Petit-Croix
Petit- Croix ( formerly German small cross) is a town in the French department of Territoire de Belfort in the Franche -Comté.
Geography
Petit- Croix is located on 357 m above sea level, about nine kilometers east-southeast of the town of Belfort ( a straight line ). The former village street lines extending in the lowlands of the Burgundian Gate, on a plateau, which connects east to the little valley of the Madeleine, opposite Novillard.
The area of 3.79 km ² municipal area includes a portion of the weakly in relief landscape in the Burgundian Gate ( trouée de Belfort ). The western boundary runs mostly along the Madeleine, who winds up with meanders through a 400 m wide valley and ensures the drainage of the Bourbeuse to Allaine. From the river, the municipality's area extends eastward to the adjacent plateau, which is on average 360 m. It is partly, partly covered with arable and meadow land with forest. To the north of the municipality floor extends into the vast forest area of the Bois de Besson Court, in the 376 meters, the highest elevation of the Petit- Croix is achieved.
Neighboring communities of Petit- Croix are Bessoncourt and Frais in the north, Foussemagne, Cunelières and Montreux -Chateau in the east, the south and Novillard Fontenelle in the West.
History
The first mention in writing Petit- Croix in 1105 in a document for the Priory Froidefontaine under the name pilicors. Subsequently, the names Petit- Croix (1295 ) published, Petit Cropt ( 1390 ), the Germanized Bittikropff ( 1441 ), Piticorp ( 1492) and Petitcrocq ( 1613 ). The village as a fief belonged partly to the county Belfort, partly to rule Montreux. Mid-14th century it came under the suzerainty of the Habsburg dynasty. Together with the Sundgau came Petit- Croix with the Peace of Westphalia in 1648 to the French crown. Since 1793, the village belonged to the Department of Haut -Rhin, however, remained in 1871 as part of the Territoire de Belfort as opposed to the rest of Alsace in France. On August 31, 1915 came in Petit- Croix Adolphe Pégoud killed, a pioneering aviator and fighter pilot who was shot down here.
Attractions
The church of Notre -Dame de la Nativity was rebuilt in 1852.
- Church of Notre- Dame de la Nativity
Population
With 315 inhabitants ( 1 January 2011) Petit- Croix is one of the small communities of the department of Territoire de Belfort. After the population had decreased in the first half of the 20th century (1896 267 persons were still counted ), a significant population increase has been recorded since the early 1970s again.
Economy and infrastructure
Petit- Croix was well into the 20th century, a predominantly by agriculture (crops, orchards and livestock ) and forestry embossed village. In addition, there are today some of the local small business enterprises. Meanwhile, the village has been transformed into a residential community. Many workers are therefore commuters who do their work in the larger towns in the area and in the agglomeration Belfort.
The village is located off the major road links on a secondary road, which runs from Montreux -Chateau after Chevremont. The nearest links to the A36 motorway is located at a distance of about nine miles. Further road links exist with Foussemagne and Novillard.
Petit- Croix has a station on the railway line Paris -Mulhouse, at that keep trains of TER TER Alsace and Franche -Comté.