The great sagas of industry. 132 years ago, the Erstein sugar factory was born.

In Alsace, sugar means beetroot! "We owe its arrival in France to Napoleon ^I ," confides Ervin Szokola, director of the Erstein sugar factory. On November 21, 1806, facing his great rival, the Kingdom of England, the Emperor decreed the continental blockade.

The result? The closure of ports to English ships and, therefore, to their goods, particularly cane sugar. Another way to produce it had to be found. Scientists conducted experiments on grapes, chestnuts, pears, apples, and beets. This crop was chosen and developed.

By an imperial decree of 1811, Napoleon ^I ordered the cultivation of 32,000 hectares of the little nugget with the red/purple robe on French soil.

In Alsace, the Bas-Rhin quota is set at 3,000 hectares, that of the neighboring department at 1,000.

But it turns out that the prefect of Strasbourg, Lézay-Marnésia, was well inspired...

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