Aussonce (French pronunciation: [osɔ̃s]) is a commune in the Ardennes department in the Grand Est region of north-eastern France.

Aussonce
Aussonce Town Hall
Aussonce Town Hall
Coat of arms of Aussonce
Location of Aussonce
Map
Aussonce is located in France
Aussonce
Aussonce
Aussonce is located in Grand Est
Aussonce
Aussonce
Coordinates: 49°21′02″N 4°19′24″E / 49.3506°N 4.3233°E / 49.3506; 4.3233
CountryFrance
RegionGrand Est
DepartmentArdennes
ArrondissementRethel
CantonChâteau-Porcien
IntercommunalityCC Pays Rethélois
Government
 • Mayor (2020–2026) Bruno Ponsin[1]
Area
1
19.14 km2 (7.39 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)[2]
225
 • Density12/km2 (30/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
08032 /08310
Elevation94–170 m (308–558 ft)
(avg. 86 m or 282 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Geography

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Aussonce is located some 30 km north-east of Reims and 25 km south of Rethel. The western border of the commune is the departmental border between Ardennes and Marne. Access to the commune is by the D25 road from La Neuville-en-Tourne-à-Fuy in the east which passes through the village then continues west to Heutrégiville, changing to the D33 at the border. The D985 from La Neuville-en-Tourne-à-Fuy to Pontfaverger-Moronvilliers passes through the south-east of the commune. The D15 goes north-west from the village to Ménil-Lépinois. The commune consists entirely of flat farmland.[3]

The Ruisseau d'Aussonce rises near the village and flows west to join the Suippe at Vaudetre.[3]

Neighbouring communes and villages

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[3]

History

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The hermit Saint Sindulf of Rheims is said to have lived in Aussonce in the 7th century.[4]

In the Aussonce church bell tower there is the following inscription: "On 3 April 1650 the battle of Aussonce took place between the Germans and locals. It lasted from 9 in the morning until 7 in the evening. The people were beaten and forced to flee. Fire was set in the village and there remained a few houses and four barns".[5]

Administration

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List of Successive Mayors[6]

From To Name
1857 1875 Jules Frérot
1879 1885 Clovis Beauvais
1893 1914 Henri Concet
2001 Germain Hainguerlot
2001 2008 Michel Peze
2008 2015 Gilles Preaux
2015 current Bruno Ponsin
 
The entrance to the village
 
The War Memorial

Demography

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The inhabitants of the commune are known as Alsontains or Alsontaines in French.[7]

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1793 406—    
1800 416+0.35%
1806 419+0.12%
1821 407−0.19%
1831 480+1.66%
1836 512+1.30%
1841 454−2.38%
1846 465+0.48%
1851 474+0.38%
1866 440−0.49%
1872 428−0.46%
1876 395−1.99%
1881 350−2.39%
1886 313−2.21%
1891 316+0.19%
1896 298−1.17%
1901 289−0.61%
YearPop.±% p.a.
1906 277−0.84%
1911 264−0.96%
1921 196−2.93%
1926 207+1.10%
1931 215+0.76%
1936 206−0.85%
1946 194−0.60%
1954 217+1.41%
1962 209−0.47%
1968 195−1.15%
1975 145−4.14%
1982 136−0.91%
1990 138+0.18%
1999 157+1.44%
2007 165+0.62%
2012 195+3.40%
2017 215+1.97%
Source: EHESS[8] and INSEE[9]
 
The Bus stop

Sites and Monuments

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The Chapel Saint Sindulphe
  • The Chapel Saint Sindulphe: at the foot of the chapel is the source of a stream called le Relais which flows towards Marne department across "les Marais" (The Marshes) to join the Suippe in Heutrégiville commune.
 
The German War Cemetery
  • The German War cemetery is in the woods (which belonged to Colonel Pierre Bouchez) on the road to Heutrégiville located opposite a Russian concentration camp during World War II. Later the bodies were interred in cemeteries at Aussonce and Warmeriville. After coming to La Neuville under TAF, the German War Graves service (SESMA) settled at Heutrégiville on land sold by René Verdelet. "Reconciliation over the graves" was the motto.

Notable people linked to the commune

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  • Jules Frérot, born in Thin-le-Moutier on 9 January 1823, died 5 October 1894 at Aussonce, forester, nurseryman, a member of the League of farmers of France, Mayor of Aussonce for 21 years, cantonal delegate, former alternate justice of the peace for the canton of Juniville.

See also

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Bibliography

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References

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  1. ^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires" (in French). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 13 September 2022.
  2. ^ "Populations légales 2021" (in French). The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
  3. ^ a b c Google Maps
  4. ^ Butler, Alban (1798), The Lives of the Primitive Fathers, Martyrs, and Other Principal Saints, vol. X, J. Moir, p. 546, retrieved 12 August 2021
  5. ^ La Champagne généalogie
  6. ^ List of Mayors of France (in French)
  7. ^ Le nom des habitants du 08 - Ardennes, habitants.fr
  8. ^ Des villages de Cassini aux communes d'aujourd'hui: Commune data sheet Aussonce, EHESS (in French).
  9. ^ Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE
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