Montbéliard (; traditional ) is a town in the

Doubs Doubs (, ; ; frp, Dubs) is a department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in Eastern France. Named after the river Doubs, it had a population of 543,974 in 2019.department in the

Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Bourgogne-Franche-Comté (; , sometimes abbreviated BFC; Arpitan: ''Borgogne-Franche-Comtât'') is a region in Eastern France created by the 2014 territorial reform of French regions, from a merger of Burgundy and Franche-Comté. The new region ...

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics ( physical geography), human impact characteristics ( human geography), and the interaction of humanity an ...

in eastern

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

, about from the border with

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

. It is one of the two subprefectures of the department.

History

Montbéliard is mentioned as early as 983 as . The

County of Montbéliard The Princely County of Montbéliard (french: Comté princier de Montbéliard; german: Grafschaft Mömpelgard), was a princely county of the Holy Roman Empire seated in the city of Montbéliard in the present-day Franche-Comté region of France. ...

or Mömpelgard was a feudal

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

of the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a political entity in Western, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars. From the accession of Otto I in 962 unt ...

from 1033 to 1796. In 1283, it was granted rights under charter by Count Reginald. Its charter guaranteed the county perpetual liberties and franchises which lasted until the French Revolution in 1789. Montbéliard's original municipal institutions included the Magistracy of the Nine Bourgeois, the Corp of the Eighteen and the Notables, a Mayor, and Procurator, and appointed "Chazes", all who participated in the administration of the county as provided by the charter. Also under the 1283 charter, the Count and the people of Montbéliard were required by law to defend Montbéliard, while citizens of Montbéliard were not required to fight in any wars outside of the county. Altogether, the charter lent Montbéliard a democratic air remarkable for its time. In 1397 the county passed by marriage of Henriette, heiress of the county to Eberhard IV, Count of Württemberg, to the

House of Württemberg The House of Württemberg is a German dynasty and former royal family from Württemberg. History County The House probably originated in the vicinity of the Salian dynasty. Around 1080 the ancestors of modern Württemberg, which was then calle ...

. In 1520, Duke Ulrich of Württemberg was ousted from the duchy by the

Swabian League The Swabian League (''Schwäbischer Bund'') was a mutual defence and peace keeping association of Imperial Estates – free Imperial cities, prelates, principalities and knights – principally in the territory of the early medieval stem duchy o ...

, and retreated to Montbéliard, the only territory he still possessed. From there on, Ulrich used Montbéliard as a base of operations to raise troops to retake Württemberg, but, in dire need of funds, he decided to lease Montbéliard to his half-brother George. In 1534, still in need of funds, Ulrich simply sold Montbéliard to Francis I of France, though with the right to repurchase, which Ulrich exercised after his restoration to Württemberg in 1536. Still governing Montbéliard as its count, George attempted to strengthen

Lutheranism Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Cathol ...

in the county, eventually succeeding in suppressing the other confessions fully. From 1598 to 1608, the architect Heinrich Schickhardt built several landmarks in the city, including St. Martin, a castle, a bridge, a college and several hotels. After the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are conside ...

, Montbéliard was briefly incorporated into the

Rauracian Republic The Rauracian Republic was a short-lived French occupation zone that included parts of modern Switzerland around the Jura mountains. It was created from the northern portion of the Prince-Bishopric of Basel, which was part of the Holy Roman Empir ...

. In 1793 the town was annexed to France, which was confirmed in 1796 and by the

German Mediatisation German mediatisation (; german: deutsche Mediatisierung) was the major territorial restructuring that took place between 1802 and 1814 in Germany and the surrounding region by means of the mass mediatisation and secularisation of a large numbe ...

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, it has been for centuries one of the few Protestant enclaves in France. The Württemberg coat of arms from 1495 represents Montbéliard as two jumping fishes on a red field. For details of the local events of the Second World War, see Sochaux.

Population

As of 2017, Montbéliard proper has nearly 26,000 inhabitants, but it is at the center of a larger

urban area An urban area, built-up area or urban agglomeration is a human settlement with a high population density and infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas are created through urbanization and are categorized by urban morphology as cities ...

