Bardou (Hérault)

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Bardou, 2005
Detail from Bardou, 1973

Bardou is located in the French department of Hérault and belongs to the Occitania region . The hamlet is part of the French municipality of Mons .

Geographical location

Bardou is on the edge of the Massif Central, the Monts de l'Espinouse , in the Haut-Languedoc Regional Nature Park .

The nearest towns are Bédarieux (28 km) to the east, Béziers (39 km) to the south and Saint-Pons-de-Thomières (33 km) to the west .

history

middle Ages

There are no historical records of the establishment of the settlement. The oldest still standing houses were probably built at the end of the 15th century.

17th to 19th century

The oldest known records come from a census from 1785. At that time, 79 people in fourteen households lived in the village. In the following century, the number of residents changed only slightly; it peaked in 1865 when 89 people lived in Bardou. In 1901 a school was opened in which around 15 children were taught, some of whom also came from the neighboring village of Héric or surrounding farms such as Le Sécadou .

20th century

The First World War changed the population structure permanently. The men were at the front, the women could not maintain the farm on their own. After 1918 those returning from the war found very poor living conditions, the village was marked by hunger and epidemics. Young people in particular left Bardou to look for a new livelihood in cities or at least in larger villages. When the dirt road was built out of the Les Pradals valley in 1924, most of the residents moved away. In 1925 there were only six households left in Bardou. In 1967 there was only one man living in Bardou, Achille Bonnét.

In 1967 the German Klaus Erhardt and the American Jeane Rauch acquired the majority of the almost completely dilapidated hamlet and revitalized the place anew.

Klaus and Jean Erhardt

The couple Klaus Erhardt (born September 17, 1934 in Hanover, † July 20, 2009 in Bardou) and Jean Rauch (born December 21, 1930, † February 9, 2016 in Bardou) had already spent several years traveling when it was 1966 decided to settle down in the south of France with his five children. The first place to live was a large house in Le Lau, a small hamlet in the municipality of Vieussan. The family later learned of an almost deserted village above Mons-la-Trivalle - Bardou. The desire to move from Le Lau to this place quickly arose.

At that time, Bardou consisted of about 20 dilapidated houses, most of which were completely overgrown by trees, bushes and ivy. Achille Bonnet, the last resident of the village at the time, owned 40% of the area; the remaining 60% were distributed among more than 100 partial owners.

The owners at the time were quick to sell because they could not imagine a life in Bardou. Due to the large number of owners, sales negotiations dragged on for several months. At the beginning of 1968, however, Klaus Erhardt owned most of the buildings in Bardou as well as 110 hectares of land in the immediate vicinity. Another 190 hectares are so-called "mazade", that is, common property of all residents who cultivate the land.

The new owners spent the next few years clearing and restoring the buildings and paths in Bardou. They were helped by many passing travelers who enjoyed the life of the dropouts and the practical work in Bardou. Some stayed for a few weeks, some for several months, and there were also friends of the family who regularly came to Bardou for longer periods to help with the construction. Some houses are also named after those who helped build them.

At that time there were no water pipes, sewers, electricity or telephone lines. The access road was nothing but a dirt road that first had to be cleared of brush and stones. In 1969, more than half of the trail was paved, but the final 1.4 kilometers remained in poor condition until the late 1980s. It was not until 1994 that Bardou was connected to the French power grid. Bardou has had a telephone connection since the late 1970s. However, there is still no water pipe to the village. The residents obtain drinking water from natural sources in the vicinity. The wastewater is collected over the year, fermented and, in winter, pumped away through a sewage field. A small part of the houses can still do without electricity and water. There are several dry toilets on the edge of the village. In the middle of the village there has been the bathhouse with two hot showers and water toilets for guests since the early 1990s.

Bardou, 2008

Klaus Erhardt died on July 20, 2009 in Bardou.

2010 was a year of change. By setting up the spring catchment and installing three new drinking water cisterns, the annual problem of the dwindling drinking water supply in summer was significantly alleviated. Many houses were also equipped with modern, cast-iron fireplaces, which significantly improved living comfort - even during the transition periods. The unnamed building next to the concert hall was also completed. Jean named the building - between the 'Knight's Hall' and 'Vidals' - later Doll's House.

Jean Erhardt died on February 9, 2016 after a short illness in Bardou.

Bardou today

Bardou has become a popular vacation spot. In the three months of summer, many guests visit the place and spend their holidays here. Bardou has also become a place for music. The orchestras Sinfonietta , Camerata and Orchester de Chambre consist of young musicians who meet here every year in different compositions from all over the world and practice pieces together. The performances take place at the end of the season in the surrounding churches, monasteries and castles.

2016 • Jean's daughter Elizabeth Erhardt-Nolan continues Bardou with her husband Brian Nolan.

In that year the Daïsse, Chateau, Pan & Birgit's, Vidal and the musicians' changing room (Doll's House) were completely renovated and equipped with new electricity, water supply and sewage disposal, some with a shower and a new kitchen area. These houses were also made winter-proof so that they can also be used in the transitional periods and in winter.

2017 • Elizabeth Erhardt-Nolan acquired the three remaining houses from her brother Pan from the community of heirs.

literature

Web links

Commons : Bardou (Hérault)  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Coordinates: 43 ° 35 ′ 41 ″  N , 2 ° 56 ′ 28 ″  E