Malmedy

Malmedy is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Liège. On January 1st, 2005 Malmedy had a total population of 11,650. The total area is 99.96 km² which gives a population density of 116.54 inhabitants per km².

At the end of the First World War, Malmedy and neighboring Eupen were subject to a plebiscite to determine whether the region would be separated from Germany and annexed to Belgium. The plebiscite ballots required names and addresses of the voters. Fearing deportation, the populations of Eupen and Malmedy voted to join Belgium.

In 1944 during the Second World War, it was the site of the Malmédy massacre, where some 100 prisoners of war were killed by German SS troops. Moreover, the 23, 24 and 25 December 1944 the city was bombed by the US Air Force despite the fact it was still under control of the the US troops. Approximately 200 civilians were killed. The number of casualties among the US troops has never been revealed by the US Department of War.

Some sources spell the town's name "Malmédy", but the town's official web site lists it as "Malmedy", with no accent.