Annemasse (; Arpitan: ''Anemâsse'') is a commune in the

Haute-Savoie Haute-Savoie () is a Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region of Southeastern France, bordering both Switzerland and Italy. Its Prefectures in France, prefecture is Annecy. To the north is Lake Gene ...

department in the

Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (; AURA) or ; or ; . is a Regions of France, region in southeast-central France created by the 2014 territorial reform of French regions; it resulted from the merger of Auvergne and Rhône-Alpes. The new region came into e ...

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 ...

in Eastern

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. Even though it covers a relatively small territory (4.98 km² or 1.92 sq mi), it is Haute-Savoie's second most populous commune after the

prefecture A prefecture (from the Latin word, "''praefectura"'') is an administrative jurisdiction traditionally governed by an appointed prefect. This can be a regional or local government subdivision in various countries, or a subdivision in certain inter ...

Annecy Annecy ( , ; , also ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of the Haute-Savoie Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, regi ...

, with 36,250 residents as of 2018.Téléchargement du fichier d'ensemble des populations légales en 2017
INSEE Annemasse is part of the

Grand Genève () is a ( or ), a public entity under Swiss law, in charge of organizing cooperation within the cross-border metropolitan area of Geneva (in particular metropolitan transports). The Grand Genève GLCT extends over Switzerland (entire Canton of ...

(Greater Geneva), a transborder agglomeration between France and Switzerland, which encompasses the developed areas on the southwestern shore of

Lake Geneva Lake Geneva is a deep lake on the north side of the Alps, shared between Switzerland and France. It is one of the List of largest lakes of Europe, largest lakes in Western Europe and the largest on the course of the Rhône. Sixty percent () ...

. It lies near the Swiss border, approximately 8 km (5 mi) east of

Geneva Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...

. Its

railway station Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...

is served by

TGV The TGV (; , , 'high-speed train') is France's intercity high-speed rail service. With commercial operating speeds of up to on the newer lines, the TGV was conceived at the same period as other technological projects such as the Ariane 1 rocke ...

RegioExpress RegioExpress, commonly abbreviated to RE, is a Train categories in Europe, category of fast regional train service in Switzerland, run by Swiss Federal Railways (SBB CFF FFS) or other railway companies (such as Treni Regionali Ticino Lombardia, ...

Léman Express The Léman Express is a commuter rail network for the transborder agglomeration of Grand Genève (''Greater Geneva'') in west Switzerland and the French Alps (Haute-Savoie and Ain). Six lines serve Swiss and French towns along 230 km of ra ...

and

TER Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes TER Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes is the regional rail network serving the region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, central and eastern France. It is operated by the French national railway company SNCF. It was formed in 2017 from the previous TER networks TER ...

trains.

Etymology

The origin of the name Annemasse is uncertain. It could come from an

Allobroges The Allobroges (Gaulish language, Gaulish: *''Allobrogis'', 'foreigner, exiled'; ) were a Gauls, Gallic people dwelling in a large territory between the Rhône river and the Alps during the Iron Age Europe, Iron Age and the Roman period. The Allob ...

tribe;Gilbert Künzi, ''Lieux-dits entre Dranse et Arve : Chablais savoyard et Faucigny'', Éditions Cabédita, 1997, 201 p. it could be derived from the Gallic name Adnamatius;Henry Suter
« Annemasse »
rchive « Noms de lieux de Suisse romande, Savoie et environs » - henrysuter.ch, 2000-2009 (updated 18 décembre 2009) it could be a reference to the Roman city of Annamatia in

Pannonia Pannonia (, ) was a Roman province, province of the Roman Empire bounded on the north and east by the Danube, on the west by Noricum and upper Roman Italy, Italy, and on the southward by Dalmatia (Roman province), Dalmatia and upper Moesia. It ...

(current-day

Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...

). In ancient Roman times, Annemasse, a ''

vicus In Ancient Rome, the Latin term (plural ) designated a village within a rural area () or the neighbourhood of a larger settlement. During the Republican era, the four of the city of Rome were subdivided into . In the 1st century BC, Augustus ...

'', was known as Namascae.

