631.
Brest grew around its
arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
until the second part of the 20th century. Heavily damaged by the Allies' bombing raids during World War II, the city centre was completely rebuilt after the war.
At the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century, the deindustrialization of the city was followed by the development of the
service sector
The tertiary sector of the economy, generally known as the service sector, is the third of the three economic sectors in the three-sector model (also known as the economic cycle). The others are the primary sector (raw materials) and the second ...
. Nowadays, Brest is an important
university town
A college town or university town is a community (often a separate town or city, but in some cases a town/city neighborhood or a district) that is dominated by its university population. The university may be large, or there may be several smal ...
with 23,000 students. Besides a multidisciplinary university, the
University of Western Brittany
The University of Western Brittany (french: Université de Bretagne-Occidentale; UBO) is a French university, located in Brest, in the Academy of Rennes. On a national scale, in terms of graduate employability, the university oscillates between 1 ...
, Brest and its surrounding area possess several prestigious French elite schools such as ''
École Navale
École may refer to:
* an elementary school in the French educational stages normally followed by secondary education establishments (collège and lycée)
* École (river), a tributary of the Seine flowing in région Île-de-France
* École, Savoi ...
'' (the French Naval Academy), ''
Télécom Bretagne'' and the
Superior National School of Advanced Techniques of Brittany (ENSTA Bretagne, formerly ENSIETA). Brest is also an important research centre, mainly focused on the sea, with among others the largest
Ifremer
IFREMER (Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer; ) is an oceanographic institution in Brest, France.
Scope of works
Ifremer focuses its research activities in the following areas:
* Monitoring, use and enhancement of coa ...
(French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea) centre, ''le Cedre'' (Centre of Documentation, Research and Experimentation on Accidental Water Pollution) and the French Polar Institute.
Brest's history has since the 17th century been linked to the sea: the ''
Académie de Marine
The Royal Naval Academy of France (french: Académie royale de marine) was founded at Brest by a ruling of 31 July 1752 by Antoine Louis de Rouillé, comte de Jouy, Secretary of State for the Navy. This institutionalised an earlier initiative b ...
'' (Naval Academy) was founded in 1752 in this city. The aircraft carrier was built there. Every four years, Brest hosts the international festival of the sea, boats and sailors: it is a meeting of old
rigging
Rigging comprises the system of ropes, cables and chains, which support a sailing ship or sail boat's masts—''standing rigging'', including shrouds and stays—and which adjust the position of the vessel's sails and spars to which they are ...
s from around the world (''
Les Tonnerres de Brest'').
History
The name of the town is first recorded as ''Bresta''; it may derive from *''brigs'', a
Celtic
Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to:
Language and ethnicity
*pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia
**Celts (modern)
*Celtic languages
**Proto-Celtic language
* Celtic music
*Celtic nations
Sports Fo ...
word for "hill."
Nothing definite is known of Brest before about 1240, when
Harvey V, Lord of Léon
Herve V of Léon was the eldest son of Herve IV of Léon and his wife Maud of Poissy.
Life
After his father's death in c. 1290, Herve became Lord of Léon. His fief was the castle of La Roche-Maurice. He died in April 1304.
Issue
Herve ...
ceded it to
John I, Duke of Brittany
John I ( br, Yann, french: Jean; c. 1217/12188 October 1286), known as John the Red due to the colour of his beard, was Duke of Brittany from 1221 to his death and 2nd Earl of Richmond in 1268.
John was the eldest of three children born to Duche ...
. In 1342
John IV, Duke of Brittany
John IV the Conqueror KG (in Breton Yann IV, in French Jean IV, and traditionally in English sources both John of Montfort and John V) (1339 – 1 November 1399), was Duke of Brittany and Count of Montfort from 1345 until his death and 7th Ear ...
surrendered Brest to the English, in whose possession it was to remain until 1397.
This was strategically important to the English as it helped protect their communication with
Gascony
Gascony (; french: Gascogne ; oc, Gasconha ; eu, Gaskoinia) was a province of the southwestern Kingdom of France that succeeded the Duchy of Gascony (602–1453). From the 17th century until the French Revolution (1789–1799), it was part o ...
