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Bas-Rhin

Bas-Rhin (French pronunciation: [bɑ.ʁɛ̃]; Alsatian: Unterelsàss, ‘s Unterlànd or ‘s Ingerlànd;[3] traditional German: Niederrhein; English: Lower Rhine) is a département in Alsace which is a part of the Grand Est super-region of France. The name means 'Lower Rhine', referring to its lower altitude among the two French Rhine departments: it is downstream of the Haut-Rhin (Upper Rhine) department. Note that both belong to the European Upper Rhine region. It is, with the Haut-Rhin (Upper Rhine), one of the two departments of the traditional Alsace region which until 1871, also included the area now known as the Territoire de Belfort. The more populous and densely populated of the pair, it had 1,148,073 inhabitants in 2020.[4] The prefecture is based in Strasbourg. The INSEE and Post Code is 67.

Bas-Rhin
's Unterlànd, Unterelsàss, Ingerlànd
Prefecture building of the Bas-Rhin department, in Strasbourg
Location of Bas-Rhin in France
Coordinates: 48°49′N 7°47′E / 48.817°N 7.783°E / 48.817; 7.783
CountryFrance
RegionGrand Est
PrefectureStrasbourg
SubprefecturesHaguenau
Molsheim
Saverne
Sélestat
Government
 • PrefectJosiane Chevalier[1]
Area
 • Total4,755 km2 (1,836 sq mi)
Population
 (Jan. 2020)[2]
 • Total1,148,073
 • Rank19th
 • Density240/km2 (630/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Department number67
Arrondissements5
Cantons23
Communes514
^1 French Land Register data, which exclude estuaries, and lakes, ponds, and glaciers larger than 1 km2

On 1 January 2021, the departemental councils of Bas-Rhin and Haut-Rhin merged into the European Collectivity of Alsace.

The inhabitants of the department are known as Bas-Rhinois or Bas-Rhinoises.[5]

Geography edit

The Rhine has always been of great historical and economic importance to the area, and it forms the eastern border of Bas-Rhin. The area is also home to some of the foothills of the Vosges Mountains.

To the north of Bas-Rhin lies the Palatinate forest (Pfälzerwald) in the German State of Rhineland-Palatinate, and the German State of Baden-Württemberg lies to the east. To the south lies the department of Haut-Rhin, the town of Colmar and southern Alsace, and to the west the department of Moselle. On its south-western corner, Bas-Rhin also joins the departments of Vosges and Meurthe-et-Moselle.

Principal towns edit

The most populous commune is Strasbourg, the prefecture. As of 2020, there are 7 communes with more than 15,000 inhabitants:[4]

Commune Population (2020)
Strasbourg 290,576
Haguenau 35,448
Schiltigheim 33,993
Illkirch-Graffenstaden 27,087
Lingolsheim 19,797
Sélestat 19,279
Bischheim 17,520

Climate edit

The Bas-Rhin has a continental-type climate, characterised by cold, dry winters and hot, stormy summers, due to the western protection provided by the Vosges. The average annual temperature is 10.4 °C (51 °F) in the lowlands (Entzheim) and 7 °C (45 °F) on high ground. The annual maximum temperature is high (30 °C (86 °F)). The average rainfall is 700 mm (27.56 in) per year.

Established according to data from the Infoclimat station at Strasbourg-Entzheim (the airport), over the period from 1961 to 1990.

Lowest temperature -23.2 °C
Coldest day 2 January 1971
Highest temperature 37.4 °C
Hottest day 2 July 1952
Highest 24-hour rainfall 62.9 mm
Wettest day 23 May 1978
Wettest year 1987 (811.1mm)
Dryest year 1949 (392.6mm)
Town Sunshine
 
(hours/yr)
Rain
 
(mm/yr)
Snow
 
(days/yr)
Storm
 
(days/yr)
Fog
 
(days/yr)
National average 1,973 770 14 22 40
Strasbourg 1,693 665 29 29 56
Paris 1,661 637 12 18 10
Nice 2,724 767 1 29 1
Brest 1,605 1,211 7 12 75
Climate data for Strasbourg
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 4.5
(40.1)
6.4
(43.5)
11.4
(52.5)
15.7
(60.3)
20.2
(68.4)
23.4
(74.1)
25.7
(78.3)
25.4
(77.7)
21.0
(69.8)
15.3
(59.5)
8.8
(47.8)
5.2
(41.4)
15.3
(59.5)
Daily mean °C (°F) 1.9
(35.4)
2.9
(37.2)
7.0
(44.6)
10.5
(50.9)
15.0
(59.0)
18.1
(64.6)
20.1
(68.2)
19.8
(67.6)
15.8
(60.4)
11.2
(52.2)
5.8
(42.4)
2.8
(37.0)
10.9
(51.6)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −0.8
(30.6)
−0.6
(30.9)
2.5
(36.5)
5.2
(41.4)
9.8
(49.6)
12.8
(55.0)
14.5
(58.1)
14.1
(57.4)
10.6
(51.1)
7.1
(44.8)
2.8
(37.0)
0.4
(32.7)
6.5
(43.7)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 32.2
(1.27)
34.5
(1.36)
42.8
(1.69)
45.9
(1.81)
81.9
(3.22)
71.6
(2.82)
72.7
(2.86)
61.4
(2.42)
63.5
(2.50)
61.5
(2.42)
47.0
(1.85)
50.0
(1.97)
665.0
(26.18)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1 mm) 8.4 8.1 9.1 9.2 11.5 10.7 10.8 9.9 8.6 9.5 9.3 9.8 114.9
Mean monthly sunshine hours 58 84 135 180 202 224 229 220 164 99 55 43 1,693
Source: Meteorological data for Strasbourg - 150m altitude, from 1981 to 2010 January 2015 (in French)

Etymology edit

Bas-Rhin is the last French department to have kept the term Bas meaning "Lower" in its name. Other departments using this prefix preferred to change their names - e.g.: Basses-Pyrénées in 1969 became Pyrénées-Atlantiques and Basses-Alpes in 1970 became the department of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. The same phenomenon was observed for the inférieur (also meaning "lower") departments such as Charente-Inférieure, Seine-Inférieure, and Loire-Inférieure.

