Montbéliard (; traditional ) is a town in the

Doubs Doubs (, ; ; ) is a department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in Eastern France. Named after the river Doubs, it had a population of 543,974 in 2019.department in the

Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Bourgogne-Franche-Comté (; , sometimes abbreviated BFC; Arpitan: ''Borgogne-Franche-Comtât'') is a region in eastern France created by the 2014 territorial reform of French regions, from a merger of Burgundy and Franche-Comté. The new region ...

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...

in eastern

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, about from the border with

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

. It is one of the two subprefectures of the department.

History

Montbéliard is mentioned as early as 983 as . The County of Montbéliard or Mömpelgard was a feudal

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

of the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...

from 1033 to 1796. In 1283, it was granted rights under charter by Count Reginald. Its charter guaranteed the county perpetual liberties and franchises which lasted until the French Revolution in 1789. Montbéliard's original municipal institutions included the Magistracy of the Nine Bourgeois, the Corp of the Eighteen and the Notables, a Mayor, and Procurator, and appointed "Chazes", who all participated in the administration of the county as provided by the charter. Also under the 1283 charter, the Count and the people of Montbéliard were required by law to defend Montbéliard, while citizens of Montbéliard were not required to fight in any wars outside of the county. Altogether, the charter lent Montbéliard a democratic air remarkable for its time. In 1397 the county passed by marriage of Henriette, heiress of the county to Eberhard IV, Count of Württemberg, to the

House of Württemberg The House of Württemberg is an uradel, ancient German nobility, German dynasty and former royal family of the Kingdom of Württemberg. History County The House probably originated in the vicinity of the Salian dynasty. Around 1080 the ancestors ...

. In 1520, Duke Ulrich of Württemberg was ousted from the duchy by the Swabian League, and retreated to Montbéliard, the only territory he still possessed. From there on, Ulrich used Montbéliard as a base of operations to raise troops to retake Württemberg, but, in dire need of funds, he decided to lease Montbéliard to his half-brother George. In 1534, still in need of funds, Ulrich simply sold Montbéliard to Francis I of France, though with the right to repurchase, which Ulrich exercised after his restoration to Württemberg in 1536. Still governing Montbéliard as its count, George attempted to strengthen

Lutheranism Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...

in the county, eventually succeeding in suppressing the other confessions fully. From 1598 to 1608, the architect Heinrich Schickhardt built several landmarks in the city, including St. Martin, a castle, a bridge, a college and several hotels. After the French Revolution, Montbéliard was briefly incorporated into the Rauracian Republic. In 1793 the town was annexed to France, which was confirmed in 1796 and by the

German Mediatisation German mediatisation (; ) was the major redistribution and reshaping of territorial holdings that took place between 1802 and 1814 in Germany by means of the subsumption and Secularization (church property), secularisation of a large number of ...

of 1806, when Württemberg was compensated with other areas, and became a kingdom. As a consequence of the former rule under the dukes of Württemberg, it has been for centuries one of the few Protestant enclaves in France. The Württemberg coat of arms from 1495 represents Montbéliard as two jumping fish on a red field. For details of the local events of the Second World War, see

Sochaux Sochaux () is a commune in the Doubs department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in eastern France. Geography Sochaux lies east of Montbéliard, and southeast of Paris. Population Inhabitants are known as ''Sochaliens''. Economy ...

Population

As of 2021, Montbéliard proper has nearly 26,000 inhabitants, but it is at the center of a larger

urban area An urban area is a human settlement with a high population density and an infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas originate through urbanization, and researchers categorize them as cities, towns, conurbations or suburbs. In urbani ...

(''aire d'attraction d'une ville'') with a population of 180,000. This urban area covers 137 communes, of which several in the adjacent departments of

Haute-Saône Haute-Saône (; Frainc-Comtou: ''Hâte-Saône''; English: Upper Saône) is a department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region of northeastern France. Named after the river Saône, it had a population of 235,313 in 2019.

(notably Héricourt) and

Territoire de Belfort The Territoire de Belfort (; "Territory of Belfort") is a department in the northeastern French region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. In 2020 it had a population of 140,120. The Hôtel de Ville was completed in 1776.

