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Thannenkirch is a common French, located in the department of the Haut-Rhin and the area Alsace.

Geography

The small village of Thannenkirch is located on a height in form of projecting ledge culminating at 468 meters at the foot of the solid mass of the Taennchel. The village is sprinkled by Bergenbach which takes its source from the forts of the solid mass of the Taennchel. The village is as with some encablures of the castle of the Haut-Koenigsbourg as a beautiful road makes it possible to join.

Variations and localities

Bienette
Fox-Farm
Melkerhof
Rotzel
Schillig
Schwyz

Blazon

History

Origin of the name

According to the legend the village of Thannenkirch finds its origins thanks to old a Ermitage which would have existed starting from the VIIIe century with the foot of the Taennchel beside the Source Holy-Anne. Towards the Xe century an oratory dedicated to Holy-Anne near majestic Sapin S is built near the hermitage. The Oratoire was known under the Latin name of " Capella Sancte Anna in Silva". A little later this hermitage will be replaced by a small residence where placed some eager monks of soustrairent themselves of the mondanity and the cupidity of the men. The name of the village changed several times during the centuries. In 1205 date of its first appearance in the Archives one finds the name of the village under the denomination of Thankilch until in 1280. During its history the Village often changes names: between 1320 and 1626 it is successively spelled Tannenkilch, Dannenkilch, Dannekilch, Annakilch, Sankt-Annakirch and finally Thannenkirch.

The village belongs initially to noble of Rathsamhausen then to the Ribeaupierre

The village is initially occupied by Lorraine loggers and coalmen who settle there little by little. With the XIIIe century the village is with the hands of noble of Rathsamhausen, then starting from 1470 it passes to the lords of Ribeaupierre which remains in their possession until the Révolution. However the lords de Ribeaupierre yield the village in Fief starting from 1520 to Guillaume de Walbach which must reassign in exchange part of the Dîme S and various royalties. To died from this last, Thannenkirch passes again entirely under the dependence of the Ribeaupierre. Towards 1585 the inhabitants of Thannenkirch must swear fidelity with the new lord of the places: Egenolf de Ribeaupierre. With died of this last, the son of still minor Egenolf, is constrained to yield in Fief for the sum of 1400 guilders, the village with some Michel Theurer of Strasbourg.

Cases of sorcery

1588 is the year when cases of sorcery are announced. Almost all the villages of the area are in prey with cases of sorcery. Between 1583 and 1630 forty four women are shown of sorcery with Bergheim the village of at side. They will be condemned to died and will be put on one to rough-hew. The inhabitants of Thannenkirch (St Annakerich) were never mingled with these lawsuits. However, the provost of the place, certain an Hans von Rumelsberg had the unfortunate idea to be soaked in a business of sorcery. A woman of Rorschwyr (Rorschwihr) whose name is Barbara will go in a forest close to Thannenkirch, at one moment when large clouds amndt above the solid mass of the Taennchel. Pushed by the wind, these clouds moved straight towards the village of Rorschwihr, which caused a hurricane of a rare violence. This phenomenon altogether rather natural, started a supersition near the inhabitants. It was held responsible to be at the origin of this storm and was shown sorcery. The release of the storm had decimated an important part of the vine and fact of extensive damage. Under the case of torture she acknowledged being envoûtée by the provost of Thannenkirch, which carried out it to wander in wood. The judges did not prétèrent however faith with these assertions, she was shown of sorcery and burned alive. Many inhabitants of the village of the time believe hard like iron in the cases of sorcery. According to certain legends which circulated, of the witches haunted the village in the search of easy preys, whose names were revealed and who are carefully indexed in the files of the time. In 1790 one still finds for example in the files of the localities saying is bewitched which are indicated by name: im bösen Wald and " in DER bösen Matt ".

Population of Thannenkirch in 1588

At that time the village of Thannenkirch was populated of two linguistic groups, one Romance and the other Germanic one. The Romance group resulted from the Valley of Orbey and the the Vosges and spoke the Welche, the other community was made up of a Germanic stock which spoke German. The " at that time is found; Schultheiss " Hans von Rumelsperg who is not of other than Jean of Remiremont which had the heavy responsibility of take care of the rights of the lord. One finds also some craftsmen French-speaking whose names are germanisés: Clauss " uf der Seegmühl" (Nicolas of the sawmill), Hans der Koler (the coalman), Claus Kleindieterich (Nicolas Petitdidier), Zimmermann (the carpenter), Hans DER nagelschmid (the blacksmith of nails). All these names disappeared in the storm from the thirty year old Guerre. In 1648 only one name still existed: Rumelsperg (1588) which borrows the form of Rimelspurger then, then Rimelsbourg. The last person carrying this name, Elisabeth Rimelsbourg died in 1793 and is known today under the name of Demoulin.

