NANCY

"La Be l l e"

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P R É F A C E

Parcourir les rues de NANCY, c'est à la fois voyager dans le passé et faire un pas dans son futur. Le patrimoine de notre Ville est imposant, c'est vrai. On y lit souvent la marque d'une histoire riche. La beauté des monuments s'ajoute aux témoignages précis que protègent nos musées, véritable mémoire collective de la Lorraine et de sa culture.

Au hasard des promenades, c'est parfois qu'on s'attarde sur une pierre gravée, dernier symbole de gloires passées, sous un porche obscur, vivant encore les conversations secrètes d'autrefois ou un balcon, d'où s'observaient les rentrées triomphales des ducs bâtisseurs. Mais le souci du détail, la force de l'imagination ne peuvent faire oublier ce véritable panorama de l'archi- tecture qu'offre NANCY à ses visiteurs et ses enfants. Témoins, le Palais Ducal et la Ville Vieille, où s'ébauchait déjà la grandeur lorraine, le modèle d'urbanisme de la Ville de Charles III, le joyau architectural du XVIIIe siècle que nous devons à Stanislas, l'étonnante présence des œuvres de l'Ecole de NANCY. Le rayonnement de NANCY ne peut éclater qu'en conciliant ce passé et notre présent. Il passe par la mise en valeur de ce patrimoine riche et prestigieux. C'est le gage d'une véritable animation culturelle de notre Ville.

Car NANCY, Ville d'art et de culture, reste fidèle à sa tradition d'accueil, de création. Hier, la musique et la peinture, aujourd'hui le théâtre et la danse. Au cœur de l'Europe, NANCY l'est comme par le passé. Cette position qui lui a valu les déboires guerriers d'autrefois, mais combien de richesses et d'embellissements, vaut encore aujourd'hui. Par son dynamisme culturel et économique, mais aussi une maîtrise raisonnable de son urbanisme, NANCY sait rester à l'échelle de l'homme et lui offrir les perspectives d'une vie pleine d'attraits et d'intérêt. Parcourir ces pages est un voyage des yeux et de l'esprit.

Le Maire de la Ville de Nancy, M. Claude COULAIS.

Cet ouvrage se fut bien passé d'un introducteur si, le voyant en 1 état de manuscrit, je n eusse désiré, tout de suite, devenir cet élu. C'est pour moi, en effet, le plaisir le plus raffiné. C'est d'abord * le travail du photographe. Et si j emploie ce vocable pour désigner i Christian JAM, qui sait tirer des pierres mêmes qu'il "photographie" leurs lourds secrets éblouis — comme on savait qu'il le faisait jusqu'aux âmes, de ceux ou de celles dont les visages l'inspiraient — c'est que je ne dispose d'aucun autre. Il est l'artiste qui rend aux choses, leurs valeurs esthétiques, mais encore leurs dimensions humaines. Regarde et écoute, Lecteur, ces pierres vont se souvenir, te parler ! Selon ton humeur, ou ton humour, ta joie, ou tes remembrances mélanco- liques, Jam te conduit sur le chemin de gloire, ou le chemin de croix de Nancy, tous deux, parfois confondus. 0 vues de la Ville-Vieille aux pierres durement stigmatisées par le temps et les hommes ! Les voir, envoûtantes, telles que les a fixées l'objectif à la fois implacable et attendri. Je ne puis donner raison, devant ces œuvres remarquables, à Roland Barthes qui disait à peu près — je cite de mémoire — « La photographie n'assouvit jamais la violence du souvenir ». Ce n'est, sans doute,

qu'une boutade controuvée pour les amoureux de Nancy qui cher- chent les traces qu'a laissées le passé, pour avoir une raison d'avoir foi en l'avenir. Jam favo-

rise leur quête pieuse, parce qu'au delà de son habileté technique,

r au delà de ses rétlexes conditionnes, il y a l'âme qui cherche — et qui

r trouve — l'âme et la vie qui frémissent à la surface des choses apparemment inertes.