History edit

Bas-Rhin is one of the original 83 departments created on 4 March 1790, during the French Revolution.

On 14 January 1790 the National Constituent Assembly decreed:

  • "- That Alsace be divided into two departments with Strasbourg and Colmar as their capitals;
  • - That the Department of Strasbourg will be divided into three districts [...];
  • - That the land of the German princes, coming under the sovereignty of France will be included in the division of districts;
  • - That Landau, an enclave in the Palatinate, will have special justice [...]."

The borders of Bas-Rhin have changed many times:

  • In 1793 it absorbed the following territories newly annexed by France:
  • The lordship of Asswiller of the Steinkallenfels family;
  • Several communes from the Palatinate[7]
  • In 1795[8] the region of Schirmeck - where the people did not speak Alsatian - was detached from the district of Sélestat and attached to Vosges (District of Senones);[9]
  • In 1808 some territories east of the Rhine were annexed, especially the city of Kehl;
  • In 1814, after the first Treaty of Paris, France gained the territories north of the Lauter from the former department of Mont-Tonnerre and including the city of Landau,[10] but lost all the territories east of the Rhine;[11]
  • In 1815, following the second Treaty of Paris, France lost all the territories north of the Lauter[12] and the department was occupied by troops from Baden and Saxony from June 1815 to November 1818.
  • In 1871 Bas-Rhin was annexed by Germany (by the Treaty of Frankfurt) and then became Bezirk Unterelsass in Reichsland Elsaß-Lothringen;
  • In 1919 Bas-Rhin became French again (Treaty of Versailles) and retained the territories that Germany had taken from the department of Vosges in 1871 (the Canton of Schirmeck and Canton of Saales);
  • Between 1941 and 1944, the Natzweiler-Struthof concentration camp was in operation
  • In 1944 Kehl was attached to Bas-Rhin before being reassigned to the new West Germany in 1953;
  • In 1982 the department is included in the newly created Alsace region;
  • On 7 April 2013 a referendum was held on the creation of a single community in Alsace for joining the Alsace region and the two departments of Haut-Rhin and Bas-Rhin.

Strasbourg, the chef lieu (principal city) of Bas-Rhin is the official seat of the European Parliament as well as of the Council of Europe.

Heraldry edit

 
Arms of Aigrefeuille d'Aunis
The coat of arms of Bas-Rhin is closely linked to the history of Basse-Alsace. It appeared for the first time in 1262 on a seal of the Counts of Werd who originated from Woerth near Erstein and who became landgrafs of Lower Alsace in 1156.

Blazon:
Gules, a bend argent cotised fleury the same.



Demography edit

The demography of Bas-Rhin is characterized by high density and high population growth since the 1950s.

In January 2014 Bas-Rhin officially had 1,112,815 inhabitants and was 18th by population at the national level. In fifteen years, from 1999 to 2014, its population grew by more than 86,000 people, or about 5,800 people per year. But this variation is differentiated among the 517 communes that make up the department.

The population density of Bas-Rhin is 234 inhabitants per square kilometre in 2014 which is more than twice the average in France, which was 112 in 2009.

Changing demographics in Bas-Rhin edit

The first census was conducted in 1801 and this count, renewed every five years from 1821, provides precise information on the evolution of population in the department.

With 540,213 inhabitants in 1831, the department represented 1.66% of the total French population, which was then 32,569,000 inhabitants. From 1831 to 1866, the department gained 48,757 people, an increase of 0.26% on average per year compared to the national average of 0.48% over the same period.

Demographic change between the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 and the First World War was higher than the national average. Over this period, the population increased by 100,532 inhabitants, an increase of 16.74%, compared to 10% nationally. The population increased by 9.23% between the two world wars from 1921 to 1936 compared to a national growth of 6.9%.

Like other French departments, Bas-Rhin experienced a population boom after the Second World War, higher than the national level. The rate of population growth between 1946 and 2007 was 83.83%, compared to 57% nationally.

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1801 450,238—    
1806 500,926+2.16%
1831 540,213+0.30%
1836 561,859+0.79%
1841 560,113−0.06%
1851 587,434+0.48%
1856 563,855−0.82%
1861 577,574+0.48%
1866 588,970+0.39%
1872 600,406+0.32%
1876 598,180−0.09%
1881 612,015+0.46%
1886 612,077+0.00%
1891 621,505+0.31%
1896 638,624+0.54%
1901 659,432+0.64%
1906 686,695+0.81%
YearPop.±% p.a.
1911 700,938+0.41%
1921 651,686−0.73%
1926 670,985+0.59%
1931 688,242+0.51%
1936 711,830+0.68%
1946 673,281−0.56%
1954 707,934+0.63%
1962 770,150+1.06%
1968 827,367+1.20%
1975 882,121+0.92%
1982 915,676+0.53%
1990 953,053+0.50%
1999 1,026,120+0.82%
2007 1,084,840+0.70%
2012 1,104,667+0.36%
2017 1,125,559+0.38%
Source: SPLAF[13] and INSEE[14]

Economy edit

The Bas-Rhin department has a high density of SMEs and SMIs and a higher proportion of workers in industry than the national average. Tourism activity is intense and creates many indirect jobs. The rate of unemployment is among the lowest in France: 6.5%. The average GDP per capita is €18,795 which places the region as the second largest in France with 2.9% of national GDP. Employment is distributed in the following way, as a percentage of the labor force: Agriculture: 8,411 or 2% Crafts and industry: 97,349 or 24.2% Building and Public Works: 23,928 or 6.0% Tertiary Sector: 271,984 or 67.8% Frontaliers:[15] 28,186

Weighting of the major economic sectors[citation needed]

Trades: 11 358 companies comprising:

  • Supply: 11%
  • Production: 21%
  • Building: 37%
  • Services: 31%

Food industry  : 568 units employing 15,884 employees

Commerce:

  • Hypermarkets  : 15
  • Supermarkets  : 117
  • Other retail: 7,507 including non-food 5,229

Tourism: 3,216 hotels with 11,100 rooms

Law edit

Alsace and the adjacent Moselle department have a legal system slightly different from the rest of France. The statutes in question date from the period 1871 - 1919 when the area was part of the German Empire. With the return of Alsace-Lorraine to France in 1919, Paris accepted that Alsace and Moselle should retain some local laws in respect of certain matters, especially with regard to hunting, economic life, local government relationships, health insurance and social rights. It includes notably the absence of any formal separation between church and state: several mainstream denominations of the Christian church benefit from state funding, in contrast to principles applied in the rest of France.

