Melsheim

Melsheim is a village whose origins likely date back to the Celtic era. In the year 975, it was mentioned under the name MELLESHEIM, a name that lasted until the end of the 11th century. Later, the village was called MEHLSHEIM, a term that may derive from the Germanic personal name MANDALO, present in the region in the forms MALO or MEHL, combined with the suffix HEIM. This theory is supported by the documented existence of a family of millers at that time. Originally an imperial possession, Melsheim was endowed in 1077 by Emperor Henry IV with land for the benefit of the Abbey of Seltz. The village then changed hands several times: it passed to the Falkenstein family, who sold it to the Lichtenberg family in 1342, and then the latter transferred their rights to the Haguenau hospital in 1392. From 1480, Melsheim became a possession of the Lichtenberg family, then their descendants, the Hanau-Lichtenberg family, whose capital was Bouxwiller. It was under their authority that the Protestant Reformation was introduced in the village in 1545. Between 1750 and the 19th century, no archives record significant events in Melsheim. Today, the commune covers 520 hectares.