Rombach-the-Franc

Rombach-the-Franc is a common French, located in the department of the Haut-Rhin and the area Alsace.

Geography

Rombach-the-franc (in the past called German Rombach ) is a village which is stretched in length at the bottom of a valley crossed by a brook which bears its name, which is an affluent of left bank of the Liepvrette. It is in extreme cases of three departments (Haut-Rhin, the Low-Rhine, and the Vosges) above the collar of the Hingrie (749 meter of altitude) which meet in the North-West. At the end of the village, to approximately 5 km, is the hamlet of Hingrie crossed, by Rombach and joined by the brooks of Volbach and of Bestégoutte and many sources coming from Barançon, of the Hollow-Oak, Besse of the slopes, Biagoutte, Voulhimont, the Small bedroom, Naugigoutte. While coming from the hamlet of the Hingrie at the entry of the village, Rombach is also joined by the brook of Pierreusegoutte, then by Broru (coming from the Small bedroom) and Laguesse (behind the church), and towards the exit in direction of Lièpvre by water of Hargoutte and of Vaurière. Hingrie belongs to a whole of several localities where old disseminated farms are located called High-Fountain, Schlingoutte, Foa, Bestégoutte, of which some were populated before the 18th century by Anabaptistes. Rombach-the-franc is also located at 2 km of Lièpvre which is with the confluence of Rombach and the Liepvrette (Liepvrette = called Laimaha in the diplomas of Charlemagne and Lothaire Ier, in 774 and 854). The secondary road D 48 which starts from Lièpvre and which passes by Rombach-the-Franc joined the village of Fouchy by the collar of the same name (606 meters of altitude). Lièpvre orders at the same time the entry of the small valley of Rombach and upstream, the important valley of Lièpvrette with the communes of Holy-Cross-with-Mines and Holy-Marie-with-Mines place chief of the canton which is to 8 km towards the west and the south Aubure. The five communes, with Aubure are gathered within the same geographical family which successively received the name of Val of Lièpvre, Vallée of Holy-Marie-with-Mines and maintaining the Valley of Money. To 15 km, towards the East of the commune the town of Sélestat is. Lièpvre and Rombach-the-Franc neighbors one of the other formed until in 1786 only one and even parish managed initially by the monks of the priory, then by a secular priest named by the Chapter of Nancy, then starting from 1690 it yields this right to the parish of Holy-Marie-with-Mines. Rombach-the-franc is located at the center of the village to a 300 meters height. The mountains which surround it are primarily made up by pink sandstone resting on a base of Granit gray, which encircles all the village, except for the southern part which goes towards Lièpvre. The inhabitants of Rombach-the-Franc are called Rombéchats or Rombéchates. Called during centuries German Rombach the noun of the village was modified on December 2nd 1918 in Rombach-the-Franc following a decision of the municipal council to recall the importance of the fastening of the commune to France.

Variations and localities : (80 localities) With the Barn, In Schéna, the Furnaces, Barançon, Beautiful Fields, Belhengoutte, Bessecôte, Besse of the slopes, Bestégoutte, Bestegoutte and Gros Bay, Biagoutte, the Oblique one, Biastert-Wood, Blicombe, Boidosot, Brangra and Chete Oak, Chambi, Balo Fields, Fields of the Huts, Fields of the stones, Chaussotte, Cat hung, Chenelle (or Chenhel), Horse pear tree, Hill of Barançon, Conterain, Couty, Degelingoutte, In front of Barançon, Brangna, the cross, Gange, Nodévo, Naltérain, Feignet, Foa, Cold Goutelle, Gelingoutte, Gerard Goutelle, Large High, Large Pre, Large Drop, Grosbai, Hargoutte, High Fountain, High Guard, Hingrie, the Small bedroom, Goutelle, Laguesse, Longire, Mill gate, Langrie, Rochette, Mangoutte, Hergauhenneux, Naugigoutte, Naltérin, Osières, Perdaugoutte, the Small one High, Pierreusegoutte, the Pre one of the huts, Pre Gravel, Pre the Saint, Prérébois, Rain of Annot, Raingai, Raingouttel, Réguiseure, Rochette, Salanville, Langoutelle, Vaurière, Vauthiermont, Village, Volbach, Vougapré, Vougnigoutte, Voulhigoutte, Voulhimont, Vourogoutte

Description of the blazon of Rombach-the-Franc

One distinguishes on the blazon from the commune three symbols: the fir tree, the Lorraine cross of and the Military Cross. The emblem of the blazon is the Sapin which represents the size of the National forest which is one of most important of Alsace compared to the number of inhabitants: 910 ha of forest subjected to the forest Mode for 820 inhabitants. The Cross of Lorraine represents the attachment former of Rombach-the-Franc to the Duché of Lorraine until in 1766. In 1648, the Alsace is annexed by the France, but the left bank of the Liepvrette, of which Rombach-the-Franc, remains an enclave Lorraine. In 1766, to died of the duke Stanislas, the Val of Lièpvre is attached to the France. It is only in 1790 that the commune is incorporated in the Département of Haut-Rhin nearer geographically than the Lorraine.

The diploma of Military Cross with quotation with the order of division was decreed with Rombach-the-Franc on November 11th 1948 within sight of the acts of braveries which marked out the village during the Second world war. This quotation comprises the attribution of the Military Cross with money star. During the German Occupation between 1940 - 1944, the commune of Rombach-the-Franc was an important crossing point or a hiding-place for many French prisoners or foreigners escaped from the German camps. In addition of many refractories to the Service of obligatory work (STO) and to the Wehrmacht was hidden and lodged in the farms until the libération.
Many prisoners could regain their country or their hearth thanks to the assistance of the inhabitants of the village.

History

Rombach-the-franc saw ravelling in 1200 years several political changes and resisted all the attempts at germanisation. This permanence of the French language in old a Lorraine Enclave in Alsace is altogether rather remarkable and can be explained by the vicissitudes of the history. It is due to the presence of the Prieuré of Lièpvre, of which there remain nothing any more which was affiliated a long time with the royal basilica of Saint-Denis, and to the seizure of the Ducs of Lorraine on this region until in 1766 year to which it was attached to the France.

The franque period

During several centuries the area belongs to three groups of Alamans which occupy the grounds close to the Val of Lièpvre, then to the Francs. It is then conquered by the Mérovingiens and the Carolingiens.

The first group of Alamans settled close to Guémar baptized Garmaringen, second Odeldinga (installed close to Orschwihr) and the third with Burninga. Each one of these communities was owner of a vast territory which one at that time called walk , and which in the west was inserted deeply in the the Vosges, until the Liepvrette. The grounds of Garminga went seems it until Echéry. At that time the Alamans push back the Gallo-novels which populated then the plain of Alsace and which will take refuge in the mountains. Then the Francs arrive which annex the three steps of the tax department of the king. Preserving the property, they leave in Alamans the care to exploit and clear the grounds in company of frank days laborer. It is at time which the toponym heim appears that one finds in the principal centers of the area of the Moyenne Alsace (Kintzheim and Bergheim). The frank lords found localities whose names finish in villar ( Ratbaldovillar called Ribeauvillé today). The frank persons in charge make come thereafter on their fields from the farmers from Romance language, from where appearance of new names resulting from the Romance idiom (Châtenois).

It is also the time when one sees appearing names of the rivers and rivers. At the time Gallo-Roman E the surffixe acus was generally added to a name of a person to form the name of the field. Thus the termination Bach (Ruisseau) would not come from German, but from Celtic the acus that one finds in many fields in France. It is the case for example brook of the Rombach whereas the name of the Liepvrette would come from the Celtic word Labar whose Latinized form is Leber meaning the mountain or the hill.

Another curiosity which one probably owes at the time franque, names in " drop ". The area abounds in names of this kind: Belhengoutte, Degelingoutte, Gelingoutte, Hargoutte, Naugigoutte, Perdaugoutte, Vourogoutte (Rombach-the-Franc); Entregoutte (Lièpvre); Rougigoutte (Holy Cross-with-Mines); Mongoutte, (Holy Marie-with-Mines); Chevregoutte, (the Catch); Codongoutte (Lapoutroie); Gemaingoutte (the Vosges), etc Not far from Rombach-the-Franc, on the commune of Neubois, is the Château of Frankenbourg which according to the legend would be the work of Clovis to which he would have added a vault raising on the stained glasses and the stone, three black clamping plates on white field, pagan emblem of the king. After the conversion of Clovis to the Christianity, the clamping plates made place with three flowers of lily representing the Holy Trinity. Specklin, while speaking about the Château of Frankenbourg affirms that when Clodovig or Clovis made the conquest of the Alsace at the end of the 5th century, it made build on a plate located between the two valleys of the Liepvrette and of the Val of City a castle which it baptized fortress of Frankenbourg (Burg der Franken) and there builds also a vault. The former Specklin annalist known as to have seen at its time on one of the stained glasses painted which still existed with the vault, three black crowns on a money field.

It is as, according to the legend as the queen Clothilde, wife of Clovis would have come to the castle to beseech God to give the victory to the Francs. The Château of Frankenbourg is mentioned for the first time in 1123 in a charter of the emperor Henri V.

Towards 670 appears the Duché of Alsace which lasted until in 740. The successive dukes are Gondoin, Boniface, Etichon (Latinized form) or Etichon-Adalric of Alsace (Germanic form), Adalbert of Alsace and Luitfrid Ier of Alsace. They support the expansion of Christianity while creating or by authorizing abbeys like Wissembourg, Munster, or Hohenbourg (Holy-Odile). Luitfrid II of Alsace, going down from the duke Etichon-Adalric of Alsace, has grounds on the side of Small Rombach with Sainte Cross-with-Mines which one calls later Belmont and Echéry. With died of Luitfrid Ier of Alsace, Pépin the Brief disgraces the members of the Etichonides and the Alsace is divided into two counties, the Nordgau and the Sundgau.

The Carolingian period

Rather important frank characters appear in Alsace, of which Riculfe, count of Alsace, the father of the abbot Fulrad who accepted in Alsace immense grounds confiscated with the Etichonides on the side of Kintzheim. Laic and ecclesiastical lords encourage the immigration of Romance populations to repopulate the valley. The Church then starts to be interested in the area of which an abbot, named Fulrad, occupies himself to serve the Carolingian cause. The abbot Fulrad born in 710 with the country of the Seille (the Native of the Moselle region) related to the Pépinides (or Pippinides) belonged to the same family as Pépin the Brief or Carloman. It is undoubtedly the reason for which these two characters and later Charlemagne give him important diplomatic missions of order. In 750 Fulrad undertakes the construction of a road connecting the Lorraine to the Alsace which passes by Small Rombach, on the grounds belonging to the count Luitfrid Ier of Alsace with the approval of Pépin the Brief. These grounds belonging doubtless to the Etichonides remained in their field. At the time of Luitfrid III (745 - 780) these grounds are transmitted to its two sons, Leuthard and Hugues III. The two sons of Luitfrid III grant these grounds in 836 to Ermengarde the proper girl of Hugues III says the Timorous one, count of Tours and the High-Alsace. He is affublé name of " Peureux" to have been long in carrying help to Bernard de Septimanie which fought the Sarrazins (as Mainfroi count of Orleans) which devastated the south of the Aquitaine. They are relieved of their titles in 828 by the emperor Louis the Piles and are shown treason and are condemned to death. Under the influence of Wala de Corbie they are pardoned but lose their county and their goods. Hugues III and Mainfoi are rather important characters. They line up side of Lothaire Ier (795 - 855) the son of the emperor and become important actors of the civil wars in the Francie of the west between the emperor and his sons. Hugues III of Turns and High Alsace says the Timorous one (765 - 836) married his/her daughter, Ermengarde with Lothaire Ier the oldest son of Louis the Piles on October 15th 821 with Thionville whereas he is not yet king of Francie median nor emperor. Hugues III is named ambassador of Constantinople towards 821 by the emperor Louis the Piles. Little before 799, according to the legend, it will bring the relics of Saint Nabor to the abbey of Niedermünster at the same time as two manuscripts and a relic of the true cross given by Charlemagne. It made enchase the relic of the true cross in a large silver cross which it charged on the back with a camel and asked five knights to follow the animal. The camel stopped with Niedermünster, with the foot of the Mont Sainte-Odile, in front of the door of the convent to the great amazement of the abbess and the five nuns. The cross was drawn up inside the abbey church of Niedermünster.

Ermengarde makes build, in 836, after the death of his/her father Hugues III says the timorous one, in Small Rombach a sanctuary of which it makes gift later with the abbey of Gorze (the Moselle). Ermite S settle later in this area which takes the name of Belmont which wants to say beautiful mountain and which in German is named Schoenberg. Later, Lothaire II (born in 825) which reigns of 855 with 869 confirms the goods in favor of the Abbaye of Gorze on October 15th 859 since a diploma sent of Strasbourg, the fourth year of its reign. According to Michel Parisot and Christian Pfister this diploma would be a forgery invented by Jerome Vignier.

A monk of the Abbaye of Gorze named Blidulphe (or Olridulphe) decided one day to give up all his richnesses and to devote himself entirely to contemplation by setting around 938 in this place isolated from the Val of Lièpvre in company of the Gundelach monk of the abbey of Fulda, area of Hesse. Blidulphe was a rather important character, it had made its studies with Saint Remi with Rheims and had as Master Remi of Auxerre. It is near him that Hildebold of Saint-Mihiel also made his classes. Blidulphe is named archdeacon and Primicier of the cathedral of Metz. At the time of its stay with Metz, Blidulphe reached of a serious disease, cures in a mysterious way. He asks the Einold abbot who controlled the abbey of Gorze of 933 with 968 to give him the monastic dress on his bed of patient. Degerman supposes that Blidulphe directed the first mining to the profit of the lords of Echéry. These discovered seams, it was necessary then to exploit them, train workmen and to inform the executives able to direct them. The lead and copper, money mines in the the Vosges of the Alsatian slope were seem it already known Alamans. Time of Gerard, bishop of Toul, it is question of the Dîme which owe the monks of the Val of Lièpvre. Later to the 12th century the abbey of Echéry is attached to the priory Benedictine of Moyenmoutier.

The origin of the name of the commune

Rombach is the name given to a river which crosses the village and which takes its source with the collar of the Hingrie located at 749 meters of altitude. Rombach is the principal affluent of left bank of the Liepvrette, the confluence being located in the locality of Lièpvre located at 2 km. The origin of the word Rombach is undoubtedly extremely old. It could date from the Gallo-Roman time and would find its origin with. According to the franque habit, and in order to guarantee the fidelity of the warriors, the successors of Clovis had as a practice to distribute grounds under the responsibility of a chief. In our case he was entrusted to a frankly Germanic owner of the name of Rumo . To this anthroponyme the Germanic word Bach was added, i.e. " ruisseau" = river. One finds the name of Rombach in several localities or villages current: Rombas in the Moselle, Rombach (in the Brisgau) Small Rombach, the Large Rombach in the Valley of Lièpvre to 5 km of the commune of Rombach-the-Franc, but also Martelange-Rombach in the canton of Redange, district of Diekirch, with the Grand-Duchy of the Luxembourg. Thus this Rumo, owner of several fields is undoubtedly the instigator of a rural community and can be regarded as the founder of Rombach. Rumo gave its name besides to a commune of the province of Thirty in the area of the Haut-Adige in Italy. The first designation of the name of this brook is evoked in a parchment of Charlemagne where it mentions a donation which it made with the abbot Fulrad the founder of the priory of Lièpvre on September 14th, 774 which is with the Public records. In this parchment Rombach is indicated in its Carolingian form, Rumbach . Another explanation of name Rombach is given by Mr Pfister which in remarkable article appeared in 1888 in Annals of East printed with Nancy, page 434, where it announces that the name would not come from German Bach , who wants to say Ruisseau, but Celtic acus , which one finds in many French places. At the time Gallo-Roman the additive acus usually united with a name of a person to form the name of the field.