Politics edit

Presidential elections 2nd round edit

Election Winning Candidate Party % 2nd Place Candidate Party %
2022 Emmanuel Macron LREM 58.96 Marine Le Pen FN 41.04
2017[16] Emmanuel Macron LREM 63.07 Marine Le Pen FN 36.93
2012 Nicolas Sarkozy UMP 63.44 François Hollande PS 36.56
2007 Nicolas Sarkozy UMP 65.58 Ségolène Royal PS 34.42
2002[16] Jacques Chirac RPR 79.32 Jean-Marie Le Pen FN 20.68
1995[17] Jacques Chirac RPR 58.97 Lionel Jospin PS 41.03

Current National Assembly Representatives edit

Administration edit

The seat of the General Council is located in Strasbourg, in a building designed by the architect Claude Vasconi. The current prefect of the Bas-Rhin is Stéphane Fratacci. The representative of the Lower Rhine for the National Youth Council is Mr. Gautier Lutz.

Bas-Rhin is composed of five arrondissements (Haguenau-Wissembourg, Molsheim, Saverne, Sélestat-Erstein, and Strasbourg)[19] and 23 cantons.[20]

Higher Education edit

Through its secondary and higher education institutions, Alsace is a very important region for students and is very internationally oriented. Strasbourg alone welcomes 75% of students in its university. Since the merger of three faculties and the IUT of Illkirch and of Schiltigheim it has become one of the largest universities in France. There are also renowned institutions such as the National School of Administration (ENA), the National Institute of Territorial Studies (INET), the Higher European Institute of Management, and the National School of Physics of Strasbourg.

Tourism edit

 
Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg

The Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg: built in the 12th century, the castle of Haut-Koenigsbourg dominates the plain of Alsace more than 700 metres (2,297 feet) above sea level. Destroyed during the Thirty Years War, it was restored from 1900 to 1908 by the German Emperor Wilhelm II. It houses a large collection of weapons and period furniture.

The Château du Fleckenstein: early 12th century, built by the imperial family of Hohenstaufen, the castle was occupied and turned into an impregnable fortress by the Fleckenstein family. Many activities are offered such as the "Castle of challenges". There is a large selection of 20 games crossing the forest and in the secret rooms of the castle to discover life in the Middle Ages.

The Château de Lichtenberg: built in the early 13th century on a hill overlooking the village, the site includes contemporary space-related cultural activities.

With more than 27 million tourists per year, Bas-Rhin is the 5th largest French department for the number of room-nights for visitors per year.

Other sites of interest are:

Religious monuments edit

 
Strasbourg Cathedral

Strasbourg Cathedral: Strasbourg Cathedral is a masterpiece of Gothic art. Measuring 142 metres high from the Parvise to the top of the tower, it is considered the second largest cathedral in France after that of Rouen. Its astronomical clock dates from the Renaissance and the mechanism dated 1492 is a masterpiece in itself.

The Mont Sainte-Odile: a living spiritual place. Rising to 764 metres, this mountain in Vosges is topped by a monastery founded by Saint-Odile, the patron saint of Alsace. It is a tourist attraction and also a place of pilgrimage.

Museums edit

Museums in Strasbourg

The Alsatian Museum: A museum of art and popular traditions. There is a large collection of utilitarian objects, decorative objects, as well as costumes that depict everyday life in Alsace in the 18th and 19th centuries.

The Strasbourg Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art: Located in the heart of the city of Strasbourg, the Museum of Modern and Contemporary houses nearly 18,000 works divided into three departments: fine arts, graphic art, and photography. Some of the greatest innovators of the 20th century are on display.

The Tomi Ungerer Museum: there is a large collection of drawings, archives, magazines, and toys donated to his hometown by the French illustrator Tomi Ungerer. It also hosts temporary exhibitions.

The Palais Rohan: The Rohan Palace was built between 1731 and 1742 at the request of Armand de Rohan-Soubise, Cardinal and Bishop of Strasbourg, who made his residence in the historic heart of the city. It also hosts the Arts and Crafts Museum, Archaeological Museum, and the Museum of Fine Arts.

Second homes edit

As of 2019, 3.2% of available housing in the department were second homes.[21]

Communes with population over 1,000 and more than 10% of second homes in 2019[22]
Town Municipal population Percentage of
second homes
Wangenbourg-Engenthal 1,332 23.6%
Grendelbruch 1,218 17.2%
Bœrsch 2,442 14.2%
Lembach 1,548 12.8%
Entzheim 2,453 12.2%

Popular traditions edit

The stork edit

The stork is the emblematic bird of Alsace. According to legend, it brings newborn babies wrapped in a cloth tightly in its beak. Having disappeared from the local habitat; it has now returned, being protected and has become an integral part of the landscape. They can be seen mostly on the roofs of public buildings and more on houses.[23]

Traditional costume edit

The traditional Alsatian costume is a symbol of the region. Although it is usually composed of a black hat and a red skirt, the symbol of Alsace, there are many other outfits that vary between villages but also according to the social status of the person. Today virtually disappeared, they can still be seen in some villages at various events and through folk groups.

Festivals edit

Many traditions[24] have their origins in a quest for the meaning of life or in the rites of protection e.g. Christian festivals, even today create the rhythm of life in the villages of the region. The four seasons each have their share of celebrations: crop harvest, grape harvest, employers' feast days, crafts, yard sales, local produce.

