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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The school group Jean-Macé, also known as schools in the cities of pit 12 was built by the Compagnie des mines de Lens to educate children of minors. Originally composed of a kindergarten, a boys' school and a girls' school, it was destroyed during the First World War and rebuilt in the 1920s with an additional floor. These buildings, located on both sides of St. Edward's Church, reflect the social organization of mining corons.

In 1891, the Lens Mining Company launched the exploitation of pit number 12, resulting in rapid urbanization around Lens, whose population increased from 3,000 to 20,000 in 50 years. By 1896, architect Élie Reumaux designed a comprehensive plan including 204 houses, schools, a temporary chapel (replaced in 1899 by the Church of St. Edward), and office housing. The bombings of 1914-1918 razed much of the city, forcing an identical reconstruction in the 1920s under the direction of Louis-Marie Cordonnier.

The school group was named in tribute to Jean Macé (date not specified in the sources). In 2009, its facades, roofs and the director's house were listed as historical monuments, prior to their classification as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2012, as part of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais mining basin. However, in 2010, Mayor Guy Delcourt partially destroyed the director's house, causing national controversy. Despite this inscription, a neighbouring coron was demolished in 2012, illustrating the tensions between heritage preservation and urban projects.

The architectural ensemble, marked by red bricks and functional symmetry, embodies the industrial and social heritage of mining cities. Schools, still in operation in the 21st century, demonstrate the sustainability of this educational model linked to coal mining. Their registration at UNESCO underscores their universal value as an example of employer planning and community life organized around the mining industry.

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