Gries, Bas-Rhin
Encyclopedia
Gries is a commune
in the Bas-Rhin
department in Alsace
in north-eastern France
, a short distance to the south-southeast of Haguenau
.
. Gries is mentioned for the first time under the name Gerareshusa. By 830, it is called Gerireshusa.
According to the pastor Guggenbühl the name comes from the given name Gerhard
. The name of the village would therefore be in modern standard High German
Gerhardshausen, which suggests that it was owned by a certain "Gerhard", whose identity so far has not been discovered.
A document from 974
uses the name Grioz which more closely resembles the current name of the village. Guggenbühlexplains that name change as follows: very fast the suffix -hausen of Gerireshausen has been abandoned, the resulting Gerires being transformed over the years first to Grioz, then to Grieze and finally to current Gries.
of Lower Alsace until 1332, the town passed subsequently to Lichtenberg
and then to Zweibrücken-Bitsch, before belonging to the count of Hanau-Lichtenberg who introduced the Reformation
. Thus its population became Protestant by virtue of the principle cujus regio, ejus religio. In 1622 - during the Thirty Years War - Gries was completely destroyed by the troops of Mansfeld
upon which its inhabitants fled to Strasbourg
.
To repopulate the region, settlers from Switzerland
(Swiss German
) came to the town. The landgraves of Hesse-Darmstadt
were the last masters of the village from 1736 until the French Revolution
, when it was annexed by France. The landgraves contributed significantly to its development.
Source: INSEE
with:
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...
, a short distance to the south-southeast of Haguenau
Haguenau
-Economy:The town has a well balanced economy. Centuries of troubled history in the buffer lands between France and Germany have bequeathed to Haguenau a rich historical and cultural heritage which supports a lively tourist trade. There is also a thriving light manufacturing sector centred on the...
.
Etymology
The first document mentioning the name of the village is dated 13 March 826826
Year 826 was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar.- Religion :* June 24 – The Danish king Harald Klak accepts Christianity.- Deaths :...
. Gries is mentioned for the first time under the name Gerareshusa. By 830, it is called Gerireshusa.
According to the pastor Guggenbühl the name comes from the given name Gerhard
Gerhard
Gerhard is the professional name of Canadian artist known for the elaborately detailed background illustrations in the comics series Cerebus the Aardvark.-Biography:...
. The name of the village would therefore be in modern standard High German
Standard German
Standard German is the standard variety of the German language used as a written language, in formal contexts, and for communication between different dialect areas...
Gerhardshausen, which suggests that it was owned by a certain "Gerhard", whose identity so far has not been discovered.
A document from 974
974
Year 974 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar.- Africa :* The Carmathians are defeated in Egypt by Jawhar as-Siqilli; Fatimid rule is consolidated there....
uses the name Grioz which more closely resembles the current name of the village. Guggenbühlexplains that name change as follows: very fast the suffix -hausen of Gerireshausen has been abandoned, the resulting Gerires being transformed over the years first to Grioz, then to Grieze and finally to current Gries.
History
Belonging to the landgravesLandgrave
Landgrave was a title used in the Holy Roman Empire and later on by its former territories. The title refers to a count who had feudal duty directly to the Holy Roman Emperor...
of Lower Alsace until 1332, the town passed subsequently to Lichtenberg
Lichtenberg, Bas-Rhin
Lichtenberg is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.The village forms a part of the Parc naturel régional des Vosges du Nord.-Geography:...
and then to Zweibrücken-Bitsch, before belonging to the count of Hanau-Lichtenberg who introduced the Reformation
Reformation
- Movements :* Protestant Reformation, an attempt by Martin Luther to reform the Roman Catholic Church that resulted in a schism, and grew into a wider movement...
. Thus its population became Protestant by virtue of the principle cujus regio, ejus religio. In 1622 - during the Thirty Years War - Gries was completely destroyed by the troops of Mansfeld
Ernst von Mansfeld
Ernst, Graf von Mansfeld , was a German military commander during the early years of the Thirty Years' War.-Biography:...
upon which its inhabitants fled to 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,...