Geography

Annemasse is part of the

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 ...

of Geneva. It is located 2 km (1.2 mi) southeast of the Swiss border and 45 km (27.9 mi) north of

, the

. The city is surrounded by the Voirons (alt. 1,450 m) to the east and the

Salève The Salève (), or Mont Salève, is a mountain of the French Prealps located in the department of Haute-Savoie in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. It is also called the "Balcony of Geneva" (French: ''Balcon de Genève''). Geography Geographically, the ...

(alt. 1,300 m) and the Arve River to the west.

Climate

The climate is

temperate In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (approximately 23.5° to 66.5° N/S of the Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ran ...

with influences from the

Bornes Massif The Bornes Massif (, ) are a mountainous massif in the north French Prealps in the department of Haute-Savoie. It has 20 peaks higher than 2000 m and is a popular destination for winter sports. The massif is the source of the celebrated chee ...

and

. The coldest months are January and February; the hottest are July and August.''Étude d'impact — État initial de l'environnement'', dossier de réalisation, « Climatologie d'Annemasse », February 2008. There is an annual average of 80 days with below zero temperatures. The minimum average is -1 °C and the maximum average is 26 °C. The annual rainfall is 975.7 mm with 118 rainy days a year.

Demographics

Politics

The urban area of Annemasse, the

agglomeration community of Annemasse – Les Voirons The agglomeration community Annemasse – Les Voirons is an intercommunal structure located in Haute-Savoie, France. It consists of the town Annemasse and 11 neighbouring communes. It is located at the Switzerland, Swiss border, east of Geneva, bet ...

, which consists of twelve communes, is the second largest agglomeration in the Haute-Savoie department in terms of population, after the Grand Annecy (Greater Annecy). The Hôtel de Ville (town hall) was completed in 1885. Robert Borrel of the

Socialist Party Socialist Party is the name of many different political parties around the world. All of these parties claim to uphold some form of socialism, though they may have very different interpretations of what "socialism" means. Statistically, most of th ...

(PS) held the mayorship in Annemasse from 1977 to 2008. Fellow party member Christian Dupessay was elected to succeed him following his retirement in

2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...

. Dupessay was reelected in

2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...

and

2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...

Economy

The main activity is commerce: due to the current foreign exchange situation, many Swiss residents come to Annemasse to purchase food and other commodities. A large proportion of the population work in

, where the salaries are higher than in France. Annemasse has 1,898 company locations on its territory, a large share of it being shops and services. The three main companies operating in Annemasse are

Parker Hannifin Parker-Hannifin Corporation, originally Parker Appliance Company, usually referred to as just Parker, is an American corporation specializing in motion and control technologies. Its corporate headquarters are in Mayfield Heights, Ohio, in Greater ...

(turnover: €134 million), Siegwerk (€107 million) and

Géant Casino Géant Casino () was a hypermarket chain based in Saint-Étienne, France, part of the French retailing giant Groupe Casino. In 2022, the brand was gradually replaced by Casino #hyperFrais. Between June 2023 and October 2024, in the grip of a fina ...

Annemasse (€17 million, enlarged in 2003).

Transport

Annemasse is an important crossroad. It is the last exit of the French

motorway A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway, and expressway. Other similar terms ...

A40 before the border and is thus well connected with the other cities of the region. It is also connected to Annecy via motorway A41. Local transport is done with 6 bus lines by the TP2A company (''Transports publics de l'Agglomération d'Annemasse''). A

tram A tram (also known as a streetcar or trolley in Canada and the United States) is an urban rail transit in which Rolling stock, vehicles, whether individual railcars or multiple-unit trains, run on tramway tracks on urban public streets; some ...

is connected to the Swiss border. Annemasse has had a

since 1880. It is the second most important station of the department with 2,000 passengers a day. To encourage mobility, the

CEVA Ceva, the ancient Ceba, is a small Italy, Italian town in the province of Cuneo, region of Piedmont, east of Cuneo. It lies on the right bank of the Tanaro River, Tanaro on a wedge of land between that river and the Cevetta stream. History In th ...

project has extended the existing rail connection between Annemasse and Gare de Cornavin through Genève Eaux-Vives. Annemasse also has a small airport for small tourist and business planes.