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Décret du 15 janvier 2020 portant nomination de la préfète de la région Grand Est, préfète de la zone de défense et de sécurité Est, préfète du Bas-Rhin (hors classe), Légifrance
  2. ^ "Téléchargement du fichier d'ensemble des populations légales en 2020". The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 29 December 2022.
  3. ^ Office pour la Langue et la Culture d’Alsace. "Wàs brücht m'r im Elsàss? Petit lexique français-alsacien" (PDF). oclalsace.org (in French). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-10-09. Retrieved 10 December 2013..
  4. ^ a b "Populations légales en vigueur à compter du 1er janvier 2023: 67 Bas-Rhin" (PDF). INSEE. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
  5. ^ "Le nom des habitants des communes de France - Habitants". www.habitants.fr.
  6. ^ Paris, Nice, Strasbourg, Brest
  7. ^ Decree of 14 March 1793, which reunited 32 communes on the edge of the Rhine with France: "The National Convention, after hearing the report of the diplomatic committee, declares in the name of the people of France that it accepts the vote freely made by the sovereign people of the following towns and communes: Berglabren, Glengenmenster, Billirchein, Oberhofen , Barbelrod, Winten, Dierbach, Pleisweiler , Klingen, Oberhausen, Kleishorbach, Fiderhorbach, Kleiszellen, Kaplen, Herchiersveiler, Horbach, Erlebach, Mertzheim, Steinweiler , Volsfisbeim, Appenhoffen, Heichelheim, Mulheffen, Volmersheim, Nidershorst, Oberhorst, Effingen, Aldorff, Germersheim , Freisbach , Ilvesheim, their enclaves and dependencies; in their primary assemblies, for their reunification with France, and, accordingly, the said towns and communes are an integral part of the French Republic. - Commissioners of the National Convention in the departments of Meurthe, Moselle, and Bas-Rhin are responsible for taking all necessary measures for the execution of the laws of the Republic in those towns and communes as well as sending delegates to the National Convention to enable the setting up of a permanently organization. - These towns and communes form the fifth district of Bas-Rhin. The capital [of the district] will be Landau."
  8. ^ Decree of 30 Pluviôse III (18 February 1795), which reunites several communes in the District of Schelestadt with the district of Senones
  9. ^ Decree of 30 Pluviôse III (18 February 1795): "The communes of Russ, Wisches, Schirmeck, Rothau, Neuviller, Natzwiller, Wildersbach, Waldersbach, and Barembach, part of the district of Sélestat in the department of Bas-Rhin are to be reunited with the District of Senones in the Vosges department."
  10. ^ The Peace Treaty, signed in Paris on 30 May 1814, Article 3: "5° The Fortress of Landau, having been built before the year 1792, is an isolated point in Germany, France is to retain beyond its borders part of the Departments of Mont-Tonnerre and Bas-Rhin to link the fortress of Landau and its radius to the rest of the Kingdom. The new boundaries are, starting from a point near Obersteinbach (which remains outside the limits of France), the boundary between the department of Moselle and Mont-Tonnerre until the department of Bas-Rhin then following the line that separates the Cantons of Weissenbourg and Bergzabern (on the French side), the cantons of Pirmasens, Dahn, and Annweiler (on the German side), to the point where this line, near the village of Wolmersheim, touches the edge of the radius of the fortress of Landau. From this area, which remains as it was in 1792, the new frontier will follow the arm of the Queich river which, on leaving the radius near Queichheim (which remains in France), passes near the villages of Mertenheim, Knittelsheim, and Belheim (also remaining French) to the Rhine, which then continues to form the boundary of France and Germany."
  11. ^ The Treaty of Peace signed in Paris on 30 May 1814, Article 3: "5° [...] On the Rhine, the Thalweg will be the border so that any changes that may occur later in the course of the River will have no effect on the ownership of the islands therein. The state of possession of these islands will be established as it existed at the time of the signing of the Treaty of Luneville."
  12. ^ The Peace Treaty signed at Paris on 20 November 1815 Article I: "The borders of France will be as they were in 1790 except for changes and other matters which are summarized in this present article.
    • 1. [...] Of the border of the country of Saarbrücken: the line of demarcation will be the same that now separates Germany from the departments of Moselle and Bas-Rhin to the Lauter [river], which will then serve as the border until its intersection with the Rhine. All the territory on the left bank of the Lauter, including Landau, will be part of Germany, but the city of Wissenbourg, traversed by the river, will remain wholly in France, with a radius on the left bank not exceeding one thousand Toises [two thousand metres], and will be specifically determined by the commissioners who are responsible for the final boundary.
    • 2. From the mouth of the Lauter, along the departments of Bas-Rhin, Haut-Rhin, Doubs and Jura to the canton of Vaud [Switzerland], the boundaries remain as they were set by the Treaty of Paris. The Thalweg of the Rhine forms the boundary between France and the German states but the ownership of the islands, as will be fixed after a new survey of the course of the river, will remain unchanged with some changes to be submitted in the course of time. Commissioners will be appointed from both sides by the High Contracting Parties within a period of three months to proceed with such survey. Half the bridges between Strasbourg and Kehl belong to France, and the other half to the Grand Duchy of Baden [...]."
  13. ^ Historique du Bas-Rhin, SPLAF
  14. ^ Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE
  15. ^ People who live in France and work in Germany
  16. ^ a b "Présidentielles".
  17. ^ "Résultats de l'élection présidentielle de 1995 par département - Politiquemania".
  18. ^ Nationale, Assemblée. "Assemblée nationale ~ Les députés, le vote de la loi, le Parlement français". Assemblée nationale.
  19. ^ Décret n° 2014-1722 du 29 décembre 2014 portant suppression des arrondissements de Strasbourg-Campagne et de Wissembourg (département du Bas-Rhin)
  20. ^ Décret n° 2014-185 du 18 février 2014 portant délimitation des cantons dans le département du Bas-Rhin
  21. ^ Dossier complet, Catégories et types de logements, INSEE (in French)
  22. ^ "Statistiques locales: Part des résidences secondaires, population municipale". INSEE.
  23. ^ Official site for the protection and reintroduction of storks in Alsace-Lorraine (in French)
  24. ^ See Departmental Association for tourism July 28, 2013, at the Wayback Machine (in French)

