Vassieux-en-Vercors

Vassieux-en-Vercors
Vassieux-en-Vercors
	Commune
	Vassieux-en-Vercors seen from the slopes of the col de la Chau, near the Mémorial de la Résistance
	Coat of arms
	Location of Vassieux-en-Vercors
	Vassieux-en-Vercors Vassieux-en-Vercors
	Coordinates: 44°53′46″N 5°22′15″E
Country	France
Region	Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Department	Drôme
Arrondissement	Die
Canton	Vercors-Monts du Matin
Government
• Mayor (2008–2014)	Michel Repellin
Area 1	48.25 km2 (18.63 sq mi)
Population (2017-01-01)[1]	313
• Density	6.5/km2 (17/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	26364 /26420
Elevation	1,028–1,654 m (3,373–5,427 ft) ; (avg. 1,048 m or 3,438 ft)
	1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Vassieux-en-Vercors is a commune in the department of Drôme in southeastern France.

The town is known for its assistance to the French Resistance during World War II, for which it was awarded the Ordre de la Libération.

Geography

The village is built on a polje of limestone and dominated by a vast Karst landscape.[2] This polje lies on a syncline generally known as the "Plateau de Vassieux".

The Plateau de Vassieux is the site of numerous other karst phenomena, such as limestone pavements and caves, which are studied and explored by local speleology groups.

History

Cemetery and memorial

Vassieux-en-Vercors is home to several prehistoric archaeological sites, and has a Museum of Prehistory which was created in May 1970 after the discovery of a flintknapping workshop.[3]

In June and July 1944, during the Second World War, the French Resistance, known as the Maquis du Vercors, staged a major uprising against the German occupation in Vercors and proclaimed the Free Republic of Vercors. It was the first democratic territory in France since the beginning of the German occupation in 1940 - the revolt was brutally suppressed. For its great acts of resistance the town was awarded the Ordre de la Libération. A memorial was built at the Col de la Chau 44.90760°N 5.36124°E / 44.90760; 5.36124 to remember the grim events of the Second World War, and includes a cemetery where the victims of a July 1944 German massacre are buried.

Population

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±%
1793	866	—
1800	921	+6.4%
1806	1,302	+41.4%
1821	930	−28.6%
1831	1,003	+7.8%
1836	1,022	+1.9%
1841	978	−4.3%
1846	899	−8.1%
1851	981	+9.1%
1856	941	−4.1%
1861	930	−1.2%
1866	850	−8.6%
1872	800	−5.9%
1876	773	−3.4%
1881	758	−1.9%
1886	741	−2.2%
1891	701	−5.4%
1896	660	−5.8%
1901	641	−2.9%
1906	622	−3.0%
1911	540	−13.2%
1921	486	−10.0%
1926	474	−2.5%
1931	448	−5.5%
1936	430	−4.0%
1946	309	−28.1%
1954	373	+20.7%
1962	194	−48.0%
1968	257	+32.5%
1975	257	+0.0%
1982	310	+20.6%
1990	283	−8.7%
1999	290	+2.5%
2008	351	+21.0%

Economy

The main human and economic activities are based on agriculture (livestock, timber etc.) and tourism.

References

"Populations légales 2017". INSEE. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
Centre Historique de la Résistance en Drôme. "Cartographie de Vassieux-en-Vercors" (in French). Retrieved 2008-01-01.
prehistoire-vercors.fr. "Le Musée de la Préhistoire de Vassieux en Vercors" (in French). Archived from the original on 2007-12-15. Retrieved 2008-01-01.

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[1] "Populations légales 2017". INSEE. Retrieved 6 January 2020.

[Cartographie_de_Vassieux-en-Vercors-2] Centre Historique de la Résistance en Drôme. "Cartographie de Vassieux-en-Vercors" (in French). Retrieved 2008-01-01.

[Le_Musée_de_la_Préhistoire_de_Vassieux_en_Vercors-3] rehistoire-vercors.fr. "Le Musée de la Préhistoire de Vassieux en Vercors" (in French). Archived from the original on 2007-12-15. Retrieved 2008-01-01.