- Geographic location:
- As one of the towns of Ried in northern strung along the Rhine, Gambsheim, with its 1736 hectares, is located on the road and rail Strasbourg - Lauterbourg and 18 km away from the capital of Alsace and 2 km of river. Its height varies between 128 and 131 meters above sea level the last census the town had over 4000 inhabitants.
- By the construction of the reach of Gambsheim, realization France and Germany, a bridge links the two countries. On the central bridge pier head a monument to commemorate the Schuman first achievement of two states.
- History:
- First citation: The village, built on a bend of the Rhine, is very old. It's proximity to a ford of the river that had to hold the first inhabitants. Finds of the Bronze Age, Gallo-Roman and Merovingian confirm the existence of a habitat well before its first mention. It is a charter of 16 April 748 which names the place "Gamhbapine". Boron family of Etichonids, Duke of Alsace, gives the village with fields, meadows, forests and grasslands to monks of Honau located on an island in the Rhine at 5 km upstream. In 884, Emperor Charles the Fat, confirmed the donation and called the village "Gamanesheim". At the same time appears for the first time "Biure" Bettenhoffen now encompassed by Gambsheim. The hamlet held the role of city parish until after the Second World War. Named "Bethof" in 1264, it housed a church that already served as parish Gambsheim, and Kilstett Bettenhoffen.
- Pledged: In 1290, the monks left the abbey of Honau ruined by the waves of the Rhine to settle on an island in the Rhine Rhinau, the properties returned to the bishop of Strasbourg, which in incorporated in the Bailiwick of The Wantzenau. As a result of difficulty, the village was pledged in 1398 to Reinbold Huffel, knight, and Nicolas Merschwin as Lender of Strasbourg. In 1420, half went to the Wirich Hohenbourg and John Knapp of Strasbourg for the sum of 1420 guilders. The other half was sold in 1453 for 1300 guilders Conrad Bock, Esq. The first half of this commitment was bought by the Grand Chapter in 1435 and the second in 1468.
- Wars and pillage: Through the passage of many troops in the Rhine corridor, in history, the town has suffered. In 1388, the troops of the Margrave of Baden put the village on fire. During the War of Thieves in 1587, the village was looted, as well as in 1592 during the War of Bishops. But most important was the Thirty Years War. With the approach of the soldiery of Mansfeld in winter 1622, the population took refuge on the islands of the Rhine and Baden and did not return at Christmas. Eighty houses and stables were burned. During the Swedish invasion in 1636, she has again the islands of the Rhine. After the misery of this war, the pity dedicated Christian chapel north of the village to the Virgin Dolorosa. The brief incursions of the War of Spanish Succession and Austria in the 18th century rechasseront villagers on the islands of the Rhine. During the revolutionary period, on 1 December 1793, Desaix launches an attack against the Austrians that pushes up Offendorf, and a fifth floréal Year (April 20, 1797) troops Moreau threw a bridge over the Rhine Gambsheim in to help the army of Italy.
- 20th Century: Closer to home, at the beginning of World War II, the entire population was evacuated in Haute-Vienne, it was not until August 1940 she found her village. Same fate will be waiting in January 1945 where all inhabitants were deported across the Rhine did not return until April. Plunged into war in late November 1944, the town liberated by the Americans was reconquered December 8 January 5, 1945 by the "bridgehead Gambsheim". During the fighting in November-December 1944 and January 1945, the village was very bruised. The Government recognizes the merits of the inhabitants of the town of Gambsheim and quotes about the "Croix de Guerre with gilt star." It will take twenty years to repair and rebuild the affected joint. The typical feature offered by the center of the village suffered a lot. A few blocks of houses and especially Alsatian town hall square, are very well preserved. The baroque church dating from 1763, heavily damaged was rebuilt more Bettenhoffen but the center of the large city that has planned planner Fernand Guri. The new church and its soaring bell tower is the finest work produced by the rebuilders. The church made entirely with white gold soil Gambsheim and articles of reach, give visitors the true character of a common Rhine.
- Parties:
- Patriotic holiday: Victory of 8 May 1945 and the Armistice of November 11, 1918. Commemorations for a church service followed by a ceremony at the War Memorial. The National Day is commemorated on July 14 a solemn watch over the town hall square.
- Celebrations: block parties: In these, new plaques are unveiled as a work of art characteristic of the place concerned. The municipality shall, by area of the old village, the dual naming of streets in French and dialect. The Oberender was the first district to have benefited from this cultural initiative.
