Roubaix ( , ; ; ; ) is a city in northern France, located in the

Lille Lille (, ; ; ; ; ) is a city in the northern part of France, within French Flanders. Positioned along the Deûle river, near France's border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France Regions of France, region, the Prefectures in F ...

metropolitan area on the Belgian border. It is a historically mono-industrial commune in the Nord department, which grew rapidly in the 19th century from its textile industries, with most of the same characteristic features as those of English and American boom towns. This former new town has faced many challenges linked to deindustrialisation such as urban decay, with their related economic and social implications, since its major industries fell into decline by the middle of the 1970s. Located to the northeast of

, adjacent to Tourcoing, Roubaix is the of two cantons and the third largest city in the French

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...

Hauts-de-France Hauts-de-France (; ; ), also referred to in English as Upper France, is the northernmost region of France, created by the territorial reform of French regions in 2014, from a merger of Nord-Pas-de-Calais and Picardy. Its prefecture is Lille. ...

ranked by population with nearly 99,000 inhabitants.Téléchargement du fichier d'ensemble des populations légales en 2019
INSEE Together with the nearby cities of

, Tourcoing,

Villeneuve-d'Ascq Villeneuve-d'Ascq (; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Nord (French department), Nord Departments of France, department in northern France. With more than 60,000 inhabitants and 50,000 students, it is one of the main cities of the Métro ...

and eighty-six other communes, Roubaix gives structure to a four-centred

metropolitan area A metropolitan area or metro is a region consisting of a densely populated urban area, urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories which share Industry (economics), industries, commercial areas, Transport infrastructure, transport network ...

inhabited by more than 1.1 million people: the European Metropolis of Lille. To a greater extent, Roubaix is in the center of a vast

conurbation A conurbation is a region consisting of a number of metropolises, cities, large towns, and other urban areas which, through population growth and physical expansion, have merged to form one continuous urban or industrially developed area. In most ...

formed with the Belgian cities of Mouscron,

Kortrijk Kortrijk ( , ; or ''Kortrik''; ), sometimes known in English as Courtrai or Courtray ( ), is a Belgian City status in Belgium, city and Municipalities in Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region, Flemish Provinces of Belgium, province of We ...

and

Tournai Tournai ( , ; ; ; , sometimes Anglicisation (linguistics), anglicised in older sources as "Tournay") is a city and Municipalities in Belgium, municipality of Wallonia located in the Hainaut Province, Province of Hainaut, Belgium. It lies by ...

, which gave birth to the first European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation in January 2008, '' Lille–Kortrijk–Tournai'' with an aggregate population of over 2 million inhabitants.

Geography

Location

Roubaix occupies a central position on the north-east slope of the

Métropole Européenne de Lille The Métropole Européenne de Lille (, MEL; ) is the , an intercommunal structure, composed by a network of big cities ( Lille, Roubaix, Tourcoing, Villeneuve d'Ascq, Armentières etc.) whose major city is the city of Lille. It is located in ...

: it is set on the eastern side of

and the southern side of Tourcoing, close to the Belgian border. As regards towns' boundaries, Roubaix is encompassed by seven cities which constitute its immediate neighbouring environment. These

municipalities A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

are namely: Tourcoing to the north and the northwest, Wattrelos to the northeast, Leers to the east, Lys-lez-Lannoy to the southeast,

Hem A hem in sewing is a garment finishing method, where the edge of a piece of cloth is folded and sewn to prevent unravelling of the fabric and to adjust the length of the piece in garments, such as at the end of the sleeve or the bottom of the ga ...

to the south and

Croix Croix (French for "cross") may refer to: Belgium * Croix-lez-Rouveroy, a village in municipality of Estinnes in the province of Hainaut France * Croix, Nord, in the Nord department * Croix, Territoire de Belfort, in the Territoire de Belfort depa ...

to the southwest and the west. Roubaix, alongside those municipalities and twenty-one other communes, belongs to the land of Ferrain, a little district of the former Castellany of Lille between the Lys and

Scheldt The Scheldt ( ; ; ) is a river that flows through northern France, western Belgium, and the southwestern part of Netherlands, the Netherlands, with its mouth at the North Sea. Its name is derived from an adjective corresponding to Old Englis ...

rivers. As the crow flies, the distance between Roubaix and the following cities is some odd: to Tournai, to Kortrijk, to

Brussels Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...

and to Paris.

Geology

The land upon which Roubaix stands belongs to the plain of Flanders. The Roubaisian area stretches on an

east East is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the fact that ea ...

- west oriented shallow syncline axis which trends

south South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both west and east. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþa ...

southeast The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, Radius, radially arrayed compass directions (or Azimuth#In navigation, azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A ''compass rose'' is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, ...

to the

Paleozoic The Paleozoic ( , , ; or Palaeozoic) Era is the first of three Era (geology), geological eras of the Phanerozoic Eon. Beginning 538.8 million years ago (Ma), it succeeds the Neoproterozoic (the last era of the Proterozoic Eon) and ends 251.9 Ma a ...

limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...

of the Mélantois- Tournaisis faulted

anticline In structural geology, an anticline is a type of Fold (geology), fold that is an arch-like shape and has its oldest Bed (geology), beds at its core, whereas a syncline is the inverse of an anticline. A typical anticline is convex curve, c ...

. It consists predominantly of

Holocene The Holocene () is the current geologic time scale, geological epoch, beginning approximately 11,700 years ago. It follows the Last Glacial Period, which concluded with the Holocene glacial retreat. The Holocene and the preceding Pleistocene to ...

alluvial

sediment Sediment is a solid material that is transported to a new location where it is deposited. It occurs naturally and, through the processes of weathering and erosion, is broken down and subsequently sediment transport, transported by the action of ...

depositions. It is flat and low, with an

elevation The elevation of a geographic location (geography), ''location'' is its height above or below a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational equipotenti ...

drop of only over its . The lowest

altitude Altitude is a distance measurement, usually in the vertical or "up" direction, between a reference datum (geodesy), datum and a point or object. The exact definition and reference datum varies according to the context (e.g., aviation, geometr ...

of this area stands at , while its highest altitude is meters above the sea level.

Hydrology

The Trichon

stream A stream is a continuous body of water, body of surface water Current (stream), flowing within the stream bed, bed and bank (geography), banks of a channel (geography), channel. Depending on its location or certain characteristics, a strea ...

fed by waters of the Espierre stream used to flow through the rural

landscape A landscape is the visible features of an area of land, its landforms, and how they integrate with natural or human-made features, often considered in terms of their aesthetic appeal.''New Oxford American Dictionary''. A landscape includes th ...

of Roubaix before the industrialisation process began to alter this area in the middle of the 19th century. From that century on, the ensuing industries, with their increasing needs for reliable supplies of goods and water, led to the building of an inland

waterway A waterway is any Navigability, navigable body of water. Broad distinctions are useful to avoid ambiguity, and disambiguation will be of varying importance depending on the nuance of the equivalent word in other ways. A first distinction is ...

connected upstream from the Deûle and downstream to the

Marque A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's goods or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create and ...

and Espierre toward the Scheldt, which linked directly Roubaix to Lille. Opened in 1877, the Canal de Roubaix crosses the town from its northern neighbourhoods to its eastern neighbourhoods and partially flows along the city's boundaries. The Canal de Roubaix closed in 1985, after more than a century in use. Thank to the European funded project ''Blue Links'', the waterway has been reopened to

boating Boating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether powerboats, sailboats, or man-powered vessels (such as rowing and paddle boats), focused on the travel itself, as well as sports activities, suc ...

traffic since 2011.