Economy

Montbéliard and the surrounding region constitute an important manufacturing centre mainly based on metallurgy and the car industry. The main manufacturing plant of the

Peugeot Peugeot (, , ) is a French automobile brand owned by Stellantis. The family business that preceded the current Peugeot companies was established in 1810, making it the oldest car company in the world. On 20 November 1858, Émile Peugeot applie ...

automobile company is partly located in Montbéliard and has around 20,000 employees. In the area, the automotive industry accounts for 34,000 employees in more than 100 companies. The Peugeot company's

museum A museum is an institution dedicated to displaying or Preservation (library and archive), preserving culturally or scientifically significant objects. Many museums have exhibitions of these objects on public display, and some have private colle ...

is located in the adjacent commune of

. Montbéliard is the centre of the 'Pays de Montbéliard', a metropolitan area of 132,000 inhabitants.

Main sights

* The

Château de Montbéliard The Château de Montbéliard (Montbeliard Castle), also known as the Château des ducs de Württemberg (Castle of the Dukes of Württemberg) is a fortress located on an outcropping rock that overlooks the town of Montbéliard in the Doubs ''dé ...

, the castle of the Dukes of Württemberg. As the residence of the Counts of Montbéliard, the history of the castle is closely linked with the story of the families that reigned over the county for more than eight centuries. Built on a rocky promontory at the confluence of the Lizaine and Allan valleys, this stronghold, which already existed in the 10th century, was constantly transformed during the course of the centuries. Today, on the northern side of the edifice, one can admire the Henriette Tower (reconstructed by Countess Henriette in approximately 1424), the Frédéric Tower (1572 and 1595) and the main building dating back to the 18th century. The castle has become the Museum of the Castle of the Dukes of Württemberg, which includes a historical tour, an important archaeological department whose collections come mainly from excavations of local Gallo-Roman sites, the Cuvier natural history gallery and exhibits of paintings and sculptures of international renown. On the esplanade of the Castle, the Clock pavilion or Hôtel du Bailli (Bailli's quarters, also known as the gentlemen's quarters), built according to plans of the architect Schickhardt at the beginning of the 17th century, houses today the Academy of Music. * The Museum of Art and History Beurnier Rossel. The Beurnier-Rossel mansion, located opposite St. Martin's church, near the Hôtel de Ville, stands as a witness to the lifestyle of the urban bourgeoisie during the 18h and 19th centuries. Today it houses the Museum of Art and History. The restored 18th-century reception rooms on the first floor contain furniture, paintings, chandeliers and draperies which recreate the ambience of a private residence. On the second floor, there is an exhibit of objects relating to the history of the town and local life (bibles, liturgical vessels, traditional headdresses etc.) and the collection of music boxes made by L'Épée is exhibited in the attic. * Saint-Martin Protestant Church. Saint Martin Protestant Church was built between 1601 and 1607 and is the work of Heinrich Schickhardt, the architect of Frederic 1st Prince of Montbéliard, in its purest form. It is also the oldest church in France dedicated to the Reformation form of worship. * Saint Maimboeuf Church. Built between 1850 and 1875 on the Cardinal Mathieu's request to assert the Catholic reconquest over Lutheranism, Saint Maimboeuf Church dominates the town. It includes rich façade adornments and a polychrome altarpiece.

Climate

Due to its interior position within France, Montbéliard features an

oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen climate classification, Köppen classification represented as ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of co ...

(Cfb), bordering on a

warm-summer humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...

(Dfb), under the Köppen system. This leads to cold, snowy winters and warm to hot, humid summers.

Sport

Montbeliard's most popular sports club is FCSM (Football Club Sochaux-Montbéliard). Founded in 1928, FC Sochaux-Montbéliard was a founder member of the French professional Football League. The club has played a record 62 seasons in

Ligue 1 Ligue 1 (; ), officially known as Ligue 1 McDonald's France, McDonald's for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in France and the highest level of the French football league system. Administered by the Ligue de ...

, the most of any club in the French football league system. This consistency contributed to the fact that FCSM, though a small club, has won all the possible national trophies.

