Orschwiller

Orschwiller is a common French, located in the department of the the Low-Rhine and the area Alsace.

Geography

The village is crossed north in the south by the Wine trail and is located at a hundred meters approximately of the border between the Haut-Rhin and the the Low-Rhine. The village of Orschwiller is located between the communes of Kintzheim and Saint-Hippolyte. The village is on an antique road of the foot of the the Vosges already attended at the time of the Celtes and re-used then arranged by the Romains. Today, this road is not completely any more at the same place, since it was moved a little more with the Northern , not far from the covered hills of Vigne S. On the side of the Low-Rhine the road is baptized departmental 35, and to some steps more in the south, in the department of the Haut-Rhin, it bears the name of D 1 (a). Orschwiller is to some extent the door of the the Low-Rhine, just like its large neighbor, Saint-Hippolyte can be prided to be the door of the Haut-Rhin. The first sight that the visitor will have village, when it arrives by far, is the imposing silhouette of the Château of Haut-Koenigsbourg. The village however does not have any road link with the Château. The hundreds of tourists who each year go up to the castle, pass by Kintzheim or Saint-Hippolyte. However the walkers, or in love with nature can rendrent themselves with the castle since Orschwiller, thanks to paths marked out well by the Vosgean Club.

Access

While entering the village, while coming from Sélestat by the secondary road D 201, one finds on the left a panel where the inscription " is indicated; Romaine" sees;. Then it is necessary to go down by this small road which curves through the vineyard to the crossroads of the Croix of the Plague. At this place we are on the " Römerweg" or " Römerstrasse" that one still names " Überstrasse" or " Viehweg". It is an old layout of the Roman Voie which comes from the round of applause of Saint-Hippolyte and which is prolonged until Kintzheim. This very old way was already known at the time of the Celte S. In the part which passes beside the brook of Burnenbach, the road was empierrée over a width of six meters and one can imagine the traffic which passed by there two millenia ago. The brook forms besides starting from this place, the limits between the the Low-Rhine and the Haut-Rhin. With some steps of the small bridge which one a little further discovers one sees a Roman milliary terminal. It is at the edge of the road. The Romain S were accustomed to installing such terminals all the 1 478,5 meters which were round, high of approximately 1,40 meters. Today these terminals became very rare and one still find some with Scherwiller and Saint-Hippolyte.

Variations and localities

August 1st

Cours d' water

Steinbach

Blazon

Armorial bearings of Orschwiller: party with the first of azure, the gold fasce accompanied by two stars by same, one as a chief and the other at a peak, and with the second of mouths with three reversed and badly ordered money triangles.

What means that the blazon of Orschwiller is cut into two with a first blue half (azure) and a yellow separation (gold fasce) and two yellow stars. Other half has a red bottom (mouth) with three white triangles (money).

Population

The inhabitants and living of Orschwiller are known under the name of Orschwillérois and Orschwilléroises.

Nickname

The inhabitants of the village are described as Gugugg (cuckoos). It is told that in spring, the local municipal council makes a solemn exit, to catch the first cuckoo, messenger of the beautiful season. A certainly lost tradition, or then perpetuated in the greatest secrecy.

History

Origin of the name

The origin of the name would come probalement from the anthroponyme Germanic Audald.

An already known village at the time of Charlemagne

Orschwiller is mentioned for the first time in 768 under the name of Andaldovillare which was undoubtedly attached with Saint-Hippolyte as it appears in a charter of Pépin the Brief. One knows thanks to the will of the abbot Fulrad (written in 777) that the count Widon (Widonides), of the franque dynasty, future marquis of Brittany yielded to the Prieuré of Lièpvre Comté S in Alsace and in the Saulnois. In Alsace the count Widon had grounds with Guémar (Ghamari), with Orschwiller (Andaldoville), Ribeauvillé (Ratbertovillare) and other villages close to Colmar. These grounds were given to the abbot Fulrad, abbot of Saint-Denis of Lièpvre and Saint-Hippolyte on September 23rd 764. February 26th 754, the pope Etienne II grants the authorization to the abbot Fulrad to build monasteries on his own grounds. It created a monastery with Saint-Hippolyte towards 760 and ten years later with Lièpvre. Fulrad, patient, thinking that it was going to die, had given the received grounds of the count Widon to Pépin the Brief to put them safe from any usurpation after its death. September 23rd 768, its death day before, Pépin the Brief gives again with Fulrad the grounds in Alsace which had given him Widon. At that time the Abbaye of Saint-Denis has goods in the commune through the Prieuré of Lièpvre and Saint-Hippolyte rested by the abbot Fulrad.

