Altkirch
Altkirch (
French: [altkiʁʃ] ⓘ,German: [ˈaltkɪʁç]; Alsatian: Àltkìrech) is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.The town is traditionally regarded as the capital of Sundgau.
Etymology
The name of the commune means old church (Alsatian: Àlta Kìrch or Àlta Kìrech; German: Alte Kirche).
History
In the 1370s, the citizens of Altkirch battled and won against a company of Gugler mercenaries.
Demography
Its inhabitants are known as Altkirchois.
The resident population number of 5500 is rather deceptive as some 15,500 people will be in town on a typical working day (4500 working, 3000 studying, 3000 for medical treatment and another 5000 divided between shopping, administrative offices, cultural and sporting activities).
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1968 | 5,118 | — |
| 1975 | 5,319 | +0.55% |
| 1982 | 5,268 | −0.14% |
| 1990 | 5,090 | −0.43% |
| 1999 | 5,386 | +0.63% |
| 2007 | 5,644 | +0.59% |
| 2012 | 5,747 | +0.36% |
| 2017 | 5,737 | −0.03% |
| Source: INSEE | ||
Sister cities
- Azerbaijan (Nagorno-Karabakh) Füzuli (2016)
See also
- Château d'Altkirch - destroyed castle in the town.
- Communes of the Haut-Rhin department
References
External links
- Altkirch and Sundgau Community (in French)
- Weather in Haut-Rhin (in French)
- Photographic visit to Altkirch Archived 2015-04-22 at the Wayback Machine (in French)
- Rhenish centre for Contemporary Art (in French)