Birkenwald

Birkenwald
Birkenwald; Bírikewàld
	Part of Sommerau
	Town hall
	Coat of arms
	Location of Birkenwald
	Birkenwald Birkenwald
	Coordinates: 48°39′34″N 7°20′43″E
Country	France
Region	Grand Est
Department	Bas-Rhin
Arrondissement	Saverne
Canton	Saverne
Commune	Sommerau
Area 1	5.12 km2 (1.98 sq mi)
Population (2009)	291
• Density	57/km2 (150/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal code	67440
Elevation	258–432 m (846–1,417 ft)
	1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Birkenwald is a former commune in the Bas-Rhin department in northeastern France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune Sommerau.[1]

Geography

Birkenwald is located at the foot of Vosges Mountains, in the small valley formed by Sommerau river, that feeds the Mossig. It limits with Dimbsthal and Salenthal at northeast, Allenwiller at east, Wangenbourg-Engenthal at southwest and Hengwiller at northeast. The landscape in the south of the commune is mostly dominated by forests. Other areas surrounding it are covered by meadows and fruit trees, located in an inhabited area.

The National Route 4 is 2.5 miles away, connecting the town to Strasbourg and Saverne. The communal road 229 connects the town with Dimbsthal and Obersteigen. The public transportation of Birkenwald is managed by Low-Rhine 67 network, line 404.[2]

History

The commune was established on 17 February 843. The village probably was formerly located on the hillside where a vault was found which dated from 1751. Château de Birkenwald was built in 1562 in the Renaissance style.[3] I

Population

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±%
1962	225	—
1968	232	+3.1%
1975	217	−6.5%
1982	208	−4.1%
1990	228	+9.6%
1999	253	+11.0%
2006	289	+14.2%
2009	291	+0.7%

Gallery

Notre-Dame Chapel (1751)
Saint-Louis church
Church bell detail
Mission Cruise (1758)
Birkenwald Castle
Castle Detail
Bas-relief
Bas-relief
Ornamentations
Ornamentations

References

INSEE commune file

Arrêté préfectoral 8 December 2015 (in French)
Birkenbald, French Wikipedia.
Rieger, Théodore (2002). L'Alsace (in French). Editions Jean-paul Gisserot. p. 61. ISBN 978-2-87747-679-9.

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[1] Arrêté préfectoral 8 December 2015 (in French)

[2] Birkenbald, French Wikipedia.

[Rieger2002-3] Rieger, Théodore (2002). L'Alsace (in French). Editions Jean-paul Gisserot. p. 61. ISBN 978-2-87747-679-9.