The Ochsenfeld is a plain in the
Alsatian region of
France. It extends from the outlet of the upper
Thur valley in the west to the Hardt Forest, and from
Sundgau
Sundgau ( or ; ) is a geographical territory in the southern Alsace region ( Haut Rhin and Belfort), on the eastern edge of France. The name is derived from Alemannic German ''Sunt- gowe'' ("South shire"), denoting an Alemannic county in the Old ...
in the south to
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.
Amo ...
in the north. The name is derived from the German words "ochsen" (oxen) and "feld" (field), meaning "cattle pasture". It refers to the fact the during the Middle Ages, the area was used entirely for
animal husbandry
Animal husbandry is the branch of agriculture concerned with animals that are raised for meat, fibre, milk, or other products. It includes day-to-day care, selective breeding, and the raising of livestock. Husbandry has a long history, startin ...
, with many cattle markets being held there.
Ochsenfeld is also the name of a place between
Cernay and
Wittelsheim
Wittelsheim is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Grand Est in north-eastern France.
Population
See also
* Communes of the Haut-Rhin department
The following is a list of the 366 communes of the French department
Department may ref ...
in the department
Haut-Rhin. In this place the
archaeological remains of the
Battle of Vosges were found. The forces of the Roman Empire fought there against a Germanic tribe in the fiercest battle of that time. Legend has it that this battle triggered the foundation of
Mulhouse. A chapel in Cernay is named after the Ochsenfeld.
[ Chapelle Notre-Dame-du-Perpétuel-Secours, dite chapelle de l'Ochsenfeld]
Further reading
* M. Ingold: L'Ochsenfeld, ses antiquités, ses traditions, Impr. de Vve-Berger-Levrault, 1862
References
External links
F. Zégierman: L'OchsenfeldBattle of VosgesThe Roman camp of Aspach
Natural regions of France
Plains of France
Landforms of Haut-Rhin
{{HautRhin-geo-stub