As for the second German name , it would come from the word Allmend which indicated grounds belonging to the empire placed gracefully at the disposal of a community of citizens. The term Allmend probably appeared about the 11th century when Frederic de Souabe the founder of the line of the Hohenstaufen seized most of the Alsace of which amongst other things the Val of Lièpvre. This term was then deformed in its phonetism and its vocabulary by the influences of the Germanic populations and Welche S. This word was used in the idiom Alsacien in the transactions with the inhabitants of Rombach-the-Franc which Welches pronounced by Almend Rumbach . The transformation of the word Almend towards the German word can be explained by the oral tradition of the speech of formerly. At the time little of people could read and write. The documents of the time were thus based according to the popular speech from where possible deformations. One finds of them evidence in the files of Meurthe-et-Moselle where the commune is indicated in 1486 by Lalman Rombach and in 1519 by Alman Rombach. Thierry Alix, president of the room of the accounts of the Duke of Lorraine indicates in its chapter published in 1594 the commune under the name of Almon Rombach . The Cosmography of Sebastien Munster published in Basle in 1550 calls the village by its Latin name Germanicum Rumpach .

As of 1383 the priory Sainte Foy of Sélestat enters in possession of grounds and forests to Rombach-the-Franc. He becomes thus owner of the forest of Hantchy or Hantché that the German-speaking ones call Langerain. The village is called Thuescherumbach by the monks of Sélestat, which is the translation of the word German Rombach which was the primitive form of the name of the commune as from the 14th century. It is perhaps there the explanation of the name of the village and one undoubtedly should not see other explanations there. All the more, that contrary to what could be said it there forever have in the village an important German community. According to the files, Rombach-the-Franc always had an important population of French origin. In 1585 and 1588 out of 64 names on a side and 49 of the other, one raises hardly only three names of German origin to Rombach-the-Franc, which seems to indicate a very strong proportion of inhabitants of French language All the old documents of this time which are with the Archives of Meurthe-et-Moselle (since Rombach-the-Franc belonged to the Duché of Lorraine) evoke the localities by names with French consonance: the Hingrie, Vaurière, the Small bedroom, Prérébois to which come to be added many names in " goutte" who indicate a small valley: Hargoutte, Naugigoutte, Biagoutte, Vougnigoutte, Pierreusegoutte, Vourogoutte, etc. The hung cat whose origin is still not known undoubtedly has a relationship to the Vosgean patois and could be explained by essain lost coming from the word chapture. Besides one finds similarities in the other part of the Vosgean slope and in the Val of Orbey where several localities have names which finish in " drip”. Depending administratively on the dukes of Lorraine as from the 15th century, Rombach-the-Franc belongs to a Lorraine enclave being next to the border with Alsace. Certain places points out this annexation: the way of Lorraine which connects the Hingrie to the department of the the Vosges towards Lubine (the Vosges) or the " Pre of Lorraine" , an old property wedged in the communal forest which belonged during very a long time to the Lorraine ones and which is with the place known as of Degelingoutte of a surface of 3,38 hectares. This property was then sold after the Revolution to private individuals. Since April 9th 1933 this property belongs to the commune.

During the fastening of Alsace and the Moselle to the German Reich in 1871 and 1940 the village takes the name of Deutsche Rumbach with the great distress of the French-speaking population of the village. It is to put a term at this embrouillement, and having been able to measure what there was the inaccurate one and of wounding in a similar name, that in its meeting of December 2nd 1918 the municipal council decided to rename the German Rombach in Rombach-the-Franc for reaffirming its attachment in France well.

The village is initially a dependence of the priory of Lièpvre

The locality is extremely old since it is for the first time quoted in a deed of gift of Charlemagne signed the 18 of the Calends of October, the sixth year of its reign (September 14th 774) signed since the palate of Duren, close to Aachen. In this parchment which is with the Public records of France, it bequeaths to the abbot Fulrad all the Val of Lièpvre of which Rombach-the-Franc formed part then. The grounds belonged initially to the royal tax department of Kintzheim (called Quuninishaim in the past). Resulting from a related noble family to the Pippinides the Fulrad abbot was regarded a long time as originating in the Alsace because it had immense properties and because it emphasized the area. Wire of Riculfe, count d' Alsace, frankly of origin and Ermengarde, which had grounds with Saint-Hippolyte confiscated with the Etichonides and given by Pépin the Brief. Resulting from a family having also rich person properties between Meuse and the Moselle it is closely related to the Pippinides (687-768). His/her son, Fulrad was the instigator of the coup d'etat of 751 which put an end to the reign Mérovingiens in Europe and to the birth of the Carolingian dynasty with Pépin the Brief and Charlemagne. The fatherland of origin of the abbot Fulrad is the area ranging between the Meuse and the Moselle (the cradle of the Pippinides), the Austrasie Méridoniale and not Alsace as one supposed a long time. Fulrad is thus native of the Moselle region and “compatriot” of the Carolingien S and as originating in the same area as Pépin the Brief. It is undoubtedly why Pépin the Brief chose it for delicate missions. Fulrad dies 17th of the Calends of August according to the former necrologist of the Abbey of Saint-Denis) is on July 16th 784. Its body would initially have been buried with Saint Denis then transferred to the abbey from Lièpvre. Its festival celebrates on February 17th, birthday day of its translation. According to the legend its body would have been buried in the church of the priory of Lièpvre and would undoubtedly have disappeared in 1445 following the attack from the Count Palatine and the bishop from Strasbourg which ransacked the convent in reprisals of hospitality that Lièpvre had offered to the Armagnacs. The epitaph which the monk-scientist Alcuin drew up to him, mentions that its body was initially buried with Saint-Denis. One can read " there; that Fulrad was most famous of all the abbots who controlled the Abbaye of Saint-Denis. He lived in the highest regard and a nearly general approval, cherished by five popes, three kings and of the most famous characters of his century .

During ten centuries, the villages of Rombach-the-Franc and Lièpvre formed only one and even community, subordinates however with the authorities of Lièpvre. In 1587 both " gouverneurs" are put at the fine to have raised the dîme on the inhabitants without the downstream of the mayor of Lièpvre. At the beginning of the 18th century one finds one sworn which accounts for its village with the yearly Plaid S of Lièpvre and two Himbourg S, i.e. two accountants. At the end of the 18th century, Rombach-the-Franc will start to have a particular status and will have its own incomes.

Events as from the 11th century

The duke of Souabe seizes part of the grounds located at Rombach-le- Franc to weaken the capacity castral monks of the priory of Lièpvre. Until the end of the 11th century the whole of the grounds located at Rombach-the-Franc still depend on the priory of Lièpvre. At that time the territory is still almost covered with forests. The monks had obtained in 774 Charlemagne the right of pasture for the cattle and the possibility of exploiting the forest and of driving out game. In second half of the decade the house known as of Alsace probably takes possession of the Val of Lièpvre following the discovery of the rich person mines of money in the area who had started to be exploited by the monks of the abbey of Echéry to Small Rombach located at 5 km of Rombach-the-Franc. These grounds belonged since the 8th century to Luitfried I born in 715 deceased in 767 count of Alsace. The grounds passed then to his/her son Luitfried II (745 - 802). He had two wire, Leuthard and Hugues (or Hugo) which granted about the year 835 part of the grounds to the girl of this second, Ermengarde which made build a small sanctuary. She will marry later with Lothaire Ier, king of Lorraine which will make gift later these grounds with the Abbaye of Gorze (the Moselle). Its successor Lothaire II will confirm his goods with the abbey of Gorze in a diploma sent of Strasbourg on October 15th 859. Almost a century later, a monk of the abbey of Gorze will withdraw himself with some monks in this famous wild place for his money mines. It is undoubtedly under the terms of this act that the dukes of Lorraine seized gradually the Val of Lièpvre. Thanks to the exploitation of the money mines the monks of Gorze could develop and increase the small sanctuary which will become a priory attached to the abbey of Gorze and about the 12th century with the abbey of Moyenmoutier.

At the beginning of the 12th century, Rombach-the-Franc makes the object of desire. Frederic II known as One-eyed the, Duke of Souabe since 1105, whose Alsace concerned seizes part of the grounds located on left bank of Rombach. A vidimus dated April 26th 1095 and reproduced at the 13th century (the original having disappeared) confirms a deed of gift of Frederic II in favor of the Priory of Holy-Foy of Sélestat. In this document it mentions that it gives to the monks Sélestat of forest vast domains located between the Giessen and the Liepvrette, near to Fouchy, of which the church equipped by Otton bishop with Strasbourg and meadows (Almend) to Rombach-the-Franc. Thus the monks of Lièpvre are despoiled little by little by a new competitor, without the duke of Lorraine not raising his voice. At the time it is Simon I {{er}}, Duc of Lorraine which reigns on the Lorraine It is Mathieu Ier of Lorraine, known as the débonnaire (1110 - 1176), duke of Lorraine of 1139 with 1176 which succeeds to him. He was the son of Simon Ier, duke of Lorraine and Adélaïde de Supplimbourg. He succeeds at the time of the dynasty of the Hohenstaufen which is installed on the imperial throne. He besides will reinforce the bonds between the Lorraine and the Saint Empire Romain Germanique by marrying Judith de Hohenstaufen, called Berthe (1123-1195), niece of the emperor Conrad III and sister of the future Frederic Barberousse towards 1138. Mathieu Ier made important donations with the Church and founded several abbeys in Lorraine

During the reign of Mathieu Ier of Lorraine (wire of Simon), also called the piles because of its liberalities towards the church, this one gives towards 1172 to the abbey of Bongart (Baumgarten) all the grounds located at Fouchy and part of the forest at Rombach-the-Franc. To counter these spoliations come from various horizons, the emperor Frederic II says the One-eyed one publishes a decree in 1214 in which he declares " that grounds located in the city and out of the city vulgarly called " Allmend " do not have to in no case to be allotted to anyone without the assent of the bishop who admits holding these grounds of the empire and his authority ".

This warning statement did not aim does not seem it the Duc of Lorraine, but rather the Abbaye of Saint-Denis which intervened regularly with the king of France to make restore the grounds despoiled with the monks of Lièpvre of which Rombach-the-Franc formed part then. It is probably towards 1114 that the Duc of Souabe is interested in the valley and monopolizes itself of part of the grounds of Rombach-the-Franc. At the same time this same duke makes control on the " Staufenberg" who is not other than the High Koenigsbourg. In a manuscript written by Odon de Deuil, chaplain of Louis VII and successor of the abbot Suger of Saint-Denis, it Formula One a request with king de France beseeching it to intervene with the king Conrad III of Hohenstaufen of the line of the Hohenstaufen in order to make restore with the monks of Lièpvre of the wrongfully stolen grounds. In this manuscript High Koenigsbourg is called Castrum Estuphin.

Thereafter, in 1222, Mathieu II duke of Lorraine renews its generosities and grants to the Lichard abbot Abbaye of Baumgarten located close to Andlau some other pastures located on the commune. Baumgarten in Latin is named Pomatium which means orchard. In the same diploma it confirms that the noble knight Wirric known as Gorger yields to the Lichard abbot Baumgarten of other grounds on the round of applause of Rumbèche (Rombach) with the assent of his wife and his Philippe son, with the help of thirty pennies of payable resident of Toul by the abbey in addition to one white cow and 10 cheeses. The Abbey of Baumgarten, close to Andlau, was entirely destroyed in 1525 at the time of the Guerre of the Bumpkins.

To the 12th century, a third of the grounds and wood located at Rombach-the-Franc still belong to the priory of Lièpvre as said them which are attached there. The two other thirds depend on the counts of Nordgau who pass then to the monastery Holy-Foy of Sélestat.

The monks of Lièpvre had vast grounds, not only with Rombach-the-Franc, but also with Lièpvre, Holy-Cross-with-Mines, and also through the Alsace and the Lorraine.

Towards 1259 the abbey of Lièpvre still enjoyed all the temporal jurisdiction in the Val of Lièpvre. But gradually the dukes of Lorraine seized its rights.

Wars and invasions of the Middle Ages

Plunderings and invasions

Cunon de Bergeim in war for several years has on several occasions invaded the Val of Lièpvre and made wild incursions until in Lorraine. It is in conflict with the duke of Lorraine, Mathieu. Towards 1250 it signs peace and recognizes vassal Duc of Lorraine. Like rewards for its efforts, it receives in stronghold the castle of Koenigsberg (the ancestor of the High Koenigsbourg) on the grounds of the monks of the priory of Lièpvre. However a clause stipulates that if the duke reconsidered his engagement to return the stronghold to Henri Sigebert de Werd (born in 1238) it would compensate the knight Cuno de Bergheim for the undergone damage.

Towards 1338, the bishop Conrad de Lichtenberg joint with the baron of Hohenstein, Landvogt of Alsace to invest the Valley of Lièpvre. The enemy troops put fire at Rombach-the-Franc and Lièpvre. They attack the priory of Lièpvre which is partially destroyed and go then to the castle of Echéry located at Small Rombach on the commune of Holy-Cross-with-Mines to attack it. Jean SEN bishop of Basle takes share with the forwarding whose castle belongs to the Lord of Echéry whose last of the line will die out in 1381.

Towards half of the 14th century the chapter of Saint-Dié complains about a truck driver (Johel perhaps celebrates it English captain, Jean Jouel, who will be killed with the Bataille of Cocherel in 1364) which has its den in the Val of Lièpvre and which from there comes to plunder and hold to ransom the population.

July 4th 1365, Arnaud de Cervole, a captain of Road, small lord périgourdin, invades with the head of its 40  000 mercenaries, the north of Alsace while passing by the Collar of Saverne. It is with the service of the count of Blamont in war with the bishop of Strasbourg. They invade the valley and make devastations at the villages of Lièpvre, Rombach-the-Franc like with Holy-Cross-with-Mines.

Raids also take place in 1486 against the villages of Lièpvre and Rombach-the-Franc by soldiers who are not identified formally: they take along horses and even of the men of which a monk of the priory of Lièpvre.

About May 1516, the Duke of Lorraine, Antoine, is in conflict with the lord of Geroldseck, close to Saverne of the house of Wangen, in connection with the mines located at the Valley of Lièpvre. Incompetent to make triumph his cause with his own forces, it called with his help Franz von Sickingen (François de Sikingen), a famous adventurer. This one gave its support by engaging a band of 6000 men which seized Saint-Hippolyte by surprise. The Duc Antoine bought the neutrality of Sickingen, and entered the Val of Lièpvre where the troops of Geroldseck which barred the passage to them were demolishes. It took again then Saint-Hippolyte and made slice the head with an inhabitant of this city which had supported the entry of the enemy. The name of Geroldseck frequently appears in the history of the Alsace and them files of the Middle Ages. One of the families is extinct at the 14th century and one knew it under the name of the Géroldseck-be-Vosges ( In Vosaso, amndt Wasichim ) because of his castles located in the the Vosges, above Saverne. The other family drew her name from the castle of Hohen Géroldseck, established on one of the summits of the Black Forêt, close to Lahr. This war was baptized " the war of the brebis" ( Schaafkrieg ) because of the great quantity of sheep which was removed there by the bands of Géroldseck which remained only by plundering and the plunders. The Duc of Lorraine also has a disagreement with the emperor Charles Quint in the years 1519 with 1521 for the same reason. These difficulties are regulated by amicable agreement by an award in 1521. The deliberations of this statement are contained in a large register of 440 pages which is with the departmental records of Meurthe-et-Moselle.

The lord Walter de Géroldseck by engaging a German adventurer, Franz de Sickingen, which was famous to make many armed robberies under pretext of defend the weak ones and oppressed, with her 6000 men while going in the Val of Lièpvre with its troops causes rather important damage in the valley. They are devoted to all kinds of exactions towards the population.

In May 1574, of the soldiers cross the valley by squadrons from 100 to 200 men, but do not make a damage.

In 1591 they are Italian deserters who pass by Holy-Marie-with-Mines. One seeks to stop them, but they flee by giving up their horses, weapons and herds which are seized and sold with the profit of the duke of Lorraine.

