Bitche

Geography

The town of Bitche is located at the extreme North-East of the department of the the Moselle, on the Horn, in a picturesque depression, broadside of wooded hills. In the center of the basin draws up an enormous rock piton in sandstone, on which the citadel is drawn up.

History

detailed Article: History of Bitche

The history of the city is indissociable of that of the fortress which overhangs it. After the construction of the castle, which takes with the wire centuries of the importance because of to be retained like residence of the counts of Deux-Ponts - Bitche, three agglomerations of unequal importance are formed with its feet, to form later the town of Bitche very early, surrounded of a wall and opening of two doors. The city cannot escape brutality from the Swedish, which, depities to be able to seize the castle, reduces it in ashes at the time of the Guerre Thirty Year old. The rebuilding, which lasts of the decades, is constantly stopped by the ceaseless free-Lorraine conflicts which devastate the area.

The city is annexed by the France in 1680. Vauban, in charge of construction again castle of Bitche, makes surround Kaltenhausen and Rohr of a bastionnée enclosure which he leans with the fortress thus creating a true fortified town which takes the name of Bitche. Many immigrants of French language, benefitting from the facilities granted by Louis XIV to the newcomers, come to fix themselves at Bitche. This flow of immigration is stopped by the Traité of Ryswick in 1697 which obliges the France to reassign the Lorraine with its rightful owner, Léopold Ier of Lorraine. This one called upon the Tyrol iens, Swiss S, Wurtemberg eois, Luxembourg German-speaking population which takes the changing. The vacuums between constructions are filled so that the main street of only one holding crosses the town of west in is, in form of half-moon, of current the Porte of Strasbourg to the current street of the Bastion.

French domination

After the transfer of Lorraine and Barrois by the duke FrançoisIII with the détrôné king of Poland Stanislas Ier, beautiful father of Louis XV, when the French return in Bitche in 1738 for refortifier the city, a new stage is crossed. The city extends more and more towards the North-East and sees to be built in its center of the middle-class houses and the Hôtel S, sign of an unquestionable prosperity, as well as buildings Militaire S, like the hospital (current Rocca building) and of the barracks (which will be destroyed after 1945). It is at that time that Augustins open in Bitche the first college of secondary education from which will leave thereafter a strong proportion notable the German-speaking Lorraine .

The parish church Holy-Catherine is built in 1774 - 1775 to replace small a Chapelle going back to 1683 and is become too exiguous. In the middle of the next century, Bitche having been classified fortified town of first class (1850), sees its reinforced defense. One surrounds it by a new enclosure and one builds the strong Saint-Sebastien, supplemented by a fortified camp, as well as the Railway Sarreguemines - Haguenau in 1868 - 1869. All this work attracts a strong labor in Bitche from which the local Commerce draws a broad benefit.

The commander Louis-Casimir Teyssier, in load of the place of Bitche, holds a seat vis-a-vis the German attacker of the August 8th 1870 with the March 26th 1871. The city is bombarded of the August 23rd to the September 21st 1870. A Blocus is set up of the September 25th 1870 at the March 25th 1871. The assessment of the seat of one hundred quatre-vingt-six died French and of twenty-three dead German. The commander Teyssier gives the keys of the place has its German counterpart the March 26th 1871, after a heroic seat.

German domination

The May 10th 1871 is signed the Traité of Frankfurt, removing with the France the Alsace except Belfort and part of the Lorraine: districts of Sarreguemines, Sarrebourg, Castle-Saline, Thionville, the fortified town of Metz, villages of the battles of the month of August 1870 and even some Vosgean communes. The part of the Lorraine annexed thus included the District of Sarreguemines of which Bitche forms part. To reinforce the strategic importance of Bitche, a parade ground and shootings are made up in 1900 near Bitche. When the war bursts in 1914, Bitchois leave to fight under the German Uniforme on the various European fields of Bataille S : the First World War sees falling thus forty-eight Bitchois to the field from honor. The Armistice of the November 11th 1918 remakes to pass Bitche to the France after forty seven years of German presence.

Return to France

The November 22nd 1918, eleven days after the Armistice, the population bitchoise accommodates the French troops . The August 22nd 1919, the President of the Republic Poincaré Bitche visit to officially give to the city the Legion of honor. Poincaré is not the only famous character to come in Bitche after the First World War since the marshal Pétain visit also the city the October 17th 1921.

In 1930 begins the construction of the Ligne Maginot intended to protect the borders from the east of a new German invasion . This gigantic line of defense will give to Bitche a character Militaire without precedent, in particular by the construction of a line strengthened with enormous underground grids which occupy of the hundreds of Ouvrier S, giving work to all the population of the Bitscherland. Impregnable in the past thanks to its Citadel, Bitche will keep its fame by the Ligne Maginot. The city receives the visit of André Maginot the September 8th 1931.