The field of Orschwiller is also asserted by other religious foundations

Religious foundations, if one believes the history of it, have various goods in the commune. Towards 1031 the Abbaye of Ebersmunster enumerates various goods belonging to him, including one Cour colongère (Dinghof) in Oleswilre. But of other religious foundations have goods, in particular the Prieuré Holy-Foy of Sélestat which quotes in 1094, its field of Onolterweilre which is given to him by Hildegarde d' Eguisheim, wife of Frederic von Bûren, the founder of the line of the Hohenstaufen. Finally towards 1250, the Abbey of Honcourt, in the Valley of city makes public of the goods which it has in Orsweyler. The Meyblum abbot who wrote in 1934 a work on Orschwiller advances the assumption that the court colongère of Ebersmunster was located at the locality " Hofreben". A court colongère is a vast domain which concerns an owner, who in general gathers many farmers to which grounds are conceded for which they must return account to the managers. All these families obey rules (Rotules) of justice and administrative. But Ebersmunster is not the Seigneur places, but only one ground big landowner.

Orschwiller a concerning stronghold castle of Haut-Koenigsbourg

One does not know exactly which skews the village of Orschwiller became a stronghold of the Château of Haut-Koenigsbourg. The Château exists since 1147 and it was built by the Hohenstaufen on a ground belonging to the Abbaye of Saint-Denis which usurped the rights of the monks of Saint-Denis, but also those of the Prieuré of Lièpvre to which they removes part of the grounds located on the commune of Rombach-the-Franc. But at the time the Hohenstaufen do not take account of the complaints of the Abbaye of Saint-Denis. They consider it necessary to set up a forterress to fight against the power of the accounts of Eguisheim, combined Pape and enemies of the emperors. From 1250, the influence of Hohenstaufen is decreasing which corresponds to the interregnum where the Saint Empire Romain Germanique does not have central capacity any more. The Duc of Lorraine benefits from it, under the terms of the advocatie of the monks of Saint-Denis, to assert and occupy the Haut-Koenigsbourg. The Duc of Lorraine states that these grounds belong since Charlemagne to the Prieuré of Lièpvre which were given after the death of the abbot Fulrad in 784 to powerful the Abbaye of Saint-Denis which were named acknowledged by the monks to defend the rights of the Abbaye. The dukes admit that Orschwiller can take advantage of its rights and a Finage grants to him in which the Château will be included. From 1276, the dukes of Lorraine give the castle to be kept with various noble of which lords of Hohenstein. In 1343 they are recognized like lords of Orschwiller and recognize with the abbey of Ebersmunster the right to prosecute people of the village who make damage in the court colongère pertaining to the latter. Frequent quarrels turn around the property right on the Château. In 1369, a court made up of eleven knights, recognizes with the bishop of Strasbourg the property on Haut-Koenigsbourg and the village of Orschwiller whereas Saint-Hippolyte is recognized like belonging to the goods of the dukes of Lorraine. For this Orschwiller day has been separated from the supervision from its powerful and cumbersome neighbor, Saint-Hippolyte.

The period of the Hohenstaufen

The mountain on which the Haut-Koenigsbourg rises is mentioned for the first time under the name of " Stophanberg " (Staufenberg) in the deed of gift of Charlemagne to the Priory of Lièpvre, gone back to 774 and preserved at the Public records of Paris. At the beginning of XIIe century Hohenstaufen seized the mountain whose strategic situation tried it and the peak strengthened some: it is the " castrum Estufin " mentioned in a manuscript of XIIIe following century which the fortress would have been in 1147, at the time of the 2nd Croisade the object of negotiations between the King de France, Louis VII, guard of the Prieuré of Lièpvre and the king Conrad III of Germany. It appears to come out from this part which it was then with the top of the Montagne two keeps wrapped in the same denomination, " castrum in Kunegsberg " belonging to the same defense system and of which one would have risen on the site of what was until the restoration the small castle, cluster of ruins located at approximately 200 meters of the principal castle. This part of the castle which ordered the valley of the Liepvrette, i.e. the fields of the Prieuré of Lièpvre would have been atribuée with the king of France, while the other part, dominating the plain in the east would have remained in possession of Hohenstaufen. The name of Koenigsberg, replacing that of Staufenberg, then appears for the first time in a charter of 1192 and the lords of the manor, who were perhaps Feudataire S, perhaps of simple governors of the Emperor, appear under this name: " die Herren von Koenigsberg" in several documents of the years 1192 and 1214.

