Schorbach | |
|---|---|
 A general view of Schorbach | |
 Coat of arms | |
Location of Schorbach  | |
  Schorbach  Schorbach | |
| Coordinates:49°04′48″N7°24′24″E / 49.08°N 7.4067°E /49.08; 7.4067 | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Grand Est |
| Department | Moselle |
| Arrondissement | Sarreguemines |
| Canton | Bitche |
| Intercommunality | CC du Pays de Bitche |
| Government | |
| • Mayor(2020–2026) | Paul Dellinger[1] |
Area 1 | 13.36 km2 (5.16 sq mi) |
| Population (2022)[2] | 541 |
| • Density | 40/km2 (100/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 57639 /57230 |
| Elevation | 273–413 m (896–1,355 ft) (avg. 415 m or 1,362 ft) |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
Schorbach (French pronunciation:[ʃɔʁbak]) is acommune in theMoselledepartment of theGrand Estadministrative region in north-easternFrance.
The village belongs to thePays de Bitche. As of 2013[update] Schorbach had 551 residents. The residents refer to themselves asSchorbachois, and are also known by the sobriquetWurschtfresser, a name that refers to the annualWurschtfescht (sausage feast) that is celebrated onSaint Rémi's day.[3]
Schorbach is a few kilometres South of the border with thePalatinate (Germany), North-east ofBitche. The commune is part of thePalatinate Forest-North Vosges Biosphere Reserve.
The nameSchor-Bach, probably meaning turtle-stream, is first seen in 1210. The place was long part ofZweibrücken-Bitsch.
Schorbach was an early seat of a church congregation, served by theHornbach monastery, and until theFrench Revolution it remained the central church for the surrounding villages.
At the start ofWorld War II, the inhabitants were evacuated to the Département ofCharente. Schorbach was liberated by American troops on 16 March 1945.
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1968 | 694 | — |
| 1975 | 695 | +0.02% |
| 1982 | 636 | −1.26% |
| 1990 | 649 | +0.25% |
| 1999 | 621 | −0.49% |
| 2007 | 589 | −0.66% |
| 2012 | 559 | −1.04% |
| 2017 | 540 | −0.69% |
| Source: INSEE[4] | ||
The church of Saint Rémi, built on the site of a previous church inaugurated in 1143, on a rock overlooking the town, was the central parish church of thePays de Bitche for many centuries. The founder of the church is unknown, but local history frequently ascribes the foundation toBerthold von Eberstein, whose son Eberhard III resigned his right of patronage at the nearbySturzelbronn abbey. Eberhard's daughter married Count Henri II of Zweibrücken-Bitsch.
A square tower survives from the time of the foundation of the church, but thenave isGothic. In 1774 the church, which had fallen into ruin, was comprehensively restored.
Schorbach is also known for theOssarium at the entrance of the old churchyard, which dates from either the 12th[5] or 15th[6] century, according to different sources.
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