Rombach-the-franc, but also Lièpvre borough located at 2 km is invaded in 1592 by the troops of the marquis of Durlach of the house of Bade in hostility with the duke of Lorraine. They occupy the Valley of Lièpvre during the winter of the same year and put at bag the valley which is partly burnt. The marquis had formerly been used the duke as Lorraine with a regiment of lansquenets and in 1590 for a disagreement about the pay of its soldiers had left it. He thus hoped to be made pay by invading the Valley of Lièpvre. The duke of Lorraine was informs of this invasion only on January 12th 1593. He took at once measures and on January 16th a regiment led by L. of Bonnayde arrived at Lièpvre. Other troops united then under the orders of the baillif of Nancy, Renaud de Gournay. The war lasted until in 1604. During the occupation of the troops of the marquis de Durlach, a draper named Laurent guided the enemy in the villages of Rombach-the-Franc and Lièpvre to indicate the opulent houses to them. He will be condemned for crime of lese-majesty and a house belonging to him to Holy-Marie-with-Mines will be confiscated. The inhabitants of the Val of Lièpvre will be exempted during eight years of the tax to compensate them for these repeated settings with bag. The marquis de Durlach by withdrawing valley carries with him the seal of the town hall of Lièpvre.

The Armagnacs are demolished in the valley

The Armagnacs called also the Routiers under the control of the Dauphin Louis enter in Alsace towards 1444 forcing the cities to capitulate in their making undergo worst brutalities. These truck drivers called Armagnacs because the royal cause that they served attached to the party of the Armagnacs of the house of Orleans. They are also named flayers or Schinder (into Alsatian) because it sometimes happened to them to cut out the skin of the victims in thin straps. The bands of Armagnacs were made up of French, of Spanish of Lombards and Écossais. Its chief was Bernard VII of Armagnac, father-in-law of the duke Charles Ier of Orleans, whose father Louis Ier had been assassinated by the duke of Burgundy, Jean without Peur in 1407.

About September 1444 the Armagnacs occupied Châtenois, Saint-Hippolyte, Lièpvre and Rombach-the-Franc. Lièpvre and Rombach it Franc are subjected to the Dauphin not to endure the damage and the atrocities.

In spring 1445 the Armagnacs decide to evacuate the Val of Lièpvre and the Alsace where there was no more great a deal to take and which remainder was raised very whole. anxious Charles VII of the bad news coming from Alsace ordered with the Armagnacs to evacuate the area on March 20th 1445. One of their column went up the Val of Lièpvre at the exit of Lièpvre to the place says the rock of the violin (that the Alsatian ones call Geckenfelsen or Geigenfelsen) in direction of Musloch where they go towards Lorraine. The Armagnacs are surprised with the improvist by the troops of the town of Sélestat taken along by Gunther the intendant of the Prieuré Holy-Faith of Sélestat to which take share of the inhabitants of Lièpvre, of Rombach-the-Franc and Holy-Cross-with-Mines and even of the Val of City. Ulric of Rathsamhausen, the provost of Obernai and his peasants enlarged the rows of Gunther to organize resistance. Top of the rocks, camouflaged in the bushes, they see going up interminable columns of riders and charriots. Gunther and its troops throw their reserved on the back of the column where the chiefs are and part of the spoils piled up in the area of Dambach-the-City, Rosheim and Niedernai. They made roll of enormous districts of rocks on the Armagnacs which caused enormous losses in their row. Sebastien Munster known as in his Cosmograhie that the Armagnacs lost to 300 men, whose landgrave who was Scottish and the marshal of the palate of the dolphin which was the brother-in-law of king de France and which could be Jean de Montgoméry.
Resistance against the Armagnacs is directed by Henri Gunther intendant of the priory Holy-Foy of Sélestat which had received the nickname of " Lang" because of its big size. It is with the head of 400 courageous men and hundreds of peasants who take again with the Armagnacs the spoils that they had piled up: 9 guns, 400 horses, 9 banners of which one belonged to the Suisse S. Of pretty women are also captured. Legitimate Ribaudes or women? The chronicle does not say it. There are moreover 80 armours, 6000 guilders out of gold and a great quantity of silver plates, several powder barrels and tools of any kind. Charles VII learning the news from the disaster of Lièpvre was put in a terrible anger by showing treachery and of perfidy those which had so nimbly advised it for the crossing of the the Vosges, and in particular the margrave of Baden responsible for her pieces of ordnance which were now between the hands of the middle-class men of Sélestat. This famous margrave by her marriage with a princess of Lorraine had the bailliage Saint-Dié.

The Bumpkins attack the valley

In 1525, the villages of Lièpvre and Rombach-the-Franc are attacked by the Bumpkins. At the time of these revolts, encouraged by the Protestants, the peasants of the Valley of Lièpvre oppressed, raise themselves against the nobility. Freedom is promised to them. The Bumpkins receive the reinforcement of the peasants of Ribeauvillé, of Riquewihr, Bergheim, Sigolsheim, Am and Kaysersberg. An inhabitant of Lièpvre named Large Hannezo, involves some inhabitants of the two localities to the attack of the priory. They smash the doors and the windows, throw the works, break the stained glasses. After having caused extensive damage with the priory, they invite the women and children of the villages of Lièpvre and Rombach-the-Franc to be taken part in the feasts. They drink and eat as much as they can it. Encouraged by one named Jacque of Read, Large Hannezo makes sound the bell of the Prieuré to gather the population and to make swear by acclamation hatred with the priests and the Lords, the suppression of the Dîme S, the pooling of the Chasse, the fishing and the forests. They carried the Blé, the Foin, the Paille and the oats that the monks had stored like various food.

A young person provost of Senonville which went in a merchant of Vin to Raon-l' Étape is made prisoner by the inhabitants of Holy-Marie-with-Mines, Holy-Cross-with-Mines, Lièpvre and Rombach-the-Franc and takes it along to Lièpvre. They made swear by acclamation hatred with the priests and to the lords, the suppression of said, the pooling of the hunting of fishing and the forests. They created a new justice under the orders of the " Jehan" marshal; accompanied by Large Hannezo.

Large Hannezo and its companions moved then towards the Val of City hoping to carry same success, but the population refuses to follow them. They go then to Saint-Hippolyte where they receive a better reception.

The Bumpkins who raise themselves plunder and burn " for better regenerating the Church and the société" The duke of Lorraine Antoine with the head of an army well aguerrie puts a term at this rising and restores the order. Being on the point of returning to Lorraine, the duke is warned that 16000 recalcitrant gathers close to Sélestat to attack the Val of City. The duke and his combatants make half-turn at once and pass by again with the offensive. The runaways which believed to escape from the favor from the night gather with Scherwiller where the population their is favorable. The duke made put fire at the village of Scherwiller, close to Sélestat on May 20th 1525. More than 5000 insurgent are massacred pitilessly by the Lorraine troops.

Large Hannezo is stopped and imprisoned in a prison of Saint Dié where it will spend four months. It will be pardoned by the duke following the supplication of his family.

One of the leaders, the priest Wolfgang Schuh (1493-1525), of Saint-Hippolyte, abjures the catholic faith and Marie, followed per many its parishioners. After the riots it was stopped by Gaspard d' Haussonville, governor of Blamont. He is condemned to died by a court of the enquiry and burned alive with Nancy on June 21st 1525. Others are taken along in captivity in Lorraine and are released only on payment of ransoms. After the defeat of the Bumpkins, the duke of Lorraine sent a detachment in the Val of Lièpvre with for mission of making return the population in the row. Inhabitants of the Valley of Lièpvre, of which some of Rombach-the-Franc, and Lièpvre which had joined the anticatholic riots obtained forgiveness only in very hard conditions. They were in particular constrained to go, through the forest, barefeet in procession to the sanctuary of Dusenbach (Ribeauvillé). As for the inhabitants of Saint-Hippolyte they had to endure the largest punishment since the duke Antoine held his subjects like heretics particularly. They had not only sympathized with the Rustauds, but also lived Réforme.

The Thirty year old war

From 1632 the Alsace is traversed by bands of soldiers imperial and Lorraine who plunder the campaigns and seize the cities.
In September 1633, they attack the Val of Lièpvre. Lièpvre and Rombach-the-Franc is plundered in November and more than 70 houses are burned with Lièpvre. Rombach-the-franc knows a beginning of Peste which is quickly circumscribed and the village escapes from little from fire. The Swedish seize on December 12th 1632 Sélestat, then in June 1633 of Villé. They make then incursions into all the Val of Lièpvre and for roof bring the plague. The Prieuré of Lièpvre is again devastated. Lièpvre is plundered and more than 70 houses are burned. Rombach-the-franc escapes fire. For a few months, Charles IV (duke of Lorraine) has not been any more able to come to assistance of the populations of the Val of Lièpvre because its own troops must face the Swedes and French. However the Lorraine ones make frequent incursions and Charles IV (1624 - 1634) takes part in its forwardings to him while approaching the Vosgean peaks. In 1634, the inhabitants of Rombach-the-Franc are exempted size because of the devastations of the Peste and of the Guerre S. Of 1635 with 1641 the Val of Lièpvre is occupied by the France. One year later the Lorraine ones are again Masters of the area for a few months only. Then the France again occupies the Lorraine of 1641 with 1659 and again between 1670 and 1697.

Meanwhile in March 1635 of the Lorraine detachments cross by surprised the valley of Thann which occupy the places until in 1646. The Val of Lièpvre always remains to him with the hands of French since June. At that time, Richelieu orders " to clean the pays" and to seek " all those which openly or secretly support Charles IV to seize all the goods and of the " to continue like criminels". The War thirty year old and especially the epidemics of Bubonic plague and Typhus cause an immense economic and demographic catastrophe in the valley. The valley is bloodless and the population falls in vertiginous proportions. With Rombach-the-Franc the population decreases by 2/3 like with Lièpvre located at 2 km of the borough. The rural economy is completely disorganized. The Traité of Ryswick returns the duchy of Lorraine to Léopold Ier starting from 1697.

The forest, main resource of the commune during several centuries

At the 14th century the monks of Sélestat become owners of Hantché

, The territory of Rombach-the-Franc is almost uninhabited and wood cover. Starting from 1383 the Bénédictin S of the monastery Holy-Foy of Sélestat take possession of the forest of Hantchy, baptized Langerain by the German-speaking ones, and of some grounds. The few inhabitants not having arable land address to the Benedictines of the monastery of Holy-Foy owners of the places, to ask them to clear the forest in order to put them in culture against a yearly rental.

The counts of Nordgau had, with the priory of Lièpvre and the abbey of Andlau, said them court seigneuriale of Kintzheim and part of the forests making today parts of Rombach-the-Franc with its dependences, and grounds in particular. A third of the grounds and wood located in this commune still belongs to the monastery of Lièpvre, as said them which are attached there. The two other thirds belong to the counts. Said counts of Nordgau pass to the monastery of Holy-Foy of Sélestat in 1095.

A vidimus dated April 26th 1095 and reproduced at the 13th century (the original having disappeared) confirms a deed of gift made by the duke Frederic de Souabe, nephew of Henri V, in favor of the prior of Holy-Foy of Sélestat. In this document Frederic de Souabe enumerates the goods which it gives to the monks of Sélestat, among which forest vast domains located between the Giessen and the Liepvrette, near to Fouchy (Groba) of which the church, equipped by Otton, bishop of Strasbourg and meadows to the Rombach German.

During the reign of Mathieu Ier of Lorraine, known as Débonnaire (1110 - 1176) duke of Lorraine, wire of Simon Ier and Adelaide de Supplimbourg, restores towards 1172 with the abbey of Bongart (= Baumgarten), all the goods located at Fouchy and part of the forest located nearly Rombach-the-Franc. He marries Judith of Hohenstaufen, also called Berthe (1123 - 1196) which is also the niece of the emperor Conrad III and sister of the future Frederic Barberousse. He accompanies Frederic Barberousse with many recoveries, in particular in 1155 for the crowning of the emperor by Adrien IV. Inside the duchy it made important donations with the church and founded several abbeys. It will reinforce the bonds between Lorraine and the Saint Empire Romain Germanique. Also he does not see any disadvantage so that the monks of Lièpvre are stripped of part of their grounds located at Rombach-the-Franc to give pleasure with his/her beautiful brother.

The large brook which passed through the village shared fining for the dîme. In the part which was on the left this brook, the dîme belonged to the priory of Lièpvre. It was of approximately of a third. The two other thirds belonged to the Benedictines of Sélestat of the monastery of Holy-Foy since 1383, then with the Jésuites starting from 1615. Prévôté of the Holyone touched inhabitants an annual taxable quota of 2 guilders 8 grounds in currency of Strasbourg as of the end of the 14th century. Thereafter the few inhabitants of Rombach-the-Franc sign other treaties with the Jesuits of Sélestat who succeeded the Bénédictins. Under the terms of this treaty of October 22nd 1624 they regulate a sum of fifty-nine francs and six large annually.

A document going back to 1222 deposited with the departmental records of Meurthe-et-Moselle and signed by Mathieu II Duke of Lorraine, confirms the existence of pastures with Rombach (Rumbèche) given gracefully to the Abbaye of Baumgarten.

In 1606 a transaction is made between Jean de Bossolis, provost of the convent of Holy-Foy with Sélestat and the inhabitants of the valley about the forest known as of Langerain which the French-speaking people call Hantchy. It was agreed between the two parts:

1) that the inhabitants of Rombach-the-Franc and Lièpvre can in the future enter in possession of the forest of Hantchy for their use personal on the condition of paying each year with the Saint Martin's day of winter two grounds in currency of Strasbourg and to provide and deliver to convenient time the large one and the menu wood which the community of the monks of Sélestat could need for maintenance for the buildings.

2) They must also hold the forest in good state

3) The community of Rombach-the-Franc must also begin for the periods of abundance of the nipples, to let feed the pigs of the convent of Sélestat and those of Lièpvre like those of the inhabitants of Grube (= Fouchy). This act is signed by Jean de Botzheim, Schultheiss of Sélestat which opposed its seal.

The inhabitants of Rombach-the-Franc are accustomed to compromising with the Benedictines, then with the Jesuit of Holy-Foy for the degradations made in this forest, this right resulting from a transaction occurred between the monastery of Sélestat and the community from Rombach with which they amodié Hantchy against a yearly rental of 59 francs and 6 “large”, according to a decree from the duke Henri from Lorraine, dated May 1st 1616. The monastery of Holy-Foy of Sélestat had moreover a deed of gift of the Leopold archduke written on March 23rd 1616 by which it confirmed the “rights and preferences” for the Jésuites of the field of Baumgarten in the round of applause of Sélestat, the dîme of the round of applause of Burner (village now disappeared), meadows, fields and right of toll of Schnellenbuhl, and finally taxable quotas coming from the forest of Hantchy de Teutsche Rumbach (Rombach-the-Franc). This act is signed of September 3rd 1618. At the time the superior was the father Henri Meschede, then of 1617 with 1623 the father Adrien Horn.

April 13rd 1620 the litigation opposing the commune of Rombach-the-Franc with the Jésuites of prévôté of Sélestat is carried in front of Pierre Fournier with Sainte Marie-with-Mines which has to slice the disagreement. This last is super intendant of the Val of Lièpvre and adviser of State. Prévôté of Holy-Foy of Schlestatt (Sélestat) is represented by the reverend father Adrien Horn, assisted of father Lucas Lestingins, prosecutor of the college of Molsheim. Rombach-the-franc is represented by Michel Bech and Demenge, middle-class and Himbourgs. In its pleading the Holy-Foy community of recognizes that the forest of Hantché was indeed granted the inhabitants of Rombach-the-Franc with the help of an annual contractual remuneration decided by mutual agreement. This remuneration being considered to be insufficient the Jesuits ask for a revalorization of the beams which is refused by the community of Rombach-the-Franc. The monks of Sélestat carry the business in front of justice.

At the 17th century the Jésuites of Sélestat bought the forest districts of Large High, Raigai and Vounangoutte. The remainder of the forest belongs since unmemorable times to the commune of Rombach-the-Franc.

In 1684, the commune of Rombach-the-Franc, will require of the Jesuits to be able to pay the taxable quota in currency of Lorraine. The Fathers refuse initially, then accept this mode of payment on a purely provisional basis, for one eight years duration.

