Bardou, Hérault

Bardou is in the French department of Herault and the Languedoc- Roussillon region belongs to. The hamlet is a district of the French community Mons, which belongs to the canton Olargues.

Geographical location

Bardou is located on the escarpment of the Massif Central, the Monts de l' Espinouse, in the Regional Natural Park of Haut Languedoc.

The closest cities are in the east Bédarieux (28 km), Beziers in the south (39 km) to the west and Saint -Pons -de- Thomières (33 km).

History

Middle Ages

There is no historical record of the establishment of the settlement. The oldest standing houses are believed to have been built in the late 15th century.

17th to 19th century

The oldest known records are from a census in 1785. At that time inhabited 79 people in fourteen households of the village. In the following century, the number of residents has changed only slightly; its peak it reached in 1865, when 89 people lived in Bardou. In 1901 a school was opened, in which about 15 children were taught that originated in part from the neighboring village Heric or surrounding farms like Le Sécadou.

20th century

The First World War changed the population structure sustainable. The men were at the front, the women could not sustain agriculture alone. After 1918, the war veteran found remains very poor living conditions, the village was marked by hunger and disease. Especially young people left Bardou in order to search in cities, or at least larger villages a new livelihood. When the dirt road was built from the valley of Les Pradals in 1924, attracted most of the inhabitants away. In 1925 there were only six households in Bardou. 1967 lived in Bardou yet one man, Achille Bonnet.

1967 acquired the German Klaus Erhardt and the American Jeane smoke almost completely ruined hamlet, for the most part and a lively town again.

Klaus and Jean

The pair Klaus Erhardt, ( born September 17, 1934 in Hannover, † 20 July 2009 Bardou ) and Jean Rauch ( born December 21, 1930) had already spent several years traveling when it decided in 1966, with his five children in to be settled south of France. As a place of residence was at first a large house in Le Lau, a hamlet in the commune Vieussan. Later the family learned from a nearly abandoned village above Mons- la- Trivalle - Bardou. The desire of Le Lau was quick to go to this place.

Bardou then consisted of about 20 dilapidated houses that were completely overgrown mostly by trees, bushes and ivy. Achille Bonnet, who was then the last residents of the village, owned 40 % of the area; the remaining 60% were distributed among more than 100 part owner.

The former owners were quickly ready for a sale because they could not even imagine a life in Bardou. Due to the large number of owners to sales negotiations dragged on for several months. At the beginning of 1968 but had Klaus Erhardt most of the buildings in Bardou and 110 acres of land in the immediate and surrounding area. More 190 hectares are " Mazade ," that is, communal ownership of all the land farming residents.

The next few years spent with the new owners of the excavation and restoration of buildings and roads in Bardou. It helped them a lot of passing by Travelers in Bardou found a liking to the dropout life and practical work. Some stayed a few weeks, some for several months, and there were also friends of the family who came regularly for a prolonged period after Bardou to go there in the construction at hand. Some houses are named after those who have helped build.

At that time there was neither water nor sewer lines, no electricity or a telephone line. The access road was nothing but a dirt road which first had to be cleared of brush and stones. 1969 more than half of the way was paved, but the last 1.4 kilometers remained until the late 1980s in a poor condition. Only in 1994 Bardou was connected to the French electricity network. A telephone connection has Bardou since the late 1970s. However, there is still no water supply to the village. Drinking water from natural sources relate the residents in the vicinity. The wastewater is collected over the years, fermented and pumped away winter on a sewage farm. A small number of houses coming up today without electricity and water. There are several dry toilets at the edge of the village. In the middle of the village there is now the bath house with two showers and toilets for the guests.

Klaus Erhardt died on July 20, 2009 in Bardou. Jean Erhardt leads Bardou within the meaning of the heiress, her daughter Elizabeth Erhardt - Nolan, on.

The year 2010 is a year of changes. Due to the refurbishment of the source version and the establishment of three new water tanks the problem occurring annually dwindling summer drinking water supply has been significantly mitigated. Many houses have been equipped with modern, cast-iron fireplace heating systems, what the living comfort - even during the transitional periods - significantly enhances. Also, the as yet unnamed building has been completed next to the concert hall.

Bardou today

Bardou has become a popular holiday destination. In the three months of summer many guests visit the place and spend their vacations here. Bardou has also become a place of music. The Orchestra, Sinfonietta, Camerata and Orchestre de Chambre, are young musicians who meet here again and again in different composition from around the world annually, and together practice pieces. The performances take place at the end of the season in the surrounding churches, monasteries and castles.

Swell

• Klaus Erhardt: Bardou - A pioneer life in the Haut Languedoc, Anabas, Frankfurt am Main, 2005.
• Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, June 6, 1983: No power for a German.