Bergheim is located 12 miles north of Colmar. It is a completely fortified town with surviving towers and walls and a late-medieval church. The entire population was wiped out by two wars and the plague in the 17th-18th centuries. It was repopulated with immigrants from other countries, mostly Swiss, German, Hungarian, Austrian and Romanian. Until WWII, the town had a large Jewish population.

The town’s economy is based on tourism and wine production.

In 1534, a villager from nearby was pursued for a crime and found refuge in Bergeim. Grateful, he installed on the Porte Haute the “Lack Mi” plaque (see photo below). It is a sculpture depicting a man making fun of his pursuers, sticking out his tongue and showing his bare butt.

History and Facts about Bergheim