Gerstheim

Gerstheim Geerschte
Coat of arms of Gerstheim Coat of arms
Gerstheim
Location within Alsace region Gerstheim
Coordinates:
Country	France
Region	Alsace-Champagne-Ardenne-Lorraine
Department	Bas-Rhin
Arrondissement	Sélestat-Erstein
Canton	Erstein
Government
• Mayor (2001–2008)	Marc-Daniel Roth
Area1	16.42 km2 (6.34 sq mi)
Population (2006)2	2,965
• Density	180/km2 (470/sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code	67154 / 67150
Elevation	149–157 m (489–515 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.

Gerstheim is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.

Geography

Situated between the canal that links the Rhône and the Rhine, and the Rhine itself, the little village is situated some 20 kilometres (12 mi) to the south of Strasbourg.

Economy

During the early twentieth century many jobs were provided by the tobacco and sugar industries. There are currently still a few employment opportunities involving agriculture and tourism in the village. There is also an EDF hydro-electric installation incorporating a lock and a road crossing on the Rhine. Some residents work in Strasbourg and many commute across the frontier to work in Germany.

One of Europe's largest theme parks positioned just across the frontier provides a large number of mainly seasonal low paid jobs.

Places to see

• A Jewish cemetery on the edge of the town (abandoned since 1940).
• Twelfth-century castle 'Manoir de Bancalis'.
• Artificial island 'L'île de Gerstheim ' created 1960 as part of the EDF hydro-electric project. Small nature reserve subject to periodic flooding.

Organ

The Protestant church contains an organ built by the Wetzel brothers around 1870. In 1917 German troops requisitioned part of the instrument, but it was restored in 1926 by the Strasbourg organ builder Edmond Alexandre Roethinger. A further restoration took place in 1972.

See also

• Communes of the Bas-Rhin department

References

• INSEE commune file