Writing the history of a river from its archives: L'Escaut, from the river to the canal (11th-21st centuries)
Writing the history of a river from its archives: L'Escaut, from the river to the canal (11th-21st centuries)
A conference by Laetitia Deudon, curator of heritage at the Institut National du Patrimoine/ DRAC HdF - Researcher at the Université Polytechnique Hauts-de-France, IRHiS
From the Middle Ages to the contemporary era, L'Escaut has undergone major transformations by riparian populations. Whether it be as a support for shipping, a source of energy with its many mills, a means of defense thanks to military floods or a source of power for industries, the various activities present on the river and its banks help to transform the landscape of the valley to create a new artificial waterway in the industrial era.
At the heart of the development of the cities of Cambrai, Valenciennes, Condé, Tournai, the Scheldt as a structuring artery played a driving role in the development of the territory of Hainaut-Cambrésis and still marks its landscape today. Even today, this transboundary river is at the heart of important European projects, such as the Seine-Nord-Europe Canal, its RAMSAR site and the Hainaut Transboundary Nature Park.
Based on the diversity of the documents kept in the Departmental Archives of the North, this conference will trace the environmental history of this European river over nearly a millennium, from the historic river to the industrial canal, through the maps, plans, accounts, acts of practice, technical documents, closets and ordinances left by the engineers, administrators and the various actors who participated in the metamorphosis of the Scheldt over the long term.
- Saturday, September 17, from 2pm to 3pm
- Free entrance and without reservation
All information on the website: https://archivesdepartementales.lenord.fr/
