Ramonchamp
Encyclopedia
Ramonchamp is a large commune
in the Vosges
department in Lorraine
in northeastern France
.
Inhabitants are called Ramoncenais.
and unstream of Ferdrupt
, Ramonchamp is positioned in a narrow section of the upper Moselle valley
. The only main road is the National road RN66 which connects with Remiremont
some 25 kilometres (16 mi) to the south west and the Bussang Pass into Alsace
en route for Mulhouse
to the eastsoutheast.
In other directions, the mountain slopes are too steep to afford easy access to Saulxures-sur-Moselotte
, positioned in an adjacent valley to the north, though for the intrepid a relatively direct route exists courtesy of the 791-meter-high Morbieux Pass (Col de Morbieux).
Ramonchamp traditionally featured mountain style agriculture, but in recent decades many of the little family farms have been purchased by outsiders and transformed into second homes.
had come into being.
The territory of Ramonchamp (Le ban de Ramonchamp) originally covered the entire upper valley of the Moselle
, upstream of Ferdrupt
. It fell under the bailiwick
of Remiremont
while the church, dedicated to Saints Rémi and Blaise
, was within the Diocese of Saint-Dié
in the deanery of Remiremont.
Around 1730 the parish was divided up into the parishes of Le Ménil
and Fresse-sur-Moselle
.
Civil boundary changes were imposed by a decree of 30 June 1860 which at the same time created the new commune of Le Thillot
, 4 kilometres upstream of Ramonchamp. By the same decree Ramonchamp lost to Le Thillot its status as the cantonal capital.
The textile industry
arrived in the 1830s: it received a boost after 1871
, thanks to the arrival of refugees from Alsace
wishing to avoid becoming Germans
.
For two months in 1944 the commune found itself on the frontline between German
and US
forces: Ramonchamp suffered considerably from the bombardments involved.
The second half of the nineteenth century and the first half of the twentieth century were a golden for the textile businesses, but after the Second World War the industry faced a difficult period of restructuring and modernisation, which involved large scale job losses: there was some compensating increase in employment opportunities involving newer business sectors such as plastic and metal manufacturing, however.
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 Vosges
Vosges
Vosges is a French department, named after the local mountain range. It contains the hometown of Joan of Arc, Domrémy.-History:The Vosges department is one of the original 83 departments of France, created on February 9, 1790 during the French Revolution. It was made of territories that had been...
department 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...
in northeastern 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...
.
Inhabitants are called Ramoncenais.
Geography
Downstream of Le ThillotLe Thillot
Le Thillot is a commune in the Vosges department in Lorraine in northeastern France.-External links:*...
and unstream of Ferdrupt
Ferdrupt
Ferdrupt is a commune in the Vosges department in Lorraine in northeastern France....
, Ramonchamp is positioned in a narrow section of the upper Moselle valley
Moselle River
The Moselle is a river flowing through France, Luxembourg, and Germany. It is a left tributary of the Rhine, joining the Rhine at Koblenz. A small part of Belgium is also drained by the Mosel through the Our....
. The only main road is the National road RN66 which connects with Remiremont
Remiremont
Remiremont is a commune in the Vosges department in Lorraine in northeastern France.Inhabitants are called Romarimontains.-Geography:Remiremont is located on the Moselle, close to its confluence with the Moselotte, southeast of Épinal...
some 25 kilometres (16 mi) to the south west and the Bussang Pass into 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...
en route for Mulhouse
Mulhouse
Mulhouse |mill]] hamlet) is a city and commune in eastern France, close to the Swiss and German borders. With a population of 110,514 and 278,206 inhabitants in the metropolitan area in 2006, it is the largest city in the Haut-Rhin département, and the second largest in the Alsace region after...
to the eastsoutheast.
In other directions, the mountain slopes are too steep to afford easy access to Saulxures-sur-Moselotte
Saulxures-sur-Moselotte
Saulxures-sur-Moselotte is a commune in the Vosges department in Lorraine in northeastern France.It is situated between Remiremont and La Bresse, just off the D43 road, within the Parc Naturel Régional des Ballons....
, positioned in an adjacent valley to the north, though for the intrepid a relatively direct route exists courtesy of the 791-meter-high Morbieux Pass (Col de Morbieux).
