History of Haut-Rhin

The department was created with the French revolution, the March 4th 1790 pursuant to the law of the December 22nd 1789 and of the decree of the January 8th 1790, starting from the southern half of the province of Alsace (High-Alsace).

Its limits were modified several times:

in 1790, it included/understood the district S of Colmar, Altkirch and Ammerschwihr.
in 1795, after the disappearance of the districts, it is composed of the canton S of Altkirch, Ammerschwihr, Belfort, Colmar, Dannemarie, Delle, Eguisheim, Ensisheim, Fontaine, Giromagny, Habsheim, Hirsingue, Horbourg, Huningue, Landser, Lutterbach, Holy-Marie-with-Mines, Canton of Masevaux, Munster, Neuf-Brisach, Ferrette, Ribeauvillé, Riquewihr, Rouffach, Saint-Amarin, Holy-Cross-with-Mines, Lapoutroie, Cernay, Soultz, Thann and Turckheim.
in 1798, it absorbed Mulhouse, previously free city, and the last Swiss enclaves in the south;
in 1800, it entirely absorbed the department of the Mount-Terrible ; Creation of the five District S of Colmar, Altkirch, Belfort, Delémont and Porrentruy.
in 1814, it loses the territories which had belonged to the Mount-Terrible , returned to the Suisse, except old the Principauté of Montbeliard (which formed at the time 2 cantons, Audincourt and Montbeliard).
in 1816, it loses Montbeliard and Audincourt, attached to the Doubs;
in 1871, it is mainly annexed by the Germany (Traité of Frankfurt). The part remained French form then the Territory of Belfort; The department of Haut-Rhin is then called “Bezirk Oberelsass”.
in 1919, it becomes again French (Traité of Versailles) but remains separate of Belfort.

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