Grue noire, Industrial crane monument in Chantenay district, Nantes, France.
The Grue noire is a black steel structure with an asymmetrical portal design standing on the Loire riverbank. The construction weighs approximately 110 tons and demonstrates the engineering approach used in the shipbuilding industry.
The crane was built in 1942 for the Dubigeon shipyard and was destroyed by German forces in 1944. It was rebuilt by 1947 to restore shipbuilding operations after the war.
The crane represents the shipbuilding tradition that defined Nantes and the workers who operated it daily. Visitors can sense here how much the river and harbor meant to the city's identity.
The site can be easily reached via the nearby N2 Navibus station in the Chantenay district. Visitors should be aware that restoration work is underway, which may affect access to the monument.
The crane could lift loads of up to 30 tons and operated continuously until shipbuilding activities relocated elsewhere in 1967. This marked the end of an era for the Chantenay harbor and turned this structure into a witness of a vanished industry.
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