.
To repopulate the region, settlers from Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
(Swiss German
Swiss German
Swiss German is any of the Alemannic dialects spoken in Switzerland and in some Alpine communities in Northern Italy. Occasionally, the Alemannic dialects spoken in other countries are grouped together with Swiss German as well, especially the dialects of Liechtenstein and Austrian Vorarlberg...
) came to the town. The landgraves of Hesse-Darmstadt
Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt
The Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt was a member state of the Holy Roman Empire. It was formed in 1567 following the division of the Landgraviate of Hesse between the four sons of Philip I, the last Landgrave of Hesse....
were the last masters of the village from 1736 until the French 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...
, when it was annexed by France. The landgraves contributed significantly to its development.
Sights
Southeast of the village is a mound, the only remains of an ancient castle, the residence of the bishop of Strasbourg, which remained occupied until the late fifteenth century, when it was destroyed.Administration
The present mayor is Claude Kern who was first elected mayor in 2001 and reelected in 2008 for a second term (until 2014).Demographics
| 1962 | 1968 | 1975 | 1982 | 1990 | 1999 | 2007 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1908 | 2093 | 2281 | 2319 | 2464 | 2688 | 2743 |
Source: INSEE
INSEE
INSEE is the French National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies. It collects and publishes information on the French economy and society, carrying out the periodic national census. Located in Paris, it is the French branch of Eurostat, European Statistical System...
Notable people
- Andreas Thurman (born 1591 in GartzGartzGartz is a town in the Uckermark district in Brandenburg, Germany. It is located on the West bank of the Oder River, about 30 km south of Szczecin .-Overview:...
, PomeraniaPomeraniaPomerania is a historical region on the south shore of the Baltic Sea. Divided between Germany and Poland, it stretches roughly from the Recknitz River near Stralsund in the West, via the Oder River delta near Szczecin, to the mouth of the Vistula River near Gdańsk in the East...
, died February 6, 1672 in Gries) was pastor in Gries, KurtzenhausenKurtzenhouseKurtzenhouse is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.Until January 1955 the commune was known by its German language name of "Kurtzenhausen".-Geography:...
, WeitbruchWeitbruchWeitbruch is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:* -External links:*...
and GeudertheimGeudertheimGeudertheim is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-Geography:Geudertheim is a village in the Basse Zorn district, in the heart of the Alsace Asparagus Country, positioned half way between Haguenau and Strasbourg. The Rhine and the German frontier are to the east...
in 1628-1672. He was also deacon and schoolmaster in WesthoffenWesthoffenWesthoffen is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*...
in 1622-27, and a preacher of the ducal court in BischwillerBischwillerBischwiller is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France just west of the Moder River.The city is located southeast of Haguenau, west-northwest from the German border and the Rhine River , and lies north-northeast of Strasbourg.-Notable people:* Henri Baumer, master...
from 1633. He married Maria Pfau, daughter of a brewer, on 28 April 1623 in the Saint-Pierre-le-Jeune ChurchSaint-Pierre-le-Jeune Protestant ChurchThe Saint-Pierre-le-Jeune Protestant Church is one of the most important church buildings of the city of Strasbourg, France, from the art historical and architectural viewpoints. It got its name, "Young St. Peter's", because of the existence of three other St. Peter's churches in the same city:...
in Strasbourg. Widowed, he married Anna Barbara Dannhauer on 14 March 1642 at SchiltigheimSchiltigheimSchiltigheim is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.The inhabitants are called Schilikois in French and Scheligemer in Alsatian....
, becoming the brother-in-law of the theologian Johann Conrad DannhauerJohann Conrad DannhauerJohann Conrad Dannhauer Orthodox Lutheran theologian and teacher of Spener....
.
Twin Towns – Sister Cities
Gries is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with:
- GriesGries, GermanyGries is a municipality in the district of Kusel, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....
(Germany), since 20 May 1979