(''aire d'attraction d'une ville'') with a population of 180,000. This urban area covers 137 communes, of which several in the adjacent departments of Haute-Saône (notably Héricourt) and Territoire de Belfort.Aire d'attraction des villes 2020 de Montbéliard (061)
INSEE

Administration

Economy

Montbéliard and the surrounding region constitute an important manufacturing centre mainly based on metallurgy and the car industry. The main manufacturing plant of the

Peugeot Peugeot (, , ) is a French brand of automobiles owned by Stellantis. The family business that preceded the current Peugeot companies was founded in 1810, with a steel foundry that soon started making hand tools and kitchen equipment, and then ...

automobile company is partly located in Montbéliard and has around 20,000 employees. In the area, the automotive industry accounts for 34,000 employees in more than 100 companies. The Peugeot company's

museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make th ...

is located in the adjacent commune of Sochaux. Montbéliard is the centre of the 'Pays de Montbéliard', a metropolitan area of 132,000 inhabitants.

Main sights

* The

Château de Montbéliard The Château de Montbéliard (Montbeliard Castle), also known as the Château des ducs de Württemberg (Castle of the Dukes of Württemberg) is a fortress located on an outcropping rock that overlooks the town of Montbéliard in the Doubs ''dép ...

, the castle of the Dukes of Württemberg. As the residence of the Counts of Montbéliard, the history of the castle is closely linked with the story of the families that reigned over the county for more than eight centuries. Built on a rocky promontory at the confluence of the Lizaine and Allan valleys, this stronghold, which already existed in the 10th century, was constantly transformed during the course of the centuries. Today, on the northern side of the edifice, one can admire the Henriette Tower (reconstructed by Countess Henriette in approximately 1424), the Frédéric Tower (1572 and 1595) and the main building dating back to the 18th century. The castle has become the Museum of the Castle of the Dukes of Württemberg, which includes a historical tour, an important archaeological department whose collections come mainly from excavations of local Gallo-Roman sites, the Cuvier natural history gallery and exhibits of paintings and sculptures of international renown. On the esplanade of the Castle, the Clock pavilion or Hôtel du Bailli (Bailli's quarters, also known as the gentlemen's quarters), built according to plans of the architect Schickhardt at the beginning of the 17th century, houses today the Academy of Music. * The Museum of Art and History Beurnier Rossel. The Beurnier-Rossel mansion, located opposite St. Martin's church, near the Town Hall, stands as a witness to the lifestyle of the urban bourgeoisie during the 18h and 19th centuries. Today it houses the Museum of Art and History. The restored 18th-century reception rooms on the first floor contain furniture, paintings, chandeliers and draperies which recreate the ambience of a private residence. On the second floor, there is an exhibit of objects relating to the history of the town and local life (bibles, liturgical vessels, traditional headdresses etc.) and the collection of music boxes made by L'Épée is exhibited in the attic. * Saint-Martin Protestant Church. Saint Martin Protestant Church was built between 1601 and 1607 and is the work of Heinrich Schickhardt, the architect of Frederic 1st Prince of Montbéliard, in its purest form. It is also the oldest church in France dedicated to the Reformation form of worship. * Saint Maimboeuf Church. Built between 1850 and 1875 on the Cardinal Mathieu's request to assert the Catholic reconquest over Lutheranism, Saint Maimboeuf Church dominates the town. It includes rich façade adornments and a polychrome altarpiece.

Climate

Due to its interior position within France, Montbéliard features an

oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ...

(Cfb), bordering on a warm-summer humid continental climate (Dfb), under the Köppen system. This leads to cold, snowy winters and warm to hot, humid summers.

Sport

Montbeliard's most popular sports club is FCSM (Football Club Sochaux-Montbéliard). Founded in 1928, FC Sochaux-Montbéliard was a founder member of the French professional Football League. The club has played a record 62 seasons in

Ligue 1 Ligue 1, officially known as Ligue 1 Uber Eats for sponsorship reasons, is a French professional league for men's association football clubs. At the top of the French football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. ...

, the most of any club in the French football league system. This consistency contributed to the fact that FCSM, though a small club, has won all the possible national trophies.