Then the Jesuits, by examining their old documents of title, discover that they are entitled also to the dîme of Rombach-the-Franc, branch of the parish of Lièpvre. The priest of Lièpvre and Rombach, Jean-Baptiste Morel, hastens to make known these requirements of the college to the canons of the collegiate church of Saint-Georges in Nancy, Collateur S and Décimateur S of Lièpvre and Rombach. From where a very long lawsuit, initially in front of the court of the Valley of Lièpvre, then before the Court of Metz, and finally in front of the Sovereign Council of Nancy. In front of the hugeness of the expenses which the lawsuit involved, the two parts sought to find a compromise solution. In 1700, three canons of Saint-Georges came to the College and proposed to divide the dîme in two parts. Alas, the lawsuit will continue still a long time. An arrangement by amicable agreement was concluded in 1719.

But it did not last very a long time, since as of on November 27th 1723, on the request of the mayor of Rombach and the inhabitants require explanations about a polemic which burst on the division of said. The community addresses to Georges Mihiel, lawyer of the vice-chancellor of the Jésuites of Sélestat to examine the request which was addressed to them. Two inhabitants of Rombach-the-Franc move exceptionally near the Jesuits of Sélestat to try to find an arrangement. In front of the refusal to compromise, Rombach-the-Franc addresses to a lawyer Lunéville, main Georges Simon to defend the interests of the commune.

But of the decisions of the courses of Nancy and Lunéville in 1723 refused with the very right College with taxable quotas with Rombach. In 1732, the court of Lunéville allotted all the dîme to the priest of Lièpvre. Thus the long and expensive lawsuits engaged by the Jesuits ended in a complete failure which they allotted to the feelings “antijésuites” Lorraine judges.

The communal forest often causes litigations

The exploitation of the forest from time immemorial played a considerable economic part with Rombach-the-Franc. It was one of the stations which brought back to the Moyen-âge the most money. It is thus not astonishing that these forests cause time with others of the litigations.

The convent of Lièpvre has most of the forest which surrounds the Val of Lièpvre, and as the inhabitants of the various localities have there rights of use, it results some difficulties from them: in June 1441 to prevent the damage that the inhabitants of Lièpvre and Rombach-the-Franc make in the wood of the priory, a complete payment is worked out by the officer of the Duc of Lorraine, lord of part of the Valley, by the lord of Hattstatt, lord of the other part, by the prior, by the mayor, sworn and the notable ones of Lièpvre and the Rombach German.

Thus of 1519 with 1520, the inhabitants of Rombach-the-Franc are in lawsuit with the ducal council of the chapter Saint-Georges about the wood of Chastychêne which is asserted by each part. On the order of the council, an investigation is opened in Lièpvre and Rombach-the-Franc. The investigators are very high-ranking persons, Gaspard d' Haussonville, governor of Blâmont, Jean Champenoix, public prosecutor of Lorraine, Jacques Reynette, lieutenant of the baillif of Saint-Dié. A score of people deposit in front of them, and by the care of the council, which plays here a part of referee rather than of judge, one leads on February 2nd 1520 to a compromise: the chapter will have right to cut trees in the wood of Chastychêne to repair the priory of Lièpvre, but for this use only and in a reasonable measurement.

One year later, it is another wood, that of Chesnemont, which is in the center of a litigation enters and the commune of Rombach it Franc and the chapter Saint-Georges of Nancy. The Duc of Lorraine intervenes by letters patent of June 13rd 1571, to authorize the chapter to name foresters who will draw up reports with the Mésuants.

More favoured than Lièpvre, the commune of Rombach-the-Franc has the advantage of having immense communal forests. They are so immense that in 1787, Rombach-the-Franc pays 93 pounds of France for the tax of twentieth on these wood. It also pays an annual rent of 60 books to the Jésuites of Sélestat for the exploitation of a forest their pertaining. This forest held with taxable quota is called in the old documents, Hentché, Hantchy.

With the S one could still see many wolves in the forests of the area. They were pitilessly pursued and for which the communes paid even premiums. The last Loup with Rombach-the-Franc was killed in 1712 and precedes at that time it rose with 2 francs. The hunter was entitled naturally to the animal, which was sold sometimes from twelve to fifteen francs.

In 1708, the inhabitants state to have 430 arpents of wood planted in oak and fir tree, but add that they do not benefit great from it, because difficult to reach. They say not to have a communal Pâquis. These forests often cause litigations. In 1733, the commune states to have 2644 Arpents of grove and 88 Arpents of coppice. A judgment of the Court of Lorraine of December 15th 1722 confirms the property of 412 Arpents of grove, with the help of a royalty of 7 francs, nonredeemable, to pay to the Jesuits Sélestat, according to the treaty of 1383 and one transaction of 1624. The commune of Rombach-the-Franc has all the other forests for an unmemorable time, according to the letters of Henri II duke of Lorraine of May 10th, 1619 and of March 28th 1619.

In 1824, the municipal council of Rombach-the-Franc is seized by the prefect of the Haut-Rhin about a disagreement opposing the commune and the town of Schlettstadt (Sélestat). The two communes dispute since long years the forest of the locality " large Haut" above the collar of the " Small Haut" being next to the peak Top of Vancelle. Rombach-the-franc estimates that this forest belongs to him since unmemorable times whereas on the contrary the town of Sélestat affirms to hold this wood since the Revolution. This wood belonged before the Holy-Foy Revolution to the monks of the priory of Sélestat which was seized and give to the town of Sélestat. Rombach-the-franc reproaches the town of Sélestat for having made cut 11 large trees to the " Large Haut" and makes carry the business in front of the courts. The prefect wishing to find an arrangement between the two common ones asks the two parts to find an area of agreement in order to avoid useless expenses which are likely to burden their budget. The municipal council of Rombach-the-Franc following the proposals of the prefect withdraws his complaint then. Thereafter the forest the Large High one returned to the commune of Rombach-the-Franc following a prefectoral decision of 1888.

In 1836 the commune of Rombach-the-Franc refuses the passage in its communal forest with carrying of the Count-Round of applause (the Low-Rhine) to convey wood-cuttings. The forestry commissioner addresses a letter to his Haut-Rhinois counterpart to denounce this " blow of force". The conservative of the the Low-Rhine points out that time immémorables, wood-cuttings of the Count-Round of applause were always conveyed by the communal forest of Rombach-the-Franc. He asks the good officess of the prefect to resolve the situation.

Other litigations will be caused between the commune of Rombach-the-Franc and the private individuals. In 1835 an inhabitant of Fouchy, Mr. Jean Baptiste Fonmosse who had grounds with the place known as of Noirceux reproaches the commune of for being monopolized of part of the forest establishes on its property. He asks Maître Ackerman to take advantage of his rights near the court. He claims in particular that one returns to him part of the forest of mature standing timber which is on this place. Initially it is débouté. Meanwhile it sells its properties with the Humbert widow of Lalaye which attacks in its turn the commune of Rombach-the-Franc to the reason that the cadastral terminals encroach on its own grounds and which pass by the pre one of Noirceux and the farm known as of Degelingoutte, close to old pre to Lorraine to the top to the Hingrie. Mrs Humbert to take advantage of her rights exhibe an old plan established by Mr. Vautrinot, land-surveyor who seems to give him reason. The Court déboute the commune first once on May 31st 1838 which immediately appeals to dispute the décision.
Rombach-the-franc points out that according to an old title which is with the bailliage Châtenois the litigious ground always belonged to the goods of the commune and as proof it advances that according to this plan the property indicated a four days capacity, which was an old measurement of Lorraine. It continues that the site of these terminals are on the contrary on its own grounds and that if dispute there is, they come from the former owner who moved the old terminals of the commune. It attacks in its turn the former owner, the sior Fonmosse for way in fact, choosing for the occasion Maître Belin to carry the business in front of the courts and asking a deferment to produce the parts necessary to its defense. However, in spite of the new parts brought, the commune of Rombach-the-Franc is again déboutée by a judgment of the royal Court of June 8th 1839 and condemned to its depend involving for its part heavy expenses.

The repopulation of the valley and the beginning of industrialization

Starting from 1661 the duke Charles IV returns to the head of its states whose Val of Lièpvre and launches measurements to restore demography and the economy without the King de France not being opposed to it hoping for this last thus to become a day the Master absolute of this province.

Among the intended measures to start again the activity, Charles IV gives a broad support for silk and cloth manufactures. The craftsmen who settle in the valley profit from the exemption of the Droit of middle-class (i.e. of entry in the city), of the taxes during six years, housing, etc In the valley one sees arriving of the Savoyard, Swiss populations and other French areas or even of Mulhouse which was still attached to the Suisse. Later business men coming from this city settle with Holy-Marie-with-Mines where they assemble factories of Textiles and Soie, which gets work with part of the population of the valley. Thereafter of other industrialists settle in the other villages of the valley of which in particular Lièpvre and Holy-Cross-with-Mines. Rombach-the-franc temporarily remains well off this industrialization. As Rombach-the-Franc and Lièpvre had suffered much from the wars of the 17th century, the duke Léopold tried to raise the local economy. By letters patent of September 28th 1711, it created in the close borough located at 2 km a market every Thursday and three fairs per annum, the March 11th, July 26th, October 22nd days when there was in any locality with six miles with the round no demonstration. These fairs had the same privileges as those of Saint-Dié or Bruyères in the the Vosges. In addition, it granted one year of frankness from taxes to all the foreigners who would build in the two boroughs. Thanks to these measurements, Rombach-the-France and Lièpvre will find some prosperity and both borough will be repopulated rather quickly.

Anabaptistes come from Suisse are encouraged to settle in the area to take again the abandoned farms and to clear the forests. The duke Léopold imposes that each commune makes an assessment and a declaration of the goods given up with as much as possible of testimonys of the most former inhabitants to ensure itself than the dwellings are quite vacant. With the Hingrie, a hamlet dependant on Rombach-the-Franc the farms are adapted little by little by the Anabaptists and of the peasants come from Orbey, of Fréland, the Bonhomme, Savoy or the Val of Aoste. Thus one sees appearing new names like Valentine, Finance originating in the Catch, or Roudot, Barlier, Bourgeois of Fréland. Other families coming from the Vosges settle as them Demange, Reynette or of Orbey like Cottel or Bâtot. Until 1730 the Anabaptistes build farms or renovate them until in the most moved back corners of the small valley of the Hingrie or rents their service with Bourgeois fortunate which appreciate their competence in the agricultural domain. A first wave of Swiss (Mennonites) struck by the economic crisis and the Jacquerie had already settled with the Hingrie towards 1653 developing thatches and the system of Transhumance towards the heights between May and October. Frequent contacts take place besides between the inhabitants of the Hingrie, Large and Small Rombach, of the Chaume of Read and even until Lubine in the the Vosges or the Val of City.

Towards 1698 the Duke of Lorraine, Léopold, grants the authorization to Mister of Pommeraye an exclusiveness in the production and sale of glass on all the territory of the Duché of Lorraine. It signs an agreement with the descendants of the Ribeaupierre for the creation of a Verrerie with the Hingrie. It is towards 1710 that a glassmaking will start to function, little before arriving at the place known as of High Fountain (that the German-speaking ones call Hochbrunnen ). One makes come from the glassmakers of the Black Forêt, Ribeauvillé and other French areas. The cohabitation is however rather delicate between the German and French glassmakers. The latter reproach their German colleagues for insulting them and for not making efforts to include/understand them. They are inveighed, fight, complain and affirmed that their wives are treated of Welches Cucumer . This glassmaking employs many people, so much so that the Hingrie will repopulate itself in rather important proportions. One counts at a given time more than 1000 people in this hamlet is much more than the village of Rombach-the-Franc itself. Hardly one year after the beginning of work one counts already forty house grouped at the exit of the small valley of Hingrie. The site is called Varrière or the Verrière . Towards 1764 a hard blow is carried to the prosperity of the glassmaking of the Hingrie by the foundation of two glassmakings, one with Baccarat (Meurthe-et-Moselle) and the other with Bitche (the Moselle). One witnesses massive layings off then. The recruiters use all kinds of stratagems to convince the glassmakers of the Hingrie to join the new sites in their making gleam better remunerations. One consequently witnesses a slow erosion of the glassmaking for lack of qualified workmen to the manufacture of glass. In 1793 the glassmaking is declared property national. The commune of Rombach-the-Franc obtains then the 2/3 of the Forêt. Gradually, with the appearance of the use of the Houille the glassmakings disappeared with the profit from those from the slope Lorraine and the the Vosges.

Big events during the Revolution

During the Révolution Rombach-the-Franc is the theater of a vast hunting for the man. Armed bands carrying the Phrygian cap, and vêtus of clothes with stripes, fitted stuffed shoes of straws assembled Vallée of Lièpvre in direction of the Collar of Hingrie. It had been indicated to them that refractory Prêtres hid in the farms of the neighborhoods. The revolutionary peasants were in the search of three priests who had found refuge in the mountain: the abbot Baker, priest of Rombach-the-Franc since 1786, the Seck priest of Fouchy and also the Schaal abbot of Holy-Cross-with-Mines. This last often said the mass to the vault of the Drop, not very far from the Hollow-Oak belonging to the Hingrie. It is not impossible that the three priests met secretly at the beginning of the Revolution in the surroundings of the Hingrie. At the beginning of the Révolution, Rombach-the-Franc is ignored an enough borough of the central administration what makes it possible the Boulanger abbot to carry out a working life and peaceful in the village. Besides the Revolutionists will put long enough to realize existence of the Boulanger abbot. Consequently it will not be able to exert the worship any more nor to preach in the church and will be constrained with clandestinity. It will pass from a farm to another. It will be often deferred at certain Didierjean of Longire (or sometimes with Vaurière with the farm of a certain Turner) close which one can still see the rock where it said the mass. It will also hide at the families Tourneur and Mosse. It is in these two farms that the Boulanger abbot celebrated the mass, confirmed, baptized and celebrated the marriages. In the house of Jean Joseph Mosse, located in the village even, there was a hiding-place where the priests could put themselves at the shelter. In another house located in the village one found a confessional which had been used for to confess the parishioners during the reign of terror. This house was formerly inhabited by François Réling.

As of the appearance of the revolutionists in trimmings, the faithful ones and the priests ran away themselves in the close forest. Not to put in danger the faithful ones remained honest towards the Catholic religion, the priest of Rombach-the-Franc will exile in the country of Bade starting from November 17th 1792 until in 1800. He will make unexpected returns from time to time to make sure of the honesty of the population. The priest of Lièpvre, Louis Guérand, subjected to same worries will find refuge in Vaurière or close to the rock called " Rock of the réfractaires" on the peak Top of Vancelle. He also had to exile on September 16th, 1792 after having refused to lend the civic oath. To attend the clandestine worship the parishioners were invited thanks to the use of the Vosgean patois that the soldiers and the gendarmes did not include/understand and while saying; “come to soup”.

It is during a beautiful day of August 1792 that soldiers made in reinforcement try to track the Boulanger abbot whose villager had indicated the place where it was. It is in a farm located at Grandgoutte that Nicolas Million and his wife had given refuge to the refractory priests. Indicator to arrive by far the soldiers, the couple will hide them in bundles of hay. Arrived on the spot, the officer orders the searching of the farm by promising the Guillotine with the farmer in the event of discovered the fugitive ones. They go up to the attic and start to transpierce with bundles of hay, except for the two last where indeed the priests were. One will undoubtedly know of it never if the soldiers had seen the fugitive ones, but that is not impossible. One finds indeed in the chronicles of the time of the soldiers who put little eagerness to persecute the priests. One of the two priests hidden in a bundle of hay was the Stackler abbot of New-Church which will die besides on the scaffold a few months after, and the other was the Boulanger abbot. This last will not find its parish that as from July 1800 shortly after the fall of Robespierre.

In 1789 the Révolution confiscates the goods of the chapter of the Cathédrale Saint-George of Nancy of which forest fields of Large High, Raingai and Vounangoutte which had been bought at the 17th century on the grounds of Rombach-the-Franc. The forest of Hantché pertaining since 1383 to the monks of Sélestat is also confiscated. Every year the inhabitants of Rombach-the-Franc were to regulate with the monks of the Holy-Foy church of Sélestat 24 Florins, currency of Strasbourg and to provide a thousand of prop in Sapin, plus three bags of oats or a carriage of boards. The inhabitants of Rombach-the-Franc held this wood in Amodiation by perpetual Acensement and paid the Dîme with the Saint Martin's day of each year (November 11th).