Regarde chacune de ces photographies avec 1 atten- tion qu'elles requièrent différemment, tu y verras sourdre l'émotion qu'on éprouve devant une archi- tecture, une sculpture, un bel hôtel, un monument de telle ou telle époque, émotion mêlée confusément, mais intensément, non seulement à celle de leurs créateurs, mais encore, plus diffuse, mais non moins bouleversante, à celle de tous ceux qui les ont regardés, et qui, comme nous, en eux, portaient, essence de toute vie, les germes entrelacés et sem- blablement vigoureux, de la vie et de la mort. Nancy, te voilà en pourpoint, l'épée au côté, rue de Guise ! Te voilà, dans ta grâce Pompadour, place Stanislas ou place Carrière, toute en galbes gracieux comme les figures de Bellange ! Te voilà en "cocotte" 1900, le grand chapeau et la taille pris dans les entrelacs de Gruber ! Te voilà, telle enfin, qu'en toi-même, l'éternité te change, mais, pour moi,

the most beautiful collection of 18th century architecture to. be found. in France. On the fifth of February, 1766, Stanislas "fell" into his fireplace and was horribly burned. He died after much suffering on February 23rd; and the following morning Lorraine was proclaimed a part of France. In 1871, after the defeat of France, those parts of the French dêpartements of the Moselle and of the Meurthe that were not annexed by Germany became the Département of Meurthe- et-Moselle. Nancy was occupied by the enemy from August 12, 1870 until May 1,1873. In August 1914, the Germans had advanced to only 8 kilo- meters from the gates of Nancy. The 2nd Army under General de Castelnau which was charged with defending

the city, fell back to the positions called the "Grand-Couronng". There in the beginning of September, the army of the Prince of Bavaria attacked the French troops. The French casualties were so important that the commanding officers resigned themselves to abandoning Nancy in order to save the Army. But, on September 6th, General Joffre, who was aware of the overall situation, ordered that the positions be held at all cost. The victory at the Battle of the Mame forced the withdrawal of the German troops, and Nancy was saved. During the Second World War, the city was miraculously spared; and even under the heavy German occupation numerous Resistance groups were born in Nancy. And finally, at the end of August 1944, the Allied Troops entered Lorraine and freed Nancy.

Nancy, a n economic c r o s s r o a d s a n d a n act ive, g rowing ci ty

At the center of Common Market Europe, close to Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg, Nancy is truly situated at the crossroads of the great European countries. Ifs a real turn- table at the heart of a rich, dynamic, hard-working region. Nancy is only 120 km. from Luxembourg and Sarrebrucken, 140 km. from Strasbourg and 200 km. from Dijon. By plane, ifs only a brief hour's flight from the capital of Lorraine to Paris' Orly Airport.

Nancy is also the traditional capital of a highly industrialized region, which, unlike many others, is very varied and diversified. Heavy industry is found outside of the dty itself. In the North, the blast furnaces, iron-works and steel factories of Pompey, the famous breweries of Champigneulles, and the boiler- works of Frouard. In the South, the soda industries of La Madeleine, the Solvay plants of Dombasle, the salt mines of Varangeville — which have been worked since time imme- morial — the cardboard factories of Laneuveville and, of

course, the brewery of Saint-Nicolas-de-Port and the iron- smelting plant of Neuves-Maisons.

Besides these industries which directly utilize the three great natural ressources of Lorraine's subsoil : iron, coal and salt, there are also numerous other industries in Nancy and its suburbs ; craft industries with crystal and glass-works, furniture factories, musical instrument workshops; clothing industries with shoe and ready-to-wear garment factories; food industries with the Vilgrain flour mills, dairy product plants, and various other factories making pasta, cakes, biscuits and sweets. Nancy's industrial portrait is completed by a cigarette factory, printing plants, publishing houses and mechanical and electronic industries.

Added to these prospering economic activities is Nancy's annual International Trade Fair, which is one of the most dynamic in France.

N a n c y , a p e a c e f u l c i t y

Nancy is a city of parks, each with its own special character, and each giving a special charm to the different quarters of the city. The magnificent. Park of the Pêpinière is a lovely place of calm right in the centre of town, with a bandstand, a floral clock, an English rose garden, an auditorium, a zoo and many statues and monuments (particularly a statue of the painter Claude Gell6e, called "Claude le Lorrain", sculpted by Rodin in 1892). The tranquil and shady Park of Sainte-Marie contains a delightful little Alsatian house and a monument to Doctor Couê (1857-1926), who invented the

method of autosuggestion. The Parc Olry contains the city greenhouses and has a beautiful sculpted entrance gate taken from an ancient mansion on the Rue Saint-Dizier.

