Niederentzen

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Administration
Commune of Niederentzen
Location
Longitude	07° 22' 55" Est
Latitude	47° 56' 55" Nord
Country	France
Région	Alsace
Département	Haut-Rhin
Arrondissement	Guebwiller
Canton	Canton of Ensisheim
Intercommunality	Communauté de communes du Centre Haut-Rhin
Mayor	M. Jean-Pierre Widmer (2001-2008)
Statistics
Altitude	201 m–209 m (avg. 205 m)
Land area¹	8,81 km²
Population² (1999)	322
- Density ()	36/km²
Miscellaneous
INSEE/Postal code	68234/ 68127
¹ French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq. mi. or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
² Population sans doubles comptes: single count of residents of multiple communes (e.g. students and military personnel).

Niederentzen is a French commune, located in the département of Haut-Rhin in the Alsace region.

1 Geography
2 History
- 2.1 Blazon
3 Administration
4 Demographics
5 References
6 External links

[edit] Geography

The village of Niederentzen was established between the Vosges and the Rhine on the left bank of Ill, at an altitude of 205 meters. It has an area of 8.81 square kilometres. It stretches between the Forest of the Thur and the vestiges of the Forest of Hardt. The wooded area is 1.35 km² and 7.25 km² is assigned to agriculture. The local climate is characterized by weak precipitation, 539 mm per annum on average, and an average annual temperature of 10.2 °C.

[edit] History

The name (Nidern Enszheim 1276) is a contraction of Nieder-Ensisheim ("Nieder": bottom). The village, which belonged to the abbey of Murbach, was usurped by the Habsburgs which gave it to the lords of Hattstatt--then, with their extinction (1585), to Truchsess von Rheinfelden, a Swiss family.

In this area a place called "Giessen" was discovered, along with tombs, jewels and ceramics dating from the first period of the Iron Age to the end of the Bronze Age. At one time this place must have been occupied as an old Celtic settlement.

Until the twelfth century, Niederentzen and Oberentzen were a single holding. In the thirteenth century, this holding was dissociated and Niederentzen became part of the abbey of Murbach. In 1358, the village was given to the lords of Hattstatt as a stronghold. In 1585, the Hattstatt family died out and Niederentzen became the property of the Truchsess of Rheinfelden, remaining thus until the French Revolution. Jean-Melchior Truchsess, who died in 1699, returned the property to the church. After the Revolution, Niederentzen became part of Ensisheim.

During the nineteenth century, businessman Henri Castro proposed grounds in the American state of Texas. Certain inhabitants answered the call, settling in Castroville and D'Hanis. This second city is currently the sister city of Niederentzen; a portion of the village bears its name.

[edit] Blazon

The blazon of the village of Niederentzen was created in 1978 by Mr. Lucien Bilger, who was then mayor of the commune. It gathers together the armorial bearings of the Hattstatt lords and the Truchsess nobles, illustrating the history of the village.

[edit] Administration

List of mayors
Date of election	Name	Action
The data before 1977 is unknown.
March 1977	M. Lucien Bilger	Builds a vacation home
March 2001	M. Jean-Pierre Widmer	Builds the fire department, the war memorial...