.
The importance of Brest in
medieval
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the Post-classical, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...
times was great enough to give rise to the saying, "He is not the Duke of Brittany who is not the Lord of Brest." With the marriage of
Francis I of France
Francis I (french: François Ier; frm, Francoys; 12 September 1494 – 31 March 1547) was King of France from 1515 until his death in 1547. He was the son of Charles, Count of Angoulême, and Louise of Savoy. He succeeded his first cousin once ...
to
Claude Claude may refer to:
__NOTOC__ People and fictional characters
* Claude (given name), a list of people and fictional characters
* Claude (surname), a list of people
* Claude Lorrain (c. 1600–1682), French landscape painter, draughtsman and etcher ...
, the daughter of
Anne of Brittany
Anne of Brittany (; 25/26 January 1477 – 9 January 1514) was reigning Duchess of Brittany from 1488 until her death, and Queen of France from 1491 to 1498 and from 1499 to her death. She is the only woman to have been queen consort of France ...
, the definitive overlordship of Brest – together with the rest of the duchy – passed to the
French crown
France was ruled by monarchs from the establishment of the Kingdom of West Francia in 843 until the end of the Second French Empire in 1870, with several interruptions.
Classical French historiography usually regards Clovis I () as the firs ...
in 1491.
The advantages of Brest's situation as a seaport town were first recognized by
Cardinal Richelieu
Armand Jean du Plessis, Duke of Richelieu (; 9 September 1585 – 4 December 1642), known as Cardinal Richelieu, was a French clergyman and statesman. He was also known as ''l'Éminence rouge'', or "the Red Eminence", a term derived from the ...
, who in 1631 constructed a harbour with wooden
wharves
A wharf, quay (, also ), staith, or staithe is a structure on the shore of a harbour or on the bank of a river or canal where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers. Such a structure includes one or more berths (mooring location ...
. This soon became a base for the
French Navy
The French Navy (french: Marine nationale, lit=National Navy), informally , is the maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the five military service branches of France. It is among the largest and most powerful naval forces in t ...
.
Jean-Baptiste Colbert
Jean-Baptiste Colbert (; 29 August 1619 – 6 September 1683) was a French statesman who served as First Minister of State from 1661 until his death in 1683 under the rule of King Louis XIV. His lasting impact on the organization of the countr ...
, finance minister under
Louis XIV
, house = Bourbon
, father = Louis XIII
, mother = Anne of Austria
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France
, death_date =
, death_place = Palace of Vers ...
, rebuilt the wharves in masonry and otherwise improved the harbour. Fortifications by
Vauban (1633–1707) followed in 1680–1688. These fortifications, and with them the naval importance of the town, were to continue to develop throughout the 18th century.
In 1694, an English squadron under
Lord Berkeley was soundly defeated in its
attack on Brest
The Battle of Camaret, also referred to as the Brest expedition, was a notable engagement of the Nine Years' War. Expecting Brest to be unguarded as the French fleet stationed there sailed south to face the Spanish, an amphibious operation at ...
.
![1858 Gustave Le Gray la batterie Royale à Brest](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/51/1858_Gustave_Le_Gray_la_batterie_Royale_%C3%A0_Brest.jpg)
In 1917, during the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, Brest was used as the disembarking port for many of the troops coming from the United States. Thousands of such men came through the port on their way to the front lines. The
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
established a
naval air station on 13 February 1918 to operate
seaplane
A seaplane is a powered fixed-wing aircraft capable of takeoff, taking off and water landing, landing (alighting) on water.Gunston, "The Cambridge Aerospace Dictionary", 2009. Seaplanes are usually divided into two categories based on their tec ...
s. The base closed shortly after the
Armistice of 11 November 1918
The Armistice of 11 November 1918 was the armistice signed at Le Francport near Compiègne that ended fighting on land, sea, and air in World War I between the Entente and their last remaining opponent, Germany. Previous armistices ...
