Bapaume French pronunciation: [bapom] ⓘ (original Dutch name Batpalmen) is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of northern France.

This position was regretted by 1859 when the municipality called for the construction of a railway linking Achiet-le-Grand (on the Paris-Lille route) to Bapaume with animal traction (possibly they were afraid of steam).

Bapaume (Batpalmen or Bapalmen in Flemish[4]) means "beat your palms" in the sense of "suffering" because of the poverty of the land or some past devastation.

Under the Late Roman Empire the city was rebuilt in the same place by Batavi settlers who were enlisted as soldier-farmers.

Defensive mounds were built around the site of the current Bapaume and the road from Arras to Saint-Quentin and Péronne was diverted to pass near the defences.

The Franks built a castle on the Roman mound as the area was inhabited by bandits who hid in the Arrouaise forest.

To ensure the passage against the bandits a toll was established by the counts of Flanders with soldiers escorting the merchants on the part crossing the Arrouaise Forest and north of the city.

[7] On 28 April 1180 the marriage of Philip Augustus and Isabelle of Hainaut, daughter of Baldwin V was celebrated at Bapaume.

The city became independent with the construction of a town hall with a belfry, the creation of a coat of arms and a seal, and a citizens' militia.

The city enjoyed a period of prosperity from the toll and its fine linen weaving (Batiste) by mulquiniers[Note 1] in the countryside.

The nephew of Mahaut called himself Robert III of Artois and claimed the throne for a long time and, in revenge, helped the English.

The Bailiwick of Bapaume suffered terribly during this period: it is during this time that villagers hid in their muches (underground hiding places) dug in the chalky soil.

In July 1414 the King of France laid siege to Bapaume: John's garrison surrendered without fear and Charles VI then went to besiege Arras.

A peace treaty was signed on 30 August and Bapaume was given to John the Fearless, but it was in such a state that on 3 September there were insufficient voters to elect aldermen.

After the death of John, his son Philip the Good spent several days at the castle in 1420 and it was he who in 1437 granted the town of Bapaume two free fairs per year.

An era of peace and prosperity followed, despite a plague epidemic in 1626, which ended in March 1635 when Louis XIII declared war on Philip IV of Spain.

This capitulation was highly celebrated in Paris since Bapaume was considered one of the main strongholds of Artois and Flanders.

The city and the surrounding countryside still had to suffer the presence of Spanish and French armies until 1654 (Arras was taken by Louis XIV who passed through Bapaume twice in August).

Later Dominique de Grossolles, knight and Lord of Saint-Martin, became "Major of the town and castle of Bapaume".

General Louis Léon César Faidherbe at the head of the Northern Army stopped the Prussians.

In 1916 Bapaume was one of the cities considered to be strategic objectives by the allies in the framework of the Battle of the Somme.

The town hall was destroyed on 25 March by a delayed action mine left by the Germans, killing 24 people including Australian soldiers and two French members of parliament.

Improved armoured support and artillery bombardment weakened once impregnable positions and helped the Allied forces tear holes through trench lines.

The Germans set up a trap in the town hall with a mine and a timer which exploded just before the arrival of the Australians.

The mayor, Abel Guidet, was a member of the Resistance and was arrested and deported to the camp of Gross-Rosen where he died on 27 November 1944.

Percentage Distribution of Age Groups in Bapaume and Pas-de-Calais Department in 2017 Source: INSEE[23][24] There is a Centre of Detention which is particularly known for being the last detention centre that hosted Lucien Léger (1937–2008) who was the oldest prisoner in France (and Europe) and stayed there for several years until his release in 2005.

It was not until 1926 that the town decided to ask the sculptor Déchin, stepson of Louis Noël, from Paris to recreate the statue from the original plans.

They were on an inspection mission to the front on behalf of the National Assembly of France and wished to spend the night in the building but they were trapped and killed by the explosion.

The Church contains three items that are registered as historical objects: This structure consists of a stone wall, topped by a pediment decorated with the coat of arms of the city, bordered on either side of a balustrade.

[28] The woman, hair partially covered with a veil which descends down her back until mid-legs, has her right arm raised to designate a name using a palm held in her hand.