Malmedy

Malmedy is a city and municipality in Wallonia, in the province of Liège in eastern Belgium. At the start of 2018 it had a recorded population of 12,654 and covers just under 100 square kilometres, which works out to roughly 127 inhabitants per square kilometre. The municipality is made up of three districts: Bellevaux-Ligneuville, Bévercé (which includes the hamlets of Baugnez and Xhoffraix) and Malmedy itself. Its origins lie in a Benedictine monastery established in 648 by Saint Remacle, and from that date until 1794 its history was tied to the Princely Abbey of Stavelot-Malmedy, a small church-ruled state governed by a prince-abbot. After the First World War Malmedy and neighbouring Eupen were annexed to Belgium under the Treaty of Versailles, following a plebiscite. Although it belongs to French-speaking Wallonia, about 5 percent of residents speak German, so it is one of the municipalities with language facilities for German speakers. A section of the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps motor-racing circuit lies within its boundaries.