{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2023}} {{Infobox French commune |name = Béthune |native name = {{nativename|pcd|Béthinne}} |commune status = Subprefecture and commune |image = La Grand Place de Béthune.jpg |caption = Grand Place: the Hôtel de Ville on the left, the belfry in the centre and the Church of Saint-Vaast on the right |image coat of arms = Blason Maison de Béthune.svg |arrondissement = Béthune |canton = Béthune |INSEE = 62119 |postal code = 62400 |mayor = Olivier Gacquerre<ref>{{cite web |title=Répertoire national des élus: les maires |url=https://www.data.gouv.fr/fr/datasets/r/2876a346-d50c-4911-934e-19ee07b0e503 |website=data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises|date=2 December 2020 |language=fr}}</ref> |term = 2020–2026 |intercommunality = CA Béthune-Bruay, Artois-Lys Romane |coordinates = {{Coord|50.5303|2.6408|type:city(25,000)_region:FR-62|format=dms|display=inline,title}} |elevation m = 26 |elevation min m = 18 |elevation max m = 42 |area km2 = 9.43 |population = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_total}} |population date = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_as_of}} |population footnotes = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_footnotes}} }}
'''Béthune''' ({{IPA|fr|betyn|-|Fr-Béthune.ogg}} ; Picard: ''Béthinne;'' archaic {{Langx|nl|Betun}} and ''Bethwyn'' historically in English) is a town in northern France, sub-prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais department.<ref>[https://www.insee.fr/fr/metadonnees/geographie/commune/62119-bethune INSEE commune file]</ref>
==Geography== Béthune is located in the former province of Artois. It is situated {{convert|73|km|0|abbr=off}} south-east of Calais, {{convert|33|km|0|abbr=off}} west of Lille, and {{convert|186|km|0|abbr=off}} north of Paris.
==Landmarks== Béthune is a town rich in architectural heritage and history. It has, among other features, a large paved square with shops, cafés, and a {{convert|47|m|ft|adj=mid|-tall}} (133 steps) belfry standing in the center from the top of which the Belgian border can be seen. The chime of the belfry is composed of thirty-six bells. A belfry has stood on the site since 1346.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ville-bethune.fr/dec_patri_beffroi.html |title=La ville de Béthune - Le beffroi de Béthune |publisher=Ville-bethune.fr |access-date=2013-03-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100224040428/http://www.ville-bethune.fr/dec_patri_beffroi.html |archive-date=2010-02-24 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The current belfry plays melodies every 15 minutes, including the ch'ti (regional patois) children's lullaby "min p'tit quinquin" (my little darling).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chblog.com/post/2005/04/30/74-dors-min-petit-quinquin |title=Dors min petit quinquin - Chblog, le blog chti |publisher=Chblog.com |access-date=2013-03-26}}</ref> In 2005, the belfry was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the Belfries of Belgium and France site, because of its architecture and testimony to the rise of municipal power in Europe.<ref name = "unesco">{{cite web |url = http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/943 |title= Belfries of Belgium and France |website = UNESCO World Heritage Centre |publisher = United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization |access-date = 5 November 2021}}</ref>
==History== thumb|200px|left|Béthune after the German bombardment of May 1918
Hugh Hastings (died 1347), King Edward III of England's captain and lieutenant in Flanders, mounted an attack and laid siege to Béthune, with a combined English and Flemish force, during a diversionary raid as part of Chevauchée of Edward III of 1346. The Flemish component proved undisciplined and the siege was abandoned in failure before the end of August.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Livingstone|first1=Marilyn|last2= Witzel|first2=Morgen|date=2005|title=The Road to Crécy: The English Invasion of France, 1346|location= Harlow |publisher= Pearson Education |page=143 |isbn=978-0582784208 }}</ref>
During the War of the Spanish Succession in July–August 1710, Béthune was besieged by forces of the Grand Alliance. The town eventually surrendered after a vigorous defence conducted by Antoine de Vauban (1654–1731), a relative of the famous military engineer Vauban.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Reeve |first1=JPF |title=The Siege of Bethune 1710: The Journals of Private Deane and General Vauban Compared |journal=Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research |date=1986 |volume=64 |issue=260 |pages=205–211 |jstor=44226494 }}</ref>
thumb|upright|Béthune British Military Cemetery In World War I, Béthune was an important railway junction and command centre for the British Canadian Corps and Indian Expeditionary Force, as well as the 33rd Casualty Station until December 1917. It initially suffered little damage until the second phase of the Ludendorff Offensive in April 1918, when German forces reached Locon, {{convert|5|km|0|abbr=on}} away. On 21 May, a bombardment destroyed large parts of the town, killing more than 100 civilians.<ref>{{cite web |title=Bethune; Monuments aux Mortes |url=http://memoiresdepierre.pagesperso-orange.fr/alphabetnew/b/bethune.html |website=Memoires de Pierre |access-date=5 January 2019}}</ref> Over 3,200 casualties are buried in Béthune Town Cemetery, the Commonwealth section of which was designed by Edwin Lutyens; the majority are British (2,933) or Canadian (55), the remainder German.<ref>{{cite web |title=Bethune; Monuments aux Mortes |url=http://memoiresdepierre.pagesperso-orange.fr/alphabetnew/b/bethune.html |website=Memoires de Pierre |access-date=5 January 2019|language=fr}}</ref>
Rebuilt after the war (the rebuilding of the Hôtel de Ville was completed in 1929),<ref>{{Base Mérimée|PA62000040}}</ref> Béthune was badly damaged once more by air attacks and house to house fighting on 24–26 May 1940 when it was captured by the SS Panzer Division Totenkopf. The Totenkopf suffered heavy casualties and anger at their losses allegedly played a role in the Le Paradis massacre on 27 May, when 97 members of the Royal Norfolk Regiment were shot after surrendering.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Jackson |first1=Julian |title=The Fall Of France: The Nazi Invasion of 1940 (Making of the Modern World) |date=2003 |publisher=Oxford University Press, U.S.A. |isbn=978-0192805508 |pages=301–302}}</ref> During the war, many townspeople were deported to work in Germany; the town was officially liberated on 4 September 1944.<ref>{{cite web |title=Béthune en 1939-1945 |url=http://www.ajpn.org/commune-Bethune-en-1939-1945-62119.html |website=Ajpn.org |access-date=5 January 2019}}</ref>
==Transport== thumb|left|250px|East of Pas-de-Calais (Béthune, Lens, Hénin-Beaumont) Béthune station has seven daily TGV trains to Paris, a journey which takes 1 hour 15 minutes. There are also regular trains to Lille, Amiens, Dunkerque and several regional destinations.