The thirty year old war

The War thirty year old and the Peste decimated most of the village between 1618 and 1648. At the end of the thirty year old war, Thannenkirch will be populated more only by six families. The Ribeaupierre then encouraged the arrival of inhabitants of the other valleys. From 1650 one sees arriving a wave of Lorraine immigrants, followed by Suisse S towards 1685 which repleuplèrent the village.

Thannenkirch is repopulated again

In 1776, the population of Thannenkirch is populated by 365 inhabitants. The same year, the owners of the collieries of Bergheim obtained the authorization to make surveys in the round of applause of Thannenkirch. After the Revolution, in year XII of the Republic, Thannenkirch counts already 554 inhabitants who, to the XVIIIe century devoted themselves primarily to the Agriculture, while working for the Tissage S of Sainte Marie-with-Mines. From the XXe century Thannenkirch will see to rise ground a series of comfortable Hôtel S and sanatorium meeting the increasingly broad needs for part of the town Population to the research of the fresh air of the Montagne S.

The rise of the textile at the XIXe century

With the XIXe century, following the rise of the Textile in the Valley of Lièpvre, of many inhabitants of Thannenkirch starts to go in industries of the close valley, giving up little by little work resulting from the mountain: wood, coal, breeding which was the daily batch of the inhabitants of this village of medium mountains. The Tissage with arm in residence develops thus in the village. A weaving built by the Blech brothers of Sainte Marie-with-Mines is installed in Thannenkirch and functions of 1924 with 1961.

The celebration of the old habits

Every year, a procession takes place on July 26th day of the Saint-Anne. This habit is rather old since it existed since unmemorable times. The source Saint-Anne (St Annabrunnen) exists always below the street Saint-Anne, near the Inn of the Miller. One there came to foot by far, in particular of the Val of Orbey, the Val of Lièpvre by the path of the tisserands, and besides. The source Saint-Anne was judicious to cure all kinds of evils. According to the legend, the sterile wives came to copiously drink the water of this fountain which was to cure them and to make them again fertile.

Periods of war

The war of 1870

August 1st

The First World War: 1914-1918

August 1st

The second world war

Into 1940, the German administration changes the name of Thannenkirch which sounds too French. It removes the H which became Tannenkirch. This name change caused many concern for the routing of the mail, since a confusion was perceptible between the village badois which carries the same name and the Alsatian village. Since 1958 the orthography of the name of the village took again its old name of origin: Thannenkirch.

Thannenkirch, a place of rest and an extremely snuffed zone of peace

After the rebuilding of the castle of the Haut-Koenigsbourg and the advent of tourism of mass, the village of Thannenkirch starts to make speak about him like a place where it makes good things in life. The village is then famous for its cure of air and rest. The advent of tourism between the two wars is the prelude to a development of the village. Today Thannenkirch is a place of rest and holiday extremely snuffed by in love ones with nature attracted by the proximity of the solid mass of the Taennchel classified zone of peace. From the village of Thannenkirch one can start many circuits varied while going is with the solid mass of Taennchel of which the point highest culminates with 992 meters, but also with the three castles of the Ribeaupierre (the Haut-Ribeaupierre, the Girsberg and the Saint-Ulrich). Thannenkirch has another characteristic well encrée in the tradition: each beginning of July one celebrates joyeusement there the Cerise by a procession of tanks and brass bands with many attractions.

The Vosges Fox-Farm: a breeding of foxes

In 1924 two brothers Jacques and Henri Bernheim crééent the Vosges Fox-Farm a breeding of silver plated Renard S. Jacques is industrial with Strasbourg and Henri who had emigrated with the the United States had already a Renardière. The rich person Bourgeoise S of the mad years are at that time of large beautiful consumers Fourrure S. Those of the silver foxes are very required, so much so that they reach amazing prices up to 15000 Francs the part whereas the average Salaire exceeded painfully at the time 100 francs per week. Arrive then the crisis of 1929. The course of the skins crumbles and after seven years of existence hardly, Renardière is liquidated, the dwellings sold. The fox cages, are bought by the inhabitants of Thannenkirch and transforms in Poulailler S.

