Schirrhoffen

Perched in northern Alsace, Schirrhoffen is a small peaceful village located about ten minutes from Haguenau and half an hour from Strasbourg. Its name, as we know it today, dates back to the time of the French Revolution. It derives from two German terms: *Schüre* or *Schir*, meaning "shed" or "hay barn," and *Hof*, referring to the old castle of the local lords. Schirrhoffen thus means "the barns located near the castle," a legacy that recalls the village's agricultural and feudal history.

In the 19th century, Schirrhoffen was home to one of the largest rural Jewish communities in Bas-Rhin. A rare feature in Alsace: Jews were the clear majority, representing 71% of the population in 1841. However, emigration and persecution deeply affected this human heritage. By 1936, only 38 Jews still lived in Schirrhoffen, and three-quarters of them perished in Nazi camps. Only two survivors returned after the war, leading to the disappearance of this community. Today, the school and the cemetery remain the only testimonies of this past Jewish presence.

At the heart of the village, on a hill overlooking the Ried, stands the old castle around which Schirrhoffen developed. The town suffered heavy damage during World War II, with 49% destruction by the end of the conflict.