The Lorraine period

In the first part of XIIIe century, whereas the dynasty of Hohenstaufen leant towards its decline, the Château passed between the hands of the dukes of Lorraine owners of prévôté of Lièpvre. Those initially inféodèrent it on a purely provisional basis with Cuno de Bergheim, then definitively with the counts de Werd, Landgrave S of the Low Alsace. After the death of the landgrave Henri (1238) the castle passed temporarily again to the hands of Cunon de Bergheim, then returned in Werd which, while remaining titular stronghold until front good in XIVe century, yielded it to old women and noble Alsatian families of the Rathsamhausen and Hohenstein. Documents of 1267 and 1276 establish that at that time three families of Rathsamhausen and four of Hohenstein jointly had the castle in the form of the Ganerbinat and that they had been mutually committed yielding any part without the general assent of it.

The period of the bishops of Strasbourg

In second half of the XIVe century, the family of the Werd having disappeared, their heirs, the counts of Oettingen, to the Suzeraineté dukes of Lorraine disputed on the Haut-Koenigsbourg and sold in 1359 the castle and the town of Saint-Hippolyte with the bishop of Strasbourg with Jean de Liechtenberg with the help of the sum of 10.000 Florin S of gold. This transaction was not taste of the duke Jean of Lorraine which in more had not been even consulted on the legality of this act. It resulted from it one period from tuggings which lasted a score of years between the episcopate of Strasbourg and the house of Lorraine. The Empire mixed with the business and put the two parts of agreement by taking again the possession of this antique Manoir of Hohenstaufen. At the end of the XIVe century the small castle made retouir with noble Rathsamhausen, but will be destroyed soon. As for the principal Castle, according to a Charte of 1442 it is again yielded to the Hohenstein at the same time as the village of Orschwiller. It is him which bears henceforth the name of Haut-Koenigsbourg; the small castle, since its destruction, former to 1417, is indicated more only under the name of Oedenburg. The XVe century being one period of amazing Anarchy, Haut-Koenigsbourg was not to escape the jolts from this period than disturbed more. Hohenstein had been established there in maîttres obsolus, jointly with Aventurier S such as the Westernach, the Lambsheim, and transformed it into a den of Bandit S dreaded in all the country, since Basle to Strasbourg. the castle extremely well located on the edge and above the great transportation route between the Swiss and the average valley of the the Rhine, lent itself to the most daring knacks. As of 1450 thus opens an era of armed robberies whose country had the memory. The brigands having finally had the unfortunate idea to attack a company of Notable S citizens of the town of Strasbourg who went to Basle, it was a cry of universal reprobation. All the country took to it weapons to put at the reason this handle Sacripant S which faced the Loi S of the company top of their den inaccessible to isolated forces. The town of Basle took the initiative of the movement which the Seigneur S and the towns of all joined the Haut-Rhin. Strasbourg provides its formidable Artillerie and the top of an eminence located at the south of the castle one put oneself at the cononner during five days (from October 22nd to 27th 1462). The Garnison flees by a Souterrain, besieging them seized the castle and destroyed it. One with the deposition of the one of them which, according to the catch of the castle, ran right to the prisons. It finds some of two kinds: one in the keep in the shape of oubliettes with an opening to communicate with the Captive S, the other with open Sky in which, according to its own expressions, it rained and it snowed. A tower and two Dungeon S, it is from the point of view of construction, all that one one knows of old the Forteresse.

People of the castle had escaped in front of the Confédéré S, but while learning what had just occurred, Antoine de Hohenstein who was absent at this time there, sent to the town of Basle, instigator of the movement, a summation in rule to rebuild the manor of his fathers or to grant a compensation to him. In.liaison.with both Lambsheim, it was put at guerroyer against the city until the bishop of Strasbourg intervening, it was concluded at the end of four years a fine compromise putting at the disagreement, but which is not explained poas on the fate reserved for the ruin. Hohenstein in all the cases gave up it. In 1446, it is pledged, always with Orschwiller, with the count of Werdenberg, but the nomination is followed of no effect.

