Kesseldorf
Encyclopedia
Kesseldorf is a commune
in the Bas-Rhin
department in Alsace
in north-eastern France
.
, some ten kilometres to the south of the German
frontier crossing at Lauterbourg
and a couple of kilometres to the west of the Rhine frontier. The village has its own stop on the little railway connecting Lauterbourg
with Strasbourg
, and is also bordered by the A35 autoroute
, the main north-south highway in Alsace.
The inhabitants are known as Kesseldorfois.
. Soon after that the village, along with Seltz itself, came under the control of the Counts Palatine.
Little is heard of Kesseldorf/Kesselbach in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The determination of the French state to extend its eastern frontier to the River Rhine imposed a succession of destructive wars on Alsace leading to widespread depopulation, and it is possible that the village was abandoned in this period. From 1714, however, it seems that various artisans, makers of brooms, clogs and pottery
goods settled the land that once had been Kesselbach, while the surrounding fields were farmed in rotation
. By now the village had acquired its modern name of Kesseldorf: it has been suggested that the name may refer to the manufacture of cauldron
s in the village, Kessel being the German
word for a cauldron.
29 June 1718 was the date of the first baptism recorded in the village, 14 June 1718 having been the date of the first recorded marriage. Sometimes under the control of the Abbey at Seltz, and sometimes owned by the successor to the Counts Palatine, Kesseldorf acquired its independence only with the revolution
. But it already had its own school in 1732. Another chapel was built around 1778: the current church was built in 1844 and enlarged in 1952. The mairie and the school are housed in a single building that dates from 1890.
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
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 :...
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...
.
Geography
Kesseldorf is located close to SeltzSeltz
Seltz is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department of the Alsace region in north-eastern France. It is located on the Sauer river near its confluence with the Rhine, opposite the German town of Rastatt.-History:...
, some ten kilometres to the south of the German
Germany
Germany , 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...
frontier crossing at Lauterbourg
Lauterbourg
Lauterbourg is a commune and Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France. Situated on the German border and not far from the German city of Karlsruhe, it is the easternmost commune in Metropolitan France...
and a couple of kilometres to the west of the Rhine frontier. The village has its own stop on the little railway connecting Lauterbourg
Lauterbourg
Lauterbourg is a commune and Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France. Situated on the German border and not far from the German city of Karlsruhe, it is the easternmost commune in Metropolitan France...
with Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
, and is also bordered by the A35 autoroute
A35 autoroute
The A35 autoroute is a toll free highway in north eastern France. It is also known as the autoroute des cigognes and the Voie Rapide du Piémont des Vosges. It connects the German border in the Rhine valley with the Swiss frontier via Strasbourg...
, the main north-south highway in Alsace.
The inhabitants are known as Kesseldorfois.
History
The village already gets a mention in the twelfth century, at that time under the name of Kesselbach. During his time in the region during 1162-63 the emperor Frederick Barbarossa placed the assets of the village under the Monastery at Koenigsbruck: this is confirmed in surviving records dated 1226. In 1310 the village turns up scheduled as part of the property of the Abbey of Saints Peter and Paul at SeltzSeltz
Seltz is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department of the Alsace region in north-eastern France. It is located on the Sauer river near its confluence with the Rhine, opposite the German town of Rastatt.-History:...
. Soon after that the village, along with Seltz itself, came under the control of the Counts Palatine.
Little is heard of Kesseldorf/Kesselbach in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The determination of the French state to extend its eastern frontier to the River Rhine imposed a succession of destructive wars on Alsace leading to widespread depopulation, and it is possible that the village was abandoned in this period. From 1714, however, it seems that various artisans, makers of brooms, clogs and pottery
Pottery
Pottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...
goods settled the land that once had been Kesselbach, while the surrounding fields were farmed in rotation
Crop rotation
Crop rotation is the practice of growing a series of dissimilar types of crops in the same area in sequential seasons.Crop rotation confers various benefits to the soil. A traditional element of crop rotation is the replenishment of nitrogen through the use of green manure in sequence with cereals...
. By now the village had acquired its modern name of Kesseldorf: it has been suggested that the name may refer to the manufacture of cauldron
Cauldron
A cauldron or caldron is a large metal pot for cooking and/or boiling over an open fire, with a large mouth and frequently with an arc-shaped hanger.- Etymology :...
s in the village, Kessel being the German
Alsatian language
Alsatian is a Low Alemannic German dialect spoken in most of Alsace, a region in eastern France which has passed between French and German control many times.-Language family:...
word for a cauldron.
29 June 1718 was the date of the first baptism recorded in the village, 14 June 1718 having been the date of the first recorded marriage. Sometimes under the control of the Abbey at Seltz, and sometimes owned by the successor to the Counts Palatine, Kesseldorf acquired its independence only with the revolution
French 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...
. But it already had its own school in 1732. Another chapel was built around 1778: the current church was built in 1844 and enlarged in 1952. The mairie and the school are housed in a single building that dates from 1890.