Bitche

From top left: Citadel; Porte de Strasbourg and Sainte-Catherine Church; Saint-Augustin Chapel; Jardins pour la paix; Citadel's Chapel; Jardins pour la paix with the Sainte-Catherine Church in the background; Citadel viewed from the side; The Hasselfurt pond; Skyline from the citadel

Coat of arms

Bitche

Location within Grand Est region

Bitche

Coordinates: 49°03′N 7°26′E / 49.05°N 7.43°ECoordinates: 49°03′N 7°26′E / 49.05°N 7.43°E

Country

Government

• Mayor (2014–2020)

Gérard Humbert

Area¹

41.13 km² (15.88 sq mi)

Population (2009)²

5,415

• Density

130/km² (340/sq mi)

Time zone

CET (UTC+1)

• Summer (DST)

CEST (UTC+2)

INSEE/Postal code

57089 / 57230

Elevation

249–432 m (817–1,417 ft)
(avg. 290 m or 950 ft)

¹ French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

²Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

¹ French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Bitche (German and Lorraine Franconian : Bitsch) is a commune in the Moselle department of the Grand Est administrative region in north-eastern France. It is the Pays de Bitche's capital city and the seat of the canton of Bitche and the communauté de communes du Pays de Bitche.

The town belongs to the Northern Vosges Regional Nature Park and is rated 4-flowers at the towns and villages in bloom competition. As of the 2013 France census, the town's population is 5,225. The inhabitants of the commune are known as Bitchois and Bitchoises.

The town is known for its large originating from a castle built at the beginning of the 13th century. The fortress is noted for its resistance during the Franco-Prussian War. Louis-Casimir Teyssier, its commander and chief, held the place for about 8 months with 3,000 men against about 20,000 Prussian and Bavarian soldiers until the French government ordered him to surrender after the ceasefire in 1871. The town became part of Germany after that date until the end of the First World War, when it was given back to France. During the Second World War, it was annexed by the Third German Reich (1940-1944).

...
Wikipedia