FC Sochaux-Montbéliard Football Club Sochaux-Montbéliard (; commonly referred to as FCSM or simply Sochaux) is a Football in France, French association football club based in the city of Montbéliard. The club was founded in 1928 and currently plays in Championnat N ...

honours: * League Champions of France in 1935 and 1938 * League runners-up in 1937, 1953 and 1980 * Champions of the French Second Division in 1947 and 2001 * French Cup winners in 1937 and 2007 * French Cup runners-up in 1959, 1967 and 1988 * League Cup winners in 2004 * League Cup runners-up in 2003 * Coupe Drago (former French League Cup) winners in 1953, 1963 and 1964 * Seven times UEFA Cup participation, with the best result as semi-finalists in 1980/1981 * Coupe Gambardella (National Youth Cup) winners 1983 and 2007 * Third Division Champions in 1987 (Reserves)

Notable people

Montbéliard is the birthplace of: * Nicolaus Taurellus (1547–1606), philosopher and theologian * Nicolas Tournier (1590-ca. 1638), painter * Wolf Christoph Zorn von Plobsheim (1655–1721), architect ( :de:Wolf Christoph Zorn von Plobsheim) * Georges Frédéric Parrot (1767–1852), First rector of the University of Dorpat, now University of Tartu. *

Georges Cuvier Jean Léopold Nicolas Frédéric, baron Cuvier (23 August 1769 – 13 May 1832), known as Georges Cuvier (; ), was a French natural history, naturalist and zoology, zoologist, sometimes referred to as the "founding father of paleontology". Cuv ...

(1769–1832), naturalist and zoologist * Alexander of Württemberg (1771–1833) *

Frédéric Cuvier Georges-Frédéric Cuvier (; 28 June 1773 – 24 July 1838) was a French zoologist and paleontology, paleontologist. He was the younger brother of noted natural history, naturalist and zoologist Georges Cuvier. Career Frederic was the head keepe ...

(1773–1838), zoologist and physicist * Henri Mouhot (1826–1861), naturalist * René Besserve (1883–1959), painter * François Tuefferd (1912–1996), photographer and curator *

René Thom René Frédéric Thom (; 2 September 1923 – 25 October 2002) was a French mathematician, who received the Fields Medal in 1958. He made his reputation as a topologist, moving on to aspects of what would be called singularity theory; he became ...

(1923–2002), mathematician *

Dominique Voynet Dominique Voynet (born 4 November 1958) is a French politician who is a member of Europe Écologie–The Greens. She is the former mayor of Montreuil and was a French senator for the '' département'' of Seine-Saint-Denis. Life Dominique ...

(1958–present), Green politician *

Frank Darabont Frank Árpád Darabont (born Ferenc Árpád Darabont, January 28, 1959) is an American screenwriter, director, and producer. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and a Golden Globe Award. In his early career, he was primarily a scre ...

(1959–present), American filmmaker *

Adrien Mörk Adrien Mörk (born 19 September 1979) is a French professional golfer. In 2006 he recorded the first ever sub 60 round on any tour run by the PGA European Tour. Career Mörk was born in Montbéliard. He attended McNeese State University in the ...

(1979–present), golfer * Pierre-Alain Frau (1980–present), footballer * Éric Deloumeaux (1973–present), footballer * Camel Meriem (1979–present), footballer * Marc Mauillon (1980–present), tenor and baritone * Ousame Sy (1988–present), footballer * Florin Berenguer-Bohrer (1989–present), footballer * Big Nose George (1834-1881), made into a pair of shoes.

International relations

Montbéliard is twinned with: *

Greensboro, North Carolina Greensboro (; ) is a city in Guilford County, North Carolina, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its population was 299,035; it was estimated to be 307,381 in 2024. It is the List of municipalitie ...

, USA *

Ludwigsburg Ludwigsburg (; Swabian German, Swabian: ''Ludisburg'') is a Cities of Germany, city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, about north of Stuttgart city centre, near the river Neckar. It is the largest and primary city of the Ludwigsburg (district), Lu ...

, Germany

References

External links

City website

Atelier du patrimoine

Official Web site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Montbeliard Communes of Doubs Subprefectures in France County of Montbéliard