The Holy Chapitre George of Nancy was owner of the Chalmont. This wood belonged already since the beginning with the monks of Lièpvre. Towards 1441 the common grazing land, called thus, because it was about the part dénutée or cleared Chalmont is rented at the community of Lièpvre and Rombach-the-Franc for one 70 years period with the help of a yearly rental of 38 grounds of Strasbourg. In 1499 the right of Glandée is authorized there for the peasants of Lièpvre for 9 years at a rate of 3 Florins of the the Rhine and per annum so that they can bring pigs to it.

June 16th 1791 took place with Colmar the sale of the goods of the priory of Lièpvre. Two mills, meadows, grounds are sold in particular, including the small vault with various inhabitants of Rombach-the-Franc and Lièpvre for approximately 40  000 pounds.

A gigantic fire destroys part of the village

The 4 Fructidor of year 9 (August 22nd 1801), a terrible fire destroys forty-three houses, located between the street of the Church and the center of the village to the junction of the way which carries out towards the collar of Fouchy. The church which had been built in 1746 to replace the old vault Holy-Rosalie built at the 13th century by the monks of the priory of Lièpvre as well as the presbytery are destroyed by fire. Only one house located beside the presbytery escapes the flames. The common house (town hall) is also destroyed entirely. One deplores the death of several people of which the teacher of the village, Jean Baptiste Hestin. It will be replaced by Jean Nicolas Henri and Joseph Bournique as assistant who will officiate of 1795 with 1828. The school year started with the Saint Martin's day and finished with the Saint-Georges. At that time Rombach-the-Franc counts 1500 inhabitants. 100 boys and 90 girls attend the school of the village including 64 free admitted pupils. In summer manpower are not any more but of 20 boys and 20 girls who must take part then in the agricultural work with their parents.

The inhabitants of Rombach-the-Franc must go to Lièpvre for the catholic worship and the municipal council does not lay out any more a any place to hold his meetings. The Boulanger priest who hardly had just recovered from his emotions related to the Révolution finds disabled completely. He there sees the hand of God and recalls that this fire was perhaps related to nonthe respect of engament of the candles of the Assomption. Indeed during the creation of an autonomous parish on February 16th 1786, the bishop of Strasbourg, monseigneur Louis Rene Guéméné (1779 - 1801) had ordered that every year, to the employers' festival (August 15th), two notable of the village delegated by their community, carries two white wax candles of half-delivers each one and go in procession to the church of Lièpvre. This gesture was to mark the preeminence of the parish of Lièpvre on that of Rombach-the-Franc. But at the end of a few years, with prohibition to carry out the worship during the Revolution, this noble practice was abandoned.

To accelerate the process of rebuilding of the village, the municipal council decides to make exceptional taking away of wood in various pieces of his forests: cuts take place with the locality of Barançon (three hectares); in Naltérin (two hectare and half); in Volbeucheux today Volbach (1 hectare and half) in Gange and Vourogoutte (one hectare and half). These two places are populated coppice of oak from 30 to 40 years of age and are particularly recommended for the frame. The first angular stone of the new church is blessed on August 15th 1805 per Jean Baptiste Baker, priest of Rombach-the-Franc and the mayor Nicolas Mettemberg (mayor and re-elected again the 28/08/1801) as well as his assistant Jean Dominique Collin in the presence of all the village. December 7th 1807 the Doyen priest of the parish of Holy-Madeleine of Holy-Marie-with-Mines will govern the ceremony of the blessing of the two bells. The large bell of a weight of 800 kg is blessed under the invocation of the Blessed Virgin and smallest of 450 kg under the name of Saint Blaise and of Saint Quirin the secondary owners of the church Holy-Rosalie the houses destroyed by fire are rebuilt little by little.

The passage of the troops of the coalition to Rombach-the-Franc in 1814 and 1830

Napoleon i from Mainz makes share with French withdraw the fatherland from the dangers which threaten it: an imperial decree dated November 11th announces a raising of prices of the salt of 20 centimes per kilograms and an additional tax on the doors and windows is instituted.

In addition all the easiest citizens have to take part financially in the effort of war and to support 10th non-recurring expenses. With Rombach-the-Franc 58 citizens have to take part in this effort, in addition to their land tax and peerage-book.

The 10 most imposed people are in the order: Nicolas Channel, Sébatien Pairis, Michel Philippe, Georges Philippe, Jean Baptist Channel, Dominique Hake (father), François Channel, Joseph Lamaze, Jean Lamaze Baptist, Nicolas Guiot. Even the abbot Baker, priest of Rombach-the-Franc is held to take part in the effort of war. .

From January to April 1814, Napoleon I {{er}} must deal with united troops including/understanding the Russia, the Prussia, the England, the Sweden, the German Austria and several states, old allies of Napoleon, in particular the Bavaria and the Wurtemberg to only quote most powerful. Austrians, with the number of 120  000 men penetrate in France while passing by Switzerland from which they had bought or violated neutrality. The Prussians and the Russians pass the Rhine the other units ordered by the Bernadotte are made up of Swede, Russians, Prussians, English, all sworn enemies of France and invade the Empire by the Belgium. January 25th 1814, Haguenau, Épinal, Nancy with the hands of are united. The united troops occupy Paris on March 31st 1814. April 6th Napoleon i abdicates with Fontainebleau. As of the first days of January of the soldiers crossing the Vosges start to be established in the valley establishing of the campings of fortune.

The same month of the year 1814 the commune receives the passage of the troops of the coalition which fight the troops of Napoleon. The Bavarian troops of the Général Deroy ordering 5000 men are the first to cross the peak of the the Vosges. They will be cut off from the top from Saint-Dié. The essence of the brigade is confined with Sainte Marie-with-Mines and the remainder is distributed in the other villages of the valley. A garrison sits at Rombach-the-Franc between 1815 and 1818 occupying the building which forms part of the post office today and another occupied the old post office with the horses of Lièpvre. Several garrisons crossed the valley: 25 cossacks with at his head the Russian general, the baron of Ellinghausen, the Bavarian general and his division and an Austrian regiment of hussards. A division of Infantry and cavalry estimated at 9000 men, ordered by the Austrian generals Frimont and Volckman also crosses the valley on January 12th. The Zitzmann captain of 9th of Bavarian line was named ordering place of Holy-Marie-with-Mines and there exerted his functions until January 25th and again from March 22nd to May 19th. January 24th 1814 a crew of prince Charles of Bavaria, with an escort of 400 men crosses the valley to go in Alsace. The road between the collar of Holy-Marie-with-Mines was besides one of the main axes of communication which borrowed of many allied troops to go to Alsace. Following the second Restoration, the valley of Lièpvre had a garrison of Austrian hunters which remained of 1815 with] ordered by the colonel count de Cassassa who had his general cartier with Holy-Marie-with-Mines. April 21st princes Nicolas and Michel, brothers of the emperor Alexandre I {{er}} of Russia arrived at Holy-Marie-with-Mines and remained there one night in the apartments of the Risler family. They went in the morning of April 22nd at J.G. Reber 83 years old and invited it to come to visit the gardens of Saint-Pétersbourg. The escort was mainly made up cossacks who bivouacked all during the night in the surroundings of the Reber house. During the countryside of 1814, the road of the collar of Holy-Marie-with-Mines was very attended by the troops of the coalition with many generals. May 2nd a company of Russian guards crosses the valley with foot, then on May 19th one attends the passage of 300 men of infantry of the area of Wurtemberg and a detachment of dragons. May 20th a detachment of dragons of Knesezwicht and the infantry of the Rodolphe archduke passes by the valley. 21 they are the generals Frimont and Hartdegg accompanied by hunters to feet which take possession around the valley. May 31st it is with the turn of the Jett general ordering the cavalry with a regiment of wurtembourgeois of prince Adam of hunters to foot and horse ordered by the Count Lippe to position in the valley.

One evening of October 1814, the duke of Berry makes halt with the Rombach German where he lunches. Six years later, in the night from February 13rd to 14th 1820, it is stabbed by one named Louvel whereas it leaves the Opéra of Paris. A homage is paid by the municipal council to the personality of the duke of Berry “victim of a coward attack”.

After the departure of the troops allied in the valley in 1818 one sees appearing a new departure of industry. After a 12 years interruption, the exploitation of the mines was taken again in 1824. A new Parisian company repurchased the old company Vallet and Leclerc as well as the buildings and grounds and started to undertake transformations. This company was taken again by Horn-Larigaudelle and Co with at its head Mr. of the Rochelle which resided at Holy-Marie-with-Mines.

On July 27th, 28th and 29th 1830 bursts with Paris of the disorders which were known in the valley only on first next August. The diligence which brought the mail arrived only three times per week. One thus awaited impatiently the news of Paris. First aid of the French administration was to organize an national guard. In September 1830 is announced the passage in the valley of a battalion of 400 men which had taken part in the battle of Paris.

A decree of March 22nd 1831 institutes the creation of a company of national guards in each commune. Articles 31 and 32 of this decree oblige each town hall to set up such a company. With the pretext which the population of the commune is scattered, so much because of the hamlet of the Hingrie and the isolated farms, the municipality chooses three companies and a subdivision of sappers firemen. The first company made up of young people of the place chief and the brought closer farms, is made up old men from 20 to 35 years 117. The 2nd company is made up old men between 35 and 55 years also living the place chief of the canton and the farms brought closer 87 men. The 3rd company is composed of all the old individuals between 20 to 55 years living the hamlet of the Hingrie and the farms isolated 76 men. The subdivision of the sappers firemen is composed of 25 men. A reserve instituted for the circumstance founds a quota of 11 men and that of the 2nd company of 19 men and 3rd of 10 men. The national guard has to maintain the order.

Before the 19th century the inhabitants of Rombach-the-Franc spoke practically only the welche

At last century, a good part of the inhabitants of Rombach-the-Franc still spoke an old Vosgean rural speech which in Alsace is called the Welche (or Welsch in German), a term used by the Germanic people and Anglo-Saxon to indicate the Celtic world, then Romance. The origin of the name could come from the Latin word " Volcas" who was the name of the tribe of the Volques which goes back to the independent Gaulle. The name is also quoted by Jules César which defined a Celtic population thus. Thereafter the direction of this name would have evolved/moved to designate the populations of Romance language. This Romance speech was usually used by the inhabitants on other side of the the Vosges, then with the arrival of the monks at the 8th century, who brought with them Serfs Vosgean valleys, it was propagated in the Valley of Lièpvre. At the 17th century the word Velche was indicated to evoke cruelty, the coarseness, ignorance, the lack of Romance taste. Voltaire was one of the first to use the term francized in welche in literary French. The Littré of 1874 gives the following definition: name which the Germans give to the French and to the Italians. Man being unaware of and superstitious. In 1876 the Larousse gives another definition: of English Welch , Welshman, name of former Celtic people . For the Alsatian ones, Welches are protesters, who in opposition to the Germanic dialect, speak a Romance language. The Romans called Tudesque all that was not Germanic and the Germanic ones named Welsch all that was Romance. Today, the country welche indicates the French-speaking population of the Vosgean valleys located in Alsace and Lorraine. One finds a prolongation even in Suisse, since the Romance population is indicated by the German-speaking ones under the term Welschschweitzer . The Romance speech is undoubtedly very old. There exist two assumptions of which one affirms that it is due to the tribes Gallo-Roman S come from the plain of Alsace which would have flees the Germanic invasions at the 3rd century and the 4th century to take refuge in the valleys isolated from the Vosgean mountains. Romance toponyms dating from the Carolingian time seem to confirm this assumption. Another version insists on the fact that these grounds located in Alsace were invaded by the Lorraine ones. As one spoke there already a Romance patois, the Lorraine ones felt on their premises without meeting too many hostilities on behalf of the local population which by the language was very close for them. It is undoubtedly why, of the monks from Lorraine, in particular of the Mosellane, called later the High Lorraine, settled in the valley with taking along with them of the serfs of this area, in particular of the area of the Valley of Galileo (Saint-Déodat or Saint-Dié).

Today this Romance dialect is in process of extinction in the valley. It practically disappeared with Lièpvre and Holy-Marie-with-Mines, but there still remains some “pockets” with Rombach-the-Franc and Holy-Cross-with-Mines.

Periods of war

1871 - Rombach-the-franc becomes German

The July 19th 1870, France declares the war in Germany. September 2nd the French troops are destroyed with Sedan. The 28 France capitulates.

A circular of the prefect addressed to all the mayors requires that provisional hospitals in each commune be installed being able to accommodate the casualties or patients. An financial effort is requested from each town hall. Rombach-the-franc resolves on its equities a sum of 1000 francs. A room which can accommodate 6 beds is chartered for this purpose, just as in the common neighbor of Lièpvre. Starting from the December 26th 1870 the council has to take measures Sociale S to come as an family assistance unhappy and to the workmen without work. The commune resolves moreover a sum of 1500 Francs to assist from poor and to make a distribution of soup and bread to the children of the schools and the families neediest. A distribution of Potatoes and Légume is also envisaged with the program.

The treaty of Frankfurt of May 10th 1871 allots the Alsace and part of the Lorraine to the Germany. Article 1 of the additional convention of the December 11th 1871 provides that the people born in the annexed territories can have faculty to choose French nationality or allemande. Those which would like to preserve French nationality must be domiciled in France or in the overseas territories. To choose French nationality often meant to leave its area of origin and to leave its family. Between 1871 and 1872 several inhabitants prefer to leave the commune and to take refuge in France. Others leave for the Algérie or other destinations, or others prefer to join the French Army . Rombach-the-franc chooses to 80% for France but the majority of the inhabitants prefer to remain on the spot not to give up their family. The list of the people choosing French nationality is with the public records. One finds there for example André Charles born the October 26th 1839 with Rombach-the-Franc which chose French nationality on August 8th 1872 and which left to Fort-de-France in Martinique. There is also Joseph Réling born the 27/07/1861 which is registered on this list of change of nationality.

The border between the two states follows the line of the peaks of the Vosgean solid mass. At the village of Rombach-the-Franc are installed German customs officers. The occupants authoritatively change the name of the Village which is baptized Deutsche Rumbach , which causes the unanimous indignation of the villagers who consider, that within sight of the Histoire more than thousand-year-old, this denomination is contrary with the truth.

The war 1914-1918

The August 3rd 1914, Germany declares the war with the France. August 7th of the French troops penetrate in Alsace. A small detachment moves towards Rombach-the-Franc and camps on the side of the Hingrie, more precisely with the collar of Schlingoutte. French is then surprised by a German patrol whereas they rest at this place. They must face a very important heavy fire. After the suspension of the shootings, one counts many deaths on the French side. 19 corpses are buried on the spot and another part is piled up on a carriage. The Germans undoubtedly wanting to impress the population cross all the village of Rombach-the-Franc on an oxcart where the other corpses are piled up, sowing a great agitation near the francophile population, and accentuating still a little more the hostility of the German presence in the valley. In front of such a hostile attitude, the suspicious Germans with regard to the population make supervise the village. A Zeppelin with a nacelle will evolve/move above the Small bedroom to supervise to and from of the population, but also to locate the fugitive ones which try to pass on other side of the border, with Lubine in the Vosges.

In 1917 the Germans requisition all the Cloche S of the church S to dissolve them. All the young schoolboys of Rombach-the-Franc take part at the beginning of these bells, but with the end of the war they will not have time to be molten.

The November 15th 1919, the bells of the church Sainte Rosalie requisitioned by the Germans are restored. The common advertisement to the German administration a compensation for the damages for the bells and the expenses for assembly. An estimate frankly carries these expenses to 306,25 S for the bell weighing 70 kg. The fabric committee restores with the communal case a sum of 4375 francs which it had funded for the 2 bells of the Church. During the war, the municipal council had been obliged to yield to the German tax department 49,7 kg of pipes coming from the Orgue of the church intended to be molten to manufacture new weapons.