Béthune is served by the Lens-Béthune bus network.
By car, Béthune is accessible from the A26 which intersects the A1 (Lille to Paris) {{convert|42|km|0|abbr=off}} to the south-east. By road, it is 2 hours 30 minutes from Paris, 1 hour from Calais, 30 minutes from Arras and 40 minutes from Lille. By using the Channel Tunnel and the A26, Béthune is 3 hours 30 minutes from London and 6 hours 45 minutes from Manchester. Using road connections on mainland Europe it is nearly 2 hours from Brussels, 3 hours from Aix-La-Chapelle, 3 hours from Cologne, 8 hours 30 minutes from Berlin and 3 hours 30 minutes from Amsterdam.
==Population==
The inhabitants are called ''Béthunois'' in French.
{{Historical populations | align = none | cols = 2 | percentages = pagr | source = EHESS<ref name=ehess>{{Cassini-Ehess|4023|Béthune}}</ref> and INSEE (1968–2023)<ref name=pophist>[https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/8643952?geo=COM-62119#tableau-POPREF_G1 Population municipale entre 1968 et 2023], INSEE</ref> | graph-pos = bottom |1793 |6932 |1800 |6046 |1806 |6379 |1821 |6319 |1831 |6889 |1836 |6805 |1841 |7448 |1846 |7727 |1851 |7692 |1856 |7720 |1861 |8264 |1866 |8178 |1872 |8410 |1876 |9315 |1881 |10374 |1886 |10917 |1891 |11098 |1896 |11627 |1901 |12404 |1906 |13607 |1911 |15309 |1921 |16795 |1926 |20141 |1931 |19956 |1936 |20073 |1946 |22081 |1954 |22376 |1962 |23445 |1968 |27154 |1975 |26982 |1982 |25508 |1990 |24556 |1999 |27808 |2007 |25982 |2012 |25694 |2017 |24895 |2023 |25224 }}
==Notable people== Béthune was the birthplace of: * Jean Buridan, philosopher * Antoine Busnois, composer and poet of the early Renaissance * Jérôme Leroy, former captain of RC Lens and current FC Sochaux midfielder in France * Pierre de Manchicourt, Renaissance composer * Nicolas Fauvergue, footballer * Thomas Crecquillon, the Renaissance composer, probably died here. * Tristan Charpentier, racing driver Béthune is also associated with the following historic personalities: * Maximilien de Béthune, duc de Sully, general and statesman * Conon de Béthune, crusader and ''trouvère'' poet
==Sport== Stade Béthunois Football Club represent Béthune and was formed in 1902.<ref>:fr:Stade béthunois FC</ref> They currently play in Nord-Pas-de-Calais league.
==Twin towns and sister cities == {{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in France}} Béthune is twinned with: *{{flagicon|GER}} Schwerte, Germany *{{flagicon|UK}} Hastings, United Kingdom since 1972.<ref>{{cite web |title=British Towns Twinned with French Towns |url=https://www.completefrance.com/language-culture/twin-towns |website=Complete France |access-date=22 July 2021}}</ref> *{{flagicon|France}} Sully-sur-Loire, France *{{flagicon|Belgium}} Kortrijk, Belgium
==Gallery== <gallery> File:Bethune ruines recollets.JPG File:Beffroi de Béthune (Vue du sud-est).jpg File:Beffroi de Béthune (03).jpg File:Église Saint-Vaast de Béthune ( Vue du beffroi).jpg File:Hôtel de ville de Béthune.jpg File:Office de tourisme de Béthune.jpg File:Façades de la Grand'Place de Béthune.jpg </gallery>
==See also== *Communes of the Pas-de-Calais department
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category|Béthune}} *[http://www.mairie-bethune.fr/ Béthune city council website] (in French) *[http://www.theotherside.co.uk/tm-heritage/towns/bethune.htm Béthune on Heritage Towns] *[http://www.nordmag.com/nord_pas_de_calais/bethune/bethune_historique.htm "Histoire de Béthune"] (in French)
{{Pas-de-Calais communes}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bethune}} Category:Béthune Category:Communes of the Pas-de-Calais Category:Subprefectures in France Category:County of Artois