Montbéliard

Montbéliard (German: Mömpelgard) is a commune in the Doubs département, in eastern France. It is one of the two sous-préfectures of the département.

Population (1999): 27,570. Internal agglomeration: 123,000. External agglomeration: 302,000 (with the city of Belfort).

History

Mentioned first in 985 as Mons Beliardae, it became a county of the Holy Roman Empire in the 11th century. In 1397 Mömpelgard passed by marriage to the counts (later dukes) of Württemberg. In 1524, 10 yearas earlier than in Württemberg, Count Ulrich and reformer William Farel made Mömpelgard Protestant (specifically Lutheran). From 1598 to 1608, the architect Heinrich Schickhardt build several landmarks of the city, like St. Martin, a castle, a bridge, a college and several hotels.

After the French Revolution, it was briefly incorporated into the Rauracian Republic, and in 1793 Mömpelgard was annexed to France in 1793, which was confirmed in 1796 and by the Reichsdeputationshauptschluss of 1806, when Württemberg was compensated with other areas and became a kingdom.

As a consequence of the former rule under the dukes of Württemberg, is has been for centuries one of the few Protestant (specifically Lutheran) enclaves in France.

Economy

The main manufacturing plant of Peugeot is partly located in Montbéliard.

Miscellaneous

Montbéliard is twinned with Ludwigsburg, Germany, the site of the castles of Württemberg

The FCSM (Football Club Sochaux-Montbéliard) football team is currently playing in Ligue 1.

Births

Montbéliard was the birthplace of:

Georges Cuvier (1769-1832), naturalist and zoologist
Nicolas Tournier (1590-ca. 1638), painter
René Thom (1923–2002), mathematician
Pierre-Alain Frau (1980-present), soccer player

External links

City website
History
Atelier du patrimoine
http://www.agglo-montbeliard.fr/

Communes of Doubs | Sous-préfectures | States of the Holy Roman Empire

Gourt Home::Gourt :: Montbéliard

History

Economy

Miscellaneous

Births

External links