Quatzenheim

The origins of Quatzenheim date back to the year 742, when the Germanic tribe of the Chaten named it Chattenheim. Over the centuries, the village bore various names such as "Quazzinheim" (1224), "Quaccenheim" (1251), and "Quaczenheim" (1371). Between 1127 and 1322, several lords succeeded one another at its head. Among them, Walter von Müllenheim built a castle that was burned and completely destroyed after the Battle of Entzheim in 1674. Although never rebuilt, a remnant remains: the church, which was once its chapel. In the 16th century, the Landsberg family, who became Protestant after the introduction of the Reformation in 1539 by Dietrich von Landsperg, then the Ratsamhausen family by inheritance, and finally the nobles of Oberkirch (originally from the Baden region) acquired the village in 1714. They were its sole owners until the French Revolution. The church still houses tombstones of the von Landsberg, von Bock, and d’Oberkirch families. The Jewish presence in Quatzenheim is documented from the late 17th century, with 70 Jewish inhabitants in 1781, representing more than a third of the population, then half in 1875. Their architectural heritage is still visible near Strasbourg, where they traded. As in many Protestant villages, farms bear sayings, names, or couples’ initials engraved in stone, often accompanied by decorations, above gates and small doors.