Gougenheim

Gougenheim was once the seat of an episcopal court whose jurisdiction covered properties and people.

Fortified at the time, the village became in 1474 the administrative center of the Kochersberg bailiwick, directly dependent on the prince-bishop of Strasbourg. The bailiff, representing the bishop lord, resided on site, while the court sat in the "Laube," a building located at the current site of the town hall or between it and the parish church.

Today, Gougenheim is distinguished by its tranquility, away from major roadways. A marked trail through the village allows visitors to discover its built heritage, marked by beautiful Alsatian houses lined up in a row. Visitors can also admire a traditional bread oven, a symbol recalling the trades of executioner and knacker, as well as the presbytery. A hut, rebuilt in the presbytery garden, bears witness to the passage of young girls incorporated into the Reich Labour Service during the Second World War. The Saint-Laurent chapel and an exhibition of ancient tombstones arranged around the parish church complete this historical and architectural heritage.