The second world war

The Germans make their entry with Rombach-the-Franc on June 19th 1940 while singing. They move on the road in Indian file in two columns. The French move back in direction of the collar of Fouchy while making jump the road on the level of the turn behind the locality called Rochette.La road becomes impracticable then. To circumvent the obstacle, German goes then towards the small valley of the Hingrie where still elements of the French Army are. A heavy fire accommodates the German troops which counteract. But the Germans take the top at once and entirely control the small valley of the Hingrie. Rombach-the-franc is entirely between their hands. A decree of August 2nd 1940 place the whole of the civil administration under the German military authority which names then the Gauleiter Wagner. The Alsace is attached in fact to the " Gau de Bade ". The Gauleiter Wagner expels as of on June 21st 1940 the prefect of the Haut-Rhin and its principal collaborators. All the French administrations are attached to the German administrations. German becomes obligatory as of on August 16th 1940 except in the French-speaking Alsatian villages where German courses are exempted as of September 1940. French is tolerated in the French-speaking areas of Alsace, of which Rombach-the-Franc until January 1st 1943. December 16th 1940 the inhabitants of the valley considered to be too francophile by the Germans, or of motor disabilities or mental are expelled in free zone. About thirty people of Rombach-the-Franc are concerned with this decree. The teacher of the village, Mr Roland Lamarche had taken the initiative and will leave the village before the arrival of the Germans.

The Alsace and the the Moselle are annexed by the German Reich on November 28th 1940. Rombach-the-franc baptized Deutsche Rumbach becomes in little time an important crossing point, since the French border is very close. It is enough to cross the mountainous chain of the Collar of the Hingrie and to fork in direction of Lubine in the the Vosges. Several inhabitants of Rombach-the-Franc will play a very important part - often with the danger of their own life - to make pass from the prisoners on other side of the border. This help is made initially several manners: reception, food, lodging in the farms of mountain. The prisoners or the fugitive ones wanting to escape the obligatory conscription will have recourse to frontier runners. Three of them, deceased since, will be distinguished particularly: Paul Maurer, Edouard Verdun and Jean-Baptiste Munier. But of other frontier runners also deserve to be quoted: Rene Gauer, Joseph and Jean Gasperment, Edouard Hinsinger and Joseph Wet cooper. This last has with its credit more than 100 passages of prisoners whom it led of night by borrowing the small mountain lanes. It was never made take. Joseph Gasperment of the Hingrie started to hide prisoners as of December 1940 in his farm a little well off Bestégoutte close to a path which goes in Sharp Roche.IL often convoyait the prisoners, hidden in the middle of the cows until the pre one of Lorraine, called Degelingoutte today, then towards the collar of Schlingoutte or with the collar of Urbeis. From there prisoners received instructions and were to go by their own means until Lubine.

Paul Maurer living at the time with the farm of Pierreusegoutte, not far from the collar of Fouchy, knew the forest perfectly, since hunter, no small path escaped to him. Edouard Verdun, living at the time the Hingrie exploited a farm where the German customs officers often came to supply themselves out of milk and cheese. The third, Jean-Baptiste Munier, also lived to him with the Hingrie with the locality the Hollow-Oak. All the three used all kinds of stratagems to escape the customs officers who furrowed the neighborhoods in the search of possible fugitive. Jean-Baptiste Munier, docker, always equipped the escaped prisoners as loggers then made them pass on his carriage, harnessed horses. It passed thus quite simply in front of the German customs house which was in the school of the Hingrie requisitioned for the occasion. Edouard Verdun knew the practices of the German customs officers perfectly, which was quite useful to thwart the traps of the Germans; thanks to the famous schnapps whose German raffolaient he managed to tear off some " to them; small secrets". Thus Edouard Verdun can in all peace make become a big number of deserters and prisoners. Their heroic horse-gear lasted until January 1944 when three prisoners who had profited from the effective and satisfied assistance make take on the other side of the border by the German Gestapo. Under the blows of their interrogation, one of them spoke and indicated two frontier runners which were Jean-Baptiste Munier and Edouard Verdun. They then took the way of the prison of Colmar. They savagely denied to have helped with the escape from the three men, in spite of the many received blows and in the presence of the fugitive ones. As the Germans did not have an evidence and that they were favorably considered by the German customs officers, they were slackened the month according to.

Resistance is organized with Rombach-the-Franc

As of the 3rd quarter 1940 and the beginning of the year 1941 resistance is organized. Clandestine dies are set up charged to come to assistance of the prisoners and fugitive who want to go on the other side of the border. It is at the entry of the village that one of these die succeeded where the fugitive ones were dealt with the " Coffee of Paix" of the husbands War where one of the people domiciled with Lièpvre, Joseph Guillaume guided the people until Rombach-the-Franc. Joseph War (1895 - 1971), owner of the Coffee of Peace gave the fugitive ones to the Langlaude husbands who lived with the variation of the village in a farm located at the Small bedroom. Miss Jeannette Langlaude (1915 - 1992) was a character of foreground to evacuate all the men towards France. She was helped by her brother Jean Langlaude who was only 12 years old at the time and their neighbors Jean (13 years) and Andre Conreaux (16 years). " I come on behalf of aunt Jeanne ". This password was known of very Rombach-the-Franc and made it possible to the escaped prisoners to profit from the complicity of all the village. The first escaped prisoner to be profited from the die of the Small bedroom will be during the summer 1941 one named Charles Belon originating in Saint-Etienne. After being last by the grocer of the village, it will be led to the Small bedroom, then will cross the border guided by André Conreaux 16 years old and Jean Langlaude (12 years). Another escaped prisoner to be profited from the effective assistance will be Lucien Bauer who will succeed in crossing the border on January 24th 1942. After the war, he will become a brilliant academic of Strasbourg. Miss Langlaude made thus spin the prisoners between two patrols of customs officers who made regular rounds in wood all along the village. Several hundreds of people passed by the die of Miss Jeannette Langlaude. It even arrived that several people arrived at the same time what complicated a little the things, because it was not the best means of remaining discrete. In more there was a problem of supply, because what had to be found to eat. Fortunately that there were many farms in the area which made it possible to provide food without waking up the suspicions of the German authorities. Other people also passed by this die clandestine such for example Raoul Dedieu of Toulouse and these two accomplices of which one named " Bébert" and the other " De Gaulle". They were all the three inseparable ones and had succeeded in escaping from a stalag. Other prisoners came to join them, including eight of only one blow. There was among them certain Wladimir Walkowsy which was 22 years old. He spoke perfect French. He affirmed to have made studies in Belgium and wanted to become priest when the war burst. He was built-in the Polish army to defend his country against the invasion Nazi in 1939. He found himself in France when he was made prisoner with Saint-Dié in 1941. Among the prisoners escaped from the tunnel of Holy-Marie-with-Mines, there was certain Adrian Bakker which will take refuge with the Small bedroom of July 14th, 1944 until the release. It resides today at Den Haag. Andre Conreaux (16 years) who lived at the time with the Small bedroom will succeed in with him all alone making pass between June 1942 and May 1943 more than 60 people. Convened on March 1st 1943 with the Draft board to Holy-Marie-with-Mines to be built-in of force in the German army in company of other people of the valley, it expresses its bad mood aloud by singing the Marseillaise in the streets of Holy-Marie-with-Mines. It is stopped, on denunciation, and is stopped on the outlet side of the train with Lièpvre by the gendarmerie helped of an agent of the Gestapo, in company of the other colleagues who accompanied it. They are then transferred to the camp from Schirmeck and will have to be subjected to meetings of rehabilitation and forced labor. It will be however released but will receive its roadmap to go to the Wehrmacht. It will benefit to hide and will then join from it the maquis of the Small bedroom of which one of the movements known under the name of ORA (Organization of armed resistance) operated in the sector under the command of Auguste Schmitt and of Francis Artz which was responsible for section " firm of the goutte". The Langlaude husbands helped by their brother Jean (12 years) and their neighbors Jean (13 years) and Andre Conreaux (16 years) thus made pass last the war more than 500 prisoners on other side of the border.

Another die directed by Dr. Paul Flesch of Haguenau ended in the valley. The fugitive ones were then directed towards the central hotel of Holy-Cross-with-Mines where Mr. Emile Hoffmann and his Juliette wife dealt with them from where they were directed then towards the bakery held by Marthe and Stéphanie Chapel of Rombach-the-Franc. The runaways stopped opposite the factory chimney Lamotte and knocked gently on the door of bakery. The Chapelle family will direct thus more than 150 prisoners towards three frontier runners: Paul Maurer, Edouard Verdun and Jean Munier. From 1941 with 1944 more than 2000 people passed thus by Rombach-the-Franc and could pass through the nets of the claws Nazis. The people who seek to find refuge on other side of the border are often informed by an employee of the Railroads, Mrs. Joséphine Truntzler which direct them towards the bakery-tobacco held by Marthe Chappel (1888 - 1967) and her sister-in-law Stéphanie (1890 - 1978). Among two women, they find a place of lodging there before being directed towards the various frontier runners which were Paul Maurer (1901 - 1979) which lived a farm with Pieureusegoutte close to the collar of Fouchy, or towards the hamlet of Hingrie or Edouard Verdun (1900 - 1961) and Jean Munier (1900-1972) made them cross the border towards Lubine. Jean Munier always equipped the escaped prisoners as loggers then made them pass on his car, harnessed horses in front of the German customs house installed at the school of the Hingrie. But one day of the year 1944 three prisoners of war were taken again towards Baccarat. One of the three on the blow of the interrogations indicated the two frontier runners of the Hingrie which were stopped with locked up in a prison of Colmar. They were however slackened rather quickly because the Germans did not have enough evidence and moreover they were favorably considered by the German customs officers. End 1942 the woman of Joseph War, Pauline, who held the Coffee of peace with the entry of the village was also stopped and interned with Colmar. Paul Maurer will be also shown to have helped the prisoners. Whereas it returned from the forest after an unloading, a section of gendarmes took possession of the farm of Pierreusegoutte to sequester it. Thus it will be found captive in company of Pauline Guerre, her Louis brother and three other prisoners of Lièpvre. Paul Maurer will be released at the end of five days having denied until the end to have helped the fugitive ones in their escape. Paul Maurer throughout his tour took care well not to give his identity for fear the prisoner under torture delivers the name of his frontier runner. Among the prisoners helped by Paul Maurer there it had named one Michel Perrotti who was police officer, another Jean Bona was unfortunately made take with Saint-Dié by German and internee with Schirmeck, but fortunately it will escape from it. Another prisoner helped by Paul Maurer was called Saget and been originating in the Paris region where it will assemble a workshop of tools after the war.

Many prisoners are hidden in the village and the farms

The population of Rombach-the-Franc often came to assistance of the prisoners of war or other escaped prisoners of the tunnel of Holy-Marie-with-Mines. One can quote inter alia, Marie Therese Hinsinger (bride with Gerard Martin) who in 1943 hid two prisoners escaped from the tunnel of Holy-Marie-with-Mines. The railway tunnel of Holy-Marie-with-Mines to Lusse was blocked since November 1940 and had been transformed by the Nazis into appendix of concentration camp of Dachau. Deportees mainly of the Yugoslavians, but also of the Greeks, Italian, Sloveniens, Dutchmen, Belgians, Ukrainians, Russians, Poles, Czechs, Austrians, French (about thirty), as well as STO coming from this camp and that of Strudhof (the Low-Rhine) were constrained to take part under the worst conditions in the construction of an underground factory of manufacture of parts for engines of wars (V1, V2). It is for the Bayerische Motor Werke (BMW) that the 800 deportees of the Strudhof and Dachau worked which was placed in the Diehl factory & Co located at the northern exit of Holy-Marie-with-Mines on the road which leads to Echéry. Working by two 12 hour old teams (6h with 6 p.m. and 18:00 at 6 a.m.) the deportees employed with deepest of the tunnel to exhausting tasks received for any food, once by day, a soup with some potatoes at the bottom of the plate. Among the inhabitants of Rombach-the-Franc who helped the prisoners there were Emile Finance (1901 - 1947) and Jeanne Idoux who hid of only one blow six prisoners whose first names were: Roger, Cyrille, Achilles and Gaston. Achilles was Dutch, while Rene was black foot. Another living of Rombach-the-Franc, Jeanne Guerre (1897 - 1977) born Philippe hid for three months in her residence a prisoner escaped from the tunnel of Holy-Marie-with-Mines in her house located above the village. His/her cousin, Marie Guerre made in the same way by hiding two other prisoners. Paul (1900 - 1970) and Marcelline Marchal born Jacquot, hid some French prisoners in their farm which was located on the heights of Grandgoutte. Among the prisoners hidden in this farm there was Jacques Baucheux living today in Allainville (91) as another prisoner originating in Bordeau called Victor Chevalier who had like nickname the name of " Toto" , as one named Jacques Jaget who resides now in the Paris region. The escaped prisoners of the tunnel of Holy-Marie-with-Mines were often guided by Clovis Velcin (1912 - 1980) and his wife Mariette (1915 - 1966). Among the hiding-places very appraisals by the prisoners of the tunnel there were the baryta mines located not far from the farm of Grandgoutte which German did not know. The workers of the tunnel of Holy-Marie-with-Mines generally benefitted from their day of rest (Sunday) to escape. Generally, they landed with Lièpvre or Rombach-the-Franc where they always found people to carry help to them. Among the escaped prisoners there were many Russian and Yugoslavians who generally hid in the old baryta galleries and also with Large High whose topography offered an ideal hiding-place to them. Other prisoners hid in the sector Top of Vancelle towards the zone which leads to the rock of the cuckoo where large superimposed rocks are which their offered a shelter in the event of bad weather. The night, they went down from the sector to go to supply itself in the farms of the surroundings of Rombach-the-Franc and particularly with Grandgoutte. Paul Marchal of the farm of Grandgoutte gave them fresh news all of the advance of the allied troops and defeats of the German troops. Several inhabitants of Rombach-the-Franc sent the prisoners to Grandgoutte. Among these people one can quote Martin Gerard (1922 - 1999). Paul Marchal did not hide only prisoners in his farm of Grandgoutte but often convoyait itself the prisoners on other side of the border. Certain Russian prisoners hid in a place called " the stone tuile" between Pieureusegoutte and the farm of Paul Marchal located at Rochette. They were often supplied at the family of Paul and Marcelline Marchal de Grandgoutte.

An American aviator is recovered with Rombach-the-Franc

July 13rd 1944 an American plane is cut down between Benfeld and Erstein by German hunting. All the occupants succeed in jumping in parachute. However German had launched an immense operation of raking to recover the survivors. Some are captured by the Germans. One of them, Robert Martin will however succeed in being withdrawn from research and being camouflaged. He will manage to hide above the mountain of the Chalmont which dominates the villages of Lièpvre, Rombach-the-Franc and of Vancelle. Mountain seeing the village of Rombach-the-Franc, which seems surer to him, it will wait the night to go down and be located thanks to the signposts. The American survivors had received for instruction, in the event of problem, to join the Spain by their own means in order to be repatriated thereafter. Thus on July 18th famished and thinned down by the long hours of steps through the forest, Robert Martin will collapse of tiredness and will hide in Vaurière. It is there that Victorine Idoux, born Hug (1904 - 1982) married in 2nd weddings with Jean Idoux, who passed a little by chance in the surroundings flushes out it and presents it to Louis Tourneur who deals with it and will hide it in a farm of Vaurière. It will remain there until the release of the commune on November 29th 1944. During his enforced stay in the valley, Robert Martin will learn some rudiments from French. He will be joined soon by other prisoners escaped from the tunnel of Holy-Marie-with-Mines. Robert Martin born in 1922 worked until his retirement as engineer in the manufacturer of planes of the firm Lookeed in California and returned three times to Rombach-the-Franc, in 1966, 1976 and 1992 to return visit to his friends who had lodged it. Since the end of the second world war, Robert Martin regularly exchanged correspondence with the heroes of this beautiful story. Louis Tourneur is not any more in life today and Robert Martin did not give signs of life any more.