.
In the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, the
Germans
, native_name_lang = de
, region1 =
, pop1 = 72,650,269
, region2 =
, pop2 = 534,000
, region3 =
, pop3 = 157,000
3,322,405
, region4 =
, pop4 = ...
maintained a large
U-boat
U-boats were naval submarines operated by Germany, particularly in the First and Second World Wars. Although at times they were efficient fleet weapons against enemy naval warships, they were most effectively used in an economic warfare role ...
submarine
A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely op ...
base at Brest. Despite being within range of RAF bombers, it was also a base for some of the German surface fleet, giving repair facilities and direct access to the Atlantic Ocean. For much of 1941, , and were under repair in the dockyards. The repair yard facilities for both submarines and surface vessels were staffed by both German and French workers, with the latter forming the major part of the workforce; huge reliance was made on this French component.
In 1944, after the Allied
invasion of Normandy
Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allied operation that launched the successful invasion of German-occupied Western Europe during World War II. The operation was launched on 6 June 1944 (D-Day) with the Norm ...
, the city was almost totally destroyed during the
Battle for Brest
The Battle for Brest was fought in August and September 1944 on the Western Front during World War II. Part of the overall Battle for Brittany and the Allied plan for the invasion of mainland Europe called for the capture of port facilities, ...
, with only a tiny number of buildings left standing. After the war, the
West German
West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...
government paid several billion
Deutschmark
The Deutsche Mark (; English: ''German mark''), abbreviated "DM" or "D-Mark" (), was the official currency of West Germany from 1948 until 1990 and later the unified Germany from 1990 until the adoption of the euro in 2002. In English, it was ...
s in
reparations
Reparation(s) may refer to:
Christianity
* Restitution (theology), the Christian doctrine calling for reparation
* Acts of reparation, prayers for repairing the damages of sin
History
*War reparations
**World War I reparations, made from G ...
to the homeless and destitute civilians of Brest in compensation for the destruction of their city. Large parts of today's rebuilt city consist of utilitarian
granite
Granite () is a coarse-grained (phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies undergro ...
and concrete buildings. The French naval base now houses the
Brest Naval Training Centre
The Brest Naval Training Centre (the ''Centre d'instruction naval de Brest'', or ''CIN'') is one of the main training centres for the French Navy. Housed in the Brest naval base, the CIN is made up of the lycée naval (a lycée that also prepares ...
.
During the postwar
Nuremberg Trials
The Nuremberg trials were held by the Allies of World War II, Allies against representatives of the defeated Nazi Germany, for plotting and carrying out invasions of other countries, and other crimes, in World War II.
Between 1939 and 1945 ...
, a memorandum of German admiral and chief of staff
Kurt Fricke
Kurt Fricke (8 November 1889 – 2 May 1945) was an Admiral with the Kriegsmarine (navy) of Nazi Germany during World War II and a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.
Biography
Fricke entered the ''Kaiserliche Marine'' as a cadet ...
from 1940 was given in evidence which suggested that the town should perhaps serve as a German enclave after the war.
In 1972, the French Navy opened its
nuclear weapon
A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission (fission bomb) or a combination of fission and fusion reactions ( thermonuclear bomb), producing a nuclear explosion. Both bom ...
-submarine (deterrence) base at
Île Longue
Île Longue ( French for "Long Island") is a peninsula of the roadstead of Brest in the department of Finistère in the Brittany region. It is the base of the SNLE, the French ballistic missile submarines, and as such one of the most secretive ...
in the ''Rade de Brest'' (Brest
roadstead
A roadstead (or ''roads'' – the earlier form) is a body of water sheltered from rip currents, spring tides, or ocean swell where ships can lie reasonably safely at anchor without dragging or snatching.United States Army technical manual, TM 5- ...
). This continues to be an important base for the French nuclear-armed
ballistic missile
A ballistic missile is a type of missile that uses projectile motion to deliver warheads on a target. These weapons are guided only during relatively brief periods—most of the flight is unpowered. Short-range ballistic missiles stay within the ...
submarines.
