Achen

Achen is a common French, located in the department of the the Moselle and the basin of life of the Moselle-is.

Geography

The village extends in country discovered, with the Western limit of the canton of Rohrbach. It is located at the confluence of the brook known as of Achen and of the Ruisseau of Singling.

History

The village is mentioned for the first time in a text of 1199, in the form Aqua (water, river), then in 1246 Acchene , and finally in 1553 Achen , its final form. The village is old a Paroisse of the archpriest of Hornbach to the diocese of Metz, last in that of Rohrbach in 1804. The church Saint-Pierre, with the collation of the Cistercian abbey of Sturzelbronn until in 1621, was the church-mother of Etting and Kalhausen.

From the temporal point of view, the grounds belonged to the lords of the Small-Pierre ( Lutzelstein ) then occupied by the duke of Lorraine, which joins together the village with its seigniory of Bitche. This one is given to the 12th century with the son of the duke Ferry II, Réginald, at the same time count of Blieskastel, today in the Saar. Thus, one includes/understands the treaty of 1246 by which the duke Mathieu II promises, when it recovers the seigniory of Bitche, to return Achen to the count of the Small-Pierre. In continuation, count Hugues appears to be returned in fact in possession of Achen, since, in 1272, it gives patronage and the Dîme of Achen to the Abbaye of Sturzelbronn, which will reassign them in 1621, to the duke of Lorraine in exchange of six salt maldres of Dieuze. In 1382, the count Henri claims to hold Achen in stronghold of the empire.

In 1457, Wolter of Thann engages its rights, goods and people with Achen with Guillaume of Fénétrange, of which the rights pass after its death in 1472 to his/her niece, Barbe Fénétrange, and with its husband, the count Nicolas de Mörs- Sarrewerden. The July 12th 1553, the count of Nassau-Saarbrucken yields the village to Jacques of Deux-Ponts which, in 1297, had acquired the seigniory of Bitche. In 1572, the seigniory is occupied by the duke of Lorraine and, since this date, Achen shares the fate of the Duché of Lorraine.

The village becomes common Canton of Rohrbach-lès-Bitche in 1790.

The varied and broken relief involved the construction of important works of the Ligne Maginot and in particular that of the High Pear tree. The population is evacuated on September 1st 1939 in Charente, with Condac, Jarnac, Bioussac, Poursac and Barro, the town hall being folded up with Condac. The inhabitants will regain their village on October 1st 1940.

Bombarded the December 7th 1941, the village is released by the American troops the December 8th 1944. But, at the time of the offensive Von Rundstett, the German return to the northern entry of the commune, where terrible combat are held the January 3rd 1945, street of Wiesviller. The German however are definitively driven back the following day.

The village preserved few old monuments: the church built in 1725 and increased side of the chorus in 1778, monuments of replaced in old the Cemetery, which surrounded the church until in 1966, and several crosses of way.

Old the Bridge in the center of the village carrying the Statue of holy Jean Népomucène and including/understanding five arches, rebuilt in 1786, jumped at the time of the Bombardement. It is replaced by a bridge in Béton of only one pier. The common is quoted with the order of the brigade the November 11th 1948: " Lorraine commune of very tested by the Bombardment S and the combat which were delivered on its territory, Achen counts 9 killed and 8 wounded. Evacuated office as of September 1939, the population, on its return in October 1940, was the object of many vexations and requests on behalf of the enemy, but it remained faithful to the motherland. By its attachment with the France and by its sacrifices, Achen was acquired rights to the recognition of the Country ".

This quotation comprises the attribution of the Military Cross with bronze star. Achen paid a heavy tribute at the time from both World wars: 20 victims at the time of the First World War, 2 victims at the time of the Second world war, 14 In spite of us fallen or not returned in 1940 - 1945, 10 civilian victims of the Bombardement S, is a common disaster victim with 48%.

Economy

Until 1939, Achen is primarily an agricultural locality with family small-scale farmings of an average of 5 hectares. The grounds are parcelled out too much: more than 10.000 pieces for 1212 hectares, that is to say an average of 12 ares per piece.

Since 1945 one attends a major transformation of the economic life. The young people are attracted by the Industrie and especially at the beginning by the Houillères of the Lorraine coalfields, which ensure a collecting by bus for Merlebach and Small-Rosselle. The rather high profits will improve the standard of living, from where new modern constructions and interior transformations of the buildings, especially after the realization of the water supply network in 1955. At the same time, the small farms disappear, and only ten remains. The small craftsmen, cartwright, painter, shoeing marshal, saddler harness-maker, Shoe-maker, tailor, disappear in their turn. Achen became a commune-dormitory. Each day, of many inhabitants migrate towards Deux-Ponts and Pirmasens. A hundred pupils also leaves the locality for the THESE of Rohrbach or the various colleges of Sarreguemines.