Release of Rombach-the-Franc by the American troops

November 25th 1944 the soldiers of the first French Army enter to the concentration camp of the Strudhof, of which 7 to 8000 prisoners were evacuated in September 1944 with the camp of Dachau. In this concentration camp there was more 40  000 people of all nationalities. 12.000 would have left the life between 1941 there and 1944. It exists there also a camp of work in Schirmeck where prisoners pile up. Among Rombéchats which remained in this camp one can quote Jean and André Stouvenot, Jean and André Conreaux, Rene Didierjean and his sister Jeanne, Paul Philippe, Mathilde Villemin, André Benoît, Adrien Fréchard. This last, patient, for lack of care will perish in the camps on April 6th, 1943. Born on September 10th 1925 it is only 17 years old when it dies in the camp Très few people could escape from these camps. However on August 4th 1942 Martin Winterberger, Alsatian will succeed in escaping in company of four other prisoners, Karl Haas an Austrian, Alfons Christmann a German, Joseph Chichosz a Pole and Joseph Mantner a Czech. They succeed in joining Hingrie and from there they are guided by inhabitants of this place in direction of the Thatch of Read. With Lusse they are stopped by the French gendarmes who slacken them at once. But Christmann took of panic only leaves on its side. It will be taken again a few days by the Germans and carried out later with the Camp of Stuthof under the worst conditions. It will be fixed on hooks of stopping and will be suspended until dead follows from there. A French gendarme of Moussey, originating in Rombach-the-Franc, Paul Teyber (born on June 9th 1913 with Rombach-the-Franc) will be him also hung same manner. Decree on August 19th 1944 with Moussey in the the Vosges it belongs to a resistance network, the mobile Groupe of Alsace, and will be hung with the camp of the Struthof on September 2nd 1944.

But the things start to be spoiled for the Germans who will beat a retreat a little everywhere in Europe. September 20th American is in the the Vosges. They face a very strong resistance on behalf of the German army supported by a column of partisans cossacks. In November 1944 the German army receives reinforcements coming from Colmar and of Mûlheim. The Americans however manage to insert the German lines. 36e DIUS is especially made up of recruits resulting from the Oklahoma and the Texas from where the name from Texas Division . They started to unload in April 1943 since the North Africa. August 15th 1944 they unload in bay of Fréjus, from where it progresses towards north. The American offensive continues however, in spite of a very strong German resistance supported by the broken relief of the the Vosges. American planes launch leaflets inviting the population to remain at-them and not to take useless risks in order to have the free track to pursue the German troops and their auxiliaries. An American column will succeed in reaching the heights of the Small bedroom as well as Collinière in the morning of November 27th 1944. An observation post is installed by American above the cave of Notre Dame de Lourde in Hargoutte making it possible to locate to and from of a German company which was folded up in Vaurière with its headquarters. Mortar fires, initially spaced whistle above the dwelling houses. That lasts all the day of the November 27th and 29th. There are also some gusts of machine-guns which crépitent sporadically in the village, but no serious fixing is to be regretted. While the small valley of Vaurière undergoes a flood of bombardments, American come from the Small bedroom engages by Vourogoutte and the hill of Raingai and takes the road of Fouchy. They are accommodated with the junction, towards the way which goes in Naugigoutte, by a heavy shooting of the German machine-guns embusqués in Feignet. American arrives then in reinforcement to dislodge German and the cossacks installed on this hill. First American starts to patrol in the village with the research of German hidden in the dwelling houses. The first GI' S arrives at Chapelle bakery followed by others where they share the meal with the owners. November 29th 1944, Rombach-the-Franc is released by the 36e division of the American infantrymen who unload with foot since the hill of Raingai, close to the water tower, towards the way of Hingrie. They are accommodated triumphantly by the population of Rombach-the-Franc where one offers the meal to them and of the schnapps. American distributes chocolate to the children who bind themselves in great number around the troops to receive their delicacy. At the beginning of afternoon, they arrive at the southern exit of the village. The release of the village is completely completed on November 29th 1944 towards 15:30.

The industrial life enters the two wars and right afterwards

During very a long time the inhabitants devote themselves to the culture, but in 1924, Misters Schaeffer and Corne, pioneers launch out in weaving by creating small workshops of Tissage. Whole families are employed, which gets to the inhabitants a supplement of income by especially weaving cotton of wool and staple fiber. In 1963 there is a factory which makes turn approximately 215 trades (400 in 1947). The factory was closed and declared in bankruptcy in February 1964 involving 150 dismissals. The majority of the workmen found work elsewhere. The work place is often very distant (Sélestat, Andlau, Colmar, Mulhouse). Some inhabitants weave in residence, i.e. at the house. They have one or two trades, sometimes more. The ground floor of their house often resembles a small workshop. There exists then in the village more than 130 trades. There are few trades in the farms because of their distance and the bad quality of the ways which reach the farms. One weaves all kinds of drawings. The trades go to the electricity. Tisserand can Tissage in residence, it there with the industry of the wood (Scierie) which employs few workmen. The commune also has immense forests whose 11 or 12 Bûcheron S work full-time. After the war some German prisoners of war were assigned to the maintenance of the Forêt. Voiturier S brought wood to the sawmill or at the people with “scale cars” drawn by a pair from Bœuf S. Souvent they are the Cultivateur S themselves which deal with convoying wood. Thereafter the Débardeur S brought wood with powerful tractors. It existed since 1840 Sawmill - inn which has be during very a long time appointment of villager, of owners Forest S, of Carpenter S, of cabinetmaker S, which came to make saw the boards all thicknesses, the beams for the frames, or of the Paysan S which came inter alia making saw their more beautiful Fruit trees, Cerisier S, Pommier S, Poirier S at the time of a marriage of one of their daughter. Wood was used to manufacture the bed or the cupboard of the young groom. There was a ceaseless to and from in this Scierie - Auberge. The carrying ones brought the wood of everyone to the Scierie with carts tractor drawn by Bœufs. Before the Great War, the sawmill belonged to Augustin Aubry, then with its succession in 1927 it will be taken again by Joseph Guerre one of the Charpentiers of the village. But the house of Rombéchat style, lengthened was destroyed by a fire in 1933. Joseph Guerre built thereafter a large house which exists still today in the village. He added a big room or one projected films. That went rather well. One organized there also small balls and the carnival. One also found oneself there at the time of the burials. The sawmill was dismantled after the accidental death of the Guerre husbands in 1976 and the heirs not wishing to take again the activity sold the unit and the grounds.

Just after the war there were still some sabot-makers in the village, but in 1964 there existed nothing any more but two about it. There existed still several joineries in the village including still 4 in 1964. At that time the industry of wood was not as flourishing as textile industry. The other craftsmen are rare: there exists 1 Serrurier, 1 Plombier, 1 Maçon, 2 Cordonnier S, 1 painter with Rombach-the-Franc and immediately after war 2 Guard-foresters.

The Weaving loom in residence

After the First World War, small workshops of Tissage which worked with the task for textile manufacturers was the independent source of incomes for many inhabitants of the village. They closed the ones after the others after the crisis of the textile. These small workshops were composed of a frame out of wooden or iron which carries all the parts. Behind a cylinder is around whose the wire are surrounded of chain that an special operation made more resistant more extremely and than weft threads. This operation is called “Ourdissage”. One pasted wire of Amidon and one dried them by contact on the cylinders of copper heated at high temperature. On the left and on the right of the tablecloth of the chain are laid out of the stronger wire which form the edge of the fabric. Inside the trades are the blades. Each blade is composed of 2 horizontal bars plain by chains carrying in their medium a link. In each link of the blade one makes pass from wire odd of the chain and in each link of the blade the even wire. Between the blades the shuttle passes.

Kirsch

Rombach-the-franc was from time immemorial a very famous commune for its Brandy made starting from cherries more commonly called the “Kirsch”. There exists still many Cerisiers in the commune. However this practice tends to disappear because of the very high taxation. One manufactures also “Quetsch” or Brandy of plums, but also of the Pomme. One enormously needs fruits to produce brandy which is often consumed on the spot. In the Sixties there existed still 41 home distillers to Rombach-the-Franc.

The commune was also famous for its liquors made starting from buds of fir trees against the cough and it badly of throat and for liquors starting from roots of judicious gentians to improve digestion. Today this practice disappeared.

The survival of the old habits

The day of the frieze

One finds old reminiscences habits in old the Enclave S Lorraine in Alsace whose Val of Lièpvre made party until in 1766. One of these old habit is the day of " the Bore-hole " or of the " festival of the Torch S " who is generally held at the end of the winter or at the beginning of the Printemps. The festival of the frieze that the Alsatian ones name " Burefassenach" (carnival of the peasants) is mentioned in the mountains of the the Vosges as of the XIIIe century. This festival is before a a whole agricultural festival which crossed the centuries and which continues to be in force with Rombach-the-Franc.

The raising of roughing-hew

As of February, the children and young people made the turn of the village with a cart to collect all that could be used to light fire, then to maintain it: old papers, paperboards, straw, faggots of brooms. One stopped in front of each house by shouting in Lorraine patois " wood for the bure". To rough-hew generally drew up itself on a height dominating the village. To rough-hew was surmounted by a fir tree or a long pole of straw.

The manufacture of the chidôles

Another big step is the manufacture of the discs of wood called in novel-Lorraine dialect " chidônes " or " Chidôles ". They were logs of a diameter from 10 to 12 cm which was cut in discs from where the expression " to launch disques" in Lorraine. One employed if possible " beech already germé" , which supported combustion. The bored discs of a hole in their medium had a circumference thin slice which facilitated their take-off. They was flying saucers in miniature. Green heart gaules 2 cm length (preferably in hazel tree) called " corées" allowed to place them in fire.

The procession

It was made up exclusively of men or young boys. The day of the " bures" , all was ready and the evening it was formed a procession. At the head, musicians followed by the " buriers" who owed " to keep the feu" , therefore to maintain it as in unmemorable times when one did not have the possibility of relighting easily. They was the launchers of discs which carried the chidôles in shoulder-belt. Behind them youth closed walk. Everyone moved briskly towards the height where was to be held the festival itself.

Course of the ceremony

The firing of the torch by oldest of the buriers was the signal of the departure of the festival. While the flames rose, young people danced around roughing-hew it while singing. When it became possible to approach fire, the children jumped through the flames, while the launchers of discs were set up in accordance with the tradition. Each one then introduced its Korea into the hole of the " chidôle" and placed it in the blazing inferno where it flamed instantaneously. One then seized it quickly using the rod to make it whirl in the air before launching it with cries of joy on a board posed obliquely and overhanging the vacuum. The " chidôle" sowing sparks, after having rebounded on the board, was propelled in the night sky where it followed a long luminous curve, before rebounding several times on the ground like a will-o'-the-wisp. During this transitory flight the buriers financed young people who often had known each other during taken care. If the curve of the chidôle were ascending, they shouted: " There is promise of marriage between the couple". It happened that young girls give fritters to the children before the departure of the procession so that they intervene with the buriers to quote their name with that of their elected official.

Progressive disappearance of the habit

This habit was still very widespread at the beginning of the 20th century. As example on February 11th 1913, one could observe in Black Forêt thirteen large fire, while in Alsace, that of the Grand Balloon was visible of all the Mulhousian area. Mr V. Kuentzmann which collected the legends and the traditions of the Val of Lièpvre reports us that the buriers sometimes lit sometimes an immense torch with the Chalmont illuminating part of the valley. But the authorities in place tried to prohibit these immense blazing infernos. An edict of June 14th 1780 emanating of the ducal chancellery of Lorraine threatened of severe punishment those which organized these fires. The habit well enracinée in manners disappeared however in Sainte Marie-with-Mines in 1842. Indeed the incandescent chidôles fell on the roofs from thatches and were likely to put fire at the dwellings at one time when there did not exist yet of service of firefighting and where water missed cruelly. (Source: Jean Paul Patris in " Our peasants of southerly wind, p.254-257)

Administration

Demography

• 1865 : This figure is taken in Baquol and Ristelhuber, Alsace old and modern, or dictionary of Haut-Rhin and the Low Rhine, 3rd edition, Strasbourg, 1865
• 1903: Quantify taken in volume III from Das Reichsland Elsass-Lothringen, Strasbourg, 1898-1903, 3 volumes
• provisional population for 2006: 892

Inheritance

Church Holy-Rosalie (1805)

The church of Rombach-the-Franc such as it exists date of today 1805. It was rebuilt after the terrible fire of August 22nd 1801 which decimated most of the village, of which the presbytery. It was completed in 1807. Previously there was an old vault built at the 13th century by the monks of the priory of Lièpvre close to a source which had received the name of " source of Holy Rosalie ". It is told that at the 13th century the wolves were very numerous in the forests of the commune. At the time one very rigorous winter, one of the wolves precipitated on a little girl who was devoured on the place even where the church is today. The monks of the priory of Lièpvre then set up a vault on this site to pay a homage to the little girl whose father worked for the monks. At the place also a source ran which accepted the name of " source of Holy-Rosalie". According to the legend one used the water of this source to preserve certain diseases. According to the legend, Rombach-the-Franc would have been saved by the epidemics of plague and cholera thanks to the holy one which was venerated by the population. At the 13th century this vault is used as place of prayer and a mass is known as the feastday of Holy-Rosalie. To this occasion the faithful ones go in procession since Lièpvre to the vault. There does not exist any priest who resides at Rombach-the-Franc. June 12th 1692 this vault of style Romance is equipped with a bell. She is blessed by the abbot G. cleaned Morel of Lièpvre. The faithful ones must go to Lièpvre for the divine service. But as of 1745, the priest of Lièpvre goes to Rombach-the-Franc to manage the last sacraments, but for the offices of Sunday, the marriages, baptisms or burials the inhabitants must always go to the church Lièpvre. The burials of the inhabitants of Rombach-the-Franc are done since unmemorable times with Lièpvre. There exists in the village two brotherhoods Holy-Rosalie charged to maintain this vault whose only one receiver annually gives an account of the expenditure caused before the priest and the community. This brotherhood also pays the priest of the parish not in the form of said but out of money. Before the Guerre thirty year old Rombach-the-Franc was held to pay the dîme with the prior of Lièpvre. In 1624 this dîme represents 59 francs and 6 large. Until 1786 Rombach-the-Franc and Lièpvre do only one and even parish.

The Romance vault of the 13th century is destroyed and replaced by a church

In 1756, the inhabitants of Rombach-the-Franc test the need to have their own church, because the vault became too small to accommodate everyone. The population of Rombach-the-Franc had strongly increased since the beginning of the 18th century. In 1790 it counted 1237 inhabitants. The inhabitants, the middle-class men and mayor, address a mail to the intendant of Lorraine and Barrois with Commercy, Mr. of Galaizière. April 7th, this one returns the request for information to subdelegated to Saint-Dié, Mr. de Lesseux.

This last examines the plan and estimates drawn up by Mr. Renault, architect and geometrician with Saint-Dié dated April 22nd 1756. July 15th of the same year, the intendant orders that the biddings are made as soon as possible. November 15th 1756 the biddings take place with Saint-Dié and it is Jean Collin of Lièpvre which carries the market. It accepts and signs the plan the same day to make carry out work. It consequently engages occasion to begin work in spring 1757 and to ensure itself the transport of materials, being given the small number of carrying to Rombach-the-Franc. The estimate is estimated at 7773 pounds Lorraine.

July 8th 1758, the nave of the new church is with completed half. The notable ones of the village require that the tower be raised church of eight feet, i.e. of 2m20 so that it reaches the ridge tile of the nave, which is accepted.

A document of August 23rd 1772 indicates that the common one counts 180 inhabitants (households without the children) and more than 900 communicants (children as from 7 years). The inhabitants consider that the Holy-Rosalie vault is too small to contain all the parishioners. They also estimate that the bell of the vault does not resound enough far and that it is practically inaudible beyond of a mile, like in various throats located close to the hills. They ask the commune of study the possibility of installing a more powerful bell.

