Zeinheim

Perched in the northwest of its community of communes, Zeinheim today has 204 inhabitants. Its name, of Germanic origin, combines *Zein* or *Zaun* ("enclosure, fence") and *Heim* ("home, dwelling"), evoking an ancient hamlet surrounded by a protective wall. The Alamans settled here and defined a territory around their camp that became the communal domain. As early as the beginning of the 12th century, the village already housed a church dedicated to Saint Philip and Saint James. The tower of this building, still standing, now serves as the bell tower. Its construction was overseen by the monks of the Marmoutier Abbey. Zeinheim gained the status of an imperial village in the 12th century when Frederick Barbarossa became Emperor of Germany. Most of the farm buildings visible today date from the 17th century. After the Thirty Years' War, seven of the eight farms in the village were destroyed, but the population gradually rebuilt. At that time, the peasants' conditions improved, and rural crosses were erected throughout the communal territory to publicly express their gratitude to God.