Administration

Demography

Oldest Recensement S known goes back to first half of the 16th century. One then notes only the hearths. Achen was one of the largest villages of the seigniory of Bitche. At a certain year, the village counts 71 hearths against 67 with Bining, 62 with Kalhausen, 54 with Rohrbach, 45 with Large-Réderching, 28 with Etting, 26 with Enchenberg, 22 with Lemberg, 4 with Lambach and Siersthal. Others Recensement S give 65 hearths in 1539, 66 in 1586, 68 in 1606, 80 in 1621, 71 in 1622, 81 in 1626, By multiplying each hearth by 5 or 6, that corresponds to a population of approximately 450 inhabitants the day before the Guerre Thirty Year old.

In 1627, the Peste bursts in the area and finds many victims with Achen. The years of war, and more especially 1634 and 1635, make leave the survivors. Thus all the area is abandoned. However in 1661, the life begins again gently. Colonists try to settle, but are obliged to withdraw itself. In 1680, Achen counts again 28 hearths, Etting and Kalhausen included/understood. In 1708, there are of them already 41 and in 1783, one counts 110, that is to say approximately 600 inhabitants.

The repopulation of the villages devastated during the Guerre Thirty Year old is mainly assured by immigrants come from Suisse, the Tyrol, Pays of Bade, Bavaria and Ardenne S.

Places and monuments

the church Saint-Pierre, built in 1728.

Many a Mill S, for the majority still in activity in first half of the 20th century, turned on the Ruisseau of Achen:

the Walkmühle (the fulling mill) is given to one named Louis Muller by the count Jacques of Deux-Ponts, lord of Bitche and half of Lichtenberg, in hiring for life in 1546. In 1572, Laurent Muller is miller there. Ten years later, one allows him to transfer this mill to corn at the village, where it became most probably the Neumühle , and the mill even is changed into fulling mill. Mentioned 1661 with 1703 as being destroyed, Jean Funfrock obtains the May 20th 1733, of the duchess regent, the permission to rebuild it, with load to give him a Dîme of fourteen francs per annum. Named Antoine Muller of Saar-Union benefits from this authorization. In 1867, the mill belongs to certain Pierre Gross of Achen, whose son in 1908 returned to him, its destination first of mill with corn. It is not currently exploited any more by its current owner.
the Neumühle , in full village, is mentioned for the first time in 1612 like pertaining to Jean Zoller. This Mill, destroyed during the War Thirty Year old, is sold after the rebuilding to Nicolas Muller, the heir to Jean Zoller. The current mill has use of dwelling.
the Altmühle , inhabited before the War Thirty Year old, in 1570 per Etienne Muller and finally in 1612 per Jean Vogel, is completely destroyed during the Second world war.
the Oligmühle , to 800 m of the Altmühle , is mentioned for the first time in 1729, its owner of the time being certain Wittbrauch. The following owners are Jean Nicolas Schmitt of 1762 with 1782 then his/her son Jean Schmitt. Jean Freyermuth and Eve Herzog will succeed to them before the mill does not pass to the children and to grandchildren of the latter, until in 1878, where the owners withdraw themselves with Rahling. The new owner, Etienne Bertran, sell it in 1890 to Charles Gross of Bining, the husband of Hoffmann Barbe. The son-in-law of the latter, Jean Assant exploits it until these last years and the mill follows the fate of the others in 1971.
the Gallenmühle owes its name, according to the local tradition, in certain Gall, immigrant of Suisse. This mill, property towards 1725 of Philippe Seyler who bought it for 875 ecus ( Taler ) with his father, Pierre Seyler, remained property of this family until in 1896. The mill is not currently any more in activity.
the village disappeared from Pfaffenthal did not leave any memory.
the mill disappeared from Naumühle is mentioned in 1758.
the Val of Achen gathers the residences of officers and warrant officers, built before war for the soldiers of the 153e Régiment of French Infantry in garrison with Achen. Quartering is completely destroyed.

Armorial bearings

The Blasonnement of the common , by order of the prefect of the March 14th 1950, is the following: half-compartment of mouths to the bent rafter of money and to two keys of stitching Gold joined together out of versed rafter and of gold to the Cross of Lorraine of Mouths.

The upper part represents the armorial bearings of the count of the Small-Pierre and the lower part those of the count of Bitche. Both key S are the attributes of holy Pierre, owner of the Paroisse.

Personalities related to the commune

Blaise Illig, Commander born in Achen in 1851.

Sources

mills and sawmills of the Country of Bitche , Joel Beck, 1999.
Rohrbach-lès-Bitche and its canton , Joel Beck, 1988.
the canton of Rohrbach-lès-Bitche , Joel Beck, 2004.
Country of Bitche 1900-1939 , Joel Beck, 2005.

See too

Common of the Moselle

External bonds

Achen on the site Welcome in the Country of Bitche!
Achen on the site of the National Geographical Institute
Achen on the site of INSEE
Achen on the site of Quid
Localization of Achen on a chart of France and communes bordering
Plane on Achen on Mapquest
History and photographs of Achen, by Greg Wolf
Achen on the site of the Countries of Bitche and the Saar

Random links: