commune
A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to:
Administrative-territorial entities
* Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township
** Communes of ...
in the
Bas Rhin
Bas-Rhin (; Alsatian: ''Unterelsàss'', ' or '; traditional german: links=no, Niederrhein; en, Lower Rhine) is a department in Alsace which is a part of the Grand Est super-region of France. The name means 'Lower Rhine', referring to its low ...
département in
Alsace
Alsace (, ; ; Low Alemannic German/ gsw-FR, Elsàss ; german: Elsass ; la, Alsatia) is a cultural region and a territorial collectivity in eastern France, on the west bank of the upper Rhine next to Germany and Switzerland. In 2020, it had ...
in north-eastern France.INSEE commune file /ref>
It is located northeast of
Villé
Villé (; ) is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department and Grand Est region of north-eastern France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas re ...
, on the left bank of the river
Giessen
Giessen, spelled Gießen in German (), is a town in the German state (''Bundesland'') of Hesse, capital of both the district of Giessen and the administrative region of Giessen. The population is approximately 90,000, with roughly 37,000 univer ...
close to the valley of Erlenbach, from which it derives its name. To the North and West it is bounded by mountains leading to the communes of Hohwald and Breitenbach. To the East is the peak of Ungersberg. Numerous streams flow from this mounting and the buttresses of the Champ du Feu to the north, which merge to form the brook of the Erlenberg. This river formerly flowed down the main street of the village, but has now been covered. The village is at approximately altitude.
Until 1867 the village was known by its German name Erlenbach (in a number of variations) (In romance languages ''Erlen'' shortens to 'Al' and ''bach'' becomes ''ba'' and thence ''bé''). The name Albé was formally adopted in 1919.
Under
Louis XIV
, house = Bourbon
, father = Louis XIII
, mother = Anne of Austria
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France
, death_date =
, death_place = Palace of Ver ...
it was awarded a coat of arms emblazoned "Azure, three chevrons Argent". The Azure perhaps suggests the river and the three chevrons a narrow boxed valley.
History
The village is first mentioned in 1303 as a possession of the
Habsburg Empire
The Habsburg monarchy (german: Habsburgermonarchie, ), also known as the Danubian monarchy (german: Donaumonarchie, ), or Habsburg Empire (german: Habsburgerreich, ), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities ...
. A growth in the population, as a result of an expansion in farming, viticulture and forestry led to the demands by the abbot of Honcourt for the construction of a church which was begun by 1342.
From the 13th to the 15th century, the area was repeatedly occupied by various armies loyal to the German Emperor or the Pope; the villages suffered greatly, especially during the winter of 1444–1445. The nearby camp of
Armagnacs
The Armagnac faction was prominent in French politics and warfare during the Hundred Years' War. It was allied with the supporters of Charles, Duke of Orléans against John the Fearless after Charles' father Louis of Orléans was killed on a ...
, stationed in Châtenois, may have plundered Albé and other villages in the region; however the relative inaccessibility of the area, and the passage of Burgundian troops saved the town from destruction.
During the Easter of 1525, the peasantry of Albé took part in a revolt and the Abbeys of Honcourt and Baumgarten were destroyed. The revolt was crushed by troops from
Lorraine
Lorraine , also , , ; Lorrain: ''Louréne''; Lorraine Franconian: ''Lottringe''; german: Lothringen ; lb, Loutrengen; nl, Lotharingen is a cultural and historical region in Northeastern France, now located in the administrative region of Gra ...
on 20 May 1525, and Albé was named by the Lord of
Ensisheim
Ensisheim (; gsw-FR, Anze) is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. It is also the birthplace of the composer Léon Boëllmann. The Germanic origins of the village's name reflect the area's history.
Amon ...
as among those responsible for the sacking of the abbeys, and liable for reprisal. Fire spread through the village in 1575 resulting in the destruction of 42 houses and the church.
The town suffered again during the
Thirty Years War
The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history, lasting from 1618 to 1648. Fought primarily in Central Europe, an estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died as a result of battl ...
. After attempting to resist Swedish troops, the town was looted and laid waste. After the war, the town grew again and there was an influx of people from many different backgrounds, who brought with them their architectural traditions. A century of peace brought prosperity based again on viticulture, and during the 18th century many grand lintel frame houses were built.
The French revolution brought a mixture of fear and hope, and the town preserves a tree of freedom, a
lime
Lime commonly refers to:
* Lime (fruit), a green citrus fruit
* Lime (material), inorganic materials containing calcium, usually calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide
* Lime (color), a color between yellow and green
Lime may also refer to:
Botany ...
planted in 1795 in the village square. The church had been enlarged in 1752, and by 1802 the village had a full-time vicar and obtained the status of parish.
At the end of the 19th century the farmland was becoming exhausted and the spread of phylloxera gravely affected the town and the population shrank.
Coal mines
Coal mining is the process of extracting coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron fro ...
are operating in the village.
Population
Economy
The town is principally known for its wine, it is the only town in the valley to produce its own ''vin d'Alsace''. The vineyards are on sunny slopes. The vineyards now cover about , and this area is expected to increase as hillsides are improved for the purpose. Most of the grapes are processed locally. The forest surrounding the town () is largely held in common, though some is privately managed for chestnuts and fuel.
There is little industry in Albé, and even cottage industries such as weaving are not significant. However the production of brandy has taken place on a commercial scale.
mairie
In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...