Climate

The area of the city is not known for undergoing unusual weather events. In regard to the town's geographical location and the results of the Météo-France's

weather station A weather station is a facility, either on land or sea, with instruments and equipment for measuring atmosphere of Earth, atmospheric conditions to provide information for weather forecasting, weather forecasts and to study the weather and clima ...

-Lesquin, Roubaix is a temperate

oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen climate classification, Köppen classification represented as ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of co ...

: while

summer Summer or summertime is the hottest and brightest of the four temperate seasons, occurring after spring and before autumn. At or centred on the summer solstice, daylight hours are the longest and darkness hours are the shortest, with day ...

experiences mild temperatures,

winter Winter is the coldest and darkest season of the year in temperate and polar climates. It occurs after autumn and before spring. The tilt of Earth's axis causes seasons; winter occurs when a hemisphere is oriented away from the Sun. Dif ...

's temperatures may fall to below zero.

Precipitation In meteorology, precipitation is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls from clouds due to gravitational pull. The main forms of precipitation include drizzle, rain, rain and snow mixed ("sleet" in Commonwe ...

is infrequently intense.

Toponymy

The current city's name is most likely derived from Frankish ''rausa'' " reed" and ''baki'' " brook". Therefore, the meaning of ''Roubaix'' can, in all likelihood, find its origin on the banks of its three historical brooks: ''Espierre'', ''Trichon'' and ''Favreuil''. The place was mentioned for the first time in a Latinised form in the 9th century: ''Villa Rusbaci''. Thereafter, the following names were in use: 1047 and 1106 ''Rubais'', 1122 ''Rosbays'', 1166 ''Rusbais'', 1156 and 1202 ''Robais'', 1223 ''Roubais''. Over the span of centuries, the name evolved to ''Roubaix'' as shown on Mercator's map of Flanders published at

Leuven Leuven (, , ), also called Louvain (, , ), is the capital and largest City status in Belgium, city of the Provinces of Belgium, province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located about east of Brussels. The municipalit ...

in 1540. Parallel to the official and usual name ''Roubaix'', some translations are worth a mention. Firstly, though the city has never belonged to the Flemish-speaking area, the seldom-heard renderings ''Robeke'' and ''Roodebeeke'' are documented for ''Roubaix''. Furthermore, the

Dutch Language Union The Dutch Language Union ( , NTU) is an international regulatory institution that governs issues regarding the Dutch language. It is best known for its spelling reforms which are promulgated by member states, grammar books, the Word list of th ...

established ''Robaais'' as the city's proper Dutch name. Lastly, one can cite ''Rosbacum'' as the definite

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

transcription of ''Roubaix'' which has been in use since the 19th century, as recorded on dedication statements sealed in the first stones of the foundations of the Hôtel de Ville (City Hall) laid in 1840 and the Church of Notre Dame laid in 1842.

History

During the repression of January and February 1894, the police conducted raids targeting the anarchists living there, without much success. Old Roubaix 1699

Heraldry

People

Inhabitants of Roubaix are known in English as "Roubaisians" and in French as ''Roubaisiens'' () or in the feminine form ''Roubaisiennes'' (), also natively called ''Roubaignots'' () or in the feminine form ''Roubaignotes'' ().

Demographics

The evolution of the number of inhabitants is known through the population censuses carried out in the town since 1793 and the research study of Louis-Edmond Marissal, Clerk of the Peace of the city, published in 1844. Roubaix evolved into a provincial market town until the end of the

Early modern period The early modern period is a Periodization, historical period that is defined either as part of or as immediately preceding the modern period, with divisions based primarily on the history of Europe and the broader concept of modernity. There i ...

with a census population of 4,715 inhabitants in 1716. By the late 18th century, the city began to emerge as regional textile manufacturing centre and its population increased, reaching a level of 8,091 in 1800. As a result of the industrialisation process of the 19th century, the need of workers was supplied by

rural flight Rural flight (also known as rural-to-urban migration, rural depopulation, or rural exodus) is the Human migration, migratory pattern of people from rural areas into urban areas. It is urbanization seen from the rural perspective. In Industriali ...

as well as immigration. Belgian settlement was a feature of the Roubaisian life at that time. During the first-half period of the 19th century, Roubaix ranked the first French town in terms of population growth rate with a five times increase, whereas in the remaining period of this century its population doubled. Within this last time framework, Belgian immigration appeared to be one of the major factor to explain the significantly high population growth, with 30,465 Belgian inhabitants counted in 1866 and 42,103 in 1872. Nonetheless, the rate of natural increase shew to be a more important component of the population growth in that period. At the 20th century threshold, the Roubaisian population reached a peak of 124,661, from which it progressively declined over the successive decades. Occupied by German troops from October 1914 to October 1918, Roubaix belonged to the combat zone of the Western Front during the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. Over this occupation period, Roubaisians suffered from dearth,

deportation Deportation is the expulsion of a person or group of people by a state from its sovereign territory. The actual definition changes depending on the place and context, and it also changes over time. A person who has been deported or is under sen ...

for compulsory labour and unusual casualties with a rather slight population drop from 122,723 to 113,265 between the 1911 and 1921 censuses. The population of the city was 98,828 as of January 2019. This enables Roubaix to remain the third largest municipality in the region

, after Lille and

Amiens Amiens (English: or ; ; , or ) is a city and Communes of France, commune in northern France, located north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme (department), Somme Departments of France, department in the region ...

. As of 2019, at least 25% of residents in Roubaix were immigrants, mainly of

Arab Arabs (, , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world. Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of years ...

, North African, Turkish, and Sub-Saharan African origin.

Languages

Although the region of Roubaix was subjected many times to the domination of Flanders' rulers throughout its history, Roubaisians have used a local

Picard Picard may refer to: Places * Picard, Quebec, Canada * Picard, California, United States * Picard (crater), a lunar impact crater in Mare Crisium People and fictional characters * Picard (name), a list of people and fictional characters with th ...

variant as the language of everyday life for centuries. This spoken

vernacular Vernacular is the ordinary, informal, spoken language, spoken form of language, particularly when perceptual dialectology, perceived as having lower social status or less Prestige (sociolinguistics), prestige than standard language, which is mor ...

is locally known as ''Roubaignot''. Until the early 20th century this

patois ''Patois'' (, same or ) is speech or language that is considered nonstandard, although the term is not formally defined in linguistics. As such, ''patois'' can refer to pidgins, creoles, dialects or vernaculars, but not commonly to jargon or sl ...

prevailed. Therefore, French language progressive penetration into local culture should not only be analysed as a result of the industrialisation and urbanisation of the area but should also be considered in terms of

public education A state school, public school, or government school is a primary school, primary or secondary school that educates all students without charge. They are funded in whole or in part by taxation and operated by the government of the state. State-f ...

policies.