Ramonchamp traditionally featured mountain style agriculture, but in recent decades many of the little family farms have been purchased by outsiders and transformed into second homes.
Population
| 1962 | 1968 | 1975 | 1982 | 1990 | 1999 | 2006 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1712 | 1751 | 2099 | 2076 | 1985 | 1912 | 2007 |
| Nombre retenu à partir de 1962 : Population sans doubles comptes | ||||||
History
First recorded under the Latin name 'Romanici Campus', Ramoncamp was at one stage the administrative centre of a "ban" (medieval territory) and then of a canton, but that was before the commune of Le ThillotLe Thillot
Le Thillot is a commune in the Vosges department in Lorraine in northeastern France.-External links:*...
had come into being.
The territory of Ramonchamp (Le ban de Ramonchamp) originally covered the entire upper valley of the Moselle
Moselle River
The Moselle is a river flowing through France, Luxembourg, and Germany. It is a left tributary of the Rhine, joining the Rhine at Koblenz. A small part of Belgium is also drained by the Mosel through the Our....
, upstream of Ferdrupt
Ferdrupt
Ferdrupt is a commune in the Vosges department in Lorraine in northeastern France....
. It fell under the bailiwick
Bailiwick
A bailiwick is usually the area of jurisdiction of a bailiff, and may also apply to a territory in which the sheriff's functions were exercised by a privately appointed bailiff under a royal or imperial writ. The word is now more generally used in a metaphorical sense, to indicate a sphere of...
of Remiremont
Remiremont
Remiremont is a commune in the Vosges department in Lorraine in northeastern France.Inhabitants are called Romarimontains.-Geography:Remiremont is located on the Moselle, close to its confluence with the Moselotte, southeast of Épinal...
while the church, dedicated to Saints Rémi and Blaise
Saint Blaise
Saint Blaise was a physician, and bishop of Sebastea . According to his Acta Sanctorum, he was martyred by being beaten, attacked with iron carding combs, and beheaded...
, was within the Diocese of Saint-Dié
Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint-Dié
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint-Dié, in Latin Dioecesis Sancti Deodatiis), is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in France. The diocese has the same boundaries as the department of the Vosges. The bishop has his throne at Saint-Dié Cathedral in the town now named...
in the deanery of Remiremont.
Around 1730 the parish was divided up into the parishes of Le Ménil
Le Ménil
Le Ménil is a commune in the Vosges department in Lorraine in northeastern France.It is sometimes called Le Ménil-Thillot to distinguish it from nearby Ménil-de-Senones.Inhabitants are called Guédons.-Geography:...
and Fresse-sur-Moselle
Fresse-sur-Moselle
Fresse-sur-Moselle is a commune in the Vosges department of Lorraine in northeastern France.-References:*...
.
Civil boundary changes were imposed by a decree of 30 June 1860 which at the same time created the new commune of Le Thillot
Le Thillot
Le Thillot is a commune in the Vosges department in Lorraine in northeastern France.-External links:*...
, 4 kilometres upstream of Ramonchamp. By the same decree Ramonchamp lost to Le Thillot its status as the cantonal capital.
The textile industry
Textile industry
The textile industry is primarily concerned with the production of yarn, and cloth and the subsequent design or manufacture of clothing and their distribution. The raw material may be natural, or synthetic using products of the chemical industry....
arrived in the 1830s: it received a boost after 1871
Treaty of Frankfurt (1871)
The Treaty of Frankfurt was a peace treaty signed in Frankfurt on 10 May 1871, at the end of the Franco-Prussian War.- Summary :The treaty did the following:...
, thanks to the arrival of refugees from 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...
wishing to avoid becoming Germans
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
For two months in 1944 the commune found itself on the frontline between German
German Army
The German Army is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. Following the disbanding of the Wehrmacht after World War II, it was re-established in 1955 as the Bundesheer, part of the newly formed West German Bundeswehr along with the Navy and the Air Force...
and US
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
forces: Ramonchamp suffered considerably from the bombardments involved.
The second half of the nineteenth century and the first half of the twentieth century were a golden for the textile businesses, but after the Second World War the industry faced a difficult period of restructuring and modernisation, which involved large scale job losses: there was some compensating increase in employment opportunities involving newer business sectors such as plastic and metal manufacturing, however.