Bry-sur-Marne

Bry-sur-Marne (French pronunciation: [bʁi syʁ maʁn] ^ⓘ, lit. 'Bry-on-Marne') is a commune in the Val-de-Marne department in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located 12.6 km (7.8 mi) from the centre of Paris.

Bry-sur-Marne
Commune
The town hall of Bry-sur-Marne
Coat of arms
Location (in red) within Paris inner suburbs
Location of Bry-sur-Marne
Bry-sur-Marne Show map of France Bry-sur-Marne Show map of Île-de-France (region)
Coordinates: 48°50′28″N 2°31′20″E
Country	France
Region	Île-de-France
Department	Val-de-Marne
Arrondissement	Nogent-sur-Marne
Canton	Villiers-sur-Marne
Intercommunality	Grand Paris
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	Charles Aslangul[1]
Area 1	3.35 km2 (1.29 sq mi)
Population  (2022)[2]	18,095
• Density	5,400/km2 (14,000/sq mi)
Demonym	Bryards
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	94015 /94360
Elevation	36–100 m (118–328 ft)
Website	www.brysurmarne.fr
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Part of the Métropole du Grand Paris, on the departmental border with Seine-Saint-Denis, Bry-sur-Marne is the westernmost commune of Marne-la-Vallée.

History

Prehistory and early history

Bry's name comes from the Celtic word Briw, which means a bridge or a river crossing. The area has been inhabited since Neolithic times.^[3] The town's motto, which features on its coat of arms, is "Moult viel que Paris" - old French for "Much older than Paris".^[4]

In 1903, archeologist Adrien Mentienne uncovered the bones of a large bovine which died 15,000 years ago. In 1982, the skeleton of a woman who died in the 5th century BC was uncovered beneath the playground of a school in Bry. It is now housed in the town's museum.

From that century onwards, there was a permanent human presence where Bry now stands. In 1886, a necropolis was found which contained pottery, Gaul and Frankish weaponry, silver and gold jewelry, and coins, dating from the Gaul era to the Merovingian. The first known written mention of the town named Bry was in a charter signed by King Charles the Bald in 861.

The first church was built in 1130.

From the feudal era to modern times

In 1404, Robert de Châtillon, cousin of King Charles VI, was Bry's feudal lord. His castle no longer stands, and its exact location is uncertain. Bry's current château was built in the 1690s. It became the town hall in 1866. It was rebuilt after the Franco-Prussian War of 1870.

The railway came to Bry in 1926, followed by the motorway (1970) and the RER (1977). The town's hospital was built in 1936.^[5]

Population

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1793 425 —     1800 417 −0.27% 1806 414 −0.12% 1821 358 −0.96% 1831 379 +0.57% 1836 378 −0.05% 1841 362 −0.86% 1846 387 +1.34% 1851 412 +1.26% 1856 411 −0.05% 1861 703 +11.33% 1866 845 +3.75% 1872 917 +1.37% 1876 972 +1.47% 1881 1,050 +1.56% 1886 1,330 +4.84% 1891 1,437 +1.56% 1896 1,699 +3.41%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1901 2,125 +4.58% 1906 2,733 +5.16% 1911 2,949 +1.53% 1921 3,468 +1.63% 1926 4,417 +4.96% 1931 5,166 +3.18% 1936 5,182 +0.06% 1946 5,100 −0.16% 1954 6,660 +3.39% 1962 9,046 +3.90% 1968 11,672 +4.34% 1975 12,270 +0.72% 1982 12,168 −0.12% 1990 13,826 +1.61% 1999 15,000 +0.91% 2007 15,183 +0.15% 2012 16,319 +1.45% 2017 16,624 +0.37%
Source: EHESS[6] and INSEE (1968-2017)[7]

Education

The commune has one public preschool, Maternelle Jules Ferry; three combined public preschools and elementary schools, La Pépinière, Paul Barilliet, and Louis Daguerre; as well as one public elementary school, Henri Cahn.^[8] The commune has a public junior high school, Collège Henri Cahn.^[9]

The commune also has a private elementary through junior high school, Institut Saint Thomas de Villeneuve.^[10]

There are multiple public senior high schools in surrounding communes:

• Lycée Louis Armand (Nogent-sur-Marne)^[11]
• Lycée Hector Berlioz (Vincennes)^[12]
• Lycée Edouard Branly (Nogent-sur-Marne)^[13]
• Lycée Paul Doumer (Le Perreux-sur-Marne)^[14]
• Lycée Évariste Galois (Noisy-le-Grand)^[15]
• Lycée Pablo Picasso (Fontenay-sous-Bois)^[16]

Personalities

• Photographer Louis Daguerre died in Bry-sur-Marne in 1851 and a monument marks his grave there.
• Laurel Zuckerman, author
• Hervé Bazin, author

Daguerre's diorama

Bry's most treasured artwork is a diorama painted by Louis Daguerre.^[17][18] The painting changes as each day wears on, mimicking daylight and night-time; the painted candlesticks light up at night. It is kept in the local church.

Monument to Louis Daguerre

Transport

Bry-sur-Marne is served by Bry-sur-Marne station on Paris RER line A.

International relations

The town has been twinned with Sawbridgeworth in Hertfordshire, England and Moosburg an der Isar in Germany since 1973.

Organisations

The Institut national de l'audiovisuel has its headquarters in the commune.^[19]

See also

• France portal

• Communes of the Val-de-Marne department