Religion

Christianity

The city of Roubaix is divided into six Catholic parishes and belongs to the

deanery A deanery (or decanate) is an ecclesiastical entity in the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Anglican Communion, the Evangelical Church in Germany, and the Church of Norway. A deanery is either the jurisdiction or residence of ...

of the same name in the archdiocese of Lille.

Judaism

In the aftermath of the

Franco-Prussian War The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the War of 1870, was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the North German Confederation led by the Kingdom of Prussia. Lasting from 19 July 1870 to 28 Janua ...

and the German annexation of Alsace-Lorraine, many

Jews Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

left their homes and emigrated. Jewish arrival in Roubaix derives from that bitter period of history. At the time, the new immigrant community, even though its small size, dedicated a building to Jewish

faith Faith is confidence or trust in a person, thing, or concept. In the context of religion, faith is " belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion". According to the Merriam-Webster's Dictionary, faith has multiple definitions, inc ...

and

liturgical Liturgy is the customary public ritual of worship performed by a religious group. As a religious phenomenon, liturgy represents a communal response to and participation in the sacred through activities reflecting praise, thanksgiving, remembra ...

practises. The newly opened synagogue, located in a house at number 51 on the narrow ''rue des Champs'', operated more than 60 years, until 1939, when it was closed under imprecise local circumstances as the

Nazi regime Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a totalitarian dictat ...

took over in Europe. Despite the closure of the synagogue, the occupation and

police raid A police raid is an unexpected visit by police or other law enforcement officers, which aims to use the element of surprise to seize Evidence (law), evidence or arrest suspects believed to be likely to Tampering with evidence, hide evidence, res ...

s, the local practise of

Judaism Judaism () is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic, Monotheism, monotheistic, ethnic religion that comprises the collective spiritual, cultural, and legal traditions of the Jews, Jewish people. Religious Jews regard Judaism as their means of o ...

saw a humble revival after the

war War is an armed conflict between the armed forces of states, or between governmental forces and armed groups that are organized under a certain command structure and have the capacity to sustain military operations, or between such organi ...

which lasted until the start of the 1990s when the modest Jewry of Roubaix handed over its

Sefer Torah file:SeferTorah.jpg, A Sephardic Torah scroll rolled to the first paragraph of the Shema file:Köln-Tora-und-Innenansicht-Synagoge-Glockengasse-040.JPG, An Ashkenazi Torah scroll rolled to the Decalogue file:Keneseth Eliyahoo Synagogue, Inte ...

to the care of the Jewish community of Lille. Roubaix has no longer been home to a Jewish place of worship since that event. The house inside which the first one was created 123 years ago, has been demolished since an

urban renewal Urban renewal (sometimes called urban regeneration in the United Kingdom and urban redevelopment in the United States) is a program of land redevelopment often used to address real or perceived urban decay. Urban renewal involves the clearing ...

project occurred in 2000. On 10 September 2015 the mayor unveiled a

commemorative plaque A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, or in other places referred to as a historical marker, historic marker, or historic plaque, is a plate of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material, bearing text or an image in relief, or both, ...

on the ''rue des Champs'', as a tribute to the Roubaisian Jewry, in memory of the religious purpose of this previous building.

Islam

As of August 2013 there were six

mosque A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard. Originally, mosques were si ...

s in the town, including one under construction. According to estimates by the mayor's office, around 20,000 people, or at least 20% of the population were

Muslims Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

. Over one-in-three residents in Roubaix are of

, North African, Turkish, and Sub-Saharan African origin. Four areas of the cemetery were designated for Muslims.

Buddhism

During the second half of the 20th century, the city took in Buddhist communities from originally Buddhist countries in the Southeast Asian peninsula including

Cambodia Cambodia, officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. It is bordered by Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the north, and Vietnam to the east, and has a coastline ...

Laos Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR), is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by Myanmar and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west and ...

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

, and

Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...

. Within this background Roubaix has brought together two Buddhist traditions on its territory, hence cultural variations across communities:

Mahāyāna Mahāyāna ( ; , , ; ) is a term for a broad group of Buddhist traditions, Buddhist texts#Mahāyāna texts, texts, Buddhist philosophy, philosophies, and practices developed in ancient India ( onwards). It is considered one of the three main ex ...

and

Theravāda ''Theravāda'' (; 'School of the Elders'; ) is Buddhism's oldest existing school. The school's adherents, termed ''Theravādins'' ( anglicized from Pali ''theravādī''), have preserved their version of the Buddha's teaching or '' Dhamma'' in ...

with, respectively, one and four places of worship.

Urbanism

Urban geography

During the Middle Age, the city grew in a northward-facing semicircle around its primitive core, beyond the area spread out between the church Saint Martin and the former fortified castle. The existence of this south boundary remained until the 18th century and marked an urban expansion which mainly occurred on the western and northern sides of the town. Increasing industrialisation, land transport improvement, continued population growth and the resulting need for suitable low cost lands for housing and manufacturing plants, all of which finally led to expand the city southward from the centre, in the 19th century.

Administrative and political affairs

Constituencies and cantons

Roubaix grouped four cantons from 1988 to 2012. Since then, this number has fallen to two with ''Roubaix 1'' and ''Roubaix 2''. After the last redistricting of French legislative constituencies in 2010, the city is now divided into two

constituencies An electoral (congressional, legislative, etc.) district, sometimes called a constituency, riding, or ward, is a geographical portion of a political unit, such as a country, state or province, city, or administrative region, created to provi ...

: Nord's 7th constituency which include the former canton of ''Roubaix-Ouest'' and Nord's 8th constituency formed by the following former cantons: ''Roubaix-Centre'', ''Roubaix-Nord'' and ''Roubaix-Est''.

Administrative zoning

Eastern district neighbourhoods

* Fraternité * Pile * Sainte-Elisabeth * Sartel-Carihem * Trois Ponts

Western district neighbourhoods

* Epeule * Fresnoy-Mackellerie * Trichon

Central district neighbourhoods

* Anseelme Motte-Bossut * Barbieux * Centre-ville * Crouy * Espérance * Nations-Unies * Vauban

Northern district neighbourhoods

* Alma-Gare * Armentières * Cul de Four * Entrepont * Fosses aux Chênes * Hommelet * Hutin-Oran-Cartigny

Southern district neighbourhoods

* Chemin Neuf * Edouard Vaillant * Hauts-Champs * Justice * Linné-Boulevards * Moulin * Nouveau Roubaix * Petites-Haies * Potennerie

Mayors of the city

International relations

Roubaix is twinned with: *

Bradford Bradford is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in West Yorkshire, England. It became a municipal borough in 1847, received a city charter in 1897 and, since the Local Government Act 1972, 1974 reform, the city status in the United Kingdo ...

, United Kingdom, since 1969 *

Mönchengladbach Mönchengladbach (, ) is a List of cities and towns in Germany, city in North Rhine-Westphalia, western Germany, west of the Rhine, halfway between Düsseldorf and the Netherlands, Dutch border. Geography Municipal subdivisions Since 2009, th ...

, Germany, since 1969 *

Verviers Verviers (; ) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Liège, Belgium. The municipality consists of the following districts: Ensival, Heusy, Lambermont, Petit-Rechain, Stembert, and Verviers. It is also the cent ...

