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Lauterbourg (Municipality, Bas-Rhin, France)

Flag and gonfanon of Lauterbourg - Images by Ivan Sache, 1 March 2010

Presentation of Lauterbourg
Flag of Lauterbourg

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Presentation of Lauterbourg

The municipality of Lauterbourg (2,191 inhabitants in 2006; 1,125 ha), located near the border with Germany, on the confluency of rivers Lauter and Rhine. The easternmost municipality of continental France, Lauterbourg also forms the north-eastern corner of France.

Lauterbourg was probably in the Roman times the place of a castella, a small fortification used to house the legions in campaign; some say the place was named Tribunci.
The settlement reemerged in the 9th century as a domain of the German Empire ran by a Burgrave (Count) on behalf of the Hohenstaufen Emperors. Markedo of Lauterbourg took in 1234 the party of Henry, Duke of Swabia and Alsace, revolted against his father Frederick II. Markedo was killed the next year in the battle that ended the revolt, and Lauterbourg was reincorporated to the Imperial domain. After the fall of the Hohenstaufen, Lauterbourg was transfered in 1254 to the Bishop of Speyer; the town was made the capital of a big bailiwick, encompassing three towns, sixty villages, and its walls were increased.

Lauterbourg was looted several times during the Thirty Years' War. In 1648, the town kept only 200 out of its 1,500 inhabitants. The town was allocated to the Kingdom of France and the Bishop of Speyer plead allegiance to King Louis XIV. Lauterbourg was burned down to ashes and its castle was suppressed during the War of Holland (1672-1679); the remains of the town were looted again during the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714).
After the fall of the French Empire, the Congress of Vienna set up the river Lauter as the border of the restored Kingdom of France.

Source: Website of the Association Châteaux Forts et Villes Fortifiées d'Alsace

Ivan Sache, 1 March 2010

Flag of Lauterbourg

The flag of Lauterbourg (photo) is white with the municipal coat of arms in the middle.
A forked, vertical banner of the same design is shown on a photo in the Dictionnaire d'Amboise (1993).

The arms of Lauterbourg are D'azur à un château de trois tours d'or ("Azure a castle triple towered or"). According to Brian Timms, these arms, based on ancient seals, are shown in the Armorial Général.
On the flag, the windows of the castle are white.

Pascal Vagnat & Ivan Sache, 1 March 2010