# Murat, Cantal

Murat (French pronunciation:) is a commune in the Cantal department in the Auvergne region in south-central France. On 1 January 2017, the former commune of Chastel-sur-Murat was merged into Murat. Murat is the administrative seat of this new commune.

## History

On 24 June 1944, during World War II, 120 Muratais were deported, 80 never returned.
The French people from Murat were deported via Compiègne to the Neuengamme concentration camp and most of them had to work in the subcamp (in German: Außenlager) Farge concentration camp. At begin of June, 2012 a monument in the Memorial wood on the gardening area of former concentration camp was established: It was donated by the city of Murat, to remember what happened in Murat and to commemorate the deported and murdered inhabitants. The columns of basalt remember July 1944 when the Maquisards from Murat, Cantal were deported and afterwards murdered in the Neuengamme concentration camp and its affiliates. In total 75 men out of 103 died in the concentration camp.

## Geography
### Location

Murat is situated on the eastern edge of the Mounts of Cantal, in the valley of the Alagnon, a tributary of the Allier, which was the principal route for crossing the Massif Central. It is surrounded by three basalt outcrops, the vestiges of former volcanoes, the Rocher de Bredons, where there is a priory church dating from the 12th century, the rocher de Bonnevie, where there is an 8-metre high statue of the Virgin Mary known as Notre-Dame de la Haute-Auvergne, and the Rocher de Chastel, where the 12th century chapel of St Antoine stands. A market is held every Friday.

## Population

Population data refer to the commune in its geography as of January 2023.

## Administration

Mayor (maire in French) of the municipal council:
| Name | Start | End | Notes |
| Martine Mahtouk | 2001 | 2008 | |
| Emmanuel Grèze | 1983 | 2001 | Former General councillor(Conseiller général); Conseiller Régional |
| Jean Meyniel | 1977 | 1983 | |
| Antoine Tabayse | 1969 | 1977 | |
| Joseph Constant | 1968 | 1969 | |
| Hector Peschaud | 1946 | 1968 | |
| Antoine Combes | 1944 | 1946 | |
| Hector Peschaud | 1928 | 1944 | |
| Gabriel Peschaud | 1897 | 1928 | Député |
| Raymond Teissèdre | 1896 | 1897 | |
| Leon Auguste Teillard Chabrier | 1895 | 1896 | |
| Maurice guibal | 1881 | 1895 | républicain General councillor (conseiller général) |
| Pierre Hector Veisseyre | 12 February 1878 | | |
| Joseph Léon Dubois | 3 November 1874 | | |
| Félix Robert | 13 February 1874 | | |
| Pierre Hector Veisseyre | 19 June 1871 | | |
| Alfred Talandier Espinasse | 29 September 1856 | | |
| Identité=Emile Teissèdre | 24 July 1852 | | |
| Jean Baptiste Rhodes | 11 November 1848 | | |
| Pierre Duclos | 2 May 1848 | | |
| Jules Teillard Laterisse | 29 December 1843 | | |
| François Escaille | 10 July 1833 | | |
| Antoine Talandier Lespinasse | 11 October 1830 | | |
| Jean baptiste Marcombes | 30 December 1825 | | |
| Identité=Pierre Maynobe | 16 June 1819 | | |
| Jean Raymond Rancillac de Chazelles | 11 November 1815 | | |
| Antoine Gazard | 5 July 1815 | | |
| Claude Amable Tournier | 5 June 1815 | | |
| Antoine Gazard | messidor an X | | |
| Cérice Bonaventure Teillard Chambon | 1st prairial an VII | | |
| Municipalités de canton | From An IV to An VIII | | |
| Joseph Dubois | 11 brumaire an III | | |
| François Teillard Beynac | 2 December 1792 | | |
| Cérice Bonaventure Teillard Chambon | 28 October 1792 | | |
| Antoine Dominique Chabanon | 15 May 1791 | | |
| Antoine Roux | 15 July 1790 | | |
| Etienne de Montreuil de Charmanière | 9 February 1790 | | |

## Personalities

* Olivier Magne
* Raymond Leopold Bruckberger, writer
* Henri de Castellane, politician. His grandson was Paul Ernest Boniface de Castellane who married Anna Gould