Coat of arms
The meaning of the
coat of arms
A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central ele ...
of Brest is half France (
the three fleurs-de-lis of the former kingdom of France), half Brittany (
''semé d'hermine'' of Brittany). These arms were used for the first time in a register of deliberations of the city council dated the 15 July 1683.
[Les Armoiries de Brest](_blank)
Sights
![Rue de Siam](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/53/Rue_de_Siam.jpg)
''
Pont de Recouvrance
The Pont de Recouvrance () is a vertical-lift bridge in Brest, France, across the river Penfeld. Opened on 17 July 1954, it was the largest vertical-lift bridge in Europe until the opening of the Rouen Pont Gustave-Flaubert in 2008. It links ...
'' (Recouvrance Bridge, is a massive drawbridge 64 m/210 ft high), the
military arsenal and the
''rue de Siam'' (Siam Street) are other sights. The
castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...
and the
Tanguy tower are the oldest monuments of Brest.
The ''Musée de la Tour Tanguy'', in the Tanguy tower, houses a collection of
diorama
A diorama is a replica of a scene, typically a three-dimensional full-size or miniature model, sometimes enclosed in a glass showcase for a museum. Dioramas are often built by hobbyists as part of related hobbies such as military vehicle mode ...
s that depict the city of Brest on the eve of World War II. The ''
Musée national de la Marine
The Musée national de la Marine (National Navy Museum) is a maritime museum located in the Palais de Chaillot, Trocadéro, in the 16th arrondissement of Paris. It has annexes at Brest, Port-Louis, Rochefort ( Musée National de la Marine de Roc ...
de Brest'', housed in the ancient castle, contains exhibits which outline Brest's maritime tradition, as well as an aquarium, the Océanopolis marine centre. The city also has a notable
botanical garden
A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens, an ...
specializing in
endangered species
An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inv ...
, the ''
Conservatoire botanique national de Brest
The Conservatoire botanique national de Brest (32 hectares) is a notable botanical garden located at 52 Allée du Bot, Brest, Finistère, in the region of Brittany, France. It is open daily without charge.
The conservatory site was formerly a quar ...
'', as well as the ''
''.
The city of Brest does not have much remaining historical architecture, apart from a few select monuments such as the castle and the Tanguy tower. This is due to heavy bombing by the Allies during World War II, in an attempt to destroy the
submarine base
A submarine base is a military base that shelters submarines and their personnel.
Examples of present-day submarine bases include HMNB Clyde, Île Longue (the base for France's Force océanique stratégique), Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Na ...
the Germans had built in the harbour. In the 1950s, the town was hastily rebuilt using a large amount of concrete. In
Recouvrance, the west bank of the town, there remains an authentic street of the 17th century, Saint-Malo Street.
A few kilometres out of town, there are landscapes, from sandy beaches to
grotto
A grotto is a natural or artificial cave used by humans in both modern times and antiquity, and historically or prehistorically. Naturally occurring grottoes are often small caves near water that are usually flooded or often flooded at high ti ...
s to tall
granite
Granite () is a coarse-grained (phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies undergro ...
cliffs.
Sunbathing
Sun tanning or tanning is the process whereby skin color is darkened or tanned. It is most often a result of exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from sunlight or from artificial sources, such as a tanning lamp found in indoor tanning beds. ...
,
windsurfing
Windsurfing is a wind propelled water sport that is a combination of sailing and surfing. It is also referred to as "sailboarding" and "boardsailing", and emerged in the late 1960s from the aerospace and surf culture of California. Windsurfing ga ...
,
yachting
Yachting is the use of recreational boats and ships called ''yachts'' for racing or cruising. Yachts are distinguished from working ships mainly by their leisure purpose. "Yacht" derives from the Dutch word '' jacht'' ("hunt"). With sailboats, t ...
and fishing are enjoyed in the area. Brest was an important warship-producing port during the
Napoleonic wars
The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...
