Meisenthal

Meisenthal is a commune with 703 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2011 ) in the department of Moselle in the Lorraine region.

Geography

Meisenthal is located about 15 kilometers south of Bitche to the border of Alsace in the heart of the Regional Natural Park of Vosges du Nord ( Parc naturel régional des Vosges du Nord ). Saarbrücken is there are about 40 kilometers away, Kaiserslautern about 60 kilometers.

History

1704 for the first time a glassworks Meis Bach was mentioned in 1711 then under the current name. The village was established in the 16th century by a former glassworks called glass valley, which was abandoned again in the following century. The glassworks is reason for the glass cup in the arms of the municipality.

The glassworks closed its doors in 1969, it remained two thermometer factories and a mirror production.

Demographics

Culture and sights

The well-known Art Nouveau artist Emile Gallé has worked in Meisenthal here and objects made ​​of glass. Today in Meisenthal a museum and an international center for glass art ( Centre International d'Art Verrier, CIAV ), which among other things cooperates with the College of Fine Arts Saar. The CIAV is particularly famous for the locally produced Christmas tree ornaments made ​​of glass. Supposedly, this invention is based on the area of Meisenthal, as in the 19th century, a bad harvest failed and the fruits previously used for decoration of the Christmas tree were scarce. The museum is located in the Maison du Verre et du Cristal, where one can also observe glassblowers at work.

Attractions

• Maison du Verre et du Cristal
• The Breitenstein, also known as the Twelve Apostles stone, a monolith with a picture Stock
• The Colonne de Meis Thal, a the time of Napoleon erected column
• The three- Peter Stein, a historic landmark
• Thal glass, glass works from the 16th century
• The Neumühlestrasse
• The hamlet Schieresthal

Personalities

At times, the wood sculptor Stephan Balkenhol lives (* 1957) in Meisenthal.