Education

;Kindergartens * Bois-Livron, Marianne-Cohn, Jean-Mermoz, La Fontaine, Les Hutins, Saint-Exupéry, Académie Montessuit ;Primary schools * Public schools: Bois-Livron, Marianne-Cohn, Jean-Mermoz, La Fontaine, Les Hutins, Saint-Exupéry, Académie Montessuit * Privates schools: Chamarette, Saint-François ;Secondary schools * Michel-Servet, Académie Montessuit, Jacques-Prévert ;High secondary schools * General education: Les Glières (Formation tertiaire BTS intégré) * General and technical education: Jean-Monnet * Professional education: Le Salève ;Other school * The Beaux Arts School

Religion

Annemasse has several religious places. There are two

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

churches (Saint-André and Saint-Joseph), one

synagogue A synagogue, also called a shul or a temple, is a place of worship for Jews and Samaritans. It is a place for prayer (the main sanctuary and sometimes smaller chapels) where Jews attend religious services or special ceremonies such as wed ...

, two

Muslim 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 ...

religious organisations, as well as several

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

churches.

Servetus Monument

In 1903, 350 years after the dissident

Michael Servetus Michael Servetus (; ; ; also known as ''Michel Servetus'', ''Miguel de Villanueva'', ''Revés'', or ''Michel de Villeneuve''; 29 September 1509 or 1511 – 27 October 1553) was a Spanish theologian, physician, cartographer, and Renaissance ...

was executed in

at the instigation of

John Calvin John Calvin (; ; ; 10 July 150927 May 1564) was a French Christian theology, theologian, pastor and Protestant Reformers, reformer in Geneva during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal figure in the development of the system of C ...

, a committee was formed to erect a monument in Servetus' honour - led by a French Senator, Auguste Dide, an author of a book on heretics and revolutionaries. The committee commissioned a local Geneva sculptor, Clothilde Roch, to do a statue showing a suffering Servetus. The work was three years in the making and was finished in 1907. However, supporters of Calvin were still strong in Geneva, and the statue was rejected. The committee then offered the statue to the neighboring Annemasse, which in 1908 placed it in front of the city hall, with the following inscriptions:

“The arrest of Servetus in Geneva, where he did neither publish nor dogmatize, hence he was not subject to its laws, has to be considered as a barbaric act and an insult to the Right of Nations.” Voltaire

"I beg you, shorten please these deliberations. It is clear that Calvin for his pleasure wishes to make me rot in this prison. The lice eat me alive. My clothes are torn and I have nothing for a change, nor shirt, only a worn out vest.” Servetus, 1553

In 1942, the pro-Nazi

Vichy Government Vichy France (; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), officially the French State ('), was a French rump state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II, established as a result of the French capitulation after the defeat against ...

took down the statue, as it was a celebration of freedom of conscience, and melted it. In 1960, having found the original molds, Annemasse had it recast and returned the statue to its previous place.pp. 313-316

International relations

Twin towns – sister cities

Annemasse is twinned with: *

Gaggenau Gaggenau () is a town in the district of Rastatt, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is located some 8 km northeast of Baden-Baden. History Gaggenau was first mentioned in local records in 1243 under the name "Gaggenaw". The present distr ...

, Germany *

Sieradz Sieradz (,) is a city on the Warta river in central Poland with 40,891 inhabitants (2021). It is the seat of the Sieradz County, situated in the Łódź Voivodeship. Sieradz is a capital of the historical Sieradz Land. Sieradz is one of the olde ...

, Poland

Friendship pacts

Annemasse has friendly relations with: *

Boisbriand Boisbriand () is an off-island suburb of Montreal, at the entrance of the Lower-Laurentides in southwestern Quebec, Canada, on the north shore of the Rivière des Mille Îles in the Thérèse-De Blainville Regional County Municipality. Alth ...

, Canada *

Torricella Peligna Torricella Peligna is a ''comune'' and town in the Province of Chieti in the Abruzzo region of Italy. History The foundation of Torricella dates back according to local tradition to an exodus from the exiles of Juvanum, during the Byzantine W ...

, Italy

Gallery

Arve Annemasse.jpg, Arve River near Annemasse Gare SNCF, Annemasse, France.jpg, Annemasse railway station, main entrance Annemasse gare.jpg, Annemasse railway station, platforms Église Saint-André, Annemasse.jpg, Saint-André church Annemasse s. joseph 2.JPG, Saint-Joseph church

References

External links

Official website
{{Authority control Communes of Haute-Savoie