. The naval port, which is in great part excavated in the rock, extends along both banks of the
Penfeld
The Penfeld,The ''d'' was added in the 17th century by a naval engineer influenced by the German word ''feld'' - the name is masculine in the Breton language. ( Breton: ''Penfell'') is a French coastal river. The town of Brest, in Finistère, has ...
river.
File:Brest.jpg, The Tanguy tower hosts a museum of the history of Brest; in the background, the ''Pont de Recouvrance
The Pont de Recouvrance () is a vertical-lift bridge in Brest, France, across the river Penfeld. Opened on 17 July 1954, it was the largest vertical-lift bridge in Europe until the opening of the Rouen Pont Gustave-Flaubert in 2008. It links ...
'' (Recouvrance Bridge).
File:Brest chateau.jpg, The castle hosts the ''Musée national de la Marine
The Musée national de la Marine (National Navy Museum) is a maritime museum located in the Palais de Chaillot, Trocadéro, in the 16th arrondissement of Paris. It has annexes at Brest, Port-Louis, Rochefort ( Musée National de la Marine de Roc ...
'' (National Navy Museum).
File:Stangalar2.JPG, the '' conservatoire botanique national'' in autumn
File:Saint-Sauveur-clocher.jpg, Saint-Sauveur church in Recouvrance, designed by Amédée-François Frézier
Amédée-François Frézier (1682 – October 26, 1773) was a French military engineer, mathematician, spy, and explorer who is best remembered for bringing back five specimens of '' Fragaria chiloensis'', the beach strawberry, from an assignment ...
, the oldest church of Brest, built in 1750
File:Place liberté2 800x600.JPG, Monumental perspective from the ''Place de la Liberté'' opening to the ''rue de Siam
The ''rue de'' Siam (or ''Siam'' Street, br, Straed Siam) is the main arterial street of Brest, a port city in Brittany, France. Its name comes from the arrival of three ambassadors led by Kosa Pan, sent by the King of Siam on the 29 June 1686 ...
'' (Siam Street), with the ''rade de Brest
The roadstead of Brest (''rade de Brest'') is a roadstead or bay located in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. The surface area is about 180 km² (70 sq mi). The port of Brest and one of the two French naval ...
'' (Brest roadstead
A roadstead (or ''roads'' – the earlier form) is a body of water sheltered from rip currents, spring tides, or ocean swell where ships can lie reasonably safely at anchor without dragging or snatching.United States Army technical manual, TM 5- ...
) in the background, and on the right, the steeple of Saint-Louis church dominating the rebuilt centre of Brest
Geography
![Brest](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c5/Brest.png)
Brest is located amidst a dramatic landscape near the entrance of the natural ''
rade de Brest
The roadstead of Brest (''rade de Brest'') is a roadstead or bay located in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. The surface area is about 180 km² (70 sq mi). The port of Brest and one of the two French naval ...
'' (Brest roadstead), at the west end of Brittany.
It is situated to the north of a magnificent landlocked bay, and occupies the slopes of two hills divided by the river Penfeld. The part of the town on the left bank is regarded as Brest proper, while the part on the right is known as
Recouvrance. There are also extensive suburbs to the east of the town. The hillsides are in some places so steep that the ascent from the lower to the upper town has to be effected by flights of steps and the second or third storey of one house is often on a level with the ground storey of the next.
Climate
Brest experiences an
oceanic climate
An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ( ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...
: ''Cfb'') in its classic version (due to its location in the Atlantic Ocean and the sea intrusion) where it shares a considerable moderation shared with other places of the
Finistère
Finistère (, ; br, Penn-ar-Bed ) is a department of France in the extreme west of Brittany. In 2019, it had a population of 915,090. and islands of Great Britain. As a result of the maritime moderation, Brest has very chilly summers by French standards and in spite of the low latitude, July afternoons are cooler than the norm in far northern Europe. Rainfall is common year-round, but snowfall is a rarer occurrence since temperatures usually remain several degrees above freezing during winter nights.
An extreme temperature of was recorded on
18 July 2022.
Population
In 1945 Brest absorbed three neighbouring communes.
[ The population data for 1936 and earlier in the table and graph below refer to the pre-1945 borders.
]
Transport
The railway station of Brest, Gare de Brest, is linked to Rennes
Rennes (; br, Roazhon ; Gallo: ''Resnn''; ) is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France at the confluence of the Ille and the Vilaine. Rennes is the prefecture of the region of Brittany, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine department ...
and Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
and provides services to other stations in Brittany as well. TGV
The TGV (french: Train à Grande Vitesse, "high-speed train"; previously french: TurboTrain à Grande Vitesse, label=none) is France's intercity high-speed rail service, operated by SNCF. SNCF worked on a high-speed rail network from 1966 to 19 ...
trains to Paris take approximately three hours and forty minutes to reach the capital.
A new 28 stop, tram line connecting Porte de Plouzané in the west with Porte de Gouesnou and Porte de Guipavas northeast of the city centre opened in June 2012.
Brest international airport, Brest Bretagne Airport
Brest Bretagne Airport (french: link=no, Aéroport de Brest Bretagne) , formerly known as Brest Guipavas Airport, is an international airport serving Brest, France. It is located in the ''commune'' of Guipavas and 10.2 km (6.4 miles) northe ...
, is mainly linked to Paris, London, Nice
Nice ( , ; Niçard: , classical norm, or , nonstandard, ; it, Nizza ; lij, Nissa; grc, Νίκαια; la, Nicaea) is the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative c ...
, Lyon
Lyon,, ; Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the third-largest city and second-largest metropolitan area of France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of t ...
, Dublin. The primary operator is Air France (via its subsidiary HOP!). Brest international airport is the main airport of the Brittany (administrative region), region of Brittany in terms passager traffic with 45% of this traffic of the region, representing 919,404 passengers in 2010. A new terminal has been in service since 12 December 2007 and can accommodate up to 1.8 million passengers annually.
The harbour of Brest is mainly dedicated to Bulk cargo, bulk, hydrocarbon and freight containers. The harbour's facilities can accommodate the largest modern ships. A cruise ship port is also located in Brest, near the city centre.
Economy
Due to its location, Brest is regarded as the first French port that can be accessed from the Americas. Shipping is big business, although Nantes
Nantes (, , ; Gallo: or ; ) is a city in Loire-Atlantique on the Loire, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the sixth largest in France, with a population of 314,138 in Nantes proper and a metropolitan area of nearly 1 million inhabita ...
and Saint-Nazaire offer much larger docks and attract more of the larger vessels. Brest has the ninth French commercial harbour including ship repairs and maintenance. The protected location of Brest means that its harbour is ideal to receive any type of ship, from the smallest dinghy to the biggest aircraft carrier ( has visited a few times). Naval construction is also an important activity: for example, the was built by Direction des Constructions Navales (DCN) in Brest.
Despite its image of an industrialised city whose activity depends mainly on military order, the service sector
The tertiary sector of the economy, generally known as the service sector, is the third of the three economic sectors in the three-sector model (also known as the economic cycle). The others are the primary sector (raw materials) and the second ...
represents 75% of the economic activity. The importance of the service sector is still increasing while industrialised activity is decaying, explaining the unchanged rate of working-class in Brest. Brest also hosts headquarters for many subsidiaries like the banking group Arkéa. Research and conception is taking an increasing importance. Brest claims to be the largest European centre for sciences and techniques linked to the sea: 60% of the French research in the maritime field is based in Brest.