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

, since 1969 *

Skopje Skopje ( , ; ; , sq-definite, Shkupi) is the capital and largest city of North Macedonia. It lies in the northern part of the country, in the Skopje Basin, Skopje Valley along the Vardar River, and is the political, economic, and cultura ...

North Macedonia North Macedonia, officially the Republic of North Macedonia, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe. It shares land borders with Greece to the south, Albania to the west, Bulgaria to the east, Kosovo to the northwest and Serbia to the n ...

, since 1973 *

Prato Prato ( ; ) is a city and municipality (''comune'') in Tuscany, Italy, and is the capital of the province of Prato. The city lies in the northeast of Tuscany, at an elevation of , at the foot of Monte Retaia (the last peak in the Calvana ch ...

, Italy, since 1981 * Sosnowiec,

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

, since 1993 *

Covilhã Covilhã (), officially Covilhã City (), is a city and a concelho, municipality in the Centro, Portugal, Centro region, Portugal. The city proper had 33,691 inhabitants in 2021. The municipality population in 2021 was 46,455 in an area of . It is ...

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

, since 2000 * Bouïra,

Algeria Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, the northeast by Tunisia; to Algeria–Libya border, the east by Libya; to Alger ...

, since 2003

Landmarks

Remarkable buildings, old brick factories and warehouses abound in this once renowned city which was esteemed to be a

world The world is the totality of entities, the whole of reality, or everything that Existence, exists. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the world as unique, while others talk ...

wide textile

capital Capital and its variations may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** Capital region, a metropolitan region containing the capital ** List of national capitals * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Econom ...

in the early years of the 20th century. Thus, the city inherited one of the most

architectural works Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing buildings ...

in the French history and culture of the 19th century

Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution, sometimes divided into the First Industrial Revolution and Second Industrial Revolution, was a transitional period of the global economy toward more widespread, efficient and stable manufacturing processes, succee ...

and was designated Town of Art and History on 13 December 2000. Ever since the

Ministry of Culture Ministry of Culture may refer to: * Ministry of Tourism, Cultural Affairs, Youth and Sports (Albania) * Ministry of Culture (Algeria) * Ministry of Culture (Argentina) * Minister for the Arts (Australia) * Ministry of Culture (Azerbaijan)Ministry o ...

endowed Roubaix with this label, the city has entered the 21st century by promoting its cultural standing as the inheritance of its industrial and social history. Several profane or sacral buildings of Roubaix are registered as historic monuments. ;Secular buildings registered as ''monuments historiques'' file:Centre_médical_Barbieux.jpg, Barbieux health centre file:Roubaix_ENSAIT.jpg, ENSAIT file:Roubaix hotel - Catteau - 2013.jpg, Prouvost private mansion file:Roubaix-maison-art-nouveau-16-bd-general-leclerc.jpg,

Art nouveau Art Nouveau ( ; ; ), Jugendstil and Sezessionstil in German, is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. It was often inspired by natural forms such as the sinuous curves of plants and ...

house file:Roubaix_maison_28_rue_du_Maréchal-Foch.jpg, Three-storey stately house file:Roubaix maison cogghe.JPG, Rémy Cogghe's house file:Roubaix_palais_justice.jpg, Law court file:Roubaix_reservoir_Huchon.jpg, Huchon water tower file:Roubaix archives travail 2.JPG, National Archives of the Working World file:Tourcoing.-Palais Vaissier rue de Mouvaux MH PA00107841 (4).jpg, Concierge of the demolished Palais Vaissier ;Religious structures registered as ''monuments historiques'' file:PA59000169_couvant_des_Clarisses_de_Roubaix_-_Nord.jpg, Convent of Clarisses file:RoubaixAncienneEgliseNotreDame.JPG, Deconsecrated Church Notre-Dame file:Roubaix - Église Saint-Martin 01.jpg, Church Saint-Martin

Sculptures and memorials

The city has been the place where illustrious names of French sculptors put their skills to create memorial monuments since the end of the 19th century until the middle of the 20th century. After a long slack period 2010 introduced a shift in the genre with the unveiling of Wim Delvoye's Discobolos, a statue of modern art conceived as a welcoming sign to a neighbourhood of the city. The sculptures and memorial monuments in Roubaix which deserve notice for their historical or artistical interest are mentioned below. * Discobolos: a '' New patrons'' project by Wim Delvoye (sculptor), Bruno Dupont (mediator),

Fondation de France The Fondation de France ("Foundation of France") is an independent private organisation, recognised as being in the public interest, and created at the instigation of Charles de Gaulle and André Malraux in an effort to stimulate and foster the g ...

and city of Roubaix (supporters), ordered by the neighbourhood residents with the members of the Hommelet neighbourhood committeeA local association (as per the 1901 law about association) called "''Comité de quartier de l'Hommelet''" and inaugurated on 5 June 2010 *

Joan of Arc Joan of Arc ( ; ; – 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the Coronation of the French monarch, coronation of Charles VII o ...

statue:

Maxime Real del Sarte Maxime Real del Sarte (May 2, 1888 – February 15, 1954) was a French sculptor and political activist. Biography Early life Maxime Real del Sarte was born on 2 May 1888 in Paris, France, as the son of the sculptor Louis Desire Real and Marie ...

(sculptor), inaugurated on 27 May 1952 * Memorial to Jean-Baptiste Lebas: Albert de Jaeger (sculptor), funded through public subscription and inaugurated on 23 October 1949 * Memorial to Resistance Martyrs of Roubaix: Albert de Jaeger (sculptor), engraved "''Roubaix a ses martyrs de la Résistance''" and "''Ils ont brisé les chaînes de l'oppression''","Roubaix has its martyrs of the Resistance" and "They broke the chains of oppression" ordered by the City council and inaugurated on 11 November 1948 * Memorial to Eugène Motte: Raoul Bénard (sculptor), Gustave Poubel (architect), funded through public subscription and inaugurated on 22 September 1935 * Memorial to Jean-Joseph Weerts: Alexandre Descatoire (sculptor), ordered by the City council and inaugurated on 29 October 1931 * Memorial to Louis Bossut:

(sculptor), ordered by the City council and inaugurated on 4 October 1925 * Monuments aux Morts or World War I Memorial of Roubaix: Alexandre Descatoire (sculptor), Jean-Frédéric Wielhorski (architect), engraved "''Roubaix à ses enfants morts pour la défense du pays et pour la paix''","Roubaix to his children died in defense of the country and for peace" ordered by the City council and inaugurated on 18 October 1925 * Memorial to

Jules Guesde Jules Bazile, known as Jules Guesde (; 11 November 1845 – 28 July 1922) was a French socialist journalist and politician. Guesde was the inspiration for a famous quotation by Karl Marx. Shortly before Marx died in 1883, he wrote a letter ...

