Section 2. Flers Before the Second World War

Normandy of the early 20th Century was a sleepy backwater of picturesque farms and hedge lined pastures. The few beach goers that came for the sun and surf of the short French summers only barely disturbed the rhythm of the region as their trains from Paris, Bordeaux, and farther afield trundled into the area's rail centers like Flers de L'Orne.

Pre-World War I Flers (Source: Archives de Flers)

Flers Station Track Side (Source: Wikipedia)

Normandy of the late 19th century had an exotic, far away feel to it for the citizens of Paris who set aside time for special excursions into what they previously had thought of as a remote section of France. Even though it was only a day's train ride from Notre Dame, it might as well have been in another world. The growth of the rail lines had made the farther reaches of France easily accessible only in the later decades of the 1800's but even then it was a trek that required no small amount of effort. None the less, Normandy provided the backdrop for the creation of the first beach resorts and Flers made them possible

Flers Train Station Street Side (Source: Wikipedia)

Flers train station, opened in 1866 and expanded into the 1870s, would have greeted these early travelers.
It's architecture reflected a mixture of both urban and rural design elements. Effectively presenting Flers as a place not so distant from the centers of Europe's major cities, arriving passengers stepping off of the trains would have immediately recognized that they were neither in Paris or Milan but not the wilderness either. While smaller in scale than stations in the capitals of Europe this facade stated that the vacationers were still in France.





The town's medieval origins in the 16th century are well documented as are the region's allegiance to the counter-revolutionary Chouans of Honore de Balzac fame. But, despite siding with the losing side during the French Revolution, the post-Revolutionary period saw the rise in the region's economic fortunes. Flers thrived as a economic hub resulting from it's being at the epicenter of Normandy and the flourishing towns of those parts like Caen, Bayeux, and Cherbourg.  Her relatively new chateau begun in 1661 her and expanding city boarders are testimony to the industrious nature if the Fleriens and the productivity of the surrounding lands.

Flers' textiles and artisan lace, much woven on hand-looms,
provided for a strong economy while it served the Spanish market. (Source: Unknown)

Chateau Flers (Source:Wikipedia)

The economy of the region had its ups and downs during the later stages of the French industrial revolution of the 1880's.  Despite its setbacks, by the mid-twentieth century Flers boasted a population of several thousand and a strong sense of faith in their future. 

Progression of  Fler's growth from the late 19th Century into the 20th Century. Note the prominence of the rail center on the most recent map on the right.  (Source: Archives de Flers)