Bataville, Industrial heritage site in Moussey and Réchicourt-le-Château, France.
Bataville is an industrial complex built between 1931 and 1940 consisting of factory buildings, workers' homes, a school, and a social center arranged in organized blocks. The site spreads across two locations and shows the modernist design approach of early industrial planning.
The site was founded in 1931 by Tomáš Baťa, a Czech shoe manufacturer, as part of his global factory network. It was built as an experiment to create an ideal workers' town designed to house around 15,000 people.
The settlement was designed so workers and their families could live alongside the factory, with schools and shops built right into the community. This mixing of residential and industrial spaces still defines how the place feels today.
The best time to visit is in good weather when you can see the entire layout clearly from outside. Wear comfortable shoes as you'll be walking between different areas to see the complex.
While the Baťa company built dozens of factory towns worldwide, Bataville is the only one of its kind in France. This singular example makes the site special for understanding how industrial ambitions spread across Europe in the 1930s.
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