In 1786 an autonomous parish is founded with Rombach-the-Franc

Rombach-the-franc after during several centuries having shared the fate of Lièpvre and its same vicissitudes, tested the need to be detached from the church-mother who was then managed by the vice-chancellor L. Mosser in 1786. By ordinance and investigation control unit and incommodo of February 16th 1786, the bishop of Strasbourg, sets up Rombach-the-Franc in independent parish. The copy of the episcopal decree setting up Rombach-the-Franc, formerly subsidiary of the parish church of Lièpvre, is filled with very interesting details: one finds there for example that the community including the hamlet of the Hingrie is made up of 230 fires or households training 900 communicants, quantifies who exceeds that of the inhabitants of Lièpvre. The ordinance also reveals that Rombach-the-Franc largely lays out what to provide for the needs for the new parish, which the way between the last houses of the Hingrie and Lièpvre is of one mile and half, without counting the dwellings which are inserted in the hills along the village. This investigation puts also ahead the difficulty for the inhabitants of Rombach-the-Franc of going to the church Lièpvre because of the frequent ones believed of water which returns impracticable the ways carrying out to the church-mother. In winter this investigation reveals, the children whom one brings to the church of Lièpvre to be baptized are particularly exposed to die on the way and which a good part of the population is held to remain in the village to protect the dwellings from the flights and plunderings and to be able there to carry help in the event of fire. The note adds that they are the inhabitants of the Hingrie who are more to feel sorry for because they are with two miles of Lièpvre. This note adds that certain parishioners profit to go to refresh itself in the various cabarets along the road, which often causes arguments and other indecencies. This is why in accordance with the authorization granted by the intendant of Lorraine dated March 29th 1768, and in spite of the refusal of the priest of Lièpvre and the visit of fire general vicar Arath of évêché of Strasbourg of July 13rd 1760, an authorization is granted for the creation of an independent parish. It orders that two inhabitants of Rombach-the-Franc and the Hingrie named by the mayors, lieutenant of the mayor, or sworn justice go each year and to perpetuity to the church of Lièpvre the day of its owner (August 15th), to deposit there two white wax candles of a weight of half delivers each one to mark the preeminence of the parish of Lièpvre on that of Rombach-the-Franc. It names Jean Baptiste Baker, originating in Holy-Marie-with-Mines cleaned of the village and prescribed to faithful of the new parish to establish a cemetery beside the church. October 2nd 1786, it is proceeded by bidding to the reduction of the construction of a presbytery which will be gained by the company of Jean Baptiste Benoit contractor with Rombach-the-Franc which is also in charge of the maintenance of the fountains and the school of the village. It is also proceeded by adjudication of the fence of the cemetery in the presence of Charles François Petitmengin, adviser of the king and its under prosecutor with the presidential bailliage of Saint-Dié. This ordinance is published pursuant to the decree of the intendant of Lorraine and Barrois, in the presence of the mayor Pierre Mosse and of the syndics of the community of Rombach-the-Franc and is posted in the communes of Saint-Dié, Holy-Marie-with-Mines, Holy-Cross-with-Mines, Lièpvre and Rombach-the-Franc for information so that the public is duly informed.

This ordinance also stipulates at the community of Rombach-the-Franc of being able without delay their church of baptismal font, a pulpit and sacred vessels which it still misses. This expenditure will cause several hundreds of books for the purchase of sacred vessels and the expenses relating to the creation of the new parish. Between 1787 and 1788, thanks to extraordinary wood-cuttings, the community builds a presbytery and arranges a cemetery beside the new church. In 1786, the church was dedicated to Sainte Rosalie with like secondary owners, Saint Blaise and Saint Quirin.

During the Révolution the church was baptized as in many of other places, temple of the Reason, temple to be it supreme and even patriotic club when the fatherland was declared in danger. However the major part of the population remained faithful to its Pasteur, Mr. Jean Baptiste Baker. This one had refused to lend oath to the constitution, in spite of insistences of the municipality of then. It was undoubtedly the deportation for the bagne of Guyana for the valiant priest. Of 1789 with 1792 the Boulanger abbot managed best than it could by facing all the dangers, his parish. Having failed to be made take by the revolutionists who were with his continuation, he preferred the voluntary exile. He will eclipse in Germany in 1792, but returned incognito in 1797 in his parish, setting out again almost at once not feeling safe. During its absence, it is the priest of Fouchy which managed with the danger of its life the parish hiding of farm in farm.

After the gigantic fire of 1801 the church is rebuilt

August 22nd 1801 (4 Fructidor of year 9) the new church built after 1756 is entirely destroyed, just as the presbytery and 43 houses. It was a terrible catastrophe and a terrible blow for the valiant priest Boulanger, income hardly of his exile. All the population helped by the commune pulled up his/her socks to be resolutely put at work in order to rebuild the new church and the presbytery. Thanks to extraordinary cuts and with the support of the population, work of the new church could begin as of 1805. The first angular stone was posed on August 15th as it appears on the inscription which outside appears front face of the church and the side of the way of the Oblique one: " I was posed and bénite by Mr. Boulanger, first priest of this parroisse (with two R) on August 15th 1805 in the presence of the Mettemberg mayor and of his Colin" assistant;

The new church is completed on December 7th 1807 and is blessed by the priest Cornette senior of Holy-Marie-with-Mines. For the history, it should be specified that one deposited on the angular stone a message of testimony of which here part of the contents: " In the name of the father and of the son and the Holy Spirit, the year 1805 of Our Lord Jesus Christ, on August 15th, celebrates Notre Dame of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, the Roman Pontiff being Pie VII and the bishop of Strasbourg, Jean-Pierre Saurine, the 27 Thermidor of year XIII of the Republic, under the reign of Napoleon, emperor of French and king of Italy. Under the advised administration of the Desportes prefect, department of the higher Rhine, member about the legion of honor, after the sacrifice of the mass celebrated in the oratory (provisional vault), this first angular stone, whose by episcopal decree given on February 16th 1786 by the Church-mother of Lièpvre, detached and set up in parish church, but transformed by the new organization of the French Church into branch on August 22nd 1801 by an unhappy circumstance, was destroyed by the flames with the presbytery and 43 houses. Maintaining the church of the Rombach German having to be rebuilt by the care of the commune and increased in its length and its width, by me undersigned priest, originating in the parish of Holy Madeleine of Holy-Marie-with-Mines, initially like priest and then as administrator, with the authorization of our bishop of Strasbourg the 16 of previous July, under the signature of the very famous Dangas Lords, General vicar of our bishop and Maimbourg, episcopal secretary, all two canons of the Catholic church, authorization deposited in the parochial files in the presence of several parishioners, mainly: Nicolas Mettemberg, Jean Dominique Hake all citizens and members of the municipal council of the village manufacturer of the building " . Other information concerning the parishioners is reproduced on this first angular stone seal in the building of the church Sainte Rosalie.

The new Holy-Rosalie church was returned to the worship on December 7th 1807. Later one installed new bells whose blessing took place on November 11th 1812. The bumblebee weighing 800 kg, the smallest average 600 kg and 450 kg are installed in the presence of all the population. The large bell is blessed under the invocation of the Blessed Virgin and has as godfathers: Jean Georges Philippe, Joseph Jehel and Antoine Pairis and for godmothers, Marie Madeleine Leromain, Marie Therese Turner, and Marie Channel. The smallest bell is blessed under the invocation of Saint-Blaise and Saint Quirin secondary owners and has as godfathers: Nicolas Office (legionary), Jean Baptist Channel and Jean Gasperment and for godmothers, Marie Mervelet, Marie Roth and Marie Catherine Gasperment. The pulpit is installed since 1813.

In 1819, the Boulanger priest who started to feel tired required to be shouldered by a vicar. It made a request near the church of Lièpvre to assist it in the various tasks, in particular to visit the patients and to manage Blessed Sacraments. The commune of Rombach-the-Franc is solicited to pay the vicar. Jean Baptist Baker, first priest of Rombach-the-Franc dies on August 31st 1823 with 23:45 at the 81 years age. He controlled his parish for 37 years and five months. He is buried with the foot of the large cross, in the middle of the cemetery. The construction of this large cross was decided unanimously, and at the request of many citizens, during a municipal council to pay homage to the first priest of Rombach-the-Franc. On his tomb one can see the epitaph according to: Ici rests in peace Jean Joseph Boulanger, first priest of this parish which it controlled during 37 years and 5 months. Born in Sainte Marie-with-Mines from March 31st 1742 - Died on August 31st 1823. Piles, dedicated, charitable, true Pasteur. Its life as its death were those of the right Christian - Imitate-the - Poor cry-the - Parish request for him .

In 1840, at the time of the enlarging of the cemetery the priest Jean Louis Monsch wanted to make move the large cross of the cemetery at the place even where rested the Boulanger priest. The municipality was opposed and called upon the bishop of Strasbourg to slice the disagreement. The large cross was finally maintained on its old site.

In 1899, Feuerstein, artist originating in Barr fixes a table behind the high altar of the church Sainte Rosalie.

Vault of Notre Dame of the Good Help

Located on the street of the General de Gaulle at the crossroads of the road of the Hingrie and the road of the collar of Fouchy, the vault devoted to Notre Dame of the Good Help was built in the garden of Jean-Baptiste Humbert, tailor of clothes, and was completed in 1852. It is the abbot Lemaire, priest of the parish which devoted this vault in the presence of all the members of the Fabric committee who initialed the statement with the owner of the places, Mr Humbert. In the extracts of the register of the deliberations of the municipal council of August 16th 1852 one reads there that: “Mr Humbert committed himself never not to yield the vault to others and making pass this obligation to his descendants, and that if ever it were for an unspecified cause to cease existing, furniture would return from there from right to the factory of the parish church”. In addition Mr Humbert emitted the wish that before its death the vault can be entrusted with all its furniture to the factory of the parish church. However this donation did not take place. The ceiling of the vault will be renovated in 1852. The walls will be whitewashed by the company of Frederic Reymond of Sélestat. The fabric committee of the parish Holy-Rosalie will take part in the expenses by granting 400 francs, just as a private individual who granted the same amount to make the supplement. In 1852 the vault will be equipped with six soutanelles cloth reds with handles and six surplis with cambric wings muslin, the whole for a value of 190 francs. Eight lithographies will be placed in the sacristy of the vault. The Lemaire abbot, in the capacity as former under-chaplain of the ladies of the Sacred Heart of Kintzheim obtained several valuable articles, including one beautiful white chasuble, a chasuble with double face (on a silk side and other out of silk violet), a pastoral stole with embroidered flowers and a large purse of flowers embroidered to give the communion, of some corporaux and purifying, etc About 1906 the vault is consolidated and renovated, and after the second world war, the bell-tower in masonry which had been damaged is replaced by a light frame. February 22nd 1959, the fabric committee esteem necessary to restore the vault. In order to constitute equities for work, it decides to make a search among inhabitants of Rombach-the-Franc. June 7th 1959 the fabric committee of the parish recommends to hold the search of each second Sunday of the month to finance part of work of restoration of the vault. In 1981 one remade paintings. The table representing the Virgin protecting the village, which is on the frontage of the vault, is the work of a local painter, Mr. Joseph Gauer. The last owner of the close ground, Paul Leromain, wishing to sell this registered piece, in 1994, realized that he was also owner of the vault. In September 1993 the commune which had inherited the building repurchases the ground on which the vault was built because there remained always the property of the heirs. The decision to yield the vault to the commune is ratified for 1 frank symbolic system. In a pastoral investigation carried out in 1883 one mentions there this vault in the center of the village dedicated to Notre Dame of the Good Help whose employers' festival is on May 24th. One calls upon there Notre Dame for the relief of multiple miseries.

Places and monuments

Armoriées terminals

The commune of Rombach-the-Franc was formerly, before the Revolution separated by the higher forest from the Count-Round of applause which passed by the communes of Breitenau, Neubois and partly by the current national forest of Vancelle. The forest of the Count-Round of applause comprised 215 terminals whose near total were hammered during the Révolution. Only ten of these terminals were saved by the Revolutionists. The forest of the Count-Round of applause pertaining until in 1789 to the Great Chapter of the Cathedral of Strasbourg, owner also of the Castle of Frankenbourg. Between 1764 - 1766 the chapter made proceed to the demarcation of the higher forest while engraving on each stone the year 1764 and the Blason of the Counts de Werde the first owners of the field. Certain old stone-terminals gone back to 1708 and already on the spot were re-used. These stone-terminals passed partly between the territories being next to Rombach-the-Franc and the communes of Breitenau and Neubois and are marked on each side of the Cross of Lorraine and other of the blazon of Landgraviat. At this place, they mark the separation of the border between Rombach-the-Franc, stronghold of the Duché of Lorraine and the Count-Round of applause. They also separated the limit between the department from the Haut-Rhin and the the Low-Rhine. Thereafter from other terminals came to be added to indicate the limit of a small forest belonging to Sélestat, above the top of Vancelle. They are always visible today and go back to 1780 carrying the monogram of Sélestat and the initial ones of A.L which want to say " Rombach" German; , the old name of Rombach-the-Franc. Other terminals were established in 1820 carrying the initial A.L to mark the limit of the communal territory with Lièpvre to the top of Vancelle on the way which goes to the rock of the fairies. Lastly, there exist four terminals gone back to 1764 close relations of the border with the commune hammered from initial of the Collégiale Saint-Georges of Nancy which succeeded the priory of Lièpvre, after the Ruisseau of Vaurière, but installed on the commune of Lièpvre. The fifth terminal carrying number 31 is in Kast.On distinguishes there on one on the sides from the terminal an abbey stick with the letters S.G which want to say Saint-Georges. The forest on which is these terminals belonged to the monks of the priory of Lièpvre, then with Collegial of Nancy when the dukes of Lorraine évincé the monks.

The martyrdoms and crosses which mark out the roads and paths of Rombach-the-Franc

See also: the martyrdoms and crosses which mark out the roads and paths of Rombach-the-Franc

• Martyrdom of Hargoutte : It is the oldest martyrdom of the commune. It is gone back to 1720.

• limiting Terminals of borders : One can still see ten old terminals gone back to 1680 located between the Collar from Small High and the Large one High, while following the peak Top of Vancelle. On these terminals one distinguishes the Cross of Lorraine on the side on Rombach-the-Franc and other side the armorial bearings of the Count-Round of applause of Frankenbourg.

• Cave Notre Dame de Lourde : Built in 1912 above the hill of Hargoutte.

• Fountains : The village still preserves ten old fountains which were used at the 19th century by the inhabitants there to draw water and to wash the linen.

• Statue of Crowned Heart :

Inaugurated in 1947 on the hill of Rain of Annot as a sign of thanks to have preserved the village of the destruction at the time of the 2nd World war.

Evocative places

• Biagoutte

At the 18th century this locality was called Blagoutte as shows it the Cassini chart of the 18th century.

• Besse of the slopes

Towards the road of the Hingrie recalls the superstition of our ancestors for this recognized place as a high place where the witches met for their Sabbat S.

• Belhengoutte

Formerly, there existed in this place a mine which functioned between 1611 and 1614

• Bestégoutte

One finds this locality in 1606 under the name of Bustelgoutte and starting from 1759 under the name of Bestégoutte

• Small bedroom

Could indicate an old property belonging to the monks of the priory of Lièpvre, perhaps a place of rest and care for the inhabitants of the valley.

• Fields of the Huts

This hill installed above Oblique was covered before the thirty year old Guerre by many huts which highlighted the poverty of part of the population of the commune. Before the Révolution part of these huts still sheltered too poor glassmakers to be placed.

• the horse pear tree

It is the name of a hill where a Cheval of a lord would have found death by breaking the bones against a pear tree.

• Coterain

Place which is with the foot of the great turn in direction of the collar of Fouchy

• Grandgoutte

Locality of Rombach-the-Franc, in the south-west which is with the variation of the village above the Horse Pear tree. This locality started to be exploited as of XVIe century because of important seams of Ankérite and quartz, as well as disseminated metal minerals: Chalcopyrite, Malachite, Tétraé, Drite, Bornite, Bournonite. The seam of Grangoutte contained also important lenses of barytine. As of XVIe century the seam of Grandgoutte would have been exploited for the Cuivre and the Argent. A gallery of 85 meters and a puit had been arranged to extract approximately 20.000 tons from Barytine until in 1940.

• Hargoutte

Name which wanted to say hare in patois and which evoked the culture of Potatoes on a ground very poor in communal portions.

• Longire

Locality already known in 1441

• Naugigoutte

Certain etymologists make it derive from nannestohl quoted in the diploma of Charlemagne in 774 and Lothaire Ier in 854. Others claim that it is about the Chalmont.

Internal bonds

• Chalmont
• Hingrie
• Valley of Lièpvre
• Liepvrette
• Priory of Lièpvre
• Taennchel
• Lièpvre

See too

• Common of Haut-Rhin

Personalities related to the commune

• Jean Baptist Baker

• Aubin Lamotte
• Raymond Hestin

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