: Georgette Agutte-Sembat (sculptor), Albert Bührer (architect), funded through public subscription and inaugurated on 12 April 1925 * Memorial to Amédée Prouvost: Hippolyte Lefèbvre (sculptor), ordered by the City council and inaugurated on 29 October 1922 * Memorial to Pierre Destombes: Corneille Theunissen (sculptor), engraved "''Hortorum, Musicae, Librorumque, Studiosus''","Friend of the gardens, music and books" ordered by the City council and inaugurated on 29 October 1922 * Memorial to Gustave Nadaud: Alphonse-Amédée Cordonnier (sculptor), Gustave Leblanc-Barbedienne (art founder), inaugurated on 11 October 1896

Culture

Museums

Roubaix has been home to two major museums of the region Hauts-de-France since the beginning of the 21st century: '' La Piscine''"The Swimming Pool" and ''La Manufacture'';"The Manufactory" inheriting both of the local socioeconomic history. ''La Piscine'', also known as the ''Musée d'Art & d'Industrie André Diligent'',"André Diligent Museum of Art and Industry" is one of the most lauded cultural attractions in northern France. This museum is housed in the

Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French (), is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design that first Art Deco in Paris, appeared in Paris in the 1910s just before World War I and flourished in the United States and Europe during the 1920 ...

-style former swimming pool of Roubaix, a building remodelled in 2000 to accommodate and exhibit 19th and 20th century collections of the city.The collections held at the museum include sculptures by

Alberto Giacometti Alberto Giacometti (, , ; 10 October 1901 – 11 January 1966) was a Swiss sculptor, painter, Drafter, draftsman and Printmaking, printmaker, who was one of the most important sculptors of the 20th century. His work was particularly influenced ...

Auguste Rodin François Auguste René Rodin (; ; 12 November 184017 November 1917) was a French sculptor generally considered the founder of modern sculpture. He was schooled traditionally and took a craftsman-like approach to his work. Rodin possessed a u ...

Camille Claudel Camille Rosalie Claudel (; 8 December 1864 19 October 1943) was a French sculptor known for her figurative works in bronze and marble. She died in relative obscurity, but later gained recognition for the originality and quality of her work. The ...

and

Pablo Picasso Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso (25 October 1881 – 8 April 1973) was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, Ceramic art, ceramicist, and Scenic ...

After being closed for two years of renovation works and extension, it was reopened to the public in October 2018, becoming more successful than ever before. ''La Manufacture'' is the reference textile museum in northern France. It is hosted in an old

weaving Weaving is a method of textile production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. Other methods are knitting, crocheting, felting, and braiding or plaiting. The longitudinal ...

factory.

Painting

The most prestigious names of painters, who made their reputation in Roubaix from the middle of the 19th century to the early 20th century are Jean-Joseph Weerts and Rémy Cogghe. From the end of the Second World War to the beginning of the 1970s, a casual group of young artists from Roubaix and the surrounding region was formed and given the name ''Groupe de Roubaix''. Two painters commonly associated with the group are Arthur Van Hecke and Eugène Leroy.

Fashion

Anxious to restore the prestige of northern France's textile industry and operating under the label of ''Maisons de Mode'', the cities of Lille and Roubaix have created spaces for new

fashion design Fashion design is the art of applying design, aesthetics, clothing construction, and natural beauty to clothing and its accessories. It is influenced by diverse cultures and different trends and has varied over time and place. "A fashion design ...

ers to thrive since 2007. The Roubaisian location, next to ''La Piscine'' museum, is known as ''Le Vestiaire''.The

Cloakroom A cloakroom, known as a coatroom and checkroom in North America, is a room for people to hang their coats, cloaks, canes, umbrellas, hats, or other outerwear when they enter a building. Cloakrooms are typically found inside large buildings, ...

There are fifteen

boutique A () is a retail shop that deals in high end fashionable clothing or accessories. The word is French for "shop", which derives ultimately from the Ancient Greek Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in anc ...

s and fashion

studio A studio is a space set aside for creative work of any kind, including art, dance, music and theater. The word ''studio'' is derived from the , from , from ''studere'', meaning to study or zeal. Types Art The studio of any artist, esp ...

s housed in an old industrial building.

Theatre and performing arts centres

* Centre chorégraphique national Roubaix - Hauts-de-FranceNational choreographic centre Roubaix - Hauts-de-France * Colisée * Condition publique * Théâtre de l'Oiseau-Mouche "Le Garage" * Théâtre Louis Richard * Théâtre Pierre de Roubaix

Cinema

The city of Roubaix has a rich heritage in

film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...

production and been the filming location (mostly or partly) of the following productions: * '' I Am a Soldier'' (French: ''Je suis un soldat''), directed by Laurent Larivière in 2015 * '' My Golden Days'' (French: ''Trois souvenirs de ma jeunesse''), directed by

Arnaud Desplechin Arnaud Desplechin (; born 31 October 1960) is a French film director and screenwriter. In 2016, he won the César Award for Best Director for ''My Golden Days'' (2015). He has also written and directed the films ''The Sentinel (1992 film), The Sen ...

in 2015 * '' Discount'', directed by

Louis-Julien Petit Louis-Julien Petit (born 6 September 1983) is a French writer and director. Filmography References External links
on AlloCiné * {{DEFAULTSORT:Petit, Louis-Julien French film directors 1983 births Living people ...

in 2014 * '' Queens of the Ring'' (French: ''Les Reines du ring''), directed by Jean-Marc Rudnicki in 2013 * ''

Blue Is the Warmest Colour ''Blue Is the Warmest Colour'' (; ) is a 2013 romantic drama film co-written, co-produced, and directed by Abdellatif Kechiche and starring Léa Seydoux and Adèle Exarchopoulos. The film follows Adèle (Exarchopoulos), a French teenager, who d ...

'' (French: ''La Vie d'Adèle – Chapitres 1 & 2''), directed by

Abdellatif Kechiche Abdellatif Kechiche (; , born 7 December 1960), also known as Abdel Kechiche, is a Tunisian-France, French film director, screenwriter and actor. He made his directorial debut in 2000 with ''La Faute à Voltaire'', which he also wrote. Known for ...

in 2013 * ''

A Christmas Tale ''A Christmas Tale'' () is a 2008 French Christmas comedy-drama film co-written and directed by Arnaud Desplechin, starring Catherine Deneuve, Jean-Paul Roussillon, Mathieu Amalric, Anne Consigny, Melvil Poupaud, Emmanuelle Devos and Chiara ...

'' (French: ''Un conte de Noël''), directed by

in 2008 * '' The Banishment'' (Russian: ''Изгнание'', ''Izgnanie''), directed by Andrey Zvyagintsev in 2007 * '' In His Hands'' (French: ''Entre ses mains''), directed by

Anne Fontaine Anne Fontaine (born Anne-Fontaine Sibertin-Blanc; 15 July 1959) is a Luxembourgish film director, screenwriter, and former actress. She lives and works in France. Life and career Born Anne-Fontaine Sibertin-Blanc in Luxembourg, sister of actor ...

in 2005 * '' The Axe'' (French: ''Le couperet''), directed by

Costa-Gavras Konstantinos "Kostas" Gavras (; born 12 February 1933), known professionally as Costa-Gavras, is a Greek-French film director, screenwriter, and producer who lives and works in France. He is known for political films, such as the political thril ...

in 2005 * ''Save Me'' (French: ''Sauve-Moi''), directed by Christian Vincent in 2000 * ''Flat Land Cities'' (French: ''Les Cités de la plaine''), directed by Robert Kramer in 1999 * '' The Dreamlife of Angels'' (French: ''La Vie rêvée des anges''), directed by Erick Zonca in 1998 * '' Enigma'', directed by

