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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The ossuary of Schorbach, located in the cemetery surrounding the parish church of St.Rémi, dating from the Middle Ages, with construction estimates varying between the 12th and 15th centuries. In Romanesque style, it adopts the shape of a chassus decorated with distinct columns, supported by a bahut wall. Its origin is related to the smallness of the cemetery, requiring the removal of bones from the graves to free space. The bones were deposited there from 1136 until the French Revolution, even in the 19th century.

The building has an arching of eleven arches in the middle of the arch, including a central pillar decorated with trilobes. Two grotesque faces, probably heads of death, remain on the fifth column and last arc. Ranked a historic monument in 1929, the ossuary lost its gables in the pan-wood and half-croupes during a restoration in the early 20th century. Its architecture reflects medieval funeral practices, while illustrating the evolution of techniques for preserving human remains.

Owned by the municipality of Schorbach (Moselle department, Greater East Region), the ossuary bears witness to local history and religious traditions. Its ranking among historical monuments underlines its heritage importance. Available sources, such as Wikipedia and the Merimée base, confirm its address near the church at 5 Church Street and its role in the collective memory of the country of Bitche.

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