Vittel
Encyclopedia
Vittel is a commune
in the Vosges
department in Lorraine
in northeastern France
.
Mineral water
is bottled and sold here by Nestlé Waters France, under the Vittel
brand.
, lawyer Louis Bouloumié purchased the Fontaine de Gérémoy, site of the modern-day town of Vittel. Two years later, Bouloumie built a pavilion from which developed the grand, luxurious architecture which characterises the site.
In 1968, the Club Med
was opened.
. In 1945, that flat, grassy area of land (now a racetrack for horses) was used as a holding area for captured Luftwaffe
aircraft before their shipment to England
and the United States
for evaluation (Operation Lusty
).
Vittel served as an internment site during World War II. Hundreds of American women were interned there from September 1942 until the end of the war.
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in the Vosges
Vosges
Vosges is a French department, named after the local mountain range. It contains the hometown of Joan of Arc, Domrémy.-History:The Vosges department is one of the original 83 departments of France, created on February 9, 1790 during the French Revolution. It was made of territories that had been...
department in Lorraine
Lorraine (région)
Lorraine is one of the 27 régions of France. The administrative region has two cities of equal importance, Metz and Nancy. Metz is considered to be the official capital since that is where the regional parliament is situated...
in northeastern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Mineral water
Mineral water
Mineral water is water containing minerals or other dissolved substances that alter its taste or give it therapeutic value, generally obtained from a naturally occurring mineral spring or source. Dissolved substances in the water may include various salts and sulfur compounds...
is bottled and sold here by Nestlé Waters France, under the Vittel
Vittel (water)
Vittel is a French brand of bottled water sold in many countries. Since 1992 it has been owned by Nestlé.Mineral water from the source at Vittel has been bottled and made available for curative and, increasingly, for commercial purposes since 1854....
brand.
History
In 1854, after visiting the baths at nearby ContrexévilleContrexéville
Contrexéville is a commune of north-eastern France, in the Vosges département. Inhabitants are called Contrexévillois.The reputation of Contrexéville as a health resort dates from 1864, when development began by a company, the Société des Eaux de Contrexéville.-Twin towns:Contrexéville is twinned...
, lawyer Louis Bouloumié purchased the Fontaine de Gérémoy, site of the modern-day town of Vittel. Two years later, Bouloumie built a pavilion from which developed the grand, luxurious architecture which characterises the site.
In 1968, the Club Med
Club Med
Club Méditerranée , commonly known as Club Med, is a French corporation of vacation resorts found in many parts of the world, usually in exotic locations. It is considered the original all-inclusive resort.-Foundation:...
was opened.
Mayors of Vittel
| Start | End | Name |
|---|---|---|
| 1882 | 1903 | Ambroise Bouloumié |
| 1903 | 1919 | Henri Gérard |
| 1919 | 1945 | Jean Bouloumié |
| 1945 | 1947 | André Gérard |
| 1947 | 1952 | Charles Villeminot |
| 1952 | 1953 | André Gérard |
| 1953 | 1977 | Guy de la Motte-Bouloumié |
| 1977 | 1995 | Hubert Voilquin |
| 1995 | 2001 | Guy de la Motte-Bouloumié |
| 2001 | current | Jean-Claude Millot |
World War II
During the Battle of France in the summer of 1944, a small grass airstrip north of the town was used for light liaison aircraft by the United States Army Air Force. The Twelfth Air Force headquartered several fighter wings in Vittel during their drive east into GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. In 1945, that flat, grassy area of land (now a racetrack for horses) was used as a holding area for captured Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
aircraft before their shipment to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
for evaluation (Operation Lusty
Operation Lusty
Operation LUSTY was the United States Army Air Forces effort to capture and evaluate German aeronautical technology during and after World War II.- Overview :During World War II, the U.S...
).
See also
- Communes of the Vosges department
Vittel served as an internment site during World War II. Hundreds of American women were interned there from September 1942 until the end of the war.