Bitschwiller-lès-Thann

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Administration
Commune of Bitschwiller-lès-Thann
Location
Longitude	07° 04' 52" E
Latitude	47° 49' 51" N
Country	France
Région	Alsace
Département	Haut-Rhin
Arrondissement	Thann
Canton	Thann
Intercommunality	Communauté de communes du Pays de Thann
Mayor	Pierre Walter (2001-2008)
Statistics
Altitude	344 m–1,183 m (avg. 360 m)
Land area¹	12.64 km²
Population² (1999)	2,123
- Density ()	167/km²
Miscellaneous
INSEE/Postal code	68040/ 68620
¹ French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq. mi. or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
² Population sans doubles comptes: single count of residents of multiple communes (e.g. students and military personnel).

Bitschwiller-lès-Thann is a town and commune in the Alsace area of France. The town lies in the Thur River Valley near the Vosges mountains.

1 History
2 Population Changes
3 Family Names from and around Bitschwiller-lès-Thann
4 External links
5 References

[edit] History

The town is first mentioned about 1250. It was destroyed by Norman mercenaries during the Hundred Years' War. By 1624 about 100 people lived in this village.

Immigrants from Germany and Switzerland arrived during the 1650s. The entire Alsace region was fought over many times between the French and Germans. Germany ruled this area (including Bitschwiller) in 1874-1918 and again 1940-1945.

This was and continues to be an indutrialized area. Iron mining began in the 1470's but only for a short while. Mining returned in 1735 and a metalworks was built. A foundry opened in 1739. A weaving factory opened in 1826. As the industrialization continued, steam engines and locomotives were built beginning in 1836, although rail lines did not yet come to Bitschwiller and the locomotives were transported from Bitschwiller by oxen.

The Dampffifla (or Steam Whistle) was invented there about 1836.

On 25th October, 1838 the first locomotive ever built by French engineers was tried on the St. Clooud and Paris Railway. Its name was the Alsace. The locomotive was a success, attaining a speed of about 33 miles per hour. It was built at the manufacturing plant of Messrs. Stehelin and Huber, in Bitschwiller. The firm was large enough to supply locomotives at a rate of 12 per year at that time.^[1]

The peak of population was 3,379 people in 1856.

Emigration began about 1845-1846 and continued for over 20 years. Currently the village population is about 2,000 people.

[edit] Population Changes

Demographic Trends
1624	1856	1883	1962	1968	1975	1982	1990	1999
100	3379	2110	2109	2169	2117	1922	2052	2123

[edit] Family Names from and around Bitschwiller-lès-Thann

Bogenstahl, Freyburger, Gasser, Gruenwald, Gstalter, Haller, Khlogner, Munsch, Naegelin, Nusbaum, Olanie, Olanier, Rebischung, Scherrer, Schilling, Schmidt, Schen, Storcklin, Tschaen, Welckle, Weishart, Wogenstahl.