Soultz-Haut-Rhin

French commune
nomcommune=Soultz-Haut-Rhin
région=Alsace
département=Haut-Rhin
arrondissement=Guebwiller
canton=Soultz-Haut-Rhin
insee=68315
cp=68360
mayor= Thomas Birgaentzlé
mandat=2001-2008
intercomm=C.C. de la région de Guebwiller
longitude=7.22972
latitude=47.886
alt moy=270 m
alt mini=239 m
alt maxi=1,421 m
hectares=2,956
km²=29.56
sans=6,640
date-sans=1999
dens=224
date-dens=1999

Soultz-Haut-Rhin is a French town, located in the département of Haut-Rhin and the region Alsace. Its inhabitants are called "Soultziens" and "Soultziennes".

Geography

The town of Soultz-Haut-Rhin has an enclave located north-east of Goldbach-Altenbach.

The town of Soultz was built around a salted water source from which originates its name.

History

The origins of Soultz go back to the 7th century.

667 : the written name of Sulza (salted source) ismentioned in a donation from Adalrich, Duke of Alsace, father of Saint Odile, of the bann of Soultz to the convent of Ebersmunster.

Demography

* 1962 : 4,750
* 1968 : 4,910
* 1975 : 5,689
* 1982 : 5,696
* 1990 : 5,867
* 1999 : 6,640

Places and monuments

In the town of Soultz still remain houses from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries.

* The Church Saint-Mauritius, l'église Saint-Maurice (1270-1489)

* The Bucheneck Castle (historical museum)
* La Nef des Jouets (The Toys Vessel, museum of toys)

Characters related to the town

* Georges-Charles de Heeckeren d'Anthès, who married Catherine Gontcharoff, eldest sister of Alexander Pushkin 's wife. A duel between the two men led to Pushkin's death.
* Auguste-César West (1810-1880), prefect of Haut-Rhin from 1848 to 1850 then prefect of Bas-Rhin until 1855 and of Haute-Garonne until 1859.
* Bernard Genghini, footballist, born in 1958 in Soultz
* Pierre Villon (1901-1980), whose real name was Pierre Ginsburger, was a French political figure who took part to the Resistance.
* Katia Krafft, volcanologue, born in 1942 in Soultz. Spouse of the volcanologue Maurice Krafft. Both of them were carried off in 1991 by a pyroclastical flow on the sides of the Mount Unzen (Japan).

See also

* Communes of the Haut-Rhin department

External links

* [http://www.soultz68.fr/ Site officiel de la mairie de Soultz]
* [http://www.ign.fr/affiche_rubrique.asp?rbr_id=1087&CommuneId=65229 Soultz-Haut-Rhin sur le site de l'Institut géographique national]
* [http://www.recensement.insee.fr/RP99/rp99/co_navigation.co_page?nivgeo=C&codgeo=68315&theme=ALL&typeprod=ALL&lang=FR&quelcas=LISTE Soultz-Haut-Rhin sur le site de l'Insee]
* [http://www.quid.fr/communes.html?mode=query&req=Soultz-Haut-Rhin Soultz-Haut-Rhin sur le site du Quid]
* [http://www.lion1906.com/Pages/ResultatLocalisation.php?InseeVille=680315 Localisation de Soultz-Haut-Rhin sur une carte de France et communes limitrophes]
* [http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?latlongtype=decimal&latitude=47.8866666666667&longitude=7.22972222222222&zoom=8 Plan de Soultz-Haut-Rhin sur Mapquest]