View source for Commentry

{{distinguish|commentary (disambiguation)}}
{{Expand French|topic=geo|date=December 2008|Commentry}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2022}}
{{Infobox French commune
|name                   = Commentry
|commune status         = [[Communes of France|Commune]]
|image                  = Hôtel de Ville de Commentry.JPG
|caption                = Town hall
|image coat of arms     = Blason de la ville de Commentry (03).svg
|arrondissement         = Montluçon
|canton                 = Commentry
|INSEE                  = 03082
|postal code            = 03600
|mayor                  = Sylvain Bourdier<ref>{{cite web|title=Répertoire national des élus: les maires|url=https://www.data.gouv.fr/fr/datasets/r/2876a346-d50c-4911-934e-19ee07b0e503|publisher=data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises|date=13 September 2022|language=fr}}</ref>
|term                   = 2020&ndash;2026
|intercommunality       = Commentry Montmarault Néris Communauté
|coordinates            = {{coord|46.2897|2.7422|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
|elevation m            = 385
|elevation min m        = 332
|elevation max m        = 462
|area km2               = 20.96
|population             = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_total}}
|population date        = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_as_of}}
|population footnotes   = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_footnotes}}
}}

'''Commentry''' ({{IPA|fr|kɔmɑ̃tʁi}}; [[Auvergnat dialect|Auvergnat]]: ''Comentriac'') is a [[Communes of France|commune]] in the [[Departments of France|department]] of [[Allier]] in central [[France]]. It lies {{Convert|42|mi|km|0}} southwest of [[Moulins, Allier|Moulins]] in the valley of the [[Œil]]. It is within 8&nbsp;km of one of the geographic centres of France. The film actress [[Yvonne Rozille]] (1900–1985) was born in Commentry.

==Population==
{{Historical populations
|align = none
|cols = 2
|percentages = pagr
|source = EHESS<ref name=ehess>{{Cassini-Ehess|10024|Commentry}}</ref> and INSEE (1968-2017)<ref name=pophist>[https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/4515315?geo=COM-03082#ancre-POP_T1 Population en historique depuis 1968], INSEE</ref>
|1793 |600
|1800 |498
|1806 |565
|1821 |601
|1831 |1277
|1836 |1126
|1841 |1424
|1846 |3015
|1851 |5465
|1856 |8484
|1861 |8582
|1866 |9978
|1872 |11698
|1876 |12978
|1881 |12416
|1886 |12515
|1891 |12618
|1896 |12632
|1901 |11169
|1906 |10205
|1911 |10112
|1921 |10256
|1926 |10089
|1931 |10136
|1936 |8827
|1946 |9119
|1954 |9259
|1962 |9711
|1968 |10026
|1975 |10043
|1982 |9195
|1990 |8021
|1999 |7204
|2007 |6803
|2012 |6592
|2017 |6239
|2020 |6100
}}

== History ==
Commentry was home to [[Compagnie de Commentry-Fourchambault-Decazeville]], thanks to an important coal deposit. The coal mine fueled a huge growth in population, from under 1,000 to more than 12,000, while [[Stéphane Mony]] was its CEO (1840–1884).<ref>{{in lang|fr}} ''L'Administration industrielle et générale'' par [[Henri Fayol]] {{ISBN|978-2-903628-09-3}} https://f-origin.hypotheses.org/wp-content/blogs.dir/1931/files/2016/09/Fayol-1916.pdf<nowiki/>{{Archive url|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190207015326/https://f-origin.hypotheses.org/wp-content/blogs.dir/1931/files/2016/09/Fayol-1916.pdf|date=2019-02-07}}</ref> 
Commentry was the first commune ever to elect a socialist mayor: [[Christophe Thivrier]] was elected 6 June 1882.<ref>{{in lang|fr}}  [http://centenaire.parti-socialiste.fr/article.php3%3Fid_article=264.html Election of the first socialist mayor] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303181126/http://centenaire.parti-socialiste.fr/article.php3?id_article=264.html |date=2016-03-03 }}</ref> 

During the [[repression of January and February 1894]], the police conducted raids targeting the [[Anarchism|anarchists]] living there, without much success.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |date=3 January 1894 |title=Les anarchistes |trans-title=The anarchists |work=La Dépêche |pages=2}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite journal |date=2 January 1894 |title=Deux mille perquisitions |journal=L'Estafette |pages=2}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite news |date=3 January 1894 |title=Une série générale de perquisitions : résultat négatif des recherches |trans-title=A general series of raids: negative results |work=L'Éclair}}</ref>

The [[Socialist Party of France (1902)|Socialist Party of France]] was founded in Commentry in September 1902.

==Economy==
Commentry gave its name to a coal field over 21 square kilometres in extent, and historically had important foundries and forges.<ref>{{EB1911|inline=y|wstitle=Commentry|volume=6|page=766}}</ref>

==Science==
[[Charles Jules Edmée Brongniart|Charles Brongniart]] discovered many fossils near Commentry, including ''[[Meganeura]]'' in the [[Stephanian (stage)|Stephanian]] stage [[coal measures]] in 1880.

==Personalities==
* [[Jean Bayet]] (1882–1969) Professor of Latin Language and Literature at the Sorbonne, whose grandfather Gilbert Bayet was mayor of Commentry 1871–1873. 
* [[Henri Fayol]] (1841–1925) mining engineer, developed [[Fayolism]], an approach to management and administration.
* [[Abel Gance]] (1889–1981) film director and producer, raised by maternal grandparents in Commentry until the age of eight. 
* [[Jacques Hillairet]] (1886-1984) historian specializing in the history of Paris, officer of the [[Legion of Honour]].
* [[Émile Mâle]] (1862–1954) art historian and member of the [[Académie française]].
* [[Stéphane Mony]] (1800–1884) Engineer, director of the colliery at Commentry; mayor from 1854 to 1883; deputy from 1868 to 1871.
* [[Christophe Thivrier]] (1841–1895) first elected Socialist mayor in France.
* [[Roger Vergé]] (1930–2015) Celebrated chef and restaurateur.

{{clear left}}

==See also==
*[[Communes of the Allier department]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{commons category}}
{{Allier communes}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Communes of Allier]]
[[Category:Coal mining regions in France]]
[[Category:Mining communities in France]]
[[Category:Bourbonnais]]
[[Category:Allier communes articles needing translation from French Wikipedia]]


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