External links edit

  • Prefecture website (in French)
  • Bas-Rhin at Curlie (in English)
  • Collectivité européenne d'Alsace (in French)
  • Departmental Archives of Bas-Rhin (in French)
  • Tourism Development agency for Bas-Rhin (in French)
  • (in French)

rhin, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, jstor, 2015, learn, when, re. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Bas Rhin news newspapers books scholar JSTOR May 2015 Learn how and when to remove this template message Bas Rhin French pronunciation bɑ ʁɛ Alsatian Unterelsass s Unterland or s Ingerland 3 traditional German Niederrhein English Lower Rhine is a departement in Alsace which is a part of the Grand Est super region of France The name means Lower Rhine referring to its lower altitude among the two French Rhine departments it is downstream of the Haut Rhin Upper Rhine department Note that both belong to the European Upper Rhine region It is with the Haut Rhin Upper Rhine one of the two departments of the traditional Alsace region which until 1871 also included the area now known as the Territoire de Belfort The more populous and densely populated of the pair it had 1 148 073 inhabitants in 2020 4 The prefecture is based in Strasbourg The INSEE and Post Code is 67 Bas Rhin s Unterland Unterelsass IngerlandDepartmentPrefecture building of the Bas Rhin department in StrasbourgFlagCoat of armsLocation of Bas Rhin in FranceCoordinates 48 49 N 7 47 E 48 817 N 7 783 E 48 817 7 783CountryFranceRegionGrand EstPrefectureStrasbourgSubprefecturesHaguenauMolsheimSaverneSelestatGovernment PrefectJosiane Chevalier 1 Area1 Total4 755 km2 1 836 sq mi Population Jan 2020 2 Total1 148 073 Rank19th Density240 km2 630 sq mi Time zoneUTC 1 CET Summer DST UTC 2 CEST Department number67Arrondissements5Cantons23Communes514 1 French Land Register data which exclude estuaries and lakes ponds and glaciers larger than 1 km2On 1 January 2021 the departemental councils of Bas Rhin and Haut Rhin merged into the European Collectivity of Alsace The inhabitants of the department are known as Bas Rhinois or Bas Rhinoises 5 Contents 1 Geography 1 1 Principal towns 1 2 Climate 2 Etymology 3 History 3 1 Heraldry 4 Demography 4 1 Changing demographics in Bas Rhin 5 Economy 6 Law 7 Politics 7 1 Presidential elections 2nd round 7 2 Current National Assembly Representatives 8 Administration 9 Higher Education 10 Tourism 10 1 Religious monuments 10 2 Museums 10 3 Second homes 11 Popular traditions 11 1 The stork 11 2 Traditional costume 11 3 Festivals 12 See also 13 References 14 External linksGeography editThe Rhine has always been of great historical and economic importance to the area and it forms the eastern border of Bas Rhin The area is also home to some of the foothills of the Vosges Mountains To the north of Bas Rhin lies the Palatinate forest Pfalzerwald in the German State of Rhineland Palatinate and the German State of Baden Wurttemberg lies to the east To the south lies the department of Haut Rhin the town of Colmar and southern Alsace and to the west the department of Moselle On its south western corner Bas Rhin also joins the departments of Vosges and Meurthe et Moselle Principal towns edit The most populous commune is Strasbourg the prefecture As of 2020 there are 7 communes with more than 15 000 inhabitants 4 Commune Population 2020 Strasbourg 290 576Haguenau 35 448Schiltigheim 33 993Illkirch Graffenstaden 27 087Lingolsheim 19 797Selestat 19 279Bischheim 17 520Climate edit The Bas Rhin has a continental type climate characterised by cold dry winters and hot stormy summers due to the western protection provided by the Vosges The average annual temperature is 10 4 C 51 F in the lowlands Entzheim and 7 C 45 F on high ground The annual maximum temperature is high 30 C 86 F The average rainfall is 700 mm 27 56 in per year Established according to data from the Infoclimat station at Strasbourg Entzheim the airport over the period from 1961 to 1990 Lowest temperature 23 2 CColdest day 2 January 1971Highest temperature 37 4 CHottest day 2 July 1952Highest 24 hour rainfall 62 9 mmWettest day 23 May 1978Wettest year 1987 811 1mm Dryest year 1949 392 6mm Comparison of local Meteorological data with other cities in France 6 Town Sunshine nbsp hours yr Rain nbsp mm yr Snow nbsp days yr Storm nbsp days yr Fog nbsp days yr National average 1 973 770 14 22 40Strasbourg 1 693 665 29 29 56Paris 1 661 637 12 18 10Nice 2 724 767 1 29 1Brest 1 605 1 211 7 12 75Climate data for StrasbourgMonth Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec YearMean daily maximum C F 4 5 40 1 6 4 43 5 11 4 52 5 15 7 60 3 20 2 68 4 23 4 74 1 25 7 78 3 25 4 77 7 21 0 69 8 15 3 59 5 8 8 47 8 5 2 41 4 15 3 59 5 Daily mean C F 1 9 35 4 2 9 37 2 7 0 44 6 10 5 50 9 15 0 59 0 18 1 64 6 20 1 68 2 19 8 67 6 15 8 60 4 11 2 52 2 5 8 42 4 2 8 37 0 10 9 51 6 Mean daily minimum C F 0 8 30 6 0 6 30 9 2 5 36 5 5 2 41 4 9 8 49 6 12 8 55 0 14 5 58 1 14 1 57 4 10 6 51 1 7 1 44 8 2 8 37 0 0 4 32 7 6 5 43 7 Average precipitation mm inches 32 2 1 27 34 5 1 36 42 8 1 69 45 9 1 81 81 9 3 22 71 6 2 82 72 7 2 86 61 4 2 42 63 5 2 50 61 5 2 42 47 0 1 85 50 0 1 97 665 0 26 18 Average precipitation days 1 mm 8 4 8 1 9 1 9 2 11 5 10 7 10 8 9 9 8 6 9 5 9 3 9 8 114 9Mean monthly sunshine hours 58 84 135 180 202 224 229 220 164 99 55 43 1 693Source Meteorological data for Strasbourg 150m altitude from 1981 to 2010 January 2015 in French Etymology editBas Rhin is the last French department to have kept the term Bas meaning Lower in its name Other departments using this prefix preferred to change their names e g Basses Pyrenees in 1969 became Pyrenees Atlantiques and Basses Alpes in 1970 became the department of Alpes de Haute Provence The same phenomenon was observed for the inferieur also meaning lower departments such as Charente Inferieure Seine Inferieure and Loire Inferieure History editBas Rhin is one of the original 83 departments created on 4 March 1790 during the French Revolution On 14 January 1790 the National Constituent Assembly decreed That Alsace be divided into two departments with Strasbourg and Colmar as their capitals That the Department of Strasbourg will be divided into three districts That the land of the German princes coming under the sovereignty of France will be included in the division of districts That Landau an enclave in the Palatinate will have special justice The borders of Bas Rhin have changed many times In 1793 it absorbed the following territories newly