Soultz-sous-Forêts (French pronunciation: [sults su fɔʁɛ]; German: Sulz unterm Wald) is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Grand Est in north-eastern France.[3]

Soultz-sous-Forêts
The town hall in Soultz-sous-Forêts
The town hall in Soultz-sous-Forêts
Coat of arms of Soultz-sous-Forêts
Location of Soultz-sous-Forêts
Map
Soultz-sous-Forêts is located in France
Soultz-sous-Forêts
Soultz-sous-Forêts
Soultz-sous-Forêts is located in Grand Est
Soultz-sous-Forêts
Soultz-sous-Forêts
Coordinates: 48°56′22″N 7°52′53″E / 48.9394°N 7.8814°E / 48.9394; 7.8814
CountryFrance
RegionGrand Est
DepartmentBas-Rhin
ArrondissementHaguenau-Wissembourg
CantonWissembourg
Government
 • Mayor (2020–2026) Christophe Schimpf[1]
Area
1
15.15 km2 (5.85 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)[2]
3,147
 • Density210/km2 (540/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
67474 /67250
Elevation137–508 m (449–1,667 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

The French revolution edit

In December 1788 Mary de Bode who had been born in England and her German born husband Baron de Bone arrived in Soultz-sous-Forêts. The Baron was given the fiefdom of Soultz-sous-Forêts by the Archbishop of Cologne (Maximilian Franz of Austria). Mary described Soultz-sous-Forêts as a land "flowing with Corn and oil and wine."[4]

They hoped that the French Revolution would not effect them but at the end of 1794 the Baron and Baroness de Bone moved out of the town, before they mistakenly returned. They were lucky to make a quick escape over the mountains but they left all their riches and five of the children behind them.[5]

Unusually, Clement, one of their sons, and his son, tried for seventy years to unsuccessfully regain the rights and riches they lost in the 1790s.[4] In June 1854 the case of the de Bode family was debated in the British Houses of Parliament after it was introduced by Montague Chambers recommending that France should be obliged to award compensation.[6]

Population edit

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1968 2,159—    
1975 2,208+0.32%
1982 2,289+0.52%
1990 2,185−0.58%
1999 2,494+1.48%
2007 2,762+1.28%
2012 3,011+1.74%
2017 3,177+1.08%
Source: INSEE[7]

Today edit

Soultz-sous-Forêts is the site of the European Hot Dry Rocks energy research project.

Notable people edit

Further reading edit

  • The Baroness de Bode, 1775-1803, by William S. Childe-Pemberton... , 1900[9]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires". data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises (in French). 2 December 2020.
  2. ^ "Populations légales 2021". The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
  3. ^ INSEE commune file
  4. ^ a b Lobban, Michael (2016-03-31), Godfrey, Mark (ed.), "The commissioners for claims on France and the case of the Baronde Bode, 1815–1861", Law and Authority in British Legal History, 1200–1900 (1 ed.), Cambridge University Press, pp. 212–249, doi:10.1017/cbo9781316402795.011, ISBN 978-1-316-40279-5, retrieved 2023-08-08
  5. ^ Matthew, H. C. G.; Harrison, B., eds. (2004-09-23). "The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/71334. Retrieved 2023-08-08. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  6. ^ "THE CASE OF THE BARON DE BODE. (Hansard, 20 June 1854)". api.parliament.uk. Retrieved 2023-08-08.
  7. ^ Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE
  8. ^ "Term: Abert, George 1817 - 1890". Wisconsin Historical Society. Retrieved February 22, 2014.
  9. ^ Childe-Pemberton, William Shakespear (1900). The Baroness de Bode, 1775-1803, by William S. Childe-Pemberton... Longmans, Green & Company.