Altkirch (French: [altkiʁʃ] ⓘ, German: [ˈaltkɪʁç]; Alsatian: Àltkìrech) is a commune in the Haut-Rhin departmentinAlsace in north-eastern France.[3]
Altkirch
Àltkìrech (Alemannic German)
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|---|---|
Subprefecture and commune
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The historic centre of Altkirch
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Flag 
Coat of arms | |
Location of Altkirch  | |
  Altkirch Show map of France  Altkirch Show map of Grand Est | |
| Coordinates: 47°37′N 7°14′E / 47.62°N 7.24°E / 47.62; 7.24 | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Grand Est |
| Department | Haut-Rhin |
| Arrondissement | Altkirch |
| Canton | Altkirch |
| Intercommunality | CC Sundgau |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2020–2026) | Nicolas Jander[1] |
| Area
1
| 9.54 km2 (3.68 sq mi) |
| Population
(2021)[2]
| 5,608 |
| • Density | 590/km2 (1,500/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| INSEE/Postal code |
68004 /68130
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| Dialling codes | 0389 |
| Elevation | 274–392 m (899–1,286 ft) (avg. 310 m or 1,020 ft) |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
The town is traditionally regarded as the capital of Sundgau.
The name of the commune means old church (Alsatian: Àlta KìrchorÀlta Kìrech; German: Alte Kirche).
In the 1370s, the citizens of Altkirch made battle and won against a company of Gugler mercenaries.[4]
Its inhabitants are known as Altkirchois.
The resident population number of 5500 is rather deceptive as some 15,500 people will be in town on a typical working day (4500 working, 3000 studying, 3000 for medical treatment and another 5000 divided between shopping, administrative offices, cultural and sporting activities).
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1968 | 5,118 | — |
| 1975 | 5,319 | +0.55% |
| 1982 | 5,268 | −0.14% |
| 1990 | 5,090 | −0.43% |
| 1999 | 5,386 | +0.63% |
| 2007 | 5,644 | +0.59% |
| 2012 | 5,747 | +0.36% |
| 2017 | 5,737 | −0.03% |
| Source: INSEE[5] | ||
