|
Search
Connexion
Echanges de liens
|
Bordeaux Part 2
Published by EF041008 on 2010/1/8
Very early on, the story of Bordeaux was linked to the history of wine. Under the Roman Empire, Bordeaux received its wines from Narbonne, which had been founded in 118. Under the Romans, the Garonne region became a major commercial artery and Burdigala’s importance as a pacified city suitable for commerce was assured.
Latest news from Bordeaux Cognac in Bordeaux Wineyards The 18th century was a magical period for the city of Bordeaux, and its architecture represents this monumental splendor. Leading figures whose grandeur matched the city’s prestige were the grand masters of its development. First there was Boucher, creator of Place Royale, with its monumental ensemble. Then came Tourny, the Bursar of Guyenne from 1743 to 1757, who wanted the traveler arriving by boat to be struck by the splendor of the city. His dream was achieved. Bordeaux is a sober and measured city, but its architectural magnificence is indeed breathtaking. Over the course of its various transformations, Bordeaux became a city of white stone. Neoclassicism was triumphant and carried on into the 19th century. Improvements were made to the port, which represented a veritable economic artery since the city’s business revolved around trading.   Click on the images The railroad also insinuated itself into the economic life of the city. As with Nice, rails were a link to the North of France. They represented an opportunity, but the people of Bordeaux remained strongly attached to their autonomy. So, in some ways, railways were also a disturbance to local order. For example with the Station of the Midi Company, one begins to understand that the arrival of the rail was not necessarily welcome. This was a “temporary” station for 30 years until 1857 when the Paris-Orléans-Bordeaux Station was created. Then, the State Station was built in 1878, followed by the St. Jean Station. The city’s air remained unimproved. Because Bordeaux was surrounded by marshlands, in summer, gasses are generated and the soil in the city is not well-drained. Sewers had to be dug, but this took an incredibly long time, and Bordeaux suffered for many years because of this delay. Drinking water and electricity also took a long time to be brought to Bordeaux.   At the beginning of the 20th century, Bordeaux was essentially still a city of tertiary activity where industry progressed slowly. The size of its businesses was rather small and workers were often independent. This is perhaps what explains its tradition of artisan cooperatives. Tumultuous social change arrived in 1884 when unions were legalized. Just as everywhere else in France and in Europe workers united. The CGT established itself in Bordeaux and counted 20,000 members in 1910 and 40,000 in 1920. In 1919, the CFTC also established itself here. Serious conflicts appeared with the longshoremen in 1910. The influence of the anarchists, also felt in Catalonia, was never far off and it affected the railroad companies. Bordeaux was an active city during the Popular Front and strikes mobilized 25,000 workers.Given the rise of these movements, the leadership of the city also organized, forming the Chamber of Commerce, the Center for Unions, and the Gironde-Area Managers’ Federation. They sought to develop Bordeaux by creating new means of communication for the city. They were responsible for creating in 1924 the Autonomous Port and the Mérignac airport. The Americans helped them in 1918 by building the Port de Bassens, whose hangars were made of exotic oleaginouos woods. Wine production continued to prosper. The important estates of Médoc, Sauternais and Graves were success stories, and large-scale production houses developed, including Lafite-Rothschild, Margaux and Yquem. In 1855, the wine classification system helped significantly organize wine production and great fortunes were built on high quality wine, including Rothschild and Cruse (St. Aubin) (cf Wine route in Bordelais) The crisis of 1929 hit Bordeaux just as it did other cities, and the 2Nd World War came after. Wineries were nearly devastated by these hardships. The winemaking families fortunately invested significantly to save this valuable economic resource.As in many other places in Frances, after the war Bordeaux was a site of cultural renewal. Political parties took shape, including the Communists who created “Gironde Populaire”, and the Socialists who were behind the “Girondin Party”. There was also the Radical Party which led the Socialist Radical Action Movement. The Sud-Ouest newspaper was founded. Radio stations were established, and culture appeared in the theatres, opera and music halls of the city. Jacques Chaban Delmas, the dynamic Mayor of Bordeaux fostered the city’s effervescent spirit through cultural activities and the New Urban Community of Bordeaux (CUB). The Mayor was active on all fronts. He shook up traditions, and the city of Bordeaux helped him to advance his pretentions to national prominence. He was able to institute a political system, known as the “Chaban-Delmas” way, based on his balanced wisdom with respect to the political games of Bordeaux and the Aquitaine region.He was Mayor of the city from 1947, and he decided to turn over the office to Alain Juppé who was then Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Balladur government.   He became Prime Minister and President of the RPR, the party of Jacques Chirac.Numerous initiatives were undertaken to restore a climate of confidence after the reign of Chaban-Delmas and the scandals that marked it. Bordeaux opened its doors to business, made improvements to its urban infrastructure and set about reorganizing the Place de la Bourse in particular. The Hangars of the Port were destroyed, and the quays were unencumbered. The city center was brought to life to attract younger people. The tramway appeared.At the beginning of the 21st century, Bordeaux has completely reclaimed its imposing stature, with its clean white stone and its dynamic ambiance. This is a city that has maintained its ties to the Anglo-Saxon world, as its history demonstrates, but which has also managed to turn its interests in the direction of integration with the European Union.   
|
|||||||||
