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'Haguenau' () is a commune located in northeastern France, in the Bas-Rhin ''département'', of which it is a ''sous-préfecture''. It is the fourth most populous town in Alsace: within the the Bas-Rhin département, its population of just over 32,000 makes Haguenau second in size only to Strasbourg, some 30 km to the south. To the north of the town, the ''"Forêt de Haguenau"'' is the largest undivided forest in the country.

Contents

History

Economy

Notable residents

Sister cities

Monuments

External links

History

Haguenau dates from the beginning of the 12th century, and owes its origin to the erection, by the dukes of Swabia, of a hunting lodge on an island in the Moder River. Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa fortified it and gave it town rights in 1154. On the site of the hunting lodge he founded an imperial palace, in which were preserved the "Crown Jewels of the Holy Roman Empire", i.e. the jewelled imperial crown, scepter, imperial globe, and sword of Charlemagne.
Subsequently Haguenau became the seat of the ''Landvogt'' of Hagenau, the imperial advocatus in Lower Alsace. Richard of Cornwall, King of the Romans, made it an imperial city in 1257. In the 14th century, it housed the executive council of the Decapole, a defensive and offensive association of ten Alsatian towns against the surrounding political instability. In the Peace of Westphalia in 1648 was ceded to France, and in 1673 King Louis XIV had the fortifications razed. Haguenau was captured by imperial troops in 1675, but it was taken by the French two years later, nearly being destroyed by fire in the process.
In 1871 Haguenau was annexed by the German Empire, per its victory in the Franco-Prussian War, and made part of Alsace-Lorraine as ''Hagenau''. It was part of the independant Republic of Alsace Lorraine after World War I, but it was annexed by France shortly after that. It recently gained notoriety in a novel and HBO special when Easy Company, portrayed in historian Stephen Ambrose's novel and miniseries ''Band of Brothers'', was stationed in Haguenau in early 1945 during World War II.

Economy

The town has a well balanced economy. Centuries of troubled history in the buffer lands between France and Germany have bequeathed to Haguenau a rich historical and cultural heritage which supports a lively tourist trade. There is also a thriving light manufacturing sector centred on the industrial zone to the west of the town. Here the presence nearby of significant retail developments testifies to Haguenau's importance as a regional commercial centre. The recent extension of the ring road has improved access to the commercial and industrial zones and reduced the traffic congestion which used to be a frequent challenge for vehicle drivers using the road which follows the line of the old city walls on the western side of town.

Notable residents

★ Werner Barkholt (1902–1942), Catholic spiritualist

★ Philipp Friedrich Böddecker (1607–1683), Componist and organist

★ Karl Gengler (1886–1974), politician

★ Reinmar of Hagenau, 12th century minnesinger

★ Wolfgang Fabricius Capito (1478-1541), theologian and reformer

★ Josel of Rosheim (1476–1554), shtadlan

★ Pierre Seel (1923-2005), activist

★ Marie-Louise Roth (1926-), literary scientist

★ Sébastien Loeb (1974-),rally driver

Sister cities

Haguenau is twinned with:

★ Landau (Germany)

Monuments

★ Tour des Chevaliers (Tower of the knights)

★ Tour des Pêcheurs (Tower of the fishermen)

★ Musée historique (Historical Museum)

★ Musée Alsacien (Haguenau) (Alsatian Museum)

★ Cour Fleckenstein (Fleckenstein Court)

★ Eglise Saint Georges (church)

★ Eglise Saint Nicolas (church)

External links

★ Official website