Hayange

Hayange (German : Hayingen, Lorraine Franconian: Héngen/Haiéngen) is a commune in the Moselle department in Alsace-Champagne-Ardenne-Lorraine in north-eastern France.

Outlying villages include Marspich and Saint-Nicolas-en-Forêt, Konacker and Ranguevaux.

Economy

Hayange is well known for its factories, manufacturing sheet steel and rails for the SNCF, and the town's main claim to fame is that it manufactures the rails for the TGV.

History

Archaeological evidence indicates that iron ore was already mined here in Roman times. Human settlement in the area during the Merovingian period is confirmed by a Merovingian cemetery discovered by iron miners in the Hamévillers Valley, on the edge of Hayange and along the line of a Roman road believed to have linked Rheims with Metz.

During the early Medieval period the town was known as "Heiyingen Villa", a name indicating a settlement within a forested area. The first mention of the town in an official record dates from 821, during the reign of Louis the Pious, Western Emperor and King of the Franks, one of the sons of Charlemagne.