annexed by France The County of Sarrewerden The County of Drulingen The lordship of Diemeringen The lordship of Asswiller of the Steinkallenfels family Several communes from the Palatinate 7 In 1795 8 the region of Schirmeck where the people did not speak Alsatian was detached from the district of Selestat and attached to Vosges District of Senones 9 In 1808 some territories east of the Rhine were annexed especially the city of Kehl In 1814 after the first Treaty of Paris France gained the territories north of the Lauter from the former department of Mont Tonnerre and including the city of Landau 10 but lost all the territories east of the Rhine 11 In 1815 following the second Treaty of Paris France lost all the territories north of the Lauter 12 and the department was occupied by troops from Baden and Saxony from June 1815 to November 1818 In 1871 Bas Rhin was annexed by Germany by the Treaty of Frankfurt and then became Bezirk Unterelsass in Reichsland Elsass Lothringen In 1919 Bas Rhin became French again Treaty of Versailles and retained the territories that Germany had taken from the department of Vosges in 1871 the Canton of Schirmeck and Canton of Saales Between 1941 and 1944 the Natzweiler Struthof concentration camp was in operation In 1944 Kehl was attached to Bas Rhin before being reassigned to the new West Germany in 1953 In 1982 the department is included in the newly created Alsace region On 7 April 2013 a referendum was held on the creation of a single community in Alsace for joining the Alsace region and the two departments of Haut Rhin and Bas Rhin Strasbourg the chef lieu principal city of Bas Rhin is the official seat of the European Parliament as well as of the Council of Europe Heraldry edit nbsp Arms of Aigrefeuille d Aunis The coat of arms of Bas Rhin is closely linked to the history of Basse Alsace It appeared for the first time in 1262 on a seal of the Counts of Werd who originated from Woerth near Erstein and who became landgrafs of Lower Alsace in 1156 Blazon Gules a bend argent cotised fleury the same Demography editThe demography of Bas Rhin is characterized by high density and high population growth since the 1950s In January 2014 Bas Rhin officially had 1 112 815 inhabitants and was 18th by population at the national level In fifteen years from 1999 to 2014 its population grew by more than 86 000 people or about 5 800 people per year But this variation is differentiated among the 517 communes that make up the department The population density of Bas Rhin is 234 inhabitants per square kilometre in 2014 which is more than twice the average in France which was 112 in 2009 Changing demographics in Bas Rhin edit The first census was conducted in 1801 and this count renewed every five years from 1821 provides precise information on the evolution of population in the department With 540 213 inhabitants in 1831 the department represented 1 66 of the total French population which was then 32 569 000 inhabitants From 1831 to 1866 the department gained 48 757 people an increase of 0 26 on average per year compared to the national average of 0 48 over the same period Demographic change between the Franco Prussian War of 1870 and the First World War was higher than the national average Over this period the population increased by 100 532 inhabitants an increase of 16 74 compared to 10 nationally The population increased by 9 23 between the two world wars from 1921 to 1936 compared to a national growth of 6 9 Like other French departments Bas Rhin experienced a population boom after the Second World War higher than the national level The rate of population growth between 1946 and 2007 was 83 83 compared to 57 nationally Historical populationYearPop p a 1801450 238 1806500 926 2 16 1831540 213 0 30 1836561 859 0 79 1841560 113 0 06 1851587 434 0 48 1856563 855 0 82 1861577 574 0 48 1866588 970 0 39 1872600 406 0 32 1876598 180 0 09 1881612 015 0 46 1886612 077 0 00 1891621 505 0 31 1896638 624 0 54 1901659 432 0 64 1906686 695 0 81 YearPop p a 1911700 938 0 41 1921651 686 0 73 1926670 985 0 59 1931688 242 0 51 1936711 830 0 68 1946673 281 0 56 1954707 934 0 63 1962770 150 1 06 1968827 367 1 20 1975882 121 0 92 1982915 676 0 53 1990953 053 0 50 19991 026 120 0 82 20071 084 840 0 70 20121 104 667 0 36 20171 125 559 0 38 Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki org Source SPLAF 13 and INSEE 14 Economy editThe Bas Rhin department has a high density of SMEs and SMIs and a higher proportion of workers in industry than the national average Tourism activity is intense and creates many indirect jobs The rate of unemployment is among the lowest in France 6 5 The average GDP per capita is 18 795 which places the region as the second largest in France with 2 9 of national GDP Employment is distributed in the following way as a percentage of the labor force Agriculture 8 411 or 2 Crafts and industry 97 349 or 24 2 Building and Public Works 23 928 or 6 0 Tertiary Sector 271 984 or 67 8 Frontaliers 15 28 186 Weighting of the major economic sectors citation needed Trades 11 358 companies comprising Supply 11 Production 21 Building 37 Services 31 Food industry 568 units employing 15 884 employeesCommerce Hypermarkets 15 Supermarkets 117 Other retail 7 507 including non food 5 229Tourism 3 216 hotels with 11 100 roomsLaw editAlsace and the adjacent Moselle department have a legal system slightly different from the rest of France The statutes in question date from the period 1871 1919 when the area was part of the German Empire With the return of Alsace Lorraine to France in 1919 Paris accepted that Alsace and Moselle should retain some local laws in respect of certain matters especially with regard to hunting economic life local government relationships health insurance and social rights It includes notably the absence of any formal separation between church and state several mainstream denominations of the Christian church benefit from state funding in contrast to principles applied in the rest of France Politics editPresidential elections 2nd round edit Election Winning Candidate Party 2nd Place Candidate Party 2022 Emmanuel Macron LREM 58 96 Marine Le Pen FN 41 042017 16 Emmanuel Macron LREM 63 07 Marine Le Pen FN 36 932012 Nicolas Sarkozy UMP 63 44 Francois Hollande PS 36 562007 Nicolas Sarkozy UMP 65 58 Segolene Royal PS 34 422002 16 Jacques Chirac RPR 79 32 Jean Marie Le Pen FN 20 681995 17 Jacques Chirac RPR 58 97 Lionel Jospin PS 41 03Current National Assembly