Gravelotte


Gravelotte is a commune in the Moselle department in Grand Est in north-eastern France, with a population of 652 by 1999.
From 1871 until the end of World War I in 1918, it was the westernmost city of Germany.

History

Gravelotte is located between Metz and the former French-German frontier, as it was between 1870 and 1918. It was famous as the scene of the battle of 18 August 1870 between the Germans under King William of Prussia and the French under Marshal Bazaine.
The battlefield extends from the woods which border, the Moselle above Metz to Roncourt, near the river Orne. Other villages which played an important part in the battle of Gravelotte were Saint-Privat, Amanvillers and Sainte-Marie-aux-Chênes, all lying to the north of Gravelotte.