Haut-Rhin
Encyclopedia
Haut-Rhin is a département of the Alsace
region
of France, named after the Rhine river. Its name means Upper Rhine. Haut-Rhin is the smaller and less populated of the two departements of Alsace, although is still densely populated compared to the rest of France.
:
, on 4 March 1790 through the application of the law of 22 December 1789 in respect of the southern half of the province
of Alsace
(Haute-Alsace
).
Its boundaries have been modified many times:
and Vosges
départements and the Vosges Mountains
to the west, the Bas-Rhin
département to the North, Switzerland to the south and its eastern border with Germany is also the River Rhine. In the centre of the département lies a fertile plain. The climate is semi-continental.
is the home of a Peugeot
automobile factory, manufacturing the 106 and 206 models. The lowest unemployment rate in France can be found in the Southern Sundgau region (approximately 2%). The countryside is marked by hills. Many Haut-Rhinois work in Switzerland, especially in the chemical industries of Basel
, but prefer to commute from France where living cost are lower.
Alsace and the adjacent Moselle department
apply their own legal code for certain areas of the law. 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, many in central government assumed that the recovered territories would be subject to French law.
Local resistance to a total acceptance of the French legal code arose in Alsace because in various respects reforms under Bismarck
had left Germany with a relatively advanced legal system, especially with regard to civil and social rights. After much discussion and uncertainty, Paris accepted in 1924 that Alsace should retain its German originating laws in respect of certain matters, especially with regard to hunting, economic life, local government relationships, health insurance and social rights. Since many of the relevant texts have never been formally translated, occasions continue to arise where reference has to be made to German-language texts.
Numerous other anomalies arise which challenge the centralising instincts of the state
. These include the absence, in Alsace and Moselle, of any formal separation between church and state
, and the fact that where trains
run on double tracks, the rule is that they should travel on the right-hand track. In the rest of France the trains, unlike the cars, travel on the left.
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...
region
Régions of France
France is divided into 27 administrative regions , 22 of which are in Metropolitan France, and five of which are overseas. Corsica is a territorial collectivity , but is considered a region in mainstream usage, and is even shown as such on the INSEE website...
of France, named after the Rhine river. Its name means Upper Rhine. Haut-Rhin is the smaller and less populated of the two departements of Alsace, although is still densely populated compared to the rest of France.
Subdivisions
The department consists of the following arrondissementsArrondissements of France
The 101 French departments are divided into 342 arrondissements, which may be translated into English as districts.The capital of an arrondissement/district is called a subprefecture...
:
- AltkirchArrondissement of AltkirchThe arrondissement of Altkirch is an arrondissement of France, located in the Haut-Rhin département, in the Alsace région. It has four cantons and 111 communes.-Cantons:The cantons of the arrondissement of Altkirch are:# Altkirch# Dannemarie...
- ColmarArrondissement of ColmarThe arrondissement of Colmar is an arrondissement of France, located in the Haut-Rhin département, in the Alsace région. It has 6 cantons and 62 communes...
- GuebwillerArrondissement of GuebwillerThe arrondissement of Guebwiller is an arrondissement of France, located in the Haut-Rhin département, in the Alsace région. It has 4 cantons and 47 communes.-Cantons:The cantons of the arrondissement of Guebwiller are:# Ensisheim# Guebwiller...
- MulhouseArrondissement of MulhouseThe arrondissement of Mulhouse is an arrondissement of France, located in the Haut-Rhin département, in the Alsace région. It has 9 cantons and 73 communes.-Cantons:The cantons of the arrondissement of Mulhouse are:# Habsheim# Huningue# Illzach...
- RibeauvilléArrondissement of RibeauvilléThe arrondissement of Ribeauvillé is an arrondissement of France, located in the Haut-Rhin département, in the Alsace région. It has 4 cantons and 32 communes.-Cantons:The cantons of the arrondissement of Ribeauvillé are:# Kaysersberg# Lapoutroie...
- ThannArrondissement of ThannThe arrondissement of Thann is an arrondissement of France, located in the Haut-Rhin département, in the Alsace région. It has 4 cantons and 52 communes.-Cantons:The cantons of the arrondissement of Thann are:# Cernay# Masevaux# Saint-Amarin...
History
Haut-Rhin is one of the original 83 départements, created during the French RevolutionFrench 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...
, on 4 March 1790 through the application of the law of 22 December 1789 in respect of the southern half of the province
Provinces of France
The Kingdom of France was organised into provinces until March 4, 1790, when the establishment of the département system superseded provinces. The provinces of France were roughly equivalent to the historic counties of England...
of 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...
(Haute-Alsace
Haute-Alsace
Upper Alsace, was the name of a district in the southern part of Alsace-Lorraine when it was part of the German Empire from 1871 to 1918.It comprised the subdistricts of# Altkirch within the Sundgau# Colmar...
).
Its boundaries have been modified many times:
- 1798, it absorbed MulhouseMulhouseMulhouse |mill]] hamlet) is a city and commune in eastern France, close to the Swiss and German borders. With a population of 110,514 and 278,206 inhabitants in the metropolitan area in 2006, it is the largest city in the Haut-Rhin département, and the second largest in the Alsace region after...
, formerly a free cityFree cityFree city may refer to:* City-state, region controlled exclusively by a sovereign city* Free city a self-governed city during the Hellenistic and Roman Imperial eras* Free City , album by the St...
, and the last SwissSwitzerlandSwitzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
enclave in the south of Alsace; - 1800, it absorbed the whole département of Mont-TerribleMont-TerribleMont-Terrible was one of the 130 départements of Napoleonic France, with its capital at Porrentruy.The Mont Terrible for which the département was named is now known as mont Terri, a peak of 804 m near Courgenay, now in the canton of Jura, Switzerland.The département was created in 1793 with the...
