Ostwald, Bas-Rhin
Encyclopedia
Ostwald is a commune
in the Bas-Rhin
department in Alsace
in north-eastern France
.
in 884. In the time of the emperor Frederick I Barbarossa, within the realm of the Holy Roman Empire
, the Hohenstaufen
s built a castle by the Ill River
. In 1285, the city was acquired by the Zorn family of Strasbourg
and took the name of Illwickersheim, also sometimes called Sankt Ostwald after the name of a parish.
The plague
of 1348 and mercenary raids in 1365 and 1376 decimated the population.
In 1418 the city of Strasbourg gained control of Illwickersheim; at the same time it acquired Illkirch-Graffenstaden
.
The act of annexation of Alsace to the kingdom of France took place in Illkirch in 1681, after which Illwickersheim experienced a period of peace and prosperity, with the introduction of potato
farming, which saw an increase in the city's area and population. A new name under the influence of Irish missionaries was Oswald, in honor of Oswald of Northumbria
.
After the French Revolution
the name settled on Ostwald, and during the 19th century the population doubled from 657 residents in 1806 to 1,290 in 1895. Ostwald became independent while it developed industry around the Société Alsacienne de Constructions Mécaniques
(S.A.C.M.), agriculture and services, such as the Colonie agricole, the name of a youth internment center.
In 1912 a quarry opened, creating many jobs, while the commune of Ostwald developed and augmented its infrastructure. The Second World War caused a recession and a bombing on 25 September 1944 reduced its population.
During the postwar period the population grew, and in 1946 there were 3,200 residents. In 1954 the Société de Construction d'Ostwald (S.C.O.) constructed tenements. The urban development of the 1960s and 1970s caused expansion to new neighborhoods such as Wihrel and the construction of facilities such as schools and daycare centers. Population growth was rapid, from 3,584 residents in 1954 to 9,900 in 1982 and 10,820 in 1999.
In the 1980s a shopping center, La Vigie, was constructed, which contained more than 40 businesses. Despite this, there are still 180 commercial establishments and artisans in the urban center.
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...
.
History
The ancient name of Ostwald, Wickersheim, is first attested on a map of the emperor Charles the FatCharles the Fat
Charles the Fat was the King of Alemannia from 876, King of Italy from 879, western Emperor from 881, King of East Francia from 882, and King of West Francia from 884. In 887, he was deposed in East Francia, Lotharingia, and possibly Italy, where the records are not clear...
in 884. In the time of the emperor Frederick I Barbarossa, within the realm of the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
, the Hohenstaufen
Hohenstaufen
The House of Hohenstaufen was a dynasty of German kings in the High Middle Ages, lasting from 1138 to 1254. Three of these kings were also crowned Holy Roman Emperor. In 1194 the Hohenstaufens also became Kings of Sicily...
s built a castle by the Ill River
Ill (France)
The Ill is a river in Alsace, in north-eastern France. It is a left-side, or western tributary of the Rhine.It starts down from its source near the village of Winkel, in the Jura mountains, with a resurgence near Ligsdorf, turns around Ferrette on its east side, and then runs northward through...
. In 1285, the city was acquired by the Zorn family of 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,...
and took the name of Illwickersheim, also sometimes called Sankt Ostwald after the name of a parish.
The plague
Bubonic plague
Plague is a deadly infectious disease that is caused by the enterobacteria Yersinia pestis, named after the French-Swiss bacteriologist Alexandre Yersin. Primarily carried by rodents and spread to humans via fleas, the disease is notorious throughout history, due to the unrivaled scale of death...
of 1348 and mercenary raids in 1365 and 1376 decimated the population.
In 1418 the city of Strasbourg gained control of Illwickersheim; at the same time it acquired Illkirch-Graffenstaden
Illkirch-Graffenstaden
-Geography:The larger adjacent communes, like Illkirch-Graffenstaden, are effectively outer suburbs of the Strasbourg conurbation. These include Strasbourg-Meinau, Ostwald and Geispolsheim...
.
The act of annexation of Alsace to the kingdom of France took place in Illkirch in 1681, after which Illwickersheim experienced a period of peace and prosperity, with the introduction of potato
Potato
The potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family . The word potato may refer to the plant itself as well as the edible tuber. In the region of the Andes, there are some other closely related cultivated potato species...
farming, which saw an increase in the city's area and population. A new name under the influence of Irish missionaries was Oswald, in honor of Oswald of Northumbria
Oswald of Northumbria
Oswald was King of Northumbria from 634 until his death, and is now venerated as a Christian saint.Oswald was the son of Æthelfrith of Bernicia and came to rule after spending a period in exile; after defeating the British ruler Cadwallon ap Cadfan, Oswald brought the two Northumbrian kingdoms of...
.
After 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...
the name settled on Ostwald, and during the 19th century the population doubled from 657 residents in 1806 to 1,290 in 1895. Ostwald became independent while it developed industry around the Société Alsacienne de Constructions Mécaniques
Société Alsacienne de Constructions Mécaniques
The Société Alsacienne de Constructions Mécaniques [Society of Alsatian mechanical engineering] was an engineering company with its headquarters in Mulhouse, Alsace which produced railway locomotives, textile and printing machinery, diesel engines, boilers, lifting equipment, firearms and mining...
(S.A.C.M.), agriculture and services, such as the Colonie agricole, the name of a youth internment center.
In 1912 a quarry opened, creating many jobs, while the commune of Ostwald developed and augmented its infrastructure. The Second World War caused a recession and a bombing on 25 September 1944 reduced its population.
During the postwar period the population grew, and in 1946 there were 3,200 residents. In 1954 the Société de Construction d'Ostwald (S.C.O.) constructed tenements. The urban development of the 1960s and 1970s caused expansion to new neighborhoods such as Wihrel and the construction of facilities such as schools and daycare centers. Population growth was rapid, from 3,584 residents in 1954 to 9,900 in 1982 and 10,820 in 1999.
In the 1980s a shopping center, La Vigie, was constructed, which contained more than 40 businesses. Despite this, there are still 180 commercial establishments and artisans in the urban center.