Largitzen

Largitzen
Coat of arms
Location of Largitzen
Country	France
Region	Grand Est
Department	Haut-Rhin
Arrondissement	Altkirch
Canton	Hirsingue
Intercommunality	Vallée de la Largue
Government
• Mayor (2001–2008)	Jean-Jacques Schloesslen
Area 1	5.6 km2 (2.2 sq mi)
Population  (2006)	294
• Density	53/km2 (140/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	68176 /68580
Elevation	366–431 m (1,201–1,414 ft) (avg. 385 m or 1,263 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Largitzen (Jurassien: Lairdgie) is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.

History

In 1914, the front line ran just by Largitzen, placing it in the zone controlled by the German Empire. Separated by only a few kilometers from Largitzen, the neighboring towns of Ueberstrass and Friesen remained French.

The town was almost entirely destroyed during the 1916 bombings. It was progressively rebuilt in 1919 when the Saint-Georges church was restored and the ex-presbytery became the city hall. A memorial representing Saint Georges slaying a dragon stands on the Church Square. Made in 1929 the memorial honors the villagers, both Germans and French, who lost their lives during the war. As an Alsacian village, Largitzen was profoundly affected by the Second World War. The region was occupied by Nazi Germany until the liberation on November 21, 1944.

Visible relics of the war can be found in the form of several bunkers in the woods around the town.

Geography

The river Largitzenbach runs through Largitzen, separating the core of the village from Lufendorf , which used to be independent. Numerous ponds can be found in the nearly 50 km2 of woodland surrounding the village.

Demography

Population Evolution

1793	1800	1806	1821	1831	1836	1841	1846	1851
345	350	506	530	446	443	426	431	443

1856	1861	1866	1871	1875	1880	1885	1890	1895
398	373	363	372	351	336	356	333	324

1900	1905	1910	1921	1926	1931	1936	1946	1954
308	302	309	252	251	255	231	228	229

1962	1968	1975	1982	1990	1999	2006	2011	2012
250	237	243	263	264	276	290	306	308

Monuments

The church was built in 1788. In addition to the weekly mass, the church also hosts regular concerts and choir practice.

Events

• Marche Populaire: Organized every year in September (since 1975) by the inhabitants of Largitzen, the "People's Walk" attracts hundreds of locals who gather to hike on the signed routes through the forest.
• Procession Équestre de la Saint Georges: On Easter Monday, horses are brought to the church to receive a blessing.

See also

• Communes of the Haut-Rhin département

References

• INSEE