Second world war

September 1st 1939, two days before the official declaration of the war of the France to the Germany, is the day of the departure for Bitchois towards the Charente. Thus the life of the refugees bitchois proceeds within the Charentais until the arrival of the German troops a few days preceding the Armistice by 1940. Little time after the arrival of the German in Charente during the summer 1940, it is meant with the taken refuge population Bitche that it is allowed to them to regain their city.

The department of the the Moselle is officially joined together, the November 30th 1940, with the the Saar and the Palatinat to form the new province of the Westmark. Installed with the Hotel of Metz, the Gestapo takes care of the excavations, the investigations and the interrogations. The May 26th 1942, Laval states during a maintenance to give up the Alsace-Lorraine in the name of the Collaboration, and the August 29th 1942, the Gauleiter Josef Bürckel makes a speech with Metz, in which he proclaims purification total Politique and the insitution of the military service obligatory. The fate of the city and the area is from now on related to that of the Third Reich.

The deceleration of the American progression and the return of the authorities Nazi be in Bitche the September 3rd 1944 dissipate the hope of the release of the city. The engagements between the troops American Nazis and in the area of Bitche begin the December 3rd 1944. The troops US belong to the 100e Division of Infantry of the 7th Army. This division is commonly called the Century Division . Tuesday December 5th 1944, the first American Obus fall down on Bitche, and the population takes refuge immediately in the cellars. These Bombardement S will continue during cent-trois days, with intensity at the beginning and the end and sporadic meanwhile.

As soon as the face moved away from Bitche, about thirty agents of the Gestapo, a score of gendarmes Nazis, a Kreisleiter and a Landrat , installed in the cellars of the Hotel of Metz, return once again to settle downtown. This situation lasts until the March 13rd 1945, date on which the American command lays down the methods of its offensive of the Printemps: it is envisaged to attack in the center of the face bitchois, to move in the east, to take the town of Bitche, to neutralize the plate dominating the city and then to take the Bitche-Camp. This day, the units US take their new positions of attack. The German troops , realizing that it is useless to resist, desert Bitche in the evening from the March 15th 1945. At six o'clock in the morning, the company E of the 398e Régiment of Infantry US enters Bitche.

Another consequence of the Second world war, the Canton of Bitche watch a demographic fall of 41,9% compared to the population of 1936. The Cicatrice S of the Combat S will still put long years to disappear from the town of Bitche and nearby villages.

Economy

Transport

Highway network

The Pays of Bitche is crossed of is in west by the Secondary Roads 662 and 620, connecting Haguenau to Sarreguemines, and of which the portion Niederbronn - Bitche is built between 1824 and 1826.

The city is to 30 km of the highway access nearest (Zweibrücken in Germany), to 35 km of the highway exchanger of Sarreguemines and to 40 km of that of Haguenau. Very good connections, by roads except freezing with 2 or 3 ways, with these three exchangers (RD 620 and 662 towards Sarreguemines and RD 662 worms Strasbourg, RD 35 has towards Deux-Ponts).

Railway network

The line of Railroad connecting Haguenau to Sarreguemines is built between 1866 and 1869 and allows an opening-up partial of the area. The portion Bitche- Niederbronn is not served currently any more by the SNCF, but a network of bus ensures the connection.

Overhead grid

The airport of Saarbrucken - Ensheim is located at 50 km (connection with the German big cities), that of Strasbourg - Entzheim to 85 km (connection with the French and European big cities). The international airport of Frankfurt is distant of 180 km of the city.

Places and monuments

Military inheritance

the military camp, created by the German administration in 1900
the citadel, dating from half of the 18th century and the Musée preserving a plan-relief city going back to 1794
the carries from Strasbourg, only vestige of the four doors encircling the city
the strong Saint-Sebastien, built in 1846
the vestiges of the fortifications, destroyed 1871 with 1914 during the German Occupation
the old military hospital, in service until in 1939

Civil inheritance

the town hall, dating from the fourth quarter of the 18th century
the fountain of the lane Lamberton, built in 1766
the war memorial the, raised in 1967 in front of the town hall
the college Saint-Augustin, in buildings going back to 1925

Religious heritage

the church Holy-Catherine, rebuilt in 1773
the Protestant church, inaugurated in 1882
the vault Saint-Sebastien, dating from the 15th century
the vault of the Pond, built in 1515
the convent of the Capuchins, going back to 1727 and ancestor of the college Saint-Augustin
the house Saint-Conrad, built at the 18th century
the synagog, dating from first half of the 19th century
the vault of the Sacred Heart, set up at the end of the 18th century and destroyed during Second world war
several interesting tombs, dating from the 19th century
the many martyrdoms and cross of way

Natural heritage

the pond of Hasselfurth and its base of leisures
the pond of Stadtweiher, transformed into municipal park
the innumerable ones and remarkable rocks of the Country of Bitche and the Pond of Hanau: very impressive list, unsuspected richness lends to make burn of desire and howl of passion and pleasure, the highly skilled hikers and specialists!