FC Sochaux-Montbéliard Football Club Sochaux-Montbéliard (; commonly referred to as FCSM or simply Sochaux) is a French association football club based in the city of Montbéliard. The club was founded in 1928 and currently plays in Ligue 2, the second tier of Fre ...

honours: * League Champions of France in 1935 and 1938 * League runners-up in 1937, 1953 and 1980 * Champions of the French Second Division in 1947 and 2001 * French Cup winners in 1937 and 2007 * French Cup runners-up in 1959, 1967 and 1988 * League Cup winners in 2004 * League Cup runners-up in 2003 * Coupe Drago (former French League Cup) winners in 1953, 1963 and 1964 * Seven times UEFA Cup participation, with the best result as semi-finalists in 1980/1981 * Coupe Gambardella (National Youth Cup) winners 1983 and 2007 * Third Division Champions in 1987 (Reserves)

Personalities

Montbéliard is the birthplace of: * Nicolaus Taurellus (1547–1606), philosopher and theologian * Nicolas Tournier (1590-ca. 1638), painter * Wolf Christoph Zorn von Plobsheim (1655–1721), architect ( :de:Wolf Christoph Zorn von Plobsheim) * Georges Frédéric Parrot (1767–1852) First rector of the University of Dorpat, now University of Tartu. *

Georges Cuvier Jean Léopold Nicolas Frédéric, Baron Cuvier (; 23 August 1769 – 13 May 1832), known as Georges Cuvier, was a French naturalist and zoologist, sometimes referred to as the "founding father of paleontology". Cuvier was a major figure in na ...

(1769–1832), naturalist and zoologist * Alexander of Württemberg (1771–1833) *

Frédéric Cuvier Georges-Frédéric Cuvier (28 June 1773 – 24 July 1838) was a French zoologist and paleontologist. He was the younger brother of noted naturalist and zoologist Georges Cuvier. Career Frederic was the head keeper of the menagerie at the Musé ...

(1773–1838), zoologist and physicist * Henri Mouhot (1826–1861), naturalist * René Besserve (1883–1959), painter *

François Tuefferd François Tuefferd (30 May 1912 – 17 December 1996) was a French photographer, active from the 1930s to the 1950s. He also ran a darkroom and gallery in Paris, ''Le Chasseur d'Images'', where he printed and exhibited the works of his contemporari ...

(1912–1996), photographer and curator *

René Thom René Frédéric Thom (; 2 September 1923 – 25 October 2002) was a French mathematician, who received the Fields Medal in 1958. He made his reputation as a topologist, moving on to aspects of what would be called singularity theory; he becam ...

(1923–2002), mathematician * Dominique Voynet (1958–present), Green politician *

Frank Darabont Frank Árpád Darabont (born Ferenc Árpád Darabont, January 28, 1959) is an American film director, screenwriter and producer. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and a Golden Globe Award. In his early career, he was primarily a ...

(1959–present), American filmmaker * Adrien Mörk (1979–present), golfer *

Pierre-Alain Frau Pierre-Alain Frau (born 15 April 1980) is a French former professional footballer. He played as a striker or winger for Sochaux (two spells), Lyon, Lens, Paris Saint-Germain, Lille, and Caen in France and for Al-Wakrah. Career Nicknamed ''PA ...

(1980–present), footballer * Éric Deloumeaux (1973–present), footballer *

Camel Meriem Camel Meriem ( ar, كامل مريم; born 18 October 1979) is a French former professional footballer who played as a midfielder for Sochaux, Bordeaux, Marseille, AS Monaco, Aris, Arles-Avignon, OGC Nice, and Apollon Limassol. He has repre ...

(1979–present), footballer * Marc Mauillon (1980–present), tenor and baritone * Ousame Sy (1988–present), footballer * Florin Berenguer-Bohrer (1989–present), footballer * Big Nose George (1834-1881), made into a pair of shoes.

International relations

Montbéliard is twinned with: *

Greensboro, North Carolina Greensboro (; formerly Greensborough) is a city in and the county seat of Guilford County, North Carolina, United States. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, third-most populous city in North Carolina after Charlotte, North Car ...

, USA * Ludwigsburg, Germany

References

External links

City website

Atelier du patrimoine

Official Web site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Montbeliard Communes of Doubs Subprefectures in France County of Montbéliard