Berstheim

Perched between the valleys of the Zorn and the Moder, 25 kilometers north of Strasbourg, Berstheim is an Alsatian village with about 437 inhabitants. It is part of the Haguenau Agglomeration Community. On clear days, Strasbourg Cathedral is clearly visible from the road connecting Berstheim to Wintershouse. Once an imperial then royal village, it was governed by the grand bailiffs until 1713. In 1793, Berstheim was the scene of fierce fighting during the Battle of Berstheim, between the Republic's troops and the émigrés. The village was devastated: out of sixty houses, only four remained standing, while the church, the presbytery, the guardhouse, and the school were reduced to ruins. The farms were rebuilt a few hundred meters west of their original location. In the 20th century, Berstheim made French energy history by becoming the first municipality to exploit oil. The first deposits were discovered in 1914, and by the late 1940s, the village hosted the largest oil field in the Pechelbronn network, connected by an underground pipeline. At that time, Berstheim was the largest oil exploitation area in the country. Among the monuments and historic buildings that make up its heritage are the church, the presbytery, the town hall, the local nickname (D’Barchmer Sôjkewel), the calvaries, monumental crosses, and wayside crosses. The Saint Martin Church, the heart of the village, celebrated its 250th anniversary in 2019.