Schorbach
Schorbach () is a commune in the Moselle department of the Grand Est administrative region in north-eastern France. The village belongs to the Pays de Bitche. Schorbach had 551 residents. The residents refer to themselves as "Schorbachois", and are also known by the sobriquet "Wurschtfresser", a name that refers to the annual "Wurschtfescht" (sausage feast) that is celebrated on Saint Rémi's day. Geography. Schorbach is a few kilometres South of the border with the Palatinate (Germany), North-east of Bitche. The commune is part of the Palatinate Forest-North Vosges Biosphere Reserve. History. The name "Schor-Bach", probably  meaning turtle-stream, is first seen in 1210. The place was long part of Zweibrücken-Bitsch. Schorbach was an early seat of a church congregation, served by the Hornbach monastery, and until the French revolution it remained the central church for the surrounding villages. At the start of World War II, the inhabitants were evacuated to the Département of Charente. Schorbach was liberated by American troops on the 16th of March 1945. Culture. 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 the Pays de Bitche for many centuries. The founder of the church is unknown, but local history frequently ascribes the foundation to Berthold von Eberstein, whose son Eberhard III resigned his right of patronage at the nearby Sturzelbronn 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 the nave is Gothic. In 1774 the church, which had fallen into ruin, was comprehensively restored. Schorbach is also known for the Ossarium at the entrance of the old churchyard, which dates from Roman times. Schorbach