Arras is the prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais department, part of the Hauts-de-France region; before the 2014 reorganization, it was the Nord-Pas-de-Calais. - Founded in the Iron Age by the Gauls, Arras was first known as Nemetocenna.
Wool processing dates back to the 4th century. The Middle Ages was a time of great material and cultural wealth, when Arras became the English word for tapestry.
The French Revolution and the two World Wars destroyed many of the city's old buildings. The center of the city is formed by two squares with arcades and gables, the Grande Place and the Petite Place. The reconstructed 16th century Gothic Hôtel de Ville (City Hall) is located on the Petite Place.
Arras has a history full of changes. At one time it belonged to Flanders, at another to the County of Burgundy, a Spanish branch of the Habsburgs. During the French Revolution, from September 1793 to July 1794, there was a period of terror with food restrictions, 400 executions and the destruction of the cathedral, as well as the Abbey of St. Vaast.
During most of the First World War, Arras was about 10 km from the front. A number of battles took place in the town and its surroundings, the most important in 1917.
A series of medieval tunnels under the city, were secretly connected and greatly expanded by the New Zealand Tunnelling Company. The works became a decisive factor for the British troops to hold the city during the Battle of Arras that year.
The circumstances under which the tunnels were dug and with which the English troops were confronted can be relived very impressively at the memorial site of the Carrière Wellington. Particularly impressive is this place quite topical by the parallels that we are shown from the war of Ukraine.
At the end of the World War I, the city was so badly damaged that three quarters of it had to be rebuilt. The reconstruction was extremely costly, but was successful, as you can see today everywhere in the city.
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