Asswiller (; german: Aßweiler) is a

commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...

in the

Bas-Rhin Bas-Rhin (; Alsatian: ''Unterelsàss'', ' or '; traditional german: links=no, Niederrhein; en, Lower Rhine) is a department in Alsace which is a part of the Grand Est super-region of France. The name means 'Lower Rhine', referring to its low ...

department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

in the

Grand Est Grand Est (; gsw-FR, Grossa Oschta; Moselle Franconian/ lb, Grouss Osten; Rhine Franconian: ''Groß Oschte''; german: Großer Osten ; en, "Great East") is an administrative region in Northeastern France. It superseded three former administ ...

region of north-eastern

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...

. The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Asswillerois'' or ''Asswilleroises''. The commune has been awarded one flower by the ''National Council of Towns and Villages in Bloom'' in the ''Competition of cities and villages in Bloom''.

Geography

Asswiller is in the

Northern Vosges Regional Natural Park The Northern Vosges Regional Natural Park (French: ''Parc naturel régional des Vosges du Nord'') is a protected area of woodland, wetland, farmland and historical sites in the region Grand Est in northeastern France. The area was officially des ...

some 27 km south-east of

Sarralbe Sarralbe (; ; Lorraine Franconian: ''Alwe'' or ''Saaralwe'') is a commune in the Moselle department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. See also * Communes of the Moselle department The following is a list of the 725 communes of the Mosell ...

and 38 km south-west of

Bitche Bitche ( , ; German and Lorraine Franconian: ) is a commune in the Moselle department, administrative region of Grand Est, northeastern France. It is the Pays de Bitche's capital city and the seat of the Canton of Bitche and the communauté ...

. Access to the commune is by the D9 road from

Durstel Durstel (; ) is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. See also * Communes of the Bas-Rhin department The following is a list of the 514 communes of the Bas-Rhin department of France. The communes cooper ...

in the north-west passing through the heart of the commune and the village and continuing south-east to

Petersbach Petersbach is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. Peteresbach is within the Northern Vosges Regional Nature Park (French: ''Parc naturel régional des Vosges du Nord'') that lies in the northern foothills of ...

. The D309 road goes south-west from the village to

Drulingen Drulingen () is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. Château de Drulingen was built in 1816. See also * Communes of the Bas-Rhin department The following is a list of the 514 communes of the Bas-Rhin dep ...

. There is a large forest in the west with strips of forest along the borders with the remainder of the commune farmland.Google Maps
/ref> The forms the south-western boundary of the commune as it flows west to eventually join the Sarre west of

Wolfskirchen Wolfskirchen () is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. Population See also * Communes of the Bas-Rhin department The following is a list of the 514 communes of the Bas-Rhin department of France. The ...

. The Ottwillergraben forms the eastern border of the commune as it flows north to join the Eichel at

Tieffenbach Tieffenbach is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. See also * Communes of the Bas-Rhin department The following is a list of the 514 communes of the Bas-Rhin department of France. The communes cooper ...

Neighbouring communes and villages

Toponymy

* 718: ''Asco vilare'' *1793: ''Asveiller'' *1801: ''Asswiler'' In German the commune name is ''Aßweiler''.

History

Asswiller was a small lordship dependent on the Counts of

La Petite-Pierre La Petite-Pierre (; german: Lützelstein; Rhine Franconian: ''Lítzelstain'') is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. It lies in the historical and cultural region of Alsace (Elsass in German). Petit-Pier ...

. When the

count palatine A count palatine ( Latin ''comes palatinus''), also count of the palace or palsgrave (from German ''Pfalzgraf''), was originally an official attached to a royal or imperial palace or household and later a nobleman of a rank above that of an o ...

of Bavaria, Georg Johann I of Bavaria, took possession of the county, he granted Asswiller as a hereditary fief to the Dalheim family (1588), who were soon succeeded by the Steinkallenfels family: senior officials of the palatine counts. These

Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...

lords introduced the

Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and i ...

and remained in Asswiller from the 16th century to 1819. In 1789 Asswiller belonged to the Lord of Carbiston who had acquired it in 1771 by marriage with the heiress of the Steincallenfels family. After the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are conside ...

Asswiller was attached to France in 1793 by decree of the

National Convention The National Convention (french: link=no, Convention nationale) was the parliament of the Kingdom of France for one day and the French First Republic for the rest of its existence during the French Revolution, following the two-year National ...

which overrode the rights of princes holding possessions.

Heraldry

Administration

List of Successive Mayors

Demography

In 2017 the commune had 276 inhabitants. Asswiller War Memorial

Culture and heritage

Civil heritage

Many buildings and structures in Asswiller are registered as historical monuments: *A Farmhouse at 2 Rue du Cimetière (1775) *A Chateau at 6 Rue de Drulingen (13th century) *The Town Hall/School at 10 Rue de Durstel (19th century) *A Farmhouse at 18 Rue de Durstel (20th century) *A Courthouse at 2 Rue de Durstel (1733) *A Farmhouse at 26 Rue de Durstel (1861) *A Farmhouse at 5 Rue de Durstel (19th century) *A Farmhouse at 5 Bis Rue de Durstel (1761) *A Farmhouse at 14 Rue de Petersbach (1803) *A Farmhouse at 8 Rue de Petersbach (18th century) *A Mill called ''Jaegermuhle'' (1833)

Religious heritage

Several religious buildings and structures are registered as historical monuments: *A Cemetery at Rue du Cimetière (19th century) *A

Church at Rue de Durstel (1776) *A Protestant Presbytery at 4 Rue de Durstel (18th century) *A

Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Cathol ...

Church at Rue de l'Eglise (1724) The Cemetery contains two items that are registered as historical objects: *The Rauscher family tomb (1924) *3 Sculptures The Lutheran Church contains two items that are registered as historical objects: *The Furniture in the church *The Organ (1864)Ministry of Culture, Palissy

Gallery of Historical Monuments

File:Asswiller Farmhouse at 18 Rue de Durstel.JPG, The Farmhouse at 18 Rue de Durstel File:Asswiller Courthouse at 2 Rue de Durstel.JPG, The old Courthouse at 2 Rue de Durstel File:Asswiller Old House.JPG, An old house in Asswiller File:Asswiller Cemetery.JPG, Asswiller Cemetery File:Asswiller Rauscher Family Tomb.JPG, The Rauscher Family Tomb File:Asswiller Church.JPG, The Protestant Church