Gérardmer (; or archaic ''Geroldsee'', and ''Giraumoué'' in local Vosgian) is a commune in the
Vosges Department
Vosges () is a department in the Grand Est region, Northeastern France. It covers part of the Vosges mountain range, after which it is named. Vosges consists of three arrondissements, 17 cantons and 507 communes, including Domrémy-la-Pucelle, ...
,
Grand Est
Grand Est (; ) is an Regions of France, administrative region in northeastern France. It superseded three former administrative regions, Alsace, Champagne-Ardenne and Lorraine, on 1 January 2016 under the provisional name of Alsace-Champagne-A ...
(before 2016:
Lorraine
Lorraine, also , ; ; Lorrain: ''Louréne''; Lorraine Franconian: ''Lottringe''; ; ; is a cultural and historical region in Eastern France, now located in the administrative region of Grand Est. Its name stems from the medieval kingdom of ...
),
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 ...
. It is nicknamed "''La perle des Vosges''" (the gem of the Vosges).
Gérardmer is said to owe its name to
Gerard, Duke of Lorraine
Gerard ( 1030 – 14 April 1070), also known as Gerard the Wonderful, was a Lotharingian nobleman. He was the count of Metz and Châtenois from 1047 to 1048, when his brother Duke Adalbert resigned them to him upon his becoming the Duke of Upp ...
, who in the 11th century built a tower on the bank of the lake or , near which, in 1285, a new town was founded.
Geography
Gérardmer is situated at a height of at the eastern end of the small lake, the
Lac de Gérardmer
Lac de Gérardmer is a glacial lake at the city of Gérardmer, Vosges, France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guia ...
among forest-clad mountains. Historically it has been the chief summer resort of the French
Vosges
The Vosges ( , ; ; Franconian and ) is a range of medium mountains in Eastern France, near its border with Germany. Together with the Palatine Forest to the north on the German side of the border, they form a single geomorphological unit and ...
and was a centre for excursions, including to the summit of the Hohneck and the Schlucht, which is a mountain pass from France to Germany. Nearer the town is the picturesque defile of Granges, watered by the
Vologne
The Vologne () is a river of the Vosges department in France. It is a right tributary of the Moselle. Its source is in the Vosges Mountains, on the northwestern slope of the Hohneck. It flows through the lakes of Retournemer and Longemer, and p ...
, which at one point forms the cascade known as the .
Population
Culture
The
Festival international du film fantastique de Gérardmer
The Festival international du film fantastique de Gérardmer, formerly known as Fantastica and then Fantastic'Arts, is an annual international film festival of horror and science fiction films.
History
The film festival has been held each yea ...
(literally ''Gérardmer International Festival of fantastic film'', formerly named 'Fantastic'Arts' from 1994 to 2008) is an international festival of
horror
Horror may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
Genres
*Horror fiction, a genre of fiction
**Psychological horror, a subgenre of horror fiction
**Christmas horror, a subgenre of horror fiction
**Analog horror, a subgenre of horror fiction
* ...
and
fantastic
Fantastic or Fantastik may refer to:
Music
* ''Fantastic'' (Toy-Box album)
* ''Fantastic'' (Wham! album)
* '' Fan-Tas-Tic (Vol. 1)'', an album by Slum Village
* '' Fantastic, Vol. 2'', an album by Slum Village
* ''Fantastic'' (EP), an EP by ...
films which has been held each year since 1994 in Gérardmer.
Notable people
* Maximilien Kelsch (1844–1906), industrialist and politician, born in Gérardmer
* Paul Cuny (1872–1925), industrialist and politician, born in Gérardmer
*
Edward Gardère
Edward Gardère (25 February 1909 – 24 July 1997) was a French foil and sabre fencer. He won a gold medal at the 1932 Summer Olympics and two silvers at the 1936 Summer Olympics
The 1936 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of th ...
(1909–1997), fencer, born in Gérardmer
*
André Gardère
André Gardère (8 May 1913 – 16 February 1977) was a French foil and sabre fencer. He won a silver medal in the team foil event at the 1936 Summer Olympics
The 1936 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XI Olympiad () and ...
(1913–1977), fencer, born in Gérardmer
* Gilberte Cournand (1913–2005), journalist and dance critic, gallery owner and bookseller, born in Gérardmer
*
Claude Vanony Claude may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Claude (given name), a list of people and fictional characters
* Claude (surname), a list of people
* Claude Callegari (1962–2021), English Arsenal supporter
* Claude Debussy (1862–1918) ...
(1935), storyteller and humorist, born in Gérardmer
*
Patrick Rémy Patrick Rémy may refer to:
*Patrick Rémy (footballer) (born 1954), French former footballer and football manager
*Patrick Rémy (skier)
Patrick Rémy (born 27 April 1965 in Gérardmer) was a French cross-country skier who competed from 1990 ...
(1965), cross-country skier, born in Gérardmer
* Raphaël Dargent (1970), historian, essayist and writer, born in Gérardmer
* Julien Bontemps (1979), sailor, learnt to sail in Gérardmer
*
Maxime Laheurte
Maxime Laheurte (born 20 May 1985 in Gérardmer) is a retired French nordic combined athlete who has competed since 2002, including 4 Winter Olympic Games. At the 2010 Winter Olympics, he finished fourth in the 4 x 5 km team and 38th in the ...
(1985), world nordic combined team champion (2012), born in Gérardmer
* Émile Duguet,
Righteous Among the Nations
Righteous Among the Nations ( ) is a title used by Yad Vashem to describe people who, for various reasons, made an effort to assist victims, mostly Jews, who were being persecuted and exterminated by Nazi Germany, Fascist Romania, Fascist Italy, ...
, concealed Jews at his home in GérardmerAnonymes, Justes et Persécutés durant la période Nazie dans les communes de France Émile Duguet
Twin towns
*
Le Locle
Le Locle (; ) is a Communes of Switzerland, municipality in the Canton of Neuchâtel in Switzerland.
It is situated in the Jura Mountains, a few kilometers from the city of La Chaux-de-Fonds.
It is the third smallest city in Switzerland (in Swit ...
,
Switzerland
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
*
Tidermène
Tidermène is a village and Cercles of Mali, ''cercle'' in Ménaka Region of southeastern Mali. In the 2009 census it had a population of 5,816. Its area is approximately 29,000 square kilometers. It was previously a Communes of Mali, commune in M ...
,
Mali
Mali, officially the Republic of Mali, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is the List of African countries by area, eighth-largest country in Africa, with an area of over . The country is bordered to the north by Algeria, to the east b ...
*
Waremme
Waremme (; ; ) is a city and Municipalities in Belgium, municipality of Wallonia located in the Liège Province, province of Liège, in Belgium.
The city is located on the River Jeker, Geer (), in the loessic Haspengouw region. The economy i ...
,
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 ...