Goxwiller
Encyclopedia
Goxwiller is a commune
in the Bas-Rhin
department in Alsace
in north-eastern France
.
and for traditional artisanal trades such as carpentry
, clog
making, leather tanning and book binding.
In recent decades aspects of the village have been sensitively renovated in order to encourage the tourist trade: the eighteenth century former bakery, which had fallen into disrepair, has been acquired by the local commune and is once again able to bake bread and Flammkuchen, albeit only on special occasions.
comprised a single entity for administrative purposes both civil and ecclesiastical: the heraldic shield depicts two linked rings in order to symbolise this ancient union
First mentioned in 920 (initially as Getenesvillare, then as Gokesvilre, Gotesviller and finally as Goxwiller) the village was under the control of various abbeys during the medieval period, the last of these being the Abbey of Niedermunster to which Goxwiller was enfeoffed until 1522. From then until 1789
Goxwiller, along with the entire Lordship of Barr
of which it by then formed a part, came under the authority of the city of Strasbourg
. The early modern period was one of much warring and destruction across Alsace
, but the nineteenth century was one of relative tranquility and growing prosperity: Goxwiller was one of several communes to benefit from the growth of viticulture
during these years.
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in the Bas-Rhin
Bas-Rhin
Bas-Rhin is a department of France. The name means "Lower Rhine". It is the more populous and densely populated of the two departments of the Alsace region, with 1,079,013 inhabitants in 2006.- History :...
department in Alsace
Alsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
in north-eastern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Geography
Goxwiller is effectively a one-street village between flat arable land to one side and southward sloping vineyards to the other. It has become known for viticultureViticulture
Viticulture is the science, production and study of grapes which deals with the series of events that occur in the vineyard. When the grapes are used for winemaking, it is also known as viniculture...
and for traditional artisanal trades such as carpentry
Carpentry
A carpenter is a skilled craftsperson who works with timber to construct, install and maintain buildings, furniture, and other objects. The work, known as carpentry, may involve manual labor and work outdoors....
, clog
Clog
Clog may refer to:* clog , a shoe with a rigid, often wooden, sole* A blockage in plumbing* A British brand of rock-climbing equipment owned by Wild Country * Clogging, a traditional type of percussive folk dance...
making, leather tanning and book binding.
In recent decades aspects of the village have been sensitively renovated in order to encourage the tourist trade: the eighteenth century former bakery, which had fallen into disrepair, has been acquired by the local commune and is once again able to bake bread and Flammkuchen, albeit only on special occasions.
History
From earliest times, Goxwiller and the neighbouring commune of BourgheimBourgheim
Bourgheim is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*...
comprised a single entity for administrative purposes both civil and ecclesiastical: the heraldic shield depicts two linked rings in order to symbolise this ancient union
First mentioned in 920 (initially as Getenesvillare, then as Gokesvilre, Gotesviller and finally as Goxwiller) the village was under the control of various abbeys during the medieval period, the last of these being the Abbey of Niedermunster to which Goxwiller was enfeoffed until 1522. From then until 1789
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
Goxwiller, along with the entire Lordship of Barr
Barr, Bas-Rhin
Barr is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-History:Barr was originally an imperial property, but in 1522 the Habsburgs leased it to Nicolas Ziegler, and a few years later give him the freehold. Ziegler's sons sold Barr to the city of Strasbourg...
of which it by then formed a part, came under the authority of the city of Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
. The early modern period was one of much warring and destruction across Alsace
Alsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
, but the nineteenth century was one of relative tranquility and growing prosperity: Goxwiller was one of several communes to benefit from the growth of viticulture
Viticulture
Viticulture is the science, production and study of grapes which deals with the series of events that occur in the vineyard. When the grapes are used for winemaking, it is also known as viniculture...
during these years.