Cambrai
[key], city, Nord dept., N France, a port on the Escaut (Scheldt) River.
It has long been known for its fine textiles and gave its name to cambric,
first manufactured there. It is an agricultural center; clay, metal, and
wood products are also manufactured in Cambrai. An episcopal see since the
4th cent., and seat of an archdiocese since the 16th cent., Cambrai and the
surrounding county of Cambrésis were ruled by the bishops under the
Holy Roman Empire until they were seized by Spain (1595) and by France
(1677). Fénelon was archbishop from 1695 to 1715. The original
cathedral was destroyed in 1793. Cambrai suffered devastation in both world
wars; it was occupied by the Germans from 1914 to 1918 and from 1940 to
1944.
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