Mulhouse

Mulhouse

Région	Alsace
Département	Haut-Rhin
Arrondissement	Arrondissement Of Mulhouse (9 cantons, 73 communes, population 304,295
Cantons	chief town of 4 cantons (9 communes, 126,601 inhabitants)
Name for inhabitants	''Mulhousiens''
Population (1999)	112,002
Population, excluding those also counted elsewhere (1999)	110,359
Population of the metropolitan area ('' Aire Urbaine '', 1999)	234,445
Population of area within which over 40% of the population works in Mulhouse	271,024
Area	22 km²

Mulhouse ( in eastern France . It is the largest town in Haut-Rhin, and the second largest in Alsace after Strasbourg . Its designated local development area consists of 16 communes, but its Conurbation is substantially larger than that.

ADMINISTRATION

Mulhouse is the chief town of an Arrondissement of the Haut-Rhin '' Département '', of which it is a '' Sous-préfecture ''.

HISTORY

The first written records of Mulhouse date from the 12th Century . It was a member of the Décapole , an association of ten Free Town s in Alsace allied to the Swiss Confederation , which was a free republic until it was absorbed into France on January 4, 1798 , during the French Directory period.

From 1870 to 1918 , Mulhouse was under the control of the German Empire as part of the territory of Alsace-Lorraine. It was occupied by French troops on 8 August 1914 , but they were forced to withdraw two days later in the Battle Of Mulhouse . As a result of World War I , Alsace-Lorraine was returned to French sovereignty in 1918. It was occupied and annexed again by Germany from 1940 until returned to France in late 1944 .

The town's development was stimulated first by the expansion of the Textile Industry and Tanning , and subsequently by Chemical and Engineering Industries from the mid 18th Century . In consequence Mulhouse has enduring links with Louisiana , from which it imported Cotton , and also with the Levant . The town's history also explains why its centre is relatively small.

GEOGRAPHY

Two rivers run through Mulhouse, the Doller and the Ill , both tributaries of the Rhine .

DISTRICTS

Medieval Mulhouse consists essentially of a lower and an upper town.

The lower town was formerly the quarter of merchants and craftsmen. It developed around the Place de la Réunion (which commemorates its reunion with France). Nowadays this area is pedestrianised.

The upper town developed from the 18th century on. Previously, several Monastic Order s were established there, notably the Franciscan s, Augustinians , Poor Clares and Knights Of Malta .

The Nouveau Quartier (New Town) is the best example of Urban Planning in Mulhouse, and was developed from 1826 on, after the Town Wall s had been removed (as they were in many French towns). It is focused around the Place de la République. Its network of streets and its triangular shape are a good demonstration of the town's desire for a planned layout. The planning was undertaken by the architects G. Stolz and Félix Fries . This quarter was taken up by rich families and the owners of local industries, who tended to be liberal and republican in their opinions.

The Rebberg district consists of grand houses inspired by the colonnaded residences of Louisiana cotton planters. Originally, this was the town's Vineyard (the word ''reb'' meaning '' Vine ''). The houses here were built as Terrace s in the English style, a result of the town's close relationship with Manchester , where the sons of industrialists were often sent to study.

PRINCIPAL PLACES OF INTEREST

Hôtel De Ville ( 16th Century ). The town hall was built in 1553 in the Rhenish Renaissance Style . Montaigne described it as a "palais magnifique et tout doré" in 1580. It is known for its Trompe L'oeil paintings, and its pictures of Allegories representing the vices and virtues.