Walheim

Walheim is a common French, located in the department of the Haut-Rhin and the area Alsace.

Geography

History

Medieval origins

The foundation of the village goes back to the Moyen-âge, and could even date from the Life or VIIe century. Nevertheless, the oldest mention of Walheim is related to the legendary history of Saint Morand, the apostle of the Sundgau, which would have visited, between 1105 and 1115, the vault St Blaise, the first sanctuary of the village. Two ways of pilgrimage crossed the village then: that of St Morand and that of Saint-Jacques-with-Compostelle, connecting the valley of the the Rhine to that of the the Rhone.

Cité also in 1236, the village probably draws its name from the Germanic anthroponyme Wallo and German heim , the hearth. Noble named Pierre de Walon resided at it then. At that time, Walheim depended on the Town hall of the Valley of Hundsbach, as well as Seigniory of Altkirch, vassal of the Counts de Ferrette.

In 1312, the count Ulrich de Ferrette recovered the mill seigneurial village which belonged until there to the hospital knights of St Jean of Mulhouse.

After 1324, following the marriage of Jeanne, the last heiress of the Counts de Ferrette, with Albert of Austria, the village passed under the domination of the powerful dynasty of the Habsbourg.

In fact, the commune is the result of the regrouping of the population of three different villages, which explains its current stretching on the two slopes of the valley. In the West, on left bank of the Ill, close to the current cemetery, Crispingen had the old church St Martin, already listed in 1285 and which was demolished in 1841. A little more in the South, that of Walheim was around the old vault St Blaise, located beside the current presbytery. Lastly, on Right Bank of Ill, in the East, Rollingen formed the third village, on the hillside, not far from the current church of Tagolsheim.

Destruction of the Thirty Year old War

These three old villages did not escape the terrible destruction, perpetrated by the Swedes about 1632, at the time of the Guerre Thirty Year old. Only 54 “hearts” could survive while taking refuge in Mulhouse. Rollingen was one of these disappeared villages.

A growth started as of the end of the XVIIe century

Second half of the XVIIe century coincided with a slow rectification, under the reign of Louis XIV, Walheim belonging to the grounds entrusted to the cardinal of Mazarin. With the XVIIIe century, the population growth was confirmed and the population reached 380 inhabitants in 1774, at the time of the enumeration carried out by the Intendance of Alsace, then 410 inhabitants in 1789.

Two hydraulic mills functioned during centuries, by producing flour, oil, hemp, by beating corn. That of the bottom, already listed in 1312, stopped only in 1970, and is found today in a state of conservation such as it was classified with the inventory of the Historic buildings.

The XIXe century resulted in the acceleration of progress, like by a clear growth of the population, which passed from 431 inhabitants in 1800, with 682 inhabitants in 1900. The modernism appeared by the realization of the railway line Belfort-Mulhouse, inaugurated in 1858. It made it possible many Walheimois to open with the urban life and to go to work in industries of Mulhouse, in full rise, which offered many employment in the textile and the mechanical engineering. In 1841-42, a new church was built, using the stones extracted from a career, with hillside, the East of the village. The new church St Martin was equipped with a remarkable organ, works of Claude Ignace Callinet in 1847, and accommodated the beautiful retable of style baroque, originating in the vault St Blaise. Famous Schwilgué produced the clock which decorates the bell-tower. Then, it was the building site of the school of boys completed in 1875, then that of the school of girls in 1881.

At the XXe century: wars, modernization and maintenance of a village identity

The XXe century was marked by the tragedies of the two world wars. At the time of the combat of 1914-18, the population was evacuated in 1916, Walheim being found in the vicinity immediate of the face: the German trenches were only to a few hundred meters on the hill in the West, and of the batteries of artillery were installed on the hill in the East. Many building sites were led to the end of the XXe century: construction of a versatile room in 1986, restoration and extension of the nursery school in 1992-93, town hall in 1994 and elementary school in 1995-96. Work of protection of the residents against the floods is in hand. Like all the communes of the Mulhousian periphery, Walheim knows an extension, with the construction of allotments, but she endeavors to preserve her framework of life.

Inheritance

Church St Martin of 1841-42, his Callinet organ and its furnace bridge baroque.

the mill of bottom (of XVIe century), with its hydraulic installations, the whole registered with the inventory of the Historic buildings.

the native house of Louis Calves, author, poet and playwright. The house goes back to 1578 (n°64, Main street).

the house of Jean Thiebaut Pflieger, lieutenant-colonel in the Large army of Napoleon i, then administrator and mayor of Walheim of 1829 to 1832. (n°51, Main street)

Administration

Demography

provisional population for 2006: 878

Places and monuments

Personalities related to the commune

See too

Common of Haut-Rhin

External bonds

Walheim on the site of the national geographical Institute
Walheim on the site of INSEE
Walheim on the site of Quid
Localization of Walheim on a chart of France and communes bordering
Plane on Walheim on Mapquest

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