Pfetterhouse

Commune française|nomcommune=Pfetterhouse
région=Alsace|département=Haut-Rhin|arrondissement=Altkirch|canton=Hirsingue|insee=68257|cp=68480|maire=Jean-Rodolphe Frisch|mandat=2001-2008|intercomm=Communauté de communes de la Vallée de la Largue|longitude=7.16722222222|latitude=47.5016666667|alt moy=481 m|alt mini=391 m|alt maxi=501 m|hectares=1428|km²=14,28|sans=972|date-sans=1999|dens=68|

Pfetterhouse is a French village, situated in the Haut-Rhin "département", in Alsace "région" (north-east of France).

Geography

Pfetterhouse is located in Jura Alsatian foothills, just in the border of Switzerland and Territoire de Belfort.

Origins of its name

The first mention of this village is dated from 732AC and comes from Latin : « Petrosa » (rocky road). An explanation of this origin could be the fact that rocks from Pfetterhouse's career were used to build a Roman station not far from Petrosa.From XVIIth century to 1919, the German Pfetterhausen (-hausen is an often-used suffix for German village names) was used, then in 1919 Pérouse (which more sounds French, because Alsace was taken back by France) and, in the end, Pfetterhouse (the actual name sounds more Germanic, because of Germany's last occupation between 1940 and 1945).

History

Before World War I, a big clock factory attracted several new citizens, but this factory didn't manage to recover after World War I and World War II, and finally closed just after World War II.

The Borne des Trois Puissances (Three Powers Boundary Stone) is situated in Pfetterhouse area. Until 1919, this stone was the point where France, Germany and Switzerland borders were gathering. This boundary stone gave to the village an international renown: many people from France, Germany or Switzerland came to have their photograph taken with it, which they could send to relatives as a postal card.

A railway was passing by Pfetterhouse, but because of a lack of travellers and industrial stuff, it closed in 60's. The rail station was renovated into housing.

Demography

1962 - 789
1968 - 809
1975 - 906
1982 - 924
1990 - 971
1999 - 972

Other links

* Official village link : [http://www.pfetterhouse.net]