Administration
Mayors
*since 2001: François Cuillandre
*1989–2001: Pierre Maille (2nd and 3rd terms)
*1985–1989: Georges Kerbrat
*1983–1985: Jacques Berthelot
*1982–1983: Pierre Maille
*1977–1982: Francis Le Blé
*1973–1977: Eugène Berest
*1959–1973: Georges Lombard
*1958–1959: Auguste Kervern
*1954–1958: Yves Jaouen
*1954–1954: Lucien Chaix
*1953–1954: Yves Jaouen
*1947–1953: Alfred Pierre Marie Chupin
*1945–1947: Jules Lullien
*1944–1945: Jules Lullien
*1942–1944: Victor Eusen
*1929–1941: Victor Le Gorgeu
*1921–1929: Léon Nardon
*1920–1921: Hippolyte Masson
*1919–1920: Louis Léon Nardon
*1912–1919: Hippolyte Masson
*1908–1912: Louis Arthur Delobeau
*1904–1908: Victor Marie Aubert
*1900–1904: Charles Berger
Breton language
Breton language, Breton is not commonly spoken in the city of Brest, which was the only French-speaking city in western Brittany before the 1789 French Revolution, despite the surrounding countryside being fully Breton-speaking at that time. Like other Languages of France, French minority languages, Breton does not have any official language status in France.
The municipality launched a linguistic plan to revive Breton as a language through ''Ya d'ar brezhoneg'' on 16 June 2006. In 2008, 1.94% of primary-school children attended French-Breton bilingual Diwan (school), Diwan schools. Besides bilingual schools, the Breton language is also taught in some schools and universities.
The association ''Sked'' federates all Breton cultural activities.
Culture
The city is host to several events to celebrate its long maritime history. The largest of these is held every four years, when the town organises a tall ship meeting. The last such tall ship event was "Les Tonnerres de Brest 2016". Due to the COVID-19 pandemic the next event is planned for 2022.
Brest also hosts an annual short film festival called "Brest European Short Film Festival". The city was the setting for the 1982 art film ''Querelle'', directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, itself based on the 1947 novel ''Querelle of Brest, Querelle de Brest'' by Jean Genet.
Cuisine
Brittany's most famous local delicacy, the Crêpe bretonne, Breton crêpe, is the main culinary feature apart from seafood. There are many crêpe restaurants (called ''crêperies''). Breton apple cider is often featured.
Traditional biscuits include ''Traou Mad'', which is a full-fat butter biscuit similar to Scottish shortbread.
Sport
Brest has held the List of Tour de France Grands Départs, Grands Départs of the Tour de France on three occasions, in 1952 Tour de France, 1952, 1974 Tour de France, 1974 and 2008 Tour de France, 2008. The 2021 Tour de France is due to start from Brest on 26 June 2021. Stage 6 of the 2018 Tour de France departed from Brest. Since 1901 Brest has served as the midpoint for the bicycle endurance event, Paris–Brest–Paris.
Brest is home to Stade Brestois 29, a Association football, football team in Ligue 1. the top tier of the French football league system,
Brest is also home to Brest Albatros Hockey, an ice hockey team in Ligue Magnus, and won the league title in the 1995–96 Élite Ligue season, 1996 and 1996–97 Nationale 1A season, 1997.
In 2002 the Brest Throwball, throwball team Brest LC reached the 1st division of French throwball but were subsequently relegated due to financial difficulty. The club has recently adopted an Irish influenced infrastructure.
Research and education
Primarily the research centre of western Brittany, Brest and its surrounding area is the home of several research and elite educational establishments:
* a multidisciplinary university, ''University of Western Brittany, Université de Bretagne Occidentale'' (UBO
* Brest has also several ''grandes écoles'' and other undergraduate or graduate schools:
** ''École nationale d'ingénieurs de Brest'' (ENIB) (in Plouzané next to Brest
** '' Télécom Bretagne'' (ENST Bretagne) (in Plouzané next to Brest
** ''École nationale supérieure de techniques avancées de Bretagne'' (ENSTA Bretagne, formerly ENSIETA
** ''ISEN, Institut supérieur de l'électronique et du numérique de Brest'' (ISEN Brest
** ESC Bretagne Brest, Brest Business School (ESC Bretagne Brest
** ''École Navale
École may refer to:
* an elementary school in the French educational stages normally followed by secondary education establishments (collège and lycée)
* École (river), a tributary of the Seine flowing in région Île-de-France
* École, Savoi ...
