Bourg (settlement)
The Bourg [bu: ʀ] (from French le bourg) is a form of settlement that is mainly used in rural settlements for the town center, which often gives it its name. Usually the local weekly market takes place there, in the Bourg the Mairie and often the church. In the Middle Ages , the Bourg often had more or less strong fortifications and in times of war it served as a retreat for the population. The Bourg often describes a medium-sized settlement between a village and a small town , today it is often simply the main settlement of a municipality, as a delimitation of hamlets and towns .
etymology
On the one hand, the term is derived from the Latin burgus (German: Burg). However, where the Latin term comes from is not clear, there are two main theories:
- The term goes back to the Greek πυργος and means tower, closed area with towers .
- The term comes from the Germanic languages and goes back to * burg in the sense of a fortified area.
On the other hand, the term is directly traced back to the Germanic term castle , it would have been taken up with the penetration of the Germanic into the French language. The term first appeared around 1100, while earlier sources tended to use the terms vicus and villa , which can actually be directly traced back to the Latin language.
This type of settlement was originally introduced in the Limes area, later to a particularly high degree in settlements near the border, for example in the Bresse as a border area between Burgundy and Franche-Comté .
The Bourg in the Middle Ages
In the early Middle Ages , the cities experienced strong population growth, the fortified districts became too small, and more people settled outside the city walls. These settlements (Latin: foris burgus, German: outside the city wall) became today's French faubourg in the sense of a suburb via fors borc . Depending on the importance of this new settlement, it was also protected by city walls and often this new settlement was built around a church building.
From the 10th century onwards, more small-town settlements began to form, often at rich abbeys , castles or near urban settlements. These settlements often formed a Vorwerk or in French a fortin or often fortis in place and neighborhood names.}
The bourg today
The Bourg is particularly characterized by the presence of craft workshops , shops and public services . In addition, a weekly market is usually held, which distinguishes the Bourg from the Bourgade (spots). The Bourg has a certain importance, forms a social, administrative and economic center. As a rule, it is formed around the church , the Mairie, and forms the core of a community with places and hamlets that can possibly even be more populous.
See also
Individual evidence
- ↑ Dictionnaire TLFI du Center National de Ressources et textual Lexicales. Retrieved July 16, 2015 (French).
- ^ Edith Ennen , Early History of the European City , Bonn 1954.
- ↑ Dictionnaire TLFI (etymology) du Center National de Ressources et textual Lexicales. Retrieved July 16, 2015 (French).
- ^ Thierry Dutour: Ville médiévale (La) . Editions Odile Jacob, February 1, 2003, ISBN 978-2-7381-7095-8 .