Jeannot Szwarc Jeannot Szwarc (21 November 1937 – 14 January 2025) was a French director known for his work in American film and television. His film credits included '' Jaws 2'', ''Somewhere in Time'', ''Supergirl'' and '' Santa Claus: The Movie''. Szwarc ...

in 1982 * '' Life Is a Long Quiet River'' (French: ''La vie est un long fleuve tranquille''), directed by Étienne Chatiliez in 1988 * '' Hurricane Rosy'' (Italian: ''Temporale Rosy'', French: ''Rosy la bourrasque''), directed by

Mario Monicelli Mario Alberto Ettore Monicelli (; 16 May 1915 – 29 November 2010) was an Italian film director and screenwriter, one of the masters of the ''commedia all'italiana'' ("Italian-style comedy"). He was nominated six times for an Academy Awards, Os ...

in 1979 * '' Swimming Instructor'' (French: ''Le Maître-nageur''), directed by

Jean-Louis Trintignant Jean-Louis Xavier Trintignant (; 11 December 1930 – 17 June 2022) was a French actor. He made his theatrical debut in 1951, and went on to be regarded as one of the best French dramatic actors of the post-World War II, war era. He starred in m ...

in 1979 * '' Body of My Enemy'' (French: ''Le Corps de mon ennemi''), directed by Henri Verneuil in 1976 * '' A Sunday in Hell'' (Danish: ''En Forårsdag i Helvede''), Danish documentary directed by Jørgen Leth in 1976 * '' The Confession'' (French: ''L'Aveu''), directed by Costa Gavras in 1970 * ''Struggle in Italy'' (Italian: ''Lotte in Italia''), directed by the Dziga Vertov Group in 1970

Higher education

* The EDHEC Business School is one of the few Grandes École located outside the Paris Metropolitan Area. It is one of Europe's fastest rising business schools. * ENSAIT is a higher education and research institute, gathering all the disciplines related to textiles. * ESAAT is a design education institute. *

Decentralisation Decentralization or decentralisation is the process by which the activities of an organization, particularly those related to planning and decision-making, are distributed or delegated away from a central, authoritative location or group and gi ...

of the Universities of Lille II and Lille III

Libraries

* Médiathèque "La Grand'Plage" * National Archives of the World of Work

Sport

Roubaix has an old sporting heritage and is home to the finish of one of the world's oldest races of professional road cycling at its

velodrome A velodrome is an arena for track cycling. Modern velodromes feature steeply banked oval tracks, consisting of two 180-degree circular bends connected by two straights. The straights transition to the circular turn through a moderate easement ...

Paris–Roubaix Paris–Roubaix is a one-day professional bicycle road race in northern France, starting north of Paris and finishing in Roubaix, at the border with Belgium. It is one of cycling's oldest races, and is one of the 'Cycling monument, Monuments' ...

, known as the ''Hell of the North''. While Roubaix is famous for its velodrome, there is more to this city than the cycling sports facilities. The building of indoor and outdoor sports amenities in the city should be associated with its era of economic rise during the industrial revolution, in addition to the development of local sporting clubs and associations. In October 2021 Roubaix hosted the 2021 UCI Track Cycling World Championships.

Economy

During the 19th century, Roubaix acquired an international reputation for textile industry and wool production. In the 1970s and 1980s, international competition and automation caused an industrial decline and resulted in the closure of many factories. From that moment on and since the implementation of the French urban policy in the early 1980s, around three-fourths of the town's territory has been regularly assigned specific zoning designations as well as health and welfare plans. Roubaix's high level of unemployment is a consequence of the deindustrialisation. The town is listed among France's poorest cities. Successive local governments have tried to address difficulties associated with deindustrialisation by attracting new industries, making the most of the town's cultural credentials and organising a strong student presence on different campuses. While undergoing conversion efforts, the city is experimenting with new models and able to take advantage of successful economic stories, with

online retail Online shopping is a form of electronic commerce which allows consumers to directly buy goods or services from a seller over the Internet using a web browser or a mobile app. Consumers find a product of interest by visiting the website of the ...

and

information technology Information technology (IT) is a set of related fields within information and communications technology (ICT), that encompass computer systems, software, programming languages, data processing, data and information processing, and storage. Inf ...

, and seems to be on the way to reverse the decades of decline.

Textile industry

Nowadays, local textile companies are focusing on developing high-tech textile products.

Commerce and services

Mail order companies of international renown such as La Redoute, Damart and 3 Suisses, stemmed from textile industries which were founded in Roubaix. Showroomprive.com has been locally established since 2016 as an

e-commerce E-commerce (electronic commerce) refers to commercial activities including the electronic buying or selling products and services which are conducted on online platforms or over the Internet. E-commerce draws on technologies such as mobile co ...

company that specialises in online flash sales.

Information technology and e-business

* OVH was created in Roubaix in 1999 and became a global IT infrastructure company, creating more than thousand jobs in the city and surroundings. Its head office is still in Roubaix. * Ankama Games has established its head office in Roubaix since 2007. * Blanchemaille, an e-commerce cluster helped by the incubator EuraTechnologies, has been established in the former building of La Redoute in Roubaix since 2014.

Infrastructure

Transportation

A22 autoroute, a French part of the European route E17 from

Burgundy Burgundy ( ; ; Burgundian: ''Bregogne'') is a historical territory and former administrative region and province of east-central France. The province was once home to the Dukes of Burgundy from the early 11th until the late 15th century. ...

Antwerp Antwerp (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province, and the third-largest city in Belgium by area at , after ...

, is the only motorway, within a motorway roads network of the highest density in France after Paris, which passes by Roubaix. The Gare de Roubaix railway station offers connections to

, Lille,

Ostend Ostend ( ; ; ; ) is a coastal city and municipality in the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It comprises the boroughs of Mariakerke, Raversijde, Stene and Zandvoorde, and the city of Ostend proper – the la ...

, Paris and Tourcoing. The city is also served by the Lille Metro.

Environmental perspectives

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s desindustrialisation dramatically influenced major urban landscapes across the arrondissement of Lille. Large areas of

brownfield land Brownfield is previously-developed land that has been abandoned or underused, and which may carry pollution, or a risk of pollution, from industrial use. The specific definition of brownfield land varies and is decided by policy makers and l ...

came to mark the city of Roubaix. With the support of the local and national government programs, these areas are acquired and gradually restored or rebuilt. Roubaix has one of the most efficient biomass district heating plant in France and is therefore among the most advanced cities for

sustainability Sustainability is a social goal for people to co-exist on Earth over a long period of time. Definitions of this term are disputed and have varied with literature, context, and time. Sustainability usually has three dimensions (or pillars): env ...

in Hauts-de-France. Since 2014, the city has been engaged in several related initiatives aimed at moving to a

circular economy A circular economy (also referred to as circularity or CE) is a model of resource Production (economics), production and Resource consumption, consumption in any economy that involves sharing, leasing, Reuse, reusing, repairing, refurbishing, and ...

and a

zero waste Zero waste, or ''waste minimization'', is a set of principles focused on waste prevention that encourages redesigning resource life cycles so that all products are repurposed (i.e. "up-cycled") and/or reused. The goal of the movement is to avoid ...

future.