Representatives edit Constituency Member 18 Party1 Central Strasbourg Thierry Michels La Republique En Marche 2 Southern Strasbourg Sylvain Waserman La Republique En Marche 3 Northern Strasbourg Bruno Studer La Republique En Marche 4 Strasbourg Rural South Martine Wonner Ecology Democracy Solidarity5 Selestat Erstein Antoine Herth The Republicans6 Molsheim Laurent Furst The Republicans7 Saverne Patrick Hetzel The Republicans8 Wissembourg Frederic Reiss The Republicans9 Hagenau Vincent Thiebaut La Republique En Marche Administration editThe seat of the General Council is located in Strasbourg in a building designed by the architect Claude Vasconi The current prefect of the Bas Rhin is Stephane Fratacci The representative of the Lower Rhine for the National Youth Council is Mr Gautier Lutz Bas Rhin is composed of five arrondissements Haguenau Wissembourg Molsheim Saverne Selestat Erstein and Strasbourg 19 and 23 cantons 20 Higher Education editThrough its secondary and higher education institutions Alsace is a very important region for students and is very internationally oriented Strasbourg alone welcomes 75 of students in its university Since the merger of three faculties and the IUT of Illkirch and of Schiltigheim it has become one of the largest universities in France There are also renowned institutions such as the National School of Administration ENA the National Institute of Territorial Studies INET the Higher European Institute of Management and the National School of Physics of Strasbourg Tourism edit nbsp Chateau du Haut KœnigsbourgThe Chateau du Haut Kœnigsbourg built in the 12th century the castle of Haut Koenigsbourg dominates the plain of Alsace more than 700 metres 2 297 feet above sea level Destroyed during the Thirty Years War it was restored from 1900 to 1908 by the German Emperor Wilhelm II It houses a large collection of weapons and period furniture The Chateau du Fleckenstein early 12th century built by the imperial family of Hohenstaufen the castle was occupied and turned into an impregnable fortress by the Fleckenstein family Many activities are offered such as the Castle of challenges There is a large selection of 20 games crossing the forest and in the secret rooms of the castle to discover life in the Middle Ages The Chateau de Lichtenberg built in the early 13th century on a hill overlooking the village the site includes contemporary space related cultural activities With more than 27 million tourists per year Bas Rhin is the 5th largest French department for the number of room nights for visitors per year Other sites of interest are Chateau de La Petite Pierre Chateau du Haut Barr Chateau de Diedendorf Chateau d Andlau Chateau de KintzheimReligious monuments edit nbsp Strasbourg CathedralStrasbourg Cathedral Strasbourg Cathedral is a masterpiece of Gothic art Measuring 142 metres high from the Parvise to the top of the tower it is considered the second largest cathedral in France after that of Rouen Its astronomical clock dates from the Renaissance and the mechanism dated 1492 is a masterpiece in itself The Mont Sainte Odile a living spiritual place Rising to 764 metres this mountain in Vosges is topped by a monastery founded by Saint Odile the patron saint of Alsace It is a tourist attraction and also a place of pilgrimage Museums edit Museums in StrasbourgThe Alsatian Museum A museum of art and popular traditions There is a large collection of utilitarian objects decorative objects as well as costumes that depict everyday life in Alsace in the 18th and 19th centuries The Strasbourg Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Located in the heart of the city of Strasbourg the Museum of Modern and Contemporary houses nearly 18 000 works divided into three departments fine arts graphic art and photography Some of the greatest innovators of the 20th century are on display The Tomi Ungerer Museum there is a large collection of drawings archives magazines and toys donated to his hometown by the French illustrator Tomi Ungerer It also hosts temporary exhibitions The Palais Rohan The Rohan Palace was built between 1731 and 1742 at the request of Armand de Rohan Soubise Cardinal and Bishop of Strasbourg who made his residence in the historic heart of the city It also hosts the Arts and Crafts Museum Archaeological Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts Second homes edit As of 2019 3 2 of available housing in the department were second homes 21 Communes with population over 1 000 and more than 10 of second homes in 2019 22 Town Municipal population Percentage ofsecond homesWangenbourg Engenthal 1 332 23 6 Grendelbruch 1 218 17 2 Bœrsch 2 442 14 2 Lembach 1 548 12 8 Entzheim 2 453 12 2 Popular traditions editThe stork edit The stork is the emblematic bird of Alsace According to legend it brings newborn babies wrapped in a cloth tightly in its beak Having disappeared from the local habitat it has now returned being protected and has become an integral part of the landscape They can be seen mostly on the roofs of public buildings and more on houses 23 Traditional costume edit The traditional Alsatian costume is a symbol of the region Although it is usually composed of a black hat and a red skirt the symbol of Alsace there are many other outfits that vary between villages but also according to the social status of the person Today virtually disappeared they can still be seen in some villages at various events and through folk groups Festivals edit Many traditions 24 have their origins in a quest for the meaning of life or in the rites of protection e g Christian festivals even today create the rhythm of life in the villages of the region The four seasons each have their share of celebrations crop harvest grape harvest employers feast days crafts yard sales local produce nbsp Covered Bridge at Strasbourg nbsp Schoenenbourg Fortification of the Maginot line nbsp Church at Niederhaslach nbsp Clock Tower at SelestatSee also editArrondissements of the Bas Rhin departement Cantons of the Bas Rhin departement Communes of the Bas Rhin department sorted by arrondissements and cantons Communities of Communes of the Bas Rhin departement Haut RhinReferences edit Decret du 15 janvier 2020 portant nomination de la prefete de la region Grand Est prefete de la zone de defense et de securite Est prefete du Bas Rhin hors classe Legifrance Telechargement du fichier d ensemble des populations legales en 2020 The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies 29 