Poddębice vs Montpellier

Informations

Poddębice [pɔdːɛmˈbʲit͡sɛ] is a town in Poland, in Łódź Voivodeship, about 40 km northwest of Łódź. It is the capital of Poddębice County. Population is 7,630 (2016).Jewish Population At the beginning of World War II, the Jewish population of Poddębice numbered around 1400. During the occupation, they were confined to a ghetto and subject to forced labor. In 1942, five were hung publicly and in April, 1800 Jews, including several hundred forcibly resettled from Leczyca, were confined in a church for ten days without any essentials, including food until a bribe was paid.

Ten died there. After a few days, the sick and the elderly were then murdered nearby. After ten days, some skilled workers were sent to the Lodz ghetto. All the remainder were sent to the Chelmno killing camp where they were immediately gassed. Few of Poddębice's Jews survived the war. The German administrator of Poddębice (probably Franz Heinrich Bock) kept a secret diary published after the war. His diary was critical of the anti-Jewish policies. He had tried to help the Jewish population when he could. He was removed from his post during the war.

Source: Wikipedia

Informations

Montpellier (UK: , US: , French: [mɔ̃.pɛ.lje, -pə-] (listen); Occitan: Montpelhièr [mumpeˈʎɛ]) is a city in southern France near the Mediterranean Sea. It is in the region of Occitanie and the capital of the department of Hérault. In 2017, 285,121 people lived in the city, while its urban area had a population of 616,296. The inhabitants are called Montpelliérains. In the Middle Ages, Montpellier was an important city of the Crown of Aragon (and was the birthplace of James I), and then of Majorca, before its sale to France in 1349. Established in 1220, the University of Montpellier is one of the oldest universities in the world and oldest medical school still in operation, with notable alumni such as Petrarch, Nostradamus and François Rabelais. Above the medieval city, the ancient citadel of Montpellier is a stronghold built in the seventeenth century by Louis XIII of France.

Since the 1990s, Montpellier has experienced one of the strongest economic and demographic growth in the country. Its urban area has experienced the highest population growth in France since the year 2000. Numbering 70,000, students comprise nearly one-fourth of its population, one of the highest such proportions in Europe. Its living environment with one of Europe's largest pedestrian area, along with its rich cultural life and Mediterranean climate, explain the enthusiasm for the city, which is nicknamed the "Gifted". Montpellier was nominated for "Best Emerging Culture City of the Year 2017" by the think tank LCD. It is ranked as a Sufficiency city by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network.

Source: Wikipedia