Notable people

Artists

* Wanani Gradi Mariadi (1990–): rapper known as ''Gradur'' * Kaddour Hadadi (1976–): singer and author known as ''HK'' * Philippe Dhondt (1965–): singer, songwriter and composer known as ''Boris'' *

(1960–): film director * Édouard Devernay (1889–1952): organist, composer * Wladyslaw Znorko (1958–2013): theatre author and director * Philippe Barraqué (1954–):

musicologist Musicology is the academic, research-based study of music, as opposed to musical composition or performance. Musicology research combines and intersects with many fields, including psychology, sociology, acoustics, neurology, natural sciences, f ...

music therapist Music therapy, an allied health profession, "is the clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed professional who has completed an approved music ...

, composer and singer * Étienne Chatiliez (1952–): film director * Roger Delmotte (1925–): classical trumpeter * Philippe Lefebvre (1949–): musician, principal organist of Notre Dame Cathedral of Paris * Chantal Ladesou (1948–): actress and comedian * Agnès Guillemot (1931–2005):

film editor Film editing is both a creative and a technical part of the post-production process of filmmaking. The term is derived from the traditional process of working with film stock, film which increasingly involves the use Digital cinema, of digital ...

* Pierre Jansen (1930–2015): film music composer * Jenny Clève (1930–2023): actress * Elisabeth Yvonne Scatcherd (1928–): film actress known as ''Yvonne Furneaux'' * Charles Gadenne (1925–2012): sculptor *

Georges Delerue Georges Delerue (12 March 1925 – 20 March 1992) was a French composer who composed over 350 scores for cinema and television. Delerue won numerous important film music awards, including an Academy Award for '' A Little Romance'' (1980), three C� ...

(1925–1992): composer who worked on over 350 scores for cinema and television * Arthur Van Hecke (1924–2003): painter * Gabrielle Vervaecke (1921–2005): composer and singer known as ''Gaby Verlor'' * Viviane Romance (1912–1991): actress * Albert de Jaeger (1908–1992): sculptor,

printmaker Printmaking is the process of creating artworks by printing, normally on paper, but also on fabric, wood, metal, and other surfaces. "Traditional printmaking" normally covers only the process of creating prints using a hand processed technique ...

, medallist and

smelter Smelting is a process of applying heat and a chemical reducing agent to an ore to extract a desired base metal product. It is a form of extractive metallurgy that is used to obtain many metals such as iron, copper, silver, tin, lead and zin ...

* Charles Bodart-Timal (1897–1971): songwriter and

chanson A (, ; , ) is generally any Lyrics, lyric-driven French song. The term is most commonly used in English to refer either to the secular polyphonic French songs of late medieval music, medieval and Renaissance music or to a specific style of ...

nier * Jules Gressier (1897–1960): conductor * Francis Bousquet (1890–1942): Marseille-born composer *

Léon Mathot Léon Mathot (5 March 1886, Roubaix, Nord-Pas-de-Calais - 6 March 1968, in Paris) was a French film actor and film director best known perhaps for playing Edmond Dantes in ''The Count of Monte Cristo (1918 series), The Count of Monte Cristo'' se ...

(1886–1968): film actor and director * Silas Broux (1867–1957): painter * Jean-Joseph Weerts (1846–1927): painter * Rémy Cogghe (1846–1927): Belgian-born painter who resided in Roubaix * Gustave Nadaud (1820–1893): songwriter and chansonnier

Athletes

* Wassim Aouachria (2000–): football player * Ahmed Touba (1998–): football player * Moussa Niakhaté (1996–): football player * Christoffer Mafoumbi (1994–):

goalkeeper In many team sports that involve scoring goal (sport), goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie, or keeper) is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by blocking or i ...

* Saoussen Boudiaf (1993–): sabre fencer * Anthony Knockaert (1991–): football player * Aliou Dia (1990–): football player * Antoine Roussel (1989–): ice hockey player * Pierrick Gunther (1989–):

rugby union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...

player * Idir Ouali (1988–): football player * Martial Mbandjock (1985–): sprinter * Seïd Khiter (1985–): football player * Daouda Sow (1983–): boxer * Yero Dia (1982–): football player * Icham Mouissi (1982–): Algerian football player * David Coulibaly (1978–): football player * Arnaud Tournant (1978–): track cyclist * Christophe Landrin (1977–): football

midfielder In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in t ...

* Jacques-Olivier Paviot (1976–): football player * Fatiha Ouali (1974–):

race walker Race walking, or racewalking, is a long-distance discipline within the sport of athletics. Although a foot race, it is different from running in that one foot must appear to be in contact with the ground at all times. Race judges carefully asses ...

* Michel Breistroff (1971–1996):

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...

player * Pierre Dréossi (1959–): former football player, coach and

football manager ''Football Manager'', also known as ''Worldwide Soccer Manager'' in North America from 2004 to 2008, is a series of football management simulation video games developed by British developer Sports Interactive and published by Sega. The game beg ...

* Alain Bondue (1959–):

racing cyclist Cycle sport is competitive physical activity using bicycles. There are several categories of bicycle racing including road bicycle racing, cyclo-cross, mountain bike racing, track cycling, BMX, and cycle speedway. Non-racing cycling spo ...

* Jean-Christian Lang (1950–): football manager and former player * Jacques Carette (1947–): athlete * René Libeer (1934–2006): boxer * Jacques Pollet (1922–1997):

racing driver Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. In North America, the term is commonly used to describe all forms of automobile sport including non ...

* Gonzague Olivier (1921–2013):

* Jacques Leenaert (1921–2004): football player * Prudent Joye (1913–1980): track and field athlete * Georges Beaucourt (1912–2002): football player * Raymond Dubly (1893–1988): football player * Jean Alavoine (1888–1943): cyclist * Charles Crupelandt (1886–1955): Wattrelos-born professional

road bicycle racer Road bicycle racing is the cycle sport discipline of road cycling, held primarily on paved roads. Road racing is the most popular professional form of bicycle racing, in terms of numbers of competitors, events and spectators. The two most com ...

* Arthur Balbaert (1879–1938): Belgian sports shooter

Politicians and professionals

Karima Delli Karima Delli (born 4 March 1979 in Roubaix, Nord) is a French politician and Member of the European Parliament elected in the 2009 European election, 2014 European elections and in the 2019 European elections for the Île-de-France constitu ...

(1979–): politician,

Member of the European Parliament A member of the European Parliament (MEP) is a person who has been Election, elected to serve as a popular representative in the European Parliament. When the European Parliament (then known as the Common Assembly of the European Coal and S ...

* Florence Morlighem (1970–): politician, Member of Parliament * Olivier Henno (1962–): politician, mayor of Saint-André-lez-Lille and general councillor * Jean-Robert de Cavel (1961–2022): French-American chef de cuisine * Benoît Duquesne (1957–2014): journalist, television reporter and newscaster * Pierre Pribetich (1956–): politician, former

* Marie-Christine Blandin (1952–): politician, member of the Senate of France, representing the Nord department * Jean-Luc Brunin (1951–): clergyman, bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Le Havre * Alex Türk (1950–): politician, member of the

Senate of France The Senate (, ) is the upper house of the French Parliament, with the lower house being the National Assembly (France), National Assembly, the two houses constituting the legislature of France. It is made up of 348 senators (''sénateurs'' and ...