The village is related to that of Haut-Koenigsbourg

Towards 1140, Alsace belongs to the Saint Empire Romain Germanique. The duke of Souabe and Alsace, Frederic Hohenstaufen made built two castles with the site of current the Haut-Koenigsbourg. With the extinction of the line of Hohenstaufen, dukes of Lorraine, and the bishop of Strasbourg dispute the stronghold. It is finally the bishop of Strasbourg which will leave victorious this arm wrestling. Orschwiller and the Haut-Koenigsbourg passed to the bishop of Strasbourg, while Saint-Hippolyte remained between the hands of the dukes of Lorraine. They made surround the village of a rampart and made a city of it. From this period Orschwiller remained sole owner of the stronghold of the Haut-Koenigsbourg. The fate of the village is then related to that of the Haut-Koenigsbourg located on the commune. Several lords disputed then the fate of the village. Hohenstein are still in XVe century the lords of the manor in Haut-Koenigsbourg but they were surrounded by a band of knight-brigands which foams the country. Ordered by the brothers Mey von Lambsheim, our roughneck soldiers disturb the peace of the country (Lanfrieden). From October 26th to 29th 1462, the episcopal troops of Strasbourg and Basle come to besiege the castle. The garrison, benefitting from the night manages to escape by borrowing an underpass. Feeling fustrés, united put fire at the castle. In 1466, the village will have a new lord, the count of Werdenberg, Switzerland. From 1479 appears another lord of the family of the Thierstein originating in Switzerland. They receive hands of the Habsbourg the ruins and the village in stronghold and make rebuild the Château. They will equip it with a tower and will add a large artillery bastion to it. The Haut-Koenigsbourg became thus the fortress such as we currently see it.

In 1517 Maximilien Ier of Austria repurchases the village, then towards 1571 the castle which became thus imperial village. With the Moyen-âge in fact the Hohenstein has half of the village, then in 1535 the village in its entirety passes under the control of the troops of the knight Franz von Sickingen (1481 - 1523) and there carries out many work. In 1605 it is the noble family of Nicolas de Bollwiler which becomes the true Master of Orschwiller, then he yields the village in stronghold to the Fugger towards 1617. Fugger of Augsburg was a rich person family of bankers at the end of the Moyen-âge. It was anoblis for services rendered by the emperor Maximilien Ier of Bavaria (1573 - 1651).

The thirty year old war

In July 1633 the village of Orschwiller is set fire to by the Swedish as well as the Château which is removed with Imperial after a long seat. The castle will remain in ruin until in 1899. The fate of the inhabitants of Orschwiller is terrible. They are constrained to achieve during 39 weeks of the drudgeries, like cutting down trees, cutting stones. They must moreover assemble the guard to the Château on a purely voluntary basis. During the bombardments Swedish, the inhabitants of Orschwiller have obligation to go to take refuge men, women and children inside the castle. The Governor of the castle, Philippe de Lichtenau, hastened to denounce the villagers near Austrian regency, estimating that they were ready to negotiate with the Swedish. The test lasts for ever until September 7th. The garrison capitulates, the haibitants of Orschwiller are free. Four weeks later, after having plundered the places the Swedes put fire at the Haut-Koenigsbourg. In 1648 the French become the Masters of the Austrian territories in Alsace, but the Sickingen, after an agreement with the Fugger, become again the lords of Orschwiller and the Château in ruin.

The town of Sélestat offers the castle to the Emperor Guillaume II

The family of the Sickingen take again the village towards 1672 to pass by again it on March 5th 1770 with the knight Henri François Boug for the sum of 62.000 books. Blow the knight takes the name of Boug d' Orschwiller. In 1775 it dies, but the castle remains with his wife (girl of the former baillif d' Orschwiller Kieffer) and with her children until after the Révolution. Then it is the town of Sélestat which became owner of the ruins of Haut-Koenigsbourg.Il made gift of the ruins of the castle to the emperor Guillaume II which made rebuild the castle between 1900 and 1908. The same year it is the inauguration of the new castle raised by the architect Bodo Ebhardt. The cost of the operation was assembled at the time with 1.400.000 marks. In 1918, the castle became again a property of the French State and was given in management to the National bank of the historic buildings. It is one of the most visited monuments today France!

