Maizières-lès-Metz

Maizières-lès-Metz (French pronunciation: [mɛzjɛʁ lɛ mɛs], literally Maizières near Metz; Lorrain: Mach'ire) is a commune in the Moselle department, Grand Est, northeastern France.

From 1871 to 1918, as part of Alsace-Lorraine, Maizières belonged to the German Empire as Maizières-bei-Metz.

The amusement park Walygator is located in Maizières-les-Metz.

The town gives its name to the now German Maizière family which, being Huguenots, had to emigrate from the Duchy of Lorraine to Prussia in the 17th century.

Preserving the name of their town up to the present, prominent members of the family include Lothar de Maizière, last Prime Minister of the German Democratic Republic, the politician Thomas de Maizière and the general Ulrich de Maizière.