Horschbach - History

History

In 1190, Horschbach had its first documentary mention. In 1336, the village’s name was Horgesbach, derived from harges, a word for “sanctuary” or “place of worship”. About 1595, the village passed to the Duchy of Palatinate-Zweibrücken.

In 1709, the current spelling of the village’s name, Horschbach, appeared. In 1791, the church was built; it included a 21 m-tall tower. The organ and bell were added the following year. From 1799 to 1853, Horschbach, together with neighbouring Elzweiler formed a single municipality. In 1820, Horschbach’s first schoolhouse was built. It still stands today, but is used as a house. In 1872, a singing club was founded.

There was once winegrowing in Horschbach: in 1879, the municipality had 6 ha of vineyards. The next year, another schoolhouse was built, now somewhat ironically called the “Old Schoolhouse”.

In 1898, villagers got their water from two public wells, or one of the 55 private ones. By 1902, however, a watermain had been built. In 1910, some Roman coins, some potsherds and the foundations of a Roman settlement were unearthed on the Herrmannsberg. In 1923, the warriors’ memorial for those who fell in the First World War was built. The following year, electric lighting was installed in Horschbach. It was not until 1949, however, that the first tractor, owned by a man named Ernst Mäurer, made its appearance in Horschbach. In 1956, a third schoolhouse was built. Like the first one, it is now used as a house. In 1968, 23 years after the war ended, the warriors’ memorial for those who fell in the Second World War was built. That same year, the church got a new organ.

In 1972, Horschbach was grouped into the Verbandsgemeinde of Altenglan, and the Bürgermeisterei (“mayoralty”) of Elzweiler, Horschbach and Welchweiler was dissolved. That same year, the “Mühlgärten und Steinbach” building plan was set forth. In 1973, Horschbach came in second at the district level in the contest Unser Dorf soll schöner werden (“Our village should become lovelier”), and the renovated church (new pews and heating) became ready for use. Modern sewerage was laid in 1975.

In 1976 came the last day of school. The local primary school was closed on 28 July, as the ones in Elzweiler (27 June 1973) and Welchweiler (30 November 1966) already had been. The schoolchildren thereafter had to go to school in Rammelsbach. Another building plan was set forth in 1998, “Am Hofacker”. A linking street was built to the site the following year.

In 2009, a photovoltaic array was installed on the former schoolhouse’s roof.