# Balan, Ardennes

Balan (French pronunciation:) is a commune in the Ardennes department in the Grand Est region of northern France.
The commune has been awarded three flowers by the National Council of Towns and Villages in Bloom in the Competition of cities and villages in Bloom.

## Geography

Balan is located just east of Sedan and north-east of Bazeilles. Access to the commune is by the D8043A road from Sedan which continues south-east to Bazeilles. The D17 also passes through the town and continues east to Rubécourt-et-Lamécourt. The Route nationale N43 (E46) highway passes through the commune with the nearest exit being Exit 3 just south-east of the commune. Much of the central area of the commune is urban with the northern part farmland and some forest.
The Meuse river forms the south-western border of the commune as it flows north through Sedan.

### Neighbouring communes and villages

vtePlaces adjacent to Balan, Ardennes :
Givonne
Daigny
Sedan
Balan
La Moncelle
Wadelincourt
Thelonne
Bazeilles :

## History

From 1560 to 1642 Balan was part of the Principality of Sedan.

### Heraldry

| Arms of Balan | Blazon: Party per pale, first Azure a chevron of Or; second Argent, a fess of Gules charged with a mullet of Or between 2 martlets of Sable. |

## Administration

List of Successive Mayors
| From | To | Name |
| 1560 | 1574 | Robert de la Tour |
| 1574 | | Jean Foulon |
| 1727 | 1730 | Nicolas Gouveno |
| 1730 | 1738 | Noizet |
| 1738 | 1739 | Louis Halma |
| 1739 | 1757 | Jean Halma |
| 1757 | 1759 | Servais Godfroi |
| 1759 | 1767 | Henri Beuvart |
| 1767 | 1786 | Jean-Baptiste Thiéry |
| 1786 | 1790 | Claude Pierret |
| 1790 | 1802 | Gibou Valdory |
| 1802 | 1812 | Jacques Rognon |
| 1812 | 1816 | Branchu |
| 1816 | 1821 | de Bovier |
| 1821 | 1837 | Hourbette Malicet |
| 1837 | 1848 | Renard Maissin |
| 1848 | 1850 | Hourbette |
| 1850 | 1852 | Thiriet |
| 1852 | 1856 | Branchu |
| 1856 | 1867 | Lambert Plaisance |
| 1867 | 1875 | Martin Gourdet |
| 1875 | 1890 | Jean-Baptiste Somveille |
| 1890 | 1891 | Appolon Gombo |
| 1891 | 1895 | Onézime Crepel |
| 1895 | 1898 | Charles François Bonhomme |
| 1898 | | Eugène Oudet |
| | 1913 | Emile Bonneville |
| 1913 | | Jules Michaux |
| 1919 | | André Bazeille |
| 1934 | 1935 | Edouard Taltasse |

### Mayors from 1995

| From | To | Name |
| 1995 | 2020 | André Drouard |
| 2020 | current | Alban Collinet |

## Demography

The inhabitants of the commune are known as Balanais or Balanaises in French.
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
| 1793 | 632 | — |
| 1800 | 646 | +0.31% |
| 1806 | 662 | +0.41% |
| 1821 | 811 | +1.36% |
| 1831 | 1,068 | +2.79% |
| 1836 | 1,196 | +2.29% |
| 1841 | 1,115 | −1.39% |
| 1846 | 1,245 | +2.23% |
| 1851 | 1,274 | +0.46% |
| 1866 | 1,510 | +1.14% |
| 1872 | 1,545 | +0.38% |
| 1876 | 1,736 | +2.96% |
| 1881 | 1,676 | −0.70% |
| 1886 | 1,693 | +0.20% |
| 1891 | 1,606 | −1.05% |
| 1896 | 1,496 | −1.41% |
| 1901 | 1,458 | −0.51% |
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
| 1906 | 1,432 | −0.36% |
| 1911 | 1,400 | −0.45% |
| 1921 | 1,299 | −0.75% |
| 1926 | 1,335 | +0.55% |
| 1931 | 1,351 | +0.24% |
| 1936 | 1,410 | +0.86% |
| 1946 | 1,214 | −1.49% |
| 1954 | 1,344 | +1.28% |
| 1962 | 1,518 | +1.53% |
| 1968 | 1,461 | −0.64% |
| 1975 | 1,419 | −0.42% |
| 1982 | 1,376 | −0.44% |
| 1990 | 1,568 | +1.65% |
| 1999 | 1,612 | +0.31% |
| 2007 | 1,653 | +0.31% |
| 2012 | 1,591 | −0.76% |
| 2017 | 1,618 | +0.34% |
Source: EHESS and INSEE :

## Culture and heritage
### Civil heritage

The commune has several buildings and sites that are registered as historical monuments:
* The Bonhomme Spinning Mill (Now a Community Hall) (19th century)
* The Godchaux Weaving Mill (Now a Warehouse) (20th century)
* The Stackler Textile Works (Now a Business incubator) (19th century)
* The Bazaille Chard Plant (1906)

## Notable people linked to the commune

* Jean-Baptiste Herbin-Dessaux [fr] (1765-1832): French General of the Revolution and the Empire, died at Balan.
* Élisabeth Lion (1904-1988), French aviator, born at Balan.