Births

The birthplace of Victor Hugo in Besançon

Besançon was the birthplace of:

Claude Goudimel (1510–1572) – Musician, Teacher of Palestrina. Composer of the music for Protestant hymns Antoine Perrenot de Granvelle (1517–1586) – Cardinal, statesman and humanist. Counsellor of Charles V, Viceroy of Naples Jean-Baptiste Besard (1567-1625?) - Lawyer, Doctor of Medicine and Composer for the Lute Jean Mairet (1604–1686) – Dramatist Charles Fourier (1772–1837) – Inventor of socialist "phalansteries" (vast communal buildings surrounded by a highly cultivated agricultural area) Charles-Etienne Francois Ruty (1777-1828) - Comte, General, Peer - commissioned into the army in 1793 and served at first in northern France and on the Franco-German border. He took part in the Egyptian campaign and commanded the artillery at the battle of Aboukir. He was promoted to brigadier-general in 1807 and served with distinction in Spain, then promoted to Lt General in 1813. In 1815 he rallied to Napoléon but he remained in favour under the Bourbon monarchy. His name is inscribed on the south side of the Arc de Triomphe. Charles Nodier (1780–1844) – Writer. Leader of the Romantic movement Jean Claude Eugène Péclet (1793–1857) – physicist, gave his name to the Péclet number Victor Hugo (1802–1885) – Writer and poet Pierre-Joseph Proudhon (1809–1865)- Journalist (Le Peuple) and author of world-renowned anarchist theories Adolphe Braun (1812–1877) - Early photographer Marie Louise Outhwaite (1814-1905), prominent early settler of Auckland, New Zealand. Hilaire de Chardonnet (1838–1924) – Inventor of artificial silk Louis-Jean Résal (1854–1920) – Engineer who built the Pont Mirabeau and the Pont Alexandre III in Paris Auguste and Louis Lumière, (1862–1954) and (1864–1948) – Inventors of cinematography Tristan Bernard (1866–1947) – Journalist and Humorist Albert Seitz (1872–1937) – composer and violist Ludovic Arrachart (1897–1933), aviator Jean de Gribaldy (1922–1987) – Professional racing cyclist and directeur sportif Raymond Blanc (1949– ) – Chef Morrade Hakkar (1972– ) – Boxer Gaspard Augé (1979– ) – One half of electro group Justice Cyril Kali footballer Yohann Lasimant footballer Lucien Laurent footballer