Bata Shoe Factory / Bataville
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Bataville is the name of an industrial complex, a former model city and living community which used to be the seat of one of the most modern shoe factories in Europe. Today, Bataville is a ghost town with vacant factory, office and apartment buildings. In 1931, a socio-economic experiment was instigated in Lorraine, a corner of the Moselle region, when Tomas Bata (1876 - 1932), Czech entrepreneur and founder of the Bata Shoes company, set up a modernist laboratory with state-of-the-art factories, offices, and apartment buildings for his workers. To this day, Bata remains one of the world%u2019s biggest multinational retailers, manufacturers and distributors of footwear. In 2001, the factory which employed 840 workers was closed, a decision which caused considerable public outcry and excitement in the community.