Birkenwald

Birkenwald Bírikewàld
Town hall Town hall
Coat of arms of Birkenwald Coat of arms
Birkenwald
Location within Alsace region Birkenwald
Coordinates:
Country	France
Region	Alsace-Champagne-Ardenne-Lorraine
Department	Bas-Rhin
Arrondissement	Saverne
Canton	Saverne
Government
• Mayor (2001–2008)	Dominique Klein
Area1	5.12 km2 (1.98 sq mi)
Population (2009)2	291
• Density	57/km2 (150/sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code	67041 / 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. 2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

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

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.

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. 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

• Chapelle Notre-Dame Birkenwald 2.JPG

  Notre-Dame Chapel (1751)

• Eglise Saint Louis Birkenwald.JPG

  Saint-Louis church

• Eglise Saint-Louis détail.JPG

  Church bell detail

• Eglise Saint-Louis croix.JPG

  Mission Cruise (1758)

• Chateau Birkenwald detail8.JPG

  Birkenwald Castle

• Chateau Birkenwald detail2.JPG

  Castle Detail

• Chateau Birkenwald detail3.JPG

  Bas-relief

• Chateau Birkenwald detail4.JPG

  Bas-relief

• Chateau Birkenwald detail7.JPG

  Ornamentations

• Chateau Birkenwald detail6.JPG

  Ornamentations

See also

• Communes of the Bas-Rhin department

References

• INSEE commune file