Un espace industriel en voie de restructuration : le bassin potassique d'alsace
Institution:
Université Louis Pasteur (Strasbourg) (1971-2008)Disciplines:
Directors:
Abstract EN:
The extraction of potash which began in 1910 in the north of mulhouse transformed a rural country into an industrial area. A new economical entity was progressively born, caracterised by a typical landscape and a real economical and social unity. Since 1960, the mines of potash have known an organised recession phase. The potash field which is near the agglomeration of mulhouse is getting organised on new bases. The "mdpa" try to diversify their production, while the communes learn to live without potash and to manage the legacy of the past. At the same time, the progressive shrinking of mining activity increases mulhouse ' s influence and speed of extension, towards communes which present some free spaces. Entirely organised around mining activity, the potash field economical and social structures have been changing since 1968 1975 under the increasing influence of mulhouse. The industrial and urban landscape has also undergone some great changes. Today, the potash field loses its past cohesion : the opposition between the communes included in the mulhouse influence area and those which are outside, has succeeded to the homogeneity based on that only activity. Within less than twenty years of the complete stop of the mining development, the potash field is reaching a decisive period of its history. Its future can only be considered as being part of a bigger area. This evolution directly concerns mulhouse agglomeration which is itself being restructured, but also affects the whole alsace region, which could profit by this occurence to create, in mulhouse and its influence area, a pole of attraction based on new industries.
Abstract FR:
L'extraction de la potasse qui a debute en 1910 au nord de mulhouse, transforma en bassin industriel une region jusque la rurale. Une nouvelle entite socio-economique vit progressivement le jour, caracterisee par une unite paysagere, economique et sociale certaine. Depuis 1960, les mines de potasse connaissent une phase de recession organisee. Le bassin potassique qui se trouve aux portes de l'agglomeration mulhousienne s'organise alors sur de nouvelles bases. Les mdpa cherchent a diversifier leur production, tandis que les collectivites locales apprennent a vivre sans la potasse, et a gerer les heritages. Parallelement, le recul de l'activite en place accentue l'influence et la rapidite de l'extension de mulhouse en direction de communes qui offrent des espaces libres. Entierement organisees autour de l'activite miniere, les structures economiques et sociales du bassin potassique se modifient a partir de 1968 75 sous l'influence croissante de mulhouse. Le paysage industriel et urbain connait lui aussi de profonds changements. Aujourd'hui, c'est en realite la cohesion d'une entite autrefois scellee par un destin commun qui est en cause : a l'homogeneite fondee sur la mono-activite, a succede l'opposition entre les communes incluses dans l'aureole de croissance de mulhouse et celles qui en sont eloignees. A moins de deux decennies de l'arret total de l'exploitation miniere, le bassin potassique arrive a une periode charniere de son histoire. Son avenir ne peut s'envisager qu'integre a une zone plus vaste. Il interesse directement l'agglomeration mulhousienne, elle-meme en cours de restructuration, mais concerne aussi toute la region alsace, qui pourrait profiter de ce concours de circonstances pour susciter la creation sur mulhouse et sa zone d'influence, d'un pole attractif base sur des industries nouvelles.