User:Bioarchie1234/Translations/Benfeld

Benfeld is a French commune, situated in the Bas-Rhin and in the région of Alsace. It makes up one of the centres of employment between Sélestat and Strasbourg, situated further north.

History
Benfeld is situated near to the ancient Gallo-Roman town Helvetus (Ehl), destroyed by the Vandals in January 407. The stones were re-used to build the town.

The first rampart was constructed in the 14th century.

During the Thirty Years War, Benfeld was defended by its residents and Louis Zorn von Bulach. For sixty-six days, Benfeld held out against a Swedish siege. After the surrender of the town, the Swedish occupied Benfeld from the 9th of November, 1632, until 1650, when they destroyed the fortifications.

Coat of arms
The coat of arms is an azure shield with a band of argent running from top-left to bottom-right. This band has three stars of the heraldic colour gules.

Places and monuments
The town's hotel dates back to 1531. The tower beside it, including its the clock and clockwork people, has been there since 1619.

The church of Saint Laurent is one of the oldest episcopal churches attested (762); the Merovingian sarcophagi date back to the original church, which was discovered under the foundations of the present one. The church was repaired in 1754, the Gothic chancel was conserved and the nave was reconstructed in 1840 in the neoclassical style. The church houses, amongst other things, late 19th century baptismal fonts from the convent of Ehl.

Industry
Socomec, an enterprise specialising in uninterruptible power supplies and electrical cabinets have their head office and a factory in Benfeld. The laboratories of PCB Création are specialists in producing food decorations.

SECOME SAS invent and produce means of producing sheet metal; ADEcut, its sister company, uses these means (presses et c.) to produce metal parts.

Famous people linked with the commune

 * François-Xavier Gsell was born in Benfeld on the 30th of October, 1872. He died in Sydney, on the 12th of July, 1960. Missionary of the Sacred Heart in Australia, he was, in 1938, the first bishop of Darwin.