Bethoncourt

Bethoncourt is a commune in the French department Doubs in the Franche -Comté.

Geography

Bethoncourt is located at 330 m above sea level, about three kilometers north of the town of Montbéliard (air line). The village is located amid the rolling countryside north of the basin of Montbeliard, in the wide Talniederung the Lizaine.

The area of ​​6.54 km ² municipal area includes a portion of the undulating countryside north of Montbeliard. The western part of the area is occupied by the valley of the Lizaine whose flat sole reaches a width of 0.5 to 1 km. The Lizaine that is meandering through the lowlands, but straightened in the southern part, provides for the drainage south to Allan and thus to the Doubs. To the north- east, the municipality area extends on the part of meadow land, but mostly with forest -covered hills which separate the valleys of Savoureuse and Lizaine. Among the forest areas of the community belong to the Bois de la Voiranne and the Grands Bois. In the latter, is 410 m reaches the highest point of Bethoncourt.

The municipality consists of the following districts Bethoncourt:

• Grand Bethoncourt ( 327 m ) on the left ( east) side of the Lizaine
• Petit Bethoncourt (321 m ) on the right (west ) side of the Lizaine
• Champvallon (360 m) on the hill east of the Valley of Lizaine
• Les Nouvelles Cités (350 m ) west of the Lizaine
• Les Chaseaux (330 m ) west of the Lizaine

Neighboring communities of Bethoncourt are Brevilliers in the north, Châtenois -les -Forges and Grand- Charmont in the east, Montbéliard in the south and Héricourt in the West.

History

The first mention of Bethoncourt place in the year 815 under the name Betoni curte. Probably the origin of the village dates ( 5th to 7th century) back to the Burgundian and means as much as the courtyard of the Betho. Over time, the spelling on Bethonis Curtea ( 10th century ), concrete Court ( 1181 ), Boethoncourt ( 1196), small and large Bethoncourt Bethoncourt ( 1616) transformed to Bethoncourt (since 1717).

Owned by the 10th century the Duchy of Alsace Bethoncourt was sold by Murbach monastery to the Counts of Montbéliard 1274. 1541 the Lutheran Reformation was introduced; However Bethoncourt was pfarrgenössig until the construction of the first church ( 1730) to Sainte -Suzanne and Vyans. Upon incidence of the Guises ( 1587/88 ), and during the Thirty Years' War ( 1633 and 1635 ), the village was looted and set on fire, respectively. With the annexation of the county of Montbéliard Bethoncourt reached 1793 final in French hands. In the German -French war Bethoncourt was one of the scenes of the Battle of the Lizaine, which lasted from 15 to 17 January, 1871.

During the 19th century, iron ore was mined at Bethoncourt. Towards the end of the century, industrialization began with the establishment of a watch factory, which was in operation until 1910. The cotton mill, the work offered up to 600 people, was founded in 1908. So Bethoncourt gradually developed to the suburb of Montbéliard. With the construction of the settlement Champvallon was started in 1958. Within a short time were five-to eight -story apartment buildings pulled up to an area of ​​nearly 1 -km ² area in which mainly workers of the Peugeot factories (Sochaux, Montbeliard ) settled with their families. This led to an increase in population by 9000 people within 10 years.

With the closure of the textile factory Bethoncourt (1973 ) and the decline in the numbers employed in the Peugeot factories began after the mid-1970s, the decline of Champvallon. The economic crisis and the Restrukturation industry in the Pays de Montbéliard in the period 1983-1990 meant that many families left the village, so now were numerous empty apartments. Part of the now dilapidated apartment blocks was demolished after 1989 or replaced by new buildings adapted to the changing needs. Today Bethoncourt part of the community association Agglomà du Pays de Montbéliard.

Attractions

The Lutheran Church of Bethoncourt was built in 1778 in the classical style and has since then been extensively restored. From 1953 comes the chapel Sainte -Thérèse. The Church of St. Paul in the district Champvallon was built in a modern style. Slightly elevated above the old village stands this 18th-century castle. Its modern architecture, the cultural center L' Arche is one ( built 1992-1993 ).

Population

With 5974 inhabitants ( 1 January 2011) Bethoncourt one of the larger communities of the department of Doubs. After the population had grown only slowly in the first half of the 20th century, began with the establishment of Champvallon 1960 a striking increase in population a. In less than 10 years increased fivefold the number of inhabitants, and in 1967 the limit of 10,000 people has been exceeded. With just over 11,000 inhabitants of the peak was reached at the beginning of the 1970s. Then there was initially a slow, in 1983 recorded a sharp decline in population. To date, the downward trend continues. Since the peak Bethoncourt has lost nearly 5,000 inhabitants, which represents a decline of 43%. Today, the settlement area of Bethoncourt is conjoined with that of Montbéliard.

Economy and infrastructure

Was Bethoncourt since the late 19th century shaped by industrial and commercial community, where first a watch factory and then especially the textile mill ( cotton mill ) were important. With the establishment of Champvallon to Bethoncourt quickly became a residential suburb of Montbéliard. Today in the town of various operations of small and medium industries, including in the areas of precision engineering and metal processing are located. There are also numerous shops of retail for your everyday needs. However, many of the working commuters who do their work in the other municipalities of the agglomeration Montbéliard.

With the Ark Bethoncourt has a center, where cultural events of various kinds are carried out (mainly for the younger generation ). Bethoncourt is the site of a College, a Lycée professionnelle and a training center for mechanics.

The village has good transport links. It lies on the main road that leads from Montbéliard via Héricourt by Lure. The nearest links to the A36 motorway is located at a distance of about four kilometers. Further road links exist with Grand- Charmont and Sochaux. By municipality, the railway line from Belfort Montbéliard to runs, but there is no train station in Bethoncourt. With the city of Montbéliard and its train Bethoncourt is connected by a bus.

Partnership

Bethoncourt maintains a partnership with the community Silmiouglou in Burkina Faso.