Abrahamfels, Armsberg, Carlsfels, Dianafels, Dunkelberg, Eichelsberg, Erbsenfels, Falkenberg, Fensterfels, Gauchsberg, Geierstein, Geissenberg, Glockenfels, Hasselberg, Hausberg, Helfenstein, Hollaenderberg, Hundskopf, Indianerfels, Kachler, Kandelfels, Kohlberg, Krappenberg, Kreuzberg, Krokodilfels, Landersberg, Lattenberg, Luchsfels, Philippsfels, Pilsfels, Ranschberg, Rothenberg, Sandkopf, Schloesschen, Schnepfenfels, Speckfelse, Steinbergfels, Waldeck, Wildmannsfels, Zwillingsfels, etc, etc!!!

Armorial bearings

These armorial bearings are: money to a mâcle of sand, gringolée of two heads of snake, that of the chief leaning to dextral, that of the point rising with sinistral .

In other words, it is one ecu white with a black, openwork rhombus and whose ends are finished by two leant heads of snake, that of high the round towards the line of the ecu (left of the spectator) and that of in bottom, towards the left of the ecu (right of the spectator). The snake has several sinuosities, the mouth of the two heads lets see the language. In 1608, the ecu comprises only one small white round, in other words, one besant.

It is only in the Description of Lorraine de Durival that appears very clearly the drawing rhombus of the mâcle. The aldermen of Kaltenhausen sealed primitive armorial bearings a letter of the December 18th 1610.

They are speaking weapons. The besan is the symbol of the owner of Bitche and the seigniory. The mâcle, word which comes from Latin mackled , (mesh in rhombus) represents the iron plates of the coat of arms of the knight, i.e. of the lord of Bitche. As for the two heads of snake, one can suppose that they refer to the importance and the almost inaccessible position of the fortress. One wondered wrongly if the snake with two heads did not represent the fortress with the " small head " and the " famous person ". It is with the rigor the plan of the fortress of Vauban and Cormontaigne, but not that of 1676 which reproduces the castle of the dukes of Lorraine.

The fortress resisted the enemy in 1793, 1814, 1815 and 1870. Also can it enter under the ecu on a streamer in gold letters the currency of Nancy: Which rubs there pricks there or the particular currency: I bite behind like front . Lastly, the town of Bitche can make appear in bottom armorial bearings the Légion of honor, received the June 14th 1919 and the Military Cross 1939-1945.

Personalities related to the commune

Sebastien Prestre de Vauban, first fortificator of the place.
Henri François de Bombelles, governor of the place of Bitche of 1740 with 1760.
Louis de Cormontaigne, fortificator of the city.
Jean Daum is notary in Bitche before leaving the city in 1871. It founds the crystal manufacture which bears its name to Nancy.
Alfred Huth, professor with the college Saint-Augustin.
Jean-Jacques Kieffer, professor with the college Saint-Augustin and celebrates entomologist.
Louis-Casimir Teyssier, defender of the city during the seat of 1870 - 1871.

Twinnings

The town of Bitche is twinned since 1979 with the German commune of Lebach, in the Land of the the Saar.

Particular significance of the name for the Inhabitants of Quebec

In French spoken in Quebec, the word bitch (without E) designates a woman of light manners (drawn from English “bitch”, which means “bitch”), and usually gets busy like insult. Rene Lévesque, Prime Minister for the Quebec of 1976 to 1985, briefly mentioned the town of Bitche in its book " Attendez that I remember ": engaged as military journalist with the American Army during the second world war, it accompanied the troops which fought in Alsace during the winter 1945. Considering the particular and uncommon significance name of the city for the Inhabitants of Quebec, it wrote that this name owed him " to remain fatally in memory ".

External bonds

Official site of Bitche and the Country of Bitche
Bitche on the site Welcome in the Country of Bitche!
Bitche on the site of the Countries of Bitche and the Saar
" The head office of Bitche 1944-1945" Documentary on the annexation of Bitche to IIIe Reich in 1940 and the release in 1944-1945

Sources

Francis Rittgen, Bitche and its canton, of the origins at 1945 , 1988.
Andre Schutz, Bitche and its country , 1992.
Didier Hemmert, Country of Bitche , 1998.
Joel Beck, mills and sawmills of the Country of Bitche , 1999.
Joel Beck, Country of Bitche 1900-1939 , 2005.
Gerard Mordillat, the besieged Fortress , 2006.

See too

Common of the Moselle

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