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Updated: July 29, 2024
The Morbihan department, located in the Brittany region in France, is a rich territory. Geographically, Morbihan is located in the south of Brittany, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and south, and by the departments of Finistère, of Côtes-d'Armor, of the Ille-et-Vilaine and of the Loire-Atlantique.
The Morbihan (Mor-Bihan which means Little sea in Breton) was created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790, and includes former Catholic bishoprics: the eastern end of Cornouaille, the bishopric south of Saint-Brieuc, the southwest of that of Saint-Malo and the northwest of that of Nantes. Four-fifths of its area are made up of the lands of the former diocese of Vannes
Go to the Morbihan Departmental Archives:
📍 80 rue des Vénètes, 56010 Vannes
Contact the Morbihan Departmental Archives:
📞 02 97 46 32 52
Browse the Morbihan Departmental Archives to find your ancestors:
Morbihan is not a major immigration area (in 1851, the foreign population was only 0.03%) and is the Breton department least affected by the phenomenon.
Prehistory: the first traces of settlement in Morbihan date back to prehistory, with megalithic sites like the alignments of Carnac. The Celts, coming from Central Europe, settled in the region around the 6th century BC.
Middle Ages: in the 5th century, Celtic populations from Great Britain fleeing Anglo-Saxon invasions settled in Armorica, including in Morbihan. This period saw the formation of the Duchy of Brittany.
16th-17th centuries: with French colonial expansion, many Bretons, including Morbihannais, emigrated to colonies in North America and the Antilles.
18th century: the French Revolution led to internal population movements and Morbihan was the scene of the Chouannerie, a royalist resistance movement.
19th century: with the industrial revolution, many inhabitants of Morbihan left rural areas for cities, notably Lorient and Vannes, in search of work.
20th century: In Morbihan, foreigners mainly reside in Lorient, the most industrialized city in the department, followed by Vannes and Pontivy. Immigration is mostly blue-collar: Italians are mainly employed in the construction sector, and 60% of them settle in Lorient. Spaniards and Belgians work in the commercial and craft sectors. Britons living in the department are often clergymen or students. Eastern Europeans are mainly found in extractive processing industries.
For more information:
On Gallica: the books, the press and the manuscripts to learn everything about the Morbihan department
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