Ourthe (French: [uʁt], Dutch: Ourte, German: Urt) was a department of the French First Republic and French First Empire in present-day Belgium and Germany. It was named after the river Ourthe (Oûte). Its territory corresponded more or less with that of the present-day Belgian province of Liège and a small adjacent region in North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany. It was created on 1 October 1795, when the Austrian Netherlands and the Prince-Bishopric of Liège were officially annexed by the French Republic.[4] Before this annexation, the territory included in the department had lain partly in the Bishopric of Liège, the Abbacy of Stavelot-Malmedy, the Duchies of Limburg and Luxembourg, and the County of Namur.
Department of Ourthe | |||||||||||||
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| 1795–1814 | |||||||||||||
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 Ourthe and other annexed departments | |||||||||||||
| Status | Department of the French First Republic and the French First Empire | ||||||||||||
| Chef-lieu | Liège 50°27′N 3°57′E / 50.450°N 3.950°E | ||||||||||||
| Official languages | French | ||||||||||||
| Common languages | Dutch, German | ||||||||||||
| Historical era | French Revolutionary Wars | ||||||||||||
• Creation | 1 October 1795 | ||||||||||||
• Treaty of Paris, disestablished | 30 May 1814 | ||||||||||||
| Population | |||||||||||||
• 1796[1] | 325,278 | ||||||||||||
• 1800[2] | 327,121 | ||||||||||||
• 1812[3] | 352,264 | ||||||||||||
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| Today part of | |||||||||||||
After Napoleon was defeated in 1814, most of the department became part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands as the province of Liège. The easternmost part (Eupen, Malmedy, Sankt Vith, Kronenburg, Schleiden) became part of the Prussian Rhine Province; part of this (Eupen, Malmedy and Sankt Vith) was taken back into Liège province after the First World War, under the Treaty of Versailles.
Administration
edit
The Chef-lieu of the department was Liège. The department was subdivided into the following three arrondissements and cantons:
- Liège: Dalhem, Fléron, Glons, Herve, Hollogne-aux-Pierres, Liège (4 cantons), Louveigné, Seraing and Waremme.
- Huy: Avennes, Bodegnée, Ferrières, Héron, Huy, Landen and Nandrin.
- Malmedy: Aubel, Néau, Kronenbourg, Limbourg, Malmedy, Saint Vith, Schleiden, Spa, Stavelot, Verviers and Vielsalm.
Prefects
editThe Prefect was the highest state representative in the department.
| Term start | Term end | Office holder |
|---|---|---|
| 2 March 1800[5] | 17 April 1806 | Antoine François Ehrard Marie Catherine Desmousseaux de Givre |
| 17 April 1806[6] | 30 May 1814 | Charles Emmanuel Micoud d'Umons |
Secretaries-General
editThe Secretary-General was the deputy to the Prefect.
| Term start | Term end | Office holder |
|---|---|---|
| 2 March 1800 | ?? ?? 1806 | Rémy Victor Gaillard |
| ?? ?? 1806 | ?? ?? 1809 | Aubert |
| ?? ?? 1809 | ?? ?? 1811 | Caselli |
| ?? ?? 1811 | 30 May 1814 | Georges Bénigne Liegeard |
Subprefects of Huy
edit| Term start | Term end | Office holder |
|---|---|---|
| 11 May 1800[7] | 5 August 1810 | Robinot-Varin |
| 5 August 1810[7] | 30 May 1814 | Collomb d’Arcine |
Subprefects of Liège
editThe office of Subprefect of Liège was held by the Prefect until 1811.
| Term start | Term end | Office holder |
|---|---|---|
| 11 January 1811[7] | 30 May 1814 | Charles Bouziès de Rouvroy |
Subprefects of Malmedy
edit| Term start | Term end | Office holder |
|---|---|---|
| 25 April 1800[7] | 3 February 1804 | Jean Thomas Lambert Bassenge |
| 3 February 1804[7] | 30 May 1814 | Taillevis de Périgny |
References
edit- ^ Massin, Antoine (1801). Almanach du département de l'Ourte. J.F. Desoer. p. 149.
- ^ Oudiette, Charles (1804). Dictionnaire géographique et topographique des treize départements de la Belgique et de la rive gauche du Rhin. Imprimerie de Cramer. p. XIII.
- ^ Almanach Impérial. Imprimerie de Sa Majesté. 1812. p. 396.
- ^ Duvergier, Jean-Baptiste (1835). Collection complète des lois, décrets, ordonnances, réglemens et avis du Conseil d'état, t. 8. p. 300.
- ^ Archives Nationales. "DESMOUSSEAUX DE GIVRE, Antoine François Ehrard Marie Catherine". francearchives.fr. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
- ^ Archives Nationales. "MICOUD D'UMONS, Charles Emmanuel". francearchives.fr. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
- ^ a b c d e Tulard, Jean & Marie-José (2014). Napoléon et 40 millions de sujets: La centralisation et le premier empire. Tallandier. p. 291. ISBN 979-10-210-0148-0.