Oberlauterbach

Oberlauterbach is a former commune of 460 inhabitants, nestled in the hills of the last foothills of the Vosges. It is part of the homogeneous entity of the Loess hills of Outre-Forêt, located immediately near the southern boundary of the Lauter valley. Evidence of human occupation on this site dates back to the Neolithic, indicating an ancient and continuous presence. The village is first mentioned in 633 under the name Lutterbach, in a donation to the Bishop of Speyer. Its history then became intertwined with that of neighboring localities Lauterbourg and Niederlauterbach. In the 15th century, the name evolved to Oberlutterbach, then Oberlauterbach, reflecting the linguistic and administrative changes of the time.

Oberlauterbach belonged to the lords of Fleckenstein, who owned a castle in Niederroedern.

With the adoption of the Reformation around 1564, the Fleckenstein family converted to Protestantism and imposed this religion on the village. Oberlauterbach thus remained predominantly Protestant until 1682. Like the surrounding communes, it suffered the ravages of successive wars, enduring the inevitable consequences of these conflicts through the centuries.