Until the end of the 20th century shipbuilding was a major industry in Dunkirk. The memory of the Ateliers et Chantiers de France whose yards, close to the city centre, were the heartbeat of the city for almost 90 years is still strong. More than 325 ships were built in those yards which employed thousands of workers and had their own training school. The city has preserved the former pre-fabrication workshop, named the ‘cathedral’, and two of the slipways from the site that is now being regenerated.
Aerial view of the shipbuilding yard in the middle of the 20th century.
Port Museum Collection.
Photo of the partly reconverted yard.
Port Museum Collection.