, representing the Nord department *

Bernard Arnault Bernard Jean Étienne Arnault (; born 5 March 1949) is a French businessman, investor, and art collector. He is the founder, chairman and CEO of LVMH, the world's largest luxury goods company. Arnault is one of the richest individuals in the ...

(1949–): business magnate, investor and art collector * Bruno Masure (1947–): journalist, news anchor and television presenter * Auguste Mimerel (1786–1871), industrialist and politician *

Gérard Mulliez Gérard Paul Louis Marie-Joseph Mulliez (born 13 May 1931) is a French entrepreneur and the founder of the Auchan chain of department stores. Early life Gérard Mulliez was born on 13 May 1931, in Roubaix, France. His father, Gérard Mulliez, wa ...

(1931–): businessman, founder of the

Auchan Auchan () is a French multinational retail group headquartered in Croix, France. It was founded in 1961 by Gérard Mulliez and is owned by the Mulliez family, who has 95% stake in the company. With 354,851 employees, of which 261,000 have 5% ...

chain of department stores * Robert Diligent (1924–2014): journalist, founding members of ''Télé Luxembourg'' * Francis Pollet (1964–): general officer * André Diligent (1919–2002): lawyer and politician,

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

resistance activist, deputy to the

National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repr ...

, senator-mayor of Roubaix * Marcel Verfaillie (1911–1945): communist militant,

resistance activist against

Nazism Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During Hitler's rise to power, it was fre ...

, died in concentration camp * Pierre Herman (1910–1990): politician, deputy to the National Assembly * Pierre Pflimlin (1907–2000): lawyer and politician, last

Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

of the Fourth Republic * Raymond Schmittlein (1904–1974): toponymist and politician, deputy to the National Assembly * Jean-Baptiste Lebas (1898–1944): politician, mayor of Roubaix, deputy to the National Assembly,

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

and II resistance activist, died in deportation custody * Antoine Cordonnier (1892–1918): military aviator,

flying ace A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviation, military aviator credited with shooting down a certain minimum number of enemy aircraft during aerial combat; the exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ...

during World War I * Jules Dumont (1888–1943): communist militant, commanded the ''Commune de Paris Battalion'', a unit part of the XI International Brigade * Jean Prouvost (1885–1978): businessman, media owner and politician * Charles Vanden Bosch (1883–1945): Belgian Roman Catholic

Franciscan The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent Religious institute, religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor bei ...

priest, founder of the Belgian National work for the Blind, died in concentration camp *

Louis Loucheur Louis Loucheur (12 August 1872 in Roubaix, Nord – 22 November 1931 in Paris) was a French politician in the Third Republic, at first a member of the conservative Republican Federation, then of the Democratic Republican Alliance and of the I ...

(1872–1931): writer and politician, deputy to the National Assembly * Ferdinand Bonnel (1865–1945):

Jesuit The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in parti ...

and

missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group who is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thoma ...

in Sri Lanka * Théodore Vienne (1864–1921): textile

manufacturer Manufacturing is the creation or Production (economics), production of goods with the help of equipment, Work (human activity), labor, machines, tools, and chemical or biological processing or formulation. It is the essence of the secondary se ...

and co-founder of

cycle race * Eugène Motte (1860–1932): politician and businessman, mayor of Roubaix, deputy to the National Assembly * Pierre Wibaux (1858–1913): cattle-rancher, banker and gold-mine owner, emigrated from France to the United States *

(1845–1922): Paris-born socialist journalist and politician, deputy of the constituency of Roubaix to the National Assembly * Jean Desbouvrie (c. 1840–1847-?): inventor and bird tamer * Gérard Vachonfrance (1933–2008): physician and society co-founder * Marie Léonie Vanhoutte (1888–1967): French resistance fighter and secret-agent during

Scientists

* Stanislas Dehaene (1965–): cognitive

psychologist A psychologist is a professional who practices psychology and studies mental states, perceptual, cognitive, emotional, and social processes and behavior. Their work often involves the experimentation, observation, and explanation, interpretatio ...

, professor at the

Collège de France The (), formerly known as the or as the ''Collège impérial'' founded in 1530 by François I, is a higher education and research establishment () in France. It is located in Paris near La Sorbonne. The has been considered to be France's most ...

and author * Bernard Amadei (1954–): professor of civil engineering at the

University of Colorado The University of Colorado (CU) is a system of public universities in Colorado. It consists of four institutions: the University of Colorado Boulder, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, the University of Colorado Denver, and the U ...

, founder of Engineers Without Borders (USA) * Dominique Mulliez (1952–):

epigrapher Epigraphy () is the study of inscriptions, or epigraphs, as writing; it is the science of identifying graphemes, clarifying their meanings, classifying their uses according to dates and cultural contexts, and drawing conclusions about the wr ...

archaeologist Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of Artifact (archaeology), artifacts, architecture, biofact (archaeology), biofacts or ecofacts, ...

and Hellenist * Marguerite Dupire (1920–2015):

ethnologist Ethnology (from the , meaning 'nation') is an academic field and discipline that compares and analyzes the characteristics of different peoples and the relationships between them (compare cultural, social, or sociocultural anthropology). Scien ...

* Robert Jonckhèere (1888–1974):

astronomer An astronomer is a scientist in the field of astronomy who focuses on a specific question or field outside the scope of Earth. Astronomers observe astronomical objects, such as stars, planets, natural satellite, moons, comets and galaxy, galax ...

* Joseph Willot (1875–1919):

pharmacist A pharmacist, also known as a chemist in English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English, is a healthcare professional who is knowledgeable about preparation, mechanism of action, clinical usage and legislation of medications in ...

and World War I resistance activist

Writers

* Marie Desplechin (1959–): writer and journalist * Pierre Pierrard (1920–2005): historian * Michel Décaudin (1919–2004): Romance

linguist Linguistics is the scientific study of language. The areas of linguistic analysis are syntax (rules governing the structure of sentences), semantics (meaning), Morphology (linguistics), morphology (structure of words), phonetics (speech sounds ...

, literature professor and author * Richard Cobb (1917–1996): British social historian. Lived in Roubaix in the 1940s. * Octave Vandekerkhove (1911–1987): writer * Maxence Van Der Meersch (1907–1951): writer * Maurice Nédoncelle (1905–1976):

personalist Personalism is an intellectual stance that emphasizes the importance of human persons. Personalism exists in many different versions, and this makes it somewhat difficult to define as a philosophical and theological movement. Friedrich Schleierm ...

philosopher * Yanette Delétang-Tardif (1902–1976): poet * Amédée Prouvost (1877–1909): poet * Jules Feller (1859–1940): Romance linguist and

philologist Philology () is the study of language in oral and written historical sources. It is the intersection of textual criticism, literary criticism, history, and linguistics with strong ties to etymology. Philology is also defined as the study of ...

, Belgian

academician An academician is a full member of an artistic, literary, engineering, or scientific academy. In many countries, it is an honorific title used to denote a full member of an academy that has a strong influence on national scientific life. Accor ...

and Walloon militant

Notes and references

Notes

References

Bibliography

External links

Tourist office website

Website of the museum of art and industry

LeBlog2Roubaix.Com (videoblog and WebTv about Roubaix)
{{Authority control Communes of Nord (French department) French Flanders