There is also the lovely little botanical garden of the Zoological Museum, which is full of magnificent trees and more than 3.000 plants native to Lorraine classified by family. The botanical garden, like the Pépinière, was founded by Stanislas.

And for those who seek a country stroll in beautiful surround- ings, there is always the Forest of Haye just outside the city.

N a n c y , a n a r t i s t i c a n d c u l t u r a l c e n t e r Nancy, besides its numerous buildings and monuments of special interest, has a number of fascinating museums well worth visiting. The Historical Museum of Lorraine, on the Grande Rue, has a remarkably rich collection; including paintings of Georges de la Tour, engravings of Jacques Callot, antique furniture, tapestries and personal possessions of the Dukes of Lorraine. The Museum of Fine Arts, on the Place Stanislas, contains works of Delacroix, Isabey, Poussin and Boucher, among others. The Museum of the School of Nancy, Rue du Sergent-Blandan, is a unique collection of Art Nouveau with important works of Ga!!e, Daum, Prouvé and Majorelle.

The Zoological Museum, on the Rue Sainte-Catherine, is one of the best tropical aquariums in Europe, and the Geological Museum, on the Avenue de Strasbourg, is always interesting. Nancy's Opera House, on the Place Stanislas, in undoubtedly the most beautiful in France. Its splendidly rich interior in the style of the Second Empire contrasts with its exterior facades in pure Louis XV style. The Poirel Concert Hall offers its majestic setting for music af all kinds and the auditorium in the Park of the Pépi- niere offers music lovers the delicious pleasure of outdoor concerts during the summer season.

N a n c y , a n i m p o r t a n t u n i v e r s i t y c i t y

Nancy is a lively place with numerous cinemas, theaters, night- clubs and friendly, likable "brasseries", "bistros" and "cafés". For many years now, Nancy has organized its famous Inter- national Theater Festival. The Festival is a very important event in life of the city and is always an occasion for the capital of Lorraine to welcome countless visitors from all over the world. Among its many other festivals, fairs and holidays (which are very numerous in Lorraine), Nancy organizes each year a huge fun fair in April, an international trade fair on its modem fairgrounds in June, the Mirabelle Festival in August, a parade and celebration in honor of Saint-Nicolas on December 6th, etc. The Educational District of Nancy covers three departments

in Eastern France : the Meurthe-et-Moselle, the Meuse and the Vosges — counting about 340.000 pupils and students of all ages. Nancy, itself, has 22.000 students and is one of the most important university centres in France.

The University of Nancy was founded in 1854 and has five traditional schools : the School of Humanities, the Faculty of Science, the School of Law, the Faculty of Medicine and the School of Pharmacy; as well as Engineering Schools and several scientific institutes.

There is also a Fine Art Academy, a national Forestry School, and a Brewery School that is unique in France.

N a n c y , a p r i v i l e g e d c i t y f o r s p o r t s l o v e r s

The impressive sports facilities that the city of nancy has to offer include : four city swimming pools (three indoor and one outdoor), installations for boating and water sports at the Essey bridge on the Meurthe River, seven outdoor playing fields, a rifle range, bowling grounds, golf, two athletic tracks,

an ice-skating ring, a race course (the Hippodrome of Brabois open during May and June), bowling allies; and the university fa- cilities comprising four gymnasiums and another swimming pool. There are also facilities for horseback riding, gliding, flying and parachuting.

N a n c y , a g a s t r o n o m i c a l c i t y

As the delightful French saying illustrates : « d'Nancy, pour la gueule j'en suis ! .. Nancy has always been known for its gastronomical heritage. Nancy has been famous since the 18th century for its celebrated macaroons among other numerous specialities. Among the most fascinating are "Bergamotes", which are to be found only in Nancy. These sweets were invented at the result of a baker's joking — he had the idea of making bonbons with the flavour of "eau de Cologne" ! These candies met immedia- tely with a huge success and today we continue to make -

these delicious, golden-yellow coloured sweets from the same fruit which is used to make "eau de Cologne" : the Bergamote. This fruit, which is a bit like an orange, comes from Sicily and has been known in Lorraine for hundreds of years. This due to the fact that during the Crusades, the Duke of Lorraine, René I, also ruled Sicily. There are also wonderful cakes like the "Visitandines" and the "Saint-Epvre"; delicacies like the "Duchesses of Lorraine", and famous Mirabelle plums (called the "royal fruit"); candied or with almond paste, and delicate liqueur-filled chocolates.