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On Novermber, 21st 1871, the Samelaine Monument was inaugurated to remind the Lavaloises of their historic feats. During this period a number of linen factories sprung up in the city and it began to thrive economically. The museum for the Fine arts and Sciences was completed in 1897 at the Herce Place next to it the Perrines, the terraced gardens and scenic promenade overlooking the city.
In 1914 with the [[Great War]] a lot of sons of the city died on the battle fields of [[Flanders]] to defend their home country from [[German Empire | Imperial Germany]] stalling the development of the city. In the period between 1918-1939 a new upper class emerged in the city, until in 1940 when the [[Democratic]] France was raided by the forces of [[Nazi]] [[Germany]] and Laval was occupied by the [[German Army]]. During the time of occupation the city suffered hardship, with many male inhabitants being taken [[Prisoner of War]] and having to work under slave-like conditions in the [[War Industries]] of [[Nazi]] [[Germany]]. With its vicinity to the [[English Channel]], however, there was the horizon of Liberty at theother site of the channel, where the [[Free_French | Free French Government]] under General [[de Gaulle]] prepared the liberation of his home country. With this in mind, the [[French_Resistance | French Resistance Movement]] of Laval, thus, inflicted on several occasions serious casulties on the German occupiers facilitating the liberation of France by the [[Allied Forces]] on [[D-Day]]. The German occupation was terminated in the afternoon of August 6th, 1944, when the [[U.S. Third Army]] under [[General Patton]] liberated Laval for good.
==Buildings and tourist sites==
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