Aschbach is a commune in the

Bas-Rhin Bas-Rhin () is a department in Alsace which is a part of the Grand Est region of France. The name means 'Lower Rhine', referring to its lower altitude among the two French Rhine departments: it is downstream of the Haut-Rhin (Upper Rhine) de ...

department in the

Grand Est Grand Est (; ) is an Regions of France, administrative region in northeastern France. It superseded three former administrative regions, Alsace, Champagne-Ardenne and Lorraine, on 1 January 2016 under the provisional name of Alsace-Champagne-A ...

region of north-eastern

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

Geography

Aschbach is located some 13 km south by south-east of

Wissembourg Wissembourg (; South Franconian: ''Weisseburch'' ; German: ''Weißenburg'' ) is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Grand Est in northeastern France. Wissembourg was a sub-prefecture of the department until 2015. The name ''Wissembourg'' ...

and 8 km east of

Soultz-sous-Forêts Soultz-sous-Forêts (; ) is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. The French revolution In December 1788 Mary de Bode who had been born in England and her German born husband Baron de Bode arrived in Soul ...

. Access to the commune is by the D245 road from

Stundwiller Stundwiller () is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. It is 15 km west of the French border with Germany. See also * Communes of the Bas-Rhin department The following is a list of the 514 commune ...

in the south passing through the village and continuing north to Seebach. With exception of a small band of forest on the western border the commune is entirely farmland.Google Maps
/ref> The Seebach river forms the eastern border of the commune as it flows south to join the Seltzbach at Buhl. An unnamed stream rises in the centre of the commune and flows south-east through the village to join the Seebach on the south-eastern border.

History

In the 14th century Aschbach was the property of the

Diocese of Speyer The Diocese of Speyer () is a Latin diocese of the Catholic Church in Germany. The diocese is located in the South of the Rhineland-Palatinate and comprises also the Saarpfalz district in the east of the Saarland. The bishop's see is in the ...

(Germany). Under the

Ancien Régime ''Ancien'' may refer to * the French word for " ancient, old" ** Société des anciens textes français * the French for "former, senior" ** Virelai ancien ** Ancien Régime ** Ancien Régime in France {{disambig ...

Aschbach,

, and Oberroedern formed the Superior Court with their church at Stundwiller. These three villages were merged in 1974 but Aschbach was separated again in 1988. According to the

cadastral A cadastre or cadaster ( ) is a comprehensive recording of the real estate or real property's metes and bounds, metes-and-bounds of a country.Jo Henssen, ''Basic Principles of the Main Cadastral Systems in the World,'/ref> Often it is represente ...

plan of 1839 there were buildings built close together and also other places which were marshlands. The school was built in 1833, an oratory at a place called Kreutzfeld dates to 1864, and the church was built in 1871. The village suffered terrible damage in the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

and reconstruction gave the village a new look with a larger and more open built-up area. The presbytery was built in 1950.

Heraldry

Administration

List of Successive Mayors

Demography

The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Aschbachois'' or ''Aschbachoises'' in French.

Sites and monuments

Aschbach has four registrations as historical monuments. These are: *Parish Church of the Immaculate Conception (1871, 1908, 1928) Logo monument historique - rouge sans texte

*Farmhouse at 19 Grand Rue (18th-20th century) Logo monument historique - rouge sans texte

*House and Farms (18th and 19th century) Logo monument historique - rouge sans texte

*The Village (14th century) Logo monument historique - rouge sans texte

Ministry of Culture, Mérimée The Church of the Immaculate Conception has many items which are registered as historical objects. These are: *2

Monstrance A monstrance, also known as an ostensorium (or an ostensory), is a vessel used in Roman Catholic, Old Catholic, High Church Lutheran and Anglican churches for the display on an altar of some object of piety, such as the consecrated Eucharisti ...

s (around 1871) Logo monument historique - noir sans texte

*Monstrance (around 1871) Logo monument historique - noir sans texte

*Cross: Christ on the cross (around 1871) Logo monument historique - noir sans texte

*Painting: Saint Joseph with the child Jesus (around 1871) Logo monument historique - noir sans texte

*10 Statues of Saints (around 1871) Logo monument historique - noir sans texte

Pulpit A pulpit is a raised stand for preachers in a Christian church. The origin of the word is the Latin ''pulpitum'' (platform or staging). The traditional pulpit is raised well above the surrounding floor for audibility and visibility, accesse ...

, 2

Confessional A confessional is a box, cabinet, booth, or stall where the priest from some Christian denominations sits to hear the confessions of a penitent's sins. It is the traditional venue for the sacrament in the Roman Catholic Church and the Luther ...

s, Baptismal fonts (around 1871) Logo monument historique - noir sans texte

Altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religion, religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, Church (building), churches, and other places of worship. They are use ...

s, 3 Tabernacles, 3

Retable A retable is a structure or element placed either on or immediately behind and above the altar or communion table of a church. At the minimum, it may be a simple shelf for candles behind an altar, but it can also be a large and elaborate struct ...

s, church stall, half-height panelling (main altar, altar tombstone, secondary altar) (around 1871) Logo monument historique - noir sans texte

*Furniture in the Church Logo monument historique - noir sans texte

Wayside cross A wayside cross is a cross by a footpath, track or road, at an intersection, along the edge of a field or in a forest. It can be made of wood, stone or metal. Stone crosses may also be conciliation crosses. Often they serve as waymarks for wal ...

: Christ on the cross at Hohlacker (1809) Logo monument historique - noir sans texte

Ministry of Culture, Palissy

Aschbach Picture Gallery

File:Aschbach, Bas-Rhin, Entry.JPG, The entry to Aschbach File:Aschbach, Bas-Rhin, old house.JPG, An old house in Aschbach File:Aschbach, Bas-Rhin, Street.JPG, A street in Aschbach File:Aschbach, Bas-Rhin, Wayside Cross.JPG, The Wayside Cross ;Inside the Church File:Aschbach, Bas-Rhin, Church Interior.JPG, Church Interior File:Aschbach, Bas-Rhin, Church Main Altar.JPG, The Main Altar File:Aschbach, Bas-Rhin, Church Second Altar.JPG, The Secondary Altar File:Aschbach, Bas-Rhin, Church Pulpit.JPG, The Pulpit File:Aschbach, Bas-Rhin, Church St Joseph.JPG, Painting of Saint Joseph with the child Jesus