Oranges for the foxes

In a completely unexpected way, the stockbreeder S of silver foxes had noted that the beauty and the originality for the skins depended on the quality of the food been used for the animals and particularly with its wealth of Vitamine S. This is why the Vosges-Fox-Farm supplied itself regularly and in great quantities in Orange S, Citron S, Raisin S of Corinth. " The Renard S ate better than the majority of the inhabitants of the village as some old testify some. " Even if the foxes did not eat all the food which theirs were destinée". Many, indeed were the inhabitants of Thannenkirch and the surroundings which discovered at that time the benefits of the Fruit S exotics.

Administration

Demography

Places and monuments

Holy church Catherine

A Chapelle dedicated to Sainte Catherine existed already in 1343 and depended then on the parish church of Bergheim. It rose according to the legend in full forest. It is told that a knight continued beautiful and noble young lady who took refuge in this vault. But far from respecting the place, the knight, the rage in the middle was gotten rid of by our beautiful young lady who sent a call to the Lord. Suddenly the walls of the vault narrowed and were transformed quickly into a giant fir tree, which locked up in its trunk the young girl until its persecutor had moved away. Some time later one built a new church with the site of the giant fir tree and thus was born the village from Thannenkirch. In these old times, the owner of the church of Bergheim, Frederic d' Usenberg, authorized the brothers Jean and Jacques de Ratsamhouse (Rathsamhausen) to have the station of priest of Thannenkirch following his good pleasure, in condition however of not causing any wrong to the priest of Bergheim. Between 1470 and 1681, the parish is managed by priests who are dispatched, but the majority of time it is the vice-chancellor of Bergheim which comes officer. In 1683, Thannenkirch became an independent parish with its own priest and his presbytery. In 1697 the presbytery and the church are destroyed by a fire. A new church then is built in 1769 and is increased. A turn is added there in 1898. The installation of the first stone of the church Sainte Catherine thus goes back to May 3rd, 1769. The church is increased one century later, in 1898 by a company of Ribeauvillé, in order to accommodate a number increasingly more significant the faithful ones. The nave is increased of 8 meters and the bell-tower is demolished to make place with a news tower. A new sacristy is built beside the chorus. The church is restored in 1981 comprising new woodworks carved by local craftsman, André Bosshardt.

Polychrome wood of Saint-Wendelin

August 1st

Polychrome wood of Saint-Odile and Saint Augustin

August 1st

Rock Limits of 1583, close to the crossroads of the Sergeant-Denny

This rock was used in 1583 to materialize the forest limits between the three banns of Ribeauvillé, Bergheim and Thannenkirch.

Notre Dame oratory of wood

Located close to the old forest house Wurzel, the oratory Our-Lady-of-Wood is dug in a oak. Blessed the day of the Rise in 1952, the image of the Virgin is the object each year of a worthy piety. Each year, on August 15th a procession towards this oak takes place to remember it a wish which made Louis XIII (1601 - 1643) devoting the kingdom of France to the Holy-Virgin.

The cross of the gibet of Thannenkirch

Located formerly on Galgenacker or Galgenrain of which the year carries the year 1759. It was reversed and damaged with the release in 1944. Thereafter, the cross was restored then installed in 2007 in the hall of the town hall of Thannenkirch. At this place with the the Middle Ages, the justice of Ribeauvillé made carry out scélérats condemned to dead and hung with the bracket. The inscription " Stat the Crux Dum Volvitur Orbis " mean the cross remains stable while the world changes .

Curiosities

major, principal Attraction of Thannenkirch: exceptional solid mass of the Taennchel , natural place and savage:

pedestrian access maintained and marked out by the Vosgean Club: passage of the path of great excursion " GR532 " (marked out yellow rectangle).
very rich and wild vegetable environment, preserved: wild ferns, bilberries, cutting grasses of altitude ( Irrkaut ), pectinate sorbs, Scandinavian fir trees, woodland pines, hêtraies of altitude, etc
very high altitude for the sector (established average turning around the 950 meters); culminating point of the solid mass: 990 meters.
vestiges of strange and enigmatic a " Pagan Wall " , whose explanation and origin remain to date, still very dubious.
remarkable succession of rock formations (hard granite with conglomerate and conglomerate).
evocative names carried by these rocks: Shoe-makers, Giants, Reptiles, Crocodile, Three Large Tables, Rammelfels, the Peace of Udine, Spitzigfels, Schuetzfels, Wachtfels, Wasserfels, Langfels, Kleinfels,…
very varied panoramas: sights respectively, on the fortress of the Haut-Koenigsbourg and the village of Thannenkirch in the east (with at the bottom, the Plain of Alsace); on the valley of the Liepvrette and its villages in north (Vancelle, Lièpvre, Holy-Cross, etc)!
Workshop of woodcarving
botanical Paths

Personalities related to the commune

See too

Taennchel
Common of Haut-Rhin

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