Doubs
Doubs (, ; ; ) is a department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in Eastern France. Named after the river Doubs, it had a population of 543,974 in 2019.department in the
Bourgogne-Franche-Comté
Bourgogne-Franche-Comté (; , sometimes abbreviated BFC; Arpitan: ''Borgogne-Franche-Comtât'') is a region in eastern France created by the 2014 territorial reform of French regions, from a merger of Burgundy and Franche-Comté. The new region ...
region
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...
in eastern
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
.
Geography
Sochaux lies east of
Montbéliard
Montbéliard (; traditional ) is a town in the Doubs department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in eastern France, about from the border with Switzerland. It is one of the two subprefectures of the department.
History
Montbéliard is ...
, and southeast of Paris.
Population
Inhabitants are known as ''Sochaliens''.
Economy
Sochaux is the site of a large industrial facility of the French auto manufacturer
PSA Peugeot Citroën
Peugeot S.A., trading as Groupe PSA () (formerly PSA Peugeot Citroën from 1991 to 2016) was a French multinational automotive manufacturing company which produced automobiles and motorcycles under the Peugeot, Citroën, DS, Opel and Vauxhal ...
. As of late 2005, about 16,000 people are employed there. The town also contains the Peugeot automobile museum.
Peugeot
Peugeot (, , ) is a French automobile brand owned by Stellantis.
The family business that preceded the current Peugeot companies was established in 1810, making it the oldest car company in the world. On 20 November 1858, Émile Peugeot applie ...
's badge, the lion rampant, is derived from the town's coat-of-arms.
Second World War
After the fall of France, the Peugeot factory was converted to produce tanks for Germany, and later, parts for the V1 buzz bomb.
"On 15/16 July 1943, the R.A.F. sent 165 Halifax bombers to attack the Peugeot motor factory; five were lost. 750 tons of high explosive were dropped. The outcome of this raid illustrated again the difficulties of hitting relatively small targets in the occupied countries and the danger to surrounding civilians. The night was clear, the target was only lightly defended and the attack altitude was 6,000 to 10,000 ft, but the centre of the group of markers dropped by the Pathfinder crews of 35 Squadron was 700 yards beyond the factory. The factory was classed as 5 per cent damaged; the production was normal immediately after the raid." 125 residents were killed and 260 were seriously injured. Over 100 houses were destroyed, and 400 more were badly damaged. When this news reached London, the R.A.F. prepared to send another raid.
However, a British S.O.E. agent, Harry Ree, telephoned the owner, Rodolphe Peugeot, and explained that sabotage would be far more effective, and would leave the structures undamaged.
The owner gave his whole-hearted support. On the night of 3 November, the chief electrician, Pierre Lucas, and the foreman, Andre van der Straaten, and three other workers, having hidden explosives in the factory, went to lay the charges. They were intercepted by some German guards who were kicking a football around, and were challenged to a France vs Germany football match, during which a limpet mine fell from the pocket of a saboteur. A German called out, "You have dropped something", and the saboteur quickly picked it up. But the game went on too long, so the attack was postponed for two nights, and was carried out appropriately on Guy Fawkes' Night. The factory was out of commission for six months."The Ministry of ungentlemanly warfare" by Giles Milton, John Murray, 2016
Sport
The
FC Sochaux-Montbéliard
Football Club Sochaux-Montbéliard (; commonly referred to as FCSM or simply Sochaux) is a Football in France, French association football club based in the city of Montbéliard. The club was founded in 1928 and currently plays in Championnat N ...
football club
In association football, a football club (or association football club, alternatively soccer club) is a sports club that acts as an entity through which association football teams organise their sporting activities. The club can exist either as ...
is located in the town, and currently plays in
Ligue 2
Ligue 2 (, League 2), also known as Ligue 2 BKT due to sponsorship reasons, is a French professional football league. The league serves as the second division of French football and is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Prof ...
. On 13 May 2007, FCSM defeated
Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille (, ; , ), also known simply as Marseille, or by the abbreviation OM (, ), is a French professional Association football, football club based in Marseille which competes in Ligue 1, the French football league system, top f ...
to win the
Coupe de France
The Coupe de France (), also known in English language, English as the French Cup or less commonly as the France Cup, is the premier Single-elimination tournament, knockout cup competition in French football organised by the French Football Fed ...
for the first time since 1937.
See also
*
Communes of the Doubs department
The following is a list of the 563 communes of the Doubs department of France.
The communes cooperate in the following intercommunalities (as of 2025):