December 2022 Office pour la Langue et la Culture d Alsace Was brucht m r im Elsass Petit lexique francais alsacien PDF oclalsace org in French Archived PDF from the original on 2022 10 09 Retrieved 10 December 2013 a b Populations legales en vigueur a compter du 1er janvier 2023 67 Bas Rhin PDF INSEE Retrieved 6 January 2023 Le nom des habitants des communes de France Habitants www habitants fr Paris Nice Strasbourg Brest Decree of 14 March 1793 which reunited 32 communes on the edge of the Rhine with France The National Convention after hearing the report of the diplomatic committee declares in the name of the people of France that it accepts the vote freely made by the sovereign people of the following towns and communes Berglabren Glengenmenster Billirchein Oberhofen Barbelrod Winten Dierbach Pleisweiler Klingen Oberhausen Kleishorbach Fiderhorbach Kleiszellen Kaplen Herchiersveiler Horbach Erlebach Mertzheim Steinweiler Volsfisbeim Appenhoffen Heichelheim Mulheffen Volmersheim Nidershorst Oberhorst Effingen Aldorff Germersheim Freisbach Ilvesheim their enclaves and dependencies in their primary assemblies for their reunification with France and accordingly the said towns and communes are an integral part of the French Republic Commissioners of the National Convention in the departments of Meurthe Moselle and Bas Rhin are responsible for taking all necessary measures for the execution of the laws of the Republic in those towns and communes as well as sending delegates to the National Convention to enable the setting up of a permanently organization These towns and communes form the fifth district of Bas Rhin The capital of the district will be Landau Decree of 30 Pluviose III 18 February 1795 which reunites several communes in the District of Schelestadt with the district of Senones Decree of 30 Pluviose III 18 February 1795 The communes of Russ Wisches Schirmeck Rothau Neuviller Natzwiller Wildersbach Waldersbach and Barembach part of the district of Selestat in the department of Bas Rhin are to be reunited with the District of Senones in the Vosges department The Peace Treaty signed in Paris on 30 May 1814 Article 3 5 The Fortress of Landau having been built before the year 1792 is an isolated point in Germany France is to retain beyond its borders part of the Departments of Mont Tonnerre and Bas Rhin to link the fortress of Landau and its radius to the rest of the Kingdom The new boundaries are starting from a point near Obersteinbach which remains outside the limits of France the boundary between the department of Moselle and Mont Tonnerre until the department of Bas Rhin then following the line that separates the Cantons of Weissenbourg and Bergzabern on the French side the cantons of Pirmasens Dahn and Annweiler on the German side to the point where this line near the village of Wolmersheim touches the edge of the radius of the fortress of Landau From this area which remains as it was in 1792 the new frontier will follow the arm of the Queich river which on leaving the radius near Queichheim which remains in France passes near the villages of Mertenheim Knittelsheim and Belheim also remaining French to the Rhine which then continues to form the boundary of France and Germany The Treaty of Peace signed in Paris on 30 May 1814 Article 3 5 On the Rhine the Thalweg will be the border so that any changes that may occur later in the course of the River will have no effect on the ownership of the islands therein The state of possession of these islands will be established as it existed at the time of the signing of the Treaty of Luneville The Peace Treaty signed at Paris on 20 November 1815 Article I The borders of France will be as they were in 1790 except for changes and other matters which are summarized in this present article 1 Of the border of the country of Saarbrucken the line of demarcation will be the same that now separates Germany from the departments of Moselle and Bas Rhin to the Lauter river which will then serve as the border until its intersection with the Rhine All the territory on the left bank of the Lauter including Landau will be part of Germany but the city of Wissenbourg traversed by the river will remain wholly in France with a radius on the left bank not exceeding one thousand Toises two thousand metres and will be specifically determined by the commissioners who are responsible for the final boundary 2 From the mouth of the Lauter along the departments of Bas Rhin Haut Rhin Doubs and Jura to the canton of Vaud Switzerland the boundaries remain as they were set by the Treaty of Paris The Thalweg of the Rhine forms the boundary between France and the German states but the ownership of the islands as will be fixed after a new survey of the course of the river will remain unchanged with some changes to be submitted in the course of time Commissioners will be appointed from both sides by the High Contracting Parties within a period of three months to proceed with such survey Half the bridges between Strasbourg and Kehl belong to France and the other half to the Grand Duchy of Baden Historique du Bas Rhin SPLAF Population en historique depuis 1968 INSEE People who live in France and work in Germany a b Presidentielles Resultats de l election presidentielle de 1995 par departement Politiquemania Nationale Assemblee Assemblee nationale Les deputes le vote de la loi le Parlement francais Assemblee nationale Decret n 2014 1722 du 29 decembre 2014 portant suppression des arrondissements de Strasbourg Campagne et de Wissembourg departement du Bas Rhin Decret n 2014 185 du 18 fevrier 2014 portant delimitation des cantons dans le departement du Bas Rhin Dossier complet Categories et types de logements INSEE in French Statistiques locales Part des residences secondaires population municipale INSEE Official site for the protection and reintroduction of storks in Alsace Lorraine in French See Departmental Association for tourism Archived July 28 2013 at the Wayback Machine in French External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bas Rhin Prefecture website in French Bas Rhin at Curlie in English Collectivite europeenne d Alsace in French Departmental Archives of Bas Rhin in French Tourism Development agency for Bas Rhin in French Official website for Tourism in Alsace in French Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Bas Rhin amp oldid 1185116564, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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