Dunkerque Becomes Dunkerque
Dunkerque, a city in northern France about 150 miles from Paris, began as a fishing village around the year 1,000. Fishermen and their families settled in this area because of its location on the English Channel. That strip of ocean between England and France is part of the North Sea. It was a perfect place for people who earned a living from the sea to settle. For one thing, the water teemed with haddock, halibut and other fish. The area also had a wide circular harbor where fishing boats could dock to load and unload. It provided fishing boats a safe haven from fierce storms that often swept the North Sea. We know that a village existed on the harbor by 960 AD. That’s when the region’s ruler built a town wall to protect the settlement Viking raids.
“Church in the Dunes”
People needed protection from these fierce, seafaring warriors. The Vikings sailed longboats from their homes in present-day Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. They constantly attacked, looted, and destroyed villages and cities all over Europe. Vikings even attacked and partially destroyed Paris. What was the name of that early walled-town? We do not know. But the name “Dunkirka,” first appears in written history in 1067. People in this area, called Flanders, then spoke Flemish. The word “Dunkirka,” meant “church in the dunes” in that language. We do not know exactly which church became Dunkerque’s namesake. But Benedictine monks lived, worked, and worshiped in the area.
One nearby church named for St. Winnoc had been built around 1022. It later became the centerpiece for construction of an abbey. An abbey was a group of buildings for members of a religious order, governed by an abbot or abbess.
Monkeying Around
Monks from the abbey played an important role in Dunkerque’s growth. Although Dunkerque’s harbor was important in attracting people, good farmland for growing other food was scarce. The land around Dunkerque was just too wet. It was marshland with water soaking the ground year-round. The monks helped Dunkerque to grow by draining large areas of marsh. That transformed marshes into land for growing crops and raising livestock. Dunkerque attracted more settlers. Warfare and political conflicts, common for hundreds of years in that part of Europe, also helped Dunkerque grow. Dunkerque’s excellent harbor made it an important military site long before the events depicted in the popular World War II film, “Dunkirk.”
Fortified City/ Ancient Roots
In the 1600s, the French government developed Dunkerque into a fortified port. Workers built forts along the harbor. They expanded the docks for use by warships. Dunkerque thus became an important naval base. More people moved into the town as new businesses opened to sell the navy food and supplies. People lived in northern France long before any of these events. Scientists have evidence from ancient stone axes, knives, and other tools unearthed during excavations.
Ancient inhabitants of the Dunkerque area made and used these tools 1.6 million years ago. A people called the Celts occupied this area much closer to Dunkerque’s emergence. The ancient Romans called the Celts, “the barbarians.” They called France, “Gaul.” Rome invaded this land and attacked the Celts in the first Century BC. The Celts fought fiercely. But the Roman army soon conquered France. For the next 500 years, France was a part of the Roman Empire.