Administration

Demography

provisional population for 2006: 564

To live in Orschwiller

culture

August 1st

Festivities and events

Each year, at the beginning of December, the village holds its traditional market of Christmas, a truth, with its Artisan S of formerly, the joy and the plays of the Enfant S, the Musique, the decorations, Concert S. Of the hands of the Boulanger leave then prettiest " Maennelé " that one can imagine…

Sport

August 1st

Economy

August 1st

Places and monuments

Castle of Haut-Kœnigsbourg

Church Saint-Maurice (1779)

The church Saint-Maurice is on an old sanctuary set up with the Moyen-âge. The primitive church is set fire to by the Swedes in 1633. It will be rebuilt quickly and again accommodates the faithful ones as of 1660 until 1778. One particularly honoured the Vierge there with Langenberg, a sculpture which shows the Madonna giving a kiss on the mouth of his/her child. Work is always preserved in the current church. A legend haloes the statue. The tradition reports that the statue was found on Langenberg after the demolition of the old church. One thus transported the statue in the new church. But as of the following day, the statue had disappeared and one found it in the same place, on Langenberg, close to a source. The statue, was brought back once again. It was included/understood whereas it had to be placed the statue so that it can turn to the Langenberg. Thing made at once. Since the statue remained accurately in its place. When one built the new church Saint-Maurice, people of Orschwiller went to recover some stones on the ruins of the Haut-Koenigsbourg, which caused a vigorous protest of the knight of Boug owner of the Château. With the increase in the population after the War thirty year old, the Sanctuaire in ruin was recontruit but could not accommodate the whole of the villagers any more. It was then decided to build a larger church in 1778. In 1985, the bell-tower of the church is destroyed by a fire, as well as the stained glasses of the XIXe century, the tables and retables. One feared the destruction of the statue of the Vierge, but it had been fortunately saved by the Feu. The flames had licked the niche which sheltered the Madone, but this one was saved. Two years later, the church was rebuilt.

The Virgin of Langenberg

Polychrome wood of the XVIIe century. This statue was found on the mountainsides to an unspecified date. It is quoted for the first time in 1660 and is already, at this date in the old church. Rare and curious detail, the Virgin kisses the Jesus Child on the mouth.

Pieta

Polychrome wood of the XVIIIe century. The polychromy of this statue undoubtedly dates from the XIXe century. The Virgin of pity is a traditional topic of the religious iconography. The position of Christ, almost sitted on the knees of Marie is original. The treatment of the characters corresponds well to the sentimentalism which reigns then in the artistic field.

Saint-Joseph vault

The old vault was at the entry of the village and leant with turn-carries which closed the village with the XVe century. In 1633, the Swedish hordes, engaged by the party protesting at the time of the thirty year old war, plunder the village and put fire at it. The vault will not escape from plundering and confusion. It will be rebuilt in 1728. One preserves at it the statues of Saint-Dominique and Sainte Agathe which is famous to move away fire, the fires. The vault preserves four tables of the painter Lucas Neysser originating in Soultz painted in 1825.

The Holy Family

Polychrome wood of the XVIIIe century located in the Saint-Joseph vault. This statue represents Marie and Joseph in fleurdelized coats, holding by the hand Jesus child.

The cross of the Plague

This Calvaire is on the crossroads at the entry of the Village of Orschwiller. It is about a high stone cross delimited by a wrought iron grid which received the name of " Cross of the Plague " . It was set up in 1628 during the Guerre thirty year old whereas the village was plundered and devastated by many foreign troops engaged in interreligieux conflicts. To miseries and harvests devastated the epidemics of plague are added which then decimate most of the population. To entreat the fate, it is then of use to draw up at the entry of the villages of the martyrdoms to ask the sky to save the city or to thank God for having preserved the population of the epidemic. An inscription added later reveals us that the martyrdom was restored in 1704, and since, regularly the inhabitants maintain the small monument lovingly. Another cross, existed near the small crossroads of ways, it was the gibet " Galgen". In 1730 the community of Orschwiller consolidate the gibet which threatens to collapse. The Baillif of the village had taken for practice to take the malendrins on the gibet " Gelgen". The inhabitants of the village wearied by prolonged exposures of corpses hung to their cord, close gibet began it to find the business like bad taste. The sovereign Conseil of Alsace makes the decision in its meeting of May 21st 1731 to repair the gibet.

Personalities related to the commune

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