; - 1814, it lost the territories which had been part of Mont-TerribleMont-TerribleMont-Terrible was one of the 130 départements of Napoleonic France, with its capital at Porrentruy.The Mont Terrible for which the département was named is now known as mont Terri, a peak of 804 m near Courgenay, now in the canton of Jura, Switzerland.The département was created in 1793 with the...
, which were returned to SwitzerlandSwitzerlandSwitzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, except for the old principality of MontbéliardMontbéliardMontbéliard is a city in the Doubs department in the Franche-Comté region in eastern France. It is one of the two subprefectures of the department.-History:...
; - 1816, it lost Montbéliard, which was transferred to the département of Doubs;
- 1871, it was mostly annexed by GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
(Treaty of FrankfurtTreaty of Frankfurt (1871)The Treaty of Frankfurt was a peace treaty signed in Frankfurt on 10 May 1871, at the end of the Franco-Prussian War.- Summary :The treaty did the following:...
). The remaining French part formed the Territoire de BelfortTerritoire de BelfortThe Territoire de Belfort is a department in the Franche-Comté region of eastern France.-Administration:Its departmental code is 90, and its prefecture is Belfort...
in 1922; - 1919, it was reverted to France (Treaty of VersaillesTreaty of VersaillesThe Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June 1919, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The other Central Powers on the German side of...
) but remains administratively separated from BelfortBelfortBelfort is a commune in the Territoire de Belfort department in Franche-Comté in northeastern France and is the prefecture of the department. It is located on the Savoureuse, on the strategically important natural route between the Rhine and the Rhône – the Belfort Gap or Burgundian Gate .-...
. - 1940, it was annexed by Nazi GermanyNazi GermanyNazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
. - 1944, it was recovered by France.
Geography
Haut-Rhin is bordered by the Territoire de BelfortTerritoire de Belfort
The Territoire de Belfort is a department in the Franche-Comté region of eastern France.-Administration:Its departmental code is 90, and its prefecture is Belfort...
and Vosges
Vosges
Vosges is a French department, named after the local mountain range. It contains the hometown of Joan of Arc, Domrémy.-History:The Vosges department is one of the original 83 departments of France, created on February 9, 1790 during the French Revolution. It was made of territories that had been...
départements and the Vosges Mountains
Vosges mountains
For the department of France of the same name, see Vosges.The Vosges are a range of low mountains in eastern France, near its border with Germany. They extend along the west side of the Rhine valley in a northnortheast direction, mainly from Belfort to Saverne...
to the west, 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 :...
département to the North, Switzerland to the south and its eastern border with Germany is also the River Rhine. In the centre of the département lies a fertile plain. The climate is semi-continental.
Economy
Haut-Rhin is one of the richest French départements. MulhouseMulhouse
Mulhouse |mill]] hamlet) is a city and commune in eastern France, close to the Swiss and German borders. With a population of 110,514 and 278,206 inhabitants in the metropolitan area in 2006, it is the largest city in the Haut-Rhin département, and the second largest in the Alsace region after...
is the home of a Peugeot
Peugeot
Peugeot is a major French car brand, part of PSA Peugeot Citroën, the second largest carmaker based in Europe.The family business that precedes the current Peugeot company was founded in 1810, and manufactured coffee mills and bicycles. On 20 November 1858, Emile Peugeot applied for the lion...
automobile factory, manufacturing the 106 and 206 models. The lowest unemployment rate in France can be found in the Southern Sundgau region (approximately 2%). The countryside is marked by hills. Many Haut-Rhinois work in Switzerland, especially in the chemical industries of Basel
Basel
Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...
, but prefer to commute from France where living cost are lower.
Law
See also the French wikipedia entry (in French) on local law in Alsace for a summary of the position, or the English wikipedia entry (in English) for a brief summary on the same subject.Alsace and the adjacent Moselle department
Moselle
Moselle is a department in the east of France named after the river Moselle.- History :Moselle is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790...
apply their own legal code for certain areas of the law. The statutes in question date from the period 1871 - 1919 when the area was part of the German Empire
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
. With the return of Alsace-Lorraine to France
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June 1919, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The other Central Powers on the German side of...
in 1919, many in central government assumed that the recovered territories would be subject to French law.
Local resistance to a total acceptance of the French legal code arose in Alsace because in various respects reforms under Bismarck
Otto von Bismarck
Otto Eduard Leopold, Prince of Bismarck, Duke of Lauenburg , simply known as Otto von Bismarck, was a Prussian-German statesman whose actions unified Germany, made it a major player in world affairs, and created a balance of power that kept Europe at peace after 1871.As Minister President of...
had left Germany with a relatively advanced legal system, especially with regard to civil and social rights. After much discussion and uncertainty, Paris accepted in 1924 that Alsace should retain its German originating laws in respect of certain matters, especially with regard to hunting, economic life, local government relationships, health insurance and social rights. Since many of the relevant texts have never been formally translated, occasions continue to arise where reference has to be made to German-language texts.
Numerous other anomalies arise which challenge the centralising instincts of the state
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...
. These include the absence, in Alsace and Moselle, of any formal separation between church and state
Laïcité
French secularism, in French, laïcité is a concept denoting the absence of religious involvement in government affairs as well as absence of government involvement in religious affairs. French secularism has a long history but the current regime is based on the 1905 French law on the Separation of...
, and the fact that where trains
SNCF
The SNCF , is France's national state-owned railway company. SNCF operates the country's national rail services, including the TGV, France's high-speed rail network...
run on double tracks, the rule is that they should travel on the right-hand track. In the rest of France the trains, unlike the cars, travel on the left.
See also
- Cantons of the Haut-Rhin department
- Communes of the Haut-Rhin department
- Arrondissements of the Haut-Rhin department