Ohlungen

Ohlungen and its annex Keffendorf form an Alsatian commune of 1,306 inhabitants where agriculture, focused on hops and cereals, remains a major activity. Craftsmanship and commerce are also well established. Once marked by oil extraction, which ceased fifty years ago, local life is enriched by a rich heritage. Twenty monuments are listed, including three calvaries and a stone cross dated 1744, "S’Pandurekrytel," dedicated to an officer who died during the War of Austrian Succession near the village. This cross is located near the Klose chapel, whose first construction dates back to 1213 and was rebuilt in 1804. A pearwood Pietà, saved from the Revolution, was unfortunately stolen in the 1970s. The name Klose, meaning hermitage, recalls the presence of a small convent in the early Middle Ages, evidenced by nearby tombs. The commune also has two churches: one in Ohlungen, built during the First World War, and the other in Keffendorf, with the earliest writings dating from the 14th century. The community life is dynamic with fourteen associations covering various fields such as theater, sports, and leisure. Every last weekend of August, they organize the hop festival, featuring a parade of floats and the election of a hop queen. Additionally, the Ohlungen forest hosts the Summerlied festival every two years, which gathered over 16,000 festival-goers in 2018 around 46 shows, with the help of 600 volunteers. Finally, the village has an active nursery and elementary school, whose playground is decorated with a mural.