Fouday
Encyclopedia
Fouday is a commune
in the Bas-Rhin
department in Alsace
in north-eastern France
.
At the start of 1975 Fouday was merged with the neighboring settlements of Waldersbach
, Belmont
and Bellefosse
: the resulting aggregation was called Ban de la Roche, recalling a historical name for the territory. The Vosgean mountain village recovered its independence at the start of 1992: it has been incorporated into various administrative structures in recent decades and is currently one of 25 small settlements included in the Community of Haute-Bruche communes.
The village is served by the National Road (Route nationale) 420 which connects Strasbourg
with Saint-Dié. The town is also traversed by the railway line - here just a single track - that connects these two urban centres. The mountain topography of the region keeps the road and railway running in close parallel along the Bruche Valley.
along with the surrounding settlements of Waldersbach, Solbach, Belmont and Bellefosse.
The first surviving written record of the village dates from the fourteenth century, when it appeared in the records as Urbach. However, the village clearly existed by the end of the twelfth century, since the church building dates from that time.
During the late medieval period, the village church was a stage along the pilgrim route to Mont Sainte-Odile
in Lorraine
across the Vosges Mountains
to the west. Evidence for this comes from the fifteenth century depiction of St. James in the old choir of the church. The church also contains a carved head of John the Baptist
recalling the Baptist's demise
: the carved head is the subject of a local pilgrimage tradition which still survives.
Despite the endurance of the pilgrimage tradition, the village joined the Protestant Reformation
at the time of Pastor Marmet during the 1570s. Effectively all the villages within the Ban de la Roche became Protestant when
the lands were sold by the Rathsamhausen family to the German Count Palatine
, George John of Veldenz
in the sixteenth century.
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...
.
At the start of 1975 Fouday was merged with the neighboring settlements of Waldersbach
Waldersbach
Waldersbach is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*...
, Belmont
Belmont, Bas-Rhin
Belmont is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*...
and Bellefosse
Bellefosse
Bellefosse is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*...
: the resulting aggregation was called Ban de la Roche, recalling a historical name for the territory. The Vosgean mountain village recovered its independence at the start of 1992: it has been incorporated into various administrative structures in recent decades and is currently one of 25 small settlements included in the Community of Haute-Bruche communes.
Geography
Fouday lies in the Bruche valley, on the right bank, at the river's confluence with the little River Chirgoutte (or Schirgoutte) surrounded by pastures and forests, and dominated by Mont Saint-Jean.The village is served by the National Road (Route nationale) 420 which connects 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,...
with Saint-Dié. The town is also traversed by the railway line - here just a single track - that connects these two urban centres. The mountain topography of the region keeps the road and railway running in close parallel along the Bruche Valley.
History
Fouday was part of the ancient lordship of Ban de la RocheBan de la Roche
Le Ban de la Roche is the name of an ancient seigneurie and later a county. It is situated in Alsace, France, Département du Bas-Rhin. This small region is referred by its old name, because of its strong identity and it being relatively different from its neighbours although in Alsace;...
along with the surrounding settlements of Waldersbach, Solbach, Belmont and Bellefosse.
The first surviving written record of the village dates from the fourteenth century, when it appeared in the records as Urbach. However, the village clearly existed by the end of the twelfth century, since the church building dates from that time.
During the late medieval period, the village church was a stage along the pilgrim route to Mont Sainte-Odile
Mont Sainte-Odile
Mont Sainte-Odile is a 760 m peak of the Vosges Mountains in Alsace in France. The mountain is named for Saint Odile...
in Lorraine
Lorraine (région)
Lorraine is one of the 27 régions of France. The administrative region has two cities of equal importance, Metz and Nancy. Metz is considered to be the official capital since that is where the regional parliament is situated...
across the Vosges Mountains
Vosges mountains
For the department of France of the same name, see Vosges.The Vosges are a range of low mountains in eastern France, near its border with Germany. They extend along the west side of the Rhine valley in a northnortheast direction, mainly from Belfort to Saverne...
to the west. Evidence for this comes from the fifteenth century depiction of St. James in the old choir of the church. The church also contains a carved head of John the Baptist
John the Baptist
John the Baptist was an itinerant preacher and a major religious figure mentioned in the Canonical gospels. He is described in the Gospel of Luke as a relative of Jesus, who led a movement of baptism at the Jordan River...
recalling the Baptist's demise
Beheading of St. John the Baptist
The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist is a holy day observed by various Christian churches which follow liturgical traditions...
: the carved head is the subject of a local pilgrimage tradition which still survives.
Despite the endurance of the pilgrimage tradition, the village joined the Protestant Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
at the time of Pastor Marmet during the 1570s. Effectively all the villages within the Ban de la Roche became Protestant when
Cuius regio, eius religio
Cuius regio, eius religio is a phrase in Latin translated as "Whose realm, his religion", meaning the religion of the ruler dictated the religion of the ruled...
the lands were sold by the Rathsamhausen family to the German Count Palatine
Count palatine
Count palatine is a high noble title, used to render several comital styles, in some cases also shortened to Palatine, which can have other meanings as well.-Comes palatinus:...
, George John of Veldenz
Veldenz
Veldenz is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
in the sixteenth century.