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Riedseltz History
Pages Of History by Daniel Peter This is a translation of an article by the same name in the book, Riedseltz, 1896 - 1996, Cent ans de Crédit Mutuel, posted here with the author's permission.
(1259) June 21, First mention of Riedseltz in an arbitration judgment pronounced by the most senior member of the Chapter of Wissembourg between the rulers, Saint-Etienne of Wissembourg and the knight, Henri of Dahn, on the subject of some goods with Riethselsa. The rulings of St. Etienne are maintained in their rights. The locality was formed originally as part of the «Mundat de Wissembourg» as the recourse to the Staffelgericht in litigation cases. Its creation seems late (XI-XIIème century) and related to the presence of a castle.
(1294) First mention of the community of Riedseltz (universitatis dite ville), which testifies to a clear awakening of the close links which unite the inhabitants with one another-- by the fact of living together on a relatively limited space. Hartmann, master of Wissembourg, is quoted like the chief magistrate of the place.
(1350) Anselme of Batzendorf gives (sells?) the village with Chief Magistrate and Justice rights to Henri of Fleckenstein.
(1371) February 3, First mention of the castle of Riedseltz (wasserhaus die Burg genandt), which seems to be older. It belongs, just like the village, to Emich of Linange. Ownership of the village is unknown between 1350 and 1371.
(1371) February 3, Emil of Linange and Margareta of Kyrburg sell Riedseltz and the castle to the Teutonic Order of Wissembourg for the sum of 1,500 guilders.
(1371) February 9, The horseman Claus Heyselmann of Schleithal, gives up his residence in the low court (vorburg) of the castle of Riedseltz for the profit of the Teutonic Order. In 1352, he had taken in lease goods of the horsemen in the locality, Claus and Werner de Morschwiller, undoubtedly to better establish his authority as the castle stewart of Linange. This renunciation appears forced, rather than voluntary.
(1401) The faithful ones of Riedseltz found a church in their village, a subsidiary of Steinseltz. This church is in the honor of the saints, Philippe and Jacques, with weekly mass. This was done under the approval of the Abbot of Wissembourg, supervisor of the churches of Riedseltz and Steinseltz.
(1516) Public proclamation into law of the payment of a police force (Dorfordnung), confirmed in 1547 and revised in 1614-1615.
(1525) Friday after Saint Martin's Day--the community of Riedseltz, guilty of having taken part in the War of the Peasants, begins to provide unpaid labor, to gain the goodwill of the Teutonic Command.
(1591) Riedseltz counts approximately 405 inhabitants.
(1605) Riedseltz counts approximately 465 inhabitants.
(1621) Mansfeld (the leader of the mercenary soldiers) and his troops plunder the village and set fire to 30 houses, a third of the dwellings of the locality.
(1659) The village contains 42 heads of family, seven of which are widows. This is a demographic loss of about 60% compared to the period preceding the Thirty Years War. However, and contrary to the majority of the territories of the l’Outre Forest, the persistent family names after the war are numerous. One notes: Barthel, Buckenmeyer, Grimm, Hubach, Pallmer, Schlemmp, Sommer, and Starck.
(1668) Development of the Register of Lands of Riedseltz starts in 1658. The operation was radically slowed down by the absence of records, needed to clarify a dispute concerning the border lines between Steinseltz and Riedseltz, and a particularly tense climate between the Teutonic Order and the inhabitants of the village.
(1715-1720) The village recovers its level of population from before the Thirty Years War - approximately 470 inhabitants.
(1823) December, The typhoid epidemic, spread by the retired Imperial Army in Strasbourg, causes the death of 14 people.
(1836) Riedseltz counts 1544 inhabitants.
(1861) Decline in population due to strong emigration -1271 inhabitants
(1910) The locality counts 1128 inhabitants
(1936) Riedseltz continues to lose inhabitants -- 966 inhabitants.
(1945) April 11, Second liberation of the village.
(1975) The population increases to 975 inhabitants.
(1995) Riedseltz counts 1060 inhabitants.
Source: Daniel Peter, « Repères historiques », Riedseltz, 1896-1996, cent ans de Crédit mutuel, Soultz-sous-Forêts, 1996, p. 15-18.
NOTE: While every effort has been made to translate this text correctly from the original French, you should know that I do not speak French, and therefore had to rely on the available web translators and the kind help from the Internet mailing list community. If you have any corrections, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Church History: During the 30 Years War (1618 - 16-48), both the village and the church were constantly threatened and pillaged. In 1755, a new priest finds the church very damaged - parts are in ruins. The church is finally demolished and a new church is constructed and blessed in 1760. The cross also dates to this time. The altars are dedicated in 1761 - the high altar to St. Jacques le Majeur; the lateral altars to St. Sebastien and Our Lady of Pains. An organ is installed in 1762, which was later replaced in 1870. This village has been predominately Catholic. Here is a breakdown of the religious composition in 1807: Catholic: 93% Anabaptist: 3% Jewish: 3% Lutheran: less than 1% Calvinist: less than 1% There is a grotto near St. Jacques dedicated to Lourdes, which was established in 1947, as a sign of recognition for the protection of the village during WWII.
Population Statistics: 1591: 405 1605: 465 1715: 470 1792: 1,013 1851: 1,503 1861: 1,271 1905: 1,158 1910: 1,128 1936: 966 1975: 975 1990: 1,029 1995: 1,060
Please let me know if you have any corrections or additions for this page.
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