'' (French Naval Academy) (in Lanvéoc next to Brest
** To be noted that Brest is one of the hosts for the Indiana University Honors Foreign Language Program
* Brest has several research organisations:
** the largest Ifremer
IFREMER (Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer; ) is an oceanographic institution in Brest, France.
Scope of works
Ifremer focuses its research activities in the following areas:
* Monitoring, use and enhancement of coa ...
(French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea) centre (in Plouzané next to Brest); about 1000 people work there.
** ''Le Cedre'' (Centre of Documentation, Research and Experimentation on Accidental Water Pollution)
** the French Polar Institute (in Plouzané next to Brest)
** The Naval Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service (SHOM)
Notable people
Brest was the birthplace of:
* Jean-Michel Huon de Kermadec (1748–1792), navigator
* Charles-Alexandre Léon Durand Linois (1761–1848), admiral during the time of Napoleon Bonaparte
* Antoinette Lemonnier (1787–1866), operatic soprano
* Prosper Garnot (1794–1838), surgeon and natural history, naturalist
* Léon Moreau (1870–1946), composer
* Victor Segalen (1878–1919), naval doctor, ethnographer, archeologist, writer and poet
* Jean Cras (1879–1932), French composer and career naval officer
* Georges Thierry d'Argenlieu (1889–1964), priest, diplomat and French Navy
The French Navy (french: Marine nationale, lit=National Navy), informally , is the maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the five military service branches of France. It is among the largest and most powerful naval forces in t ...
officer and admiral
* Jean Loysel (1889–1962), composer and lyricist
* Alain Robbe-Grillet (1922–2008), writer and filmmaker
* Pierre Brice (1929–2015), actor
* Béatrice Dalle (born 1964), actress
* Christophe Miossec (born 1964), singer
* Benoît Hamon (born 1967), MEP and French presidential candidate, Parti Socialiste, 2017
* Yann Tiersen (born 1970), minimalist multi instrumentalist/musician
* Sébastien Flute (born 1972), Olympic gold medalist
* Benoît Menut (born 1977), composer
* Yohann Boulic (born 1978), footballer
* Larsen Touré (born 1984), footballer (naturalized Guinean)
* Gonzalo Higuaín (born 1987), footballer (naturalized Argentina, Argentine)
* Laury Thilleman (born 1991), Miss France 2011
International relations
Twin towns – Sister cities
Brest is Twin towns and sister cities, twinned with:[Les jumelages de Brest](_blank)
* Denver, Colorado, United States (1948)
* Plymouth, Devon, England (1963)
* Kiel, Germany (1964)
* Taranto, Italy (1964)
* Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, Kanagawa, Kantō region, Kantō, Japan (1970)
* Dún Laoghaire, Republic of Ireland (1984)
* Cádiz, Spain (1986)
* Saponé, Burkina Faso, Saponé, Burkina Faso (1989)
* Constanța, Romania (1993)
* Qingdao, China (2006)
* Brest, Belarus, Brest, Belarus (2012)
Friendly relationship
Brest has an official friendly relationship (''protocole d'amitié'') with:
* Bejaïa, Algeria (1995)
See also
*Battle for Brest
The Battle for Brest was fought in August and September 1944 on the Western Front during World War II. Part of the overall Battle for Brittany and the Allied plan for the invasion of mainland Europe called for the capture of port facilities, ...
*Calvary at Plougastel-Daoulas
*Communes of the Finistère department
*Questel Fort
Notes
References
Bibliography
External links
Aerial photos of the whole city and urban community
Brest Airport Travel Guide
Interactive City Map of Brest
Official website of Brest town hall (with webcam)
Satellite picture by Google Maps
Brest Cultural Heritage
Brest improvisation theatre
Wiki-Brest
a community wiki containing articles about the city (in French).
{{Authority control
Brest, France,
Cities in France
Communes of Finistère
Populated coastal places in France
Port cities and towns on the French Atlantic coast
Subprefectures in France
Osismii
Vauban fortifications in France, Brest