Laon - Abbey of St. Martin

Laon, placed on a ridge and overlooking the flat Picardy plain, was a strategic, fortified site, already in Roman times. St. Remi founded a bishopric here in 487. Laon was a very important place in the kingdom of the Franks. After the fall of the Carolingians, Hugh Capet became the master of the town with the support of the bishop.

The Abbey of St. Martin was founded in 1124 in Laon by the Bishop of Laon and Saint Norbert of Xanten. The Premonstratensian community started with twelve canons from the nearby Prémontré Abbey. The abbey was so successful that it soon numbered more than 500 members. Around 1300 this abbey was the second largest of the 150 Premonstratensian convents all over Europe. It existed upto the French Revolution, when it was dissolved. The former abbey church (seen here), erected within the 12th century, now serves the parish. The former monastic buildings have gaaen used as a hospital for many decades. Since 1980 they house the collection of the municipal library.

In 1914 German forces captured Laon and held it until mid 1918. The hospital then was used by the German troops - and of course, the German soldiers, guarding it, had time to carve graffiti into the walls of the entrance gate. One of these soldiers was Mr. Giesemann from Berlin, on duty here 1914/15. Somebody carved in "Lächel" - what means "Smile".

100 years ago!

On 28 June 1914 Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife Sophie were shot dead in Sarajevo. This assassination led directly to WWI.