Albé
Encyclopedia
Albé is a commune
in the Bas Rhin department in Alsace
in north-eastern France
.
It is located 2 km North East of Villé
, on the left bank of the river Giessen 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 300 m 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 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.
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, 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
on 20 May 1525, and Albé was named by the Lord of Ensisheim
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. 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 planted in 1795 on 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.
s 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.
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 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...
.
It is located 2 km North East of Villé
Villé
Villé is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*...
, on the left bank of the river Giessen 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
Hohwald
Hohwald was a municipality in the Sächsische Schweiz district, in Saxony, Germany.On the 1 August 2007 it became part of Neustadt in Sachsen after the residents decided on the 13 May 2007 to join the larger town.- References :...
and Breitenbach
Breitenbach, Bas-Rhin
Breitenbach is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*...
. 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 300 m 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 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. 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, 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 (province)
The Duchy of Upper Lorraine was an historical duchy roughly corresponding with the present-day northeastern Lorraine region of France, including parts of modern Luxembourg and Germany. The main cities were Metz, Verdun, and the historic capital Nancy....
on 20 May 1525, and Albé was named by the Lord of Ensisheim
Ensisheim
Ensisheim is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.On 7 November 1492, a 250 pound meteorite fell there, and since then it has attracted many meteorite enthusiasts. It was described in detail by the contemporary poet Sebastian Brant.Ensisheim is also the birthplace...
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. 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
Tree of Freedom
Tree of Freedom is a children's historical novel by Rebecca Caudill. It is a pioneer story set in Kentucky at the time of the American Revolutionary War...
, a lime planted in 1795 on 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
Phylloxera
Grape phylloxera ; originally described in France as Phylloxera vastatrix; equated to the previously described Daktulosphaira vitifoliae, Phylloxera vitifoliae; commonly just called phylloxera is a pest of commercial grapevines worldwide, originally native to eastern North America...
gravely affected the town and the population shrank.
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 15 hectares, 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 (795 hectares) is largely held in common, though some is privately managed for chestnutChestnut
Chestnut , some species called chinkapin or chinquapin, is a genus of eight or nine species of deciduous trees and shrubs in the beech family Fagaceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The name also refers to the edible nuts they produce.-Species:The chestnut belongs to the...
s 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.