- History of Achen:
- The village is mentioned for the first time in a text of 1199, as Aqua (water, river), then in 1246 Acchene, and finally in 1553 Achen, its final form. The village is an ancient parish of the Archdiocese of Hornbach in the diocese of Metz, in the past Rohrbach in 1804. The Church of St. Peter, the collation of the Cistercian Sturzelbronn until 1621, was the mother church of Etting and Kalhausen.
- From a temporal perspective, the land belonged to the lords of the Petite-Pierre (Lutzelstein) then occupied by the Duke of Lorraine, who met his lordship at the village of Bitche. This is given in the 12th century the son of Frederick II, Reginald, along Blieskastel Count, now in Saarland. Thus, we understand the Treaty of 1246 by which the 2nd Duke Mathieu promises when he has recovered the manor of Bitche, make Achen Count of Little Peter. In the following, Count Hugh seems to be back in fact in possession of Achen since, in 1272, he gave the patronage and tithes to the abbey of Achen Sturzelbronn, who will surrender in 1621, the Duke of Lorraine in exchange for six Maldras salt Dieuze. In 1382, Count Henri Achen claims to hold in fief of the empire.
- In 1457, Wolter Thann commits its rights, property and people Achen William Fénétrange, whose rights are secondary to his death in 1472 his niece, Barbara Fénétrange, and her husband, Count Nicolas Morse-Sarrewerden . On July 12, 1553, Count of Nassau-Saarbrücken assigns the village of Deux-Ponts Jacques who, in 1297, had acquired the lordship of Bitche. In 1572, the manor was occupied by the Duke of Lorraine, and since that date, Achen sharing the fate of the duchy of Lorraine.
- The village became a municipality in the canton of Rohrbach-lès-Bitche in 1790.
- The rugged and varied topography has resulted in the construction of important works of the Maginot Line and in particular that of the High Poirier. The population was evacuated on September 1, 1939 in Charente, in Condac, Jarnac, Bioussac, Poursac and Barro, the mayor having folded Condac. The residents returned to their village on 1 October 1940.
- Bombed December 7, 1941, the village was liberated by U.S. troops on December 8, 1944. But when the offensive Von Rundstett, the Germans returned to the northern entrance of the town, where fierce fighting is taking place January 3, 1945, rue de Wiesviller. The Germans were finally pushed back the next day, however.
- The village has preserved some ancient monuments: the church built in 1725 and enlarged on the side of the choir in 1778, memorials of the 18th and 19th Century relocated in the old cemetery surrounding the church until 1966, road and several cross.
- The old bridge in the center of the village bearing the statue of St. John of Nepomuk and consisting of five arches, rebuilt in 1786, jumped at the bombing. It is replaced by a concrete bridge with one pier.
- The town is listed in order of Brigade 11 November 1948: "Commune de Lorraine devastated by bombings and fighting have been delivered on its territory, has 9 Achen killed and 8 wounded. Automatically removed from September 1939, the population, on his return in October 1940, was the subject of many annoyances and stresses on the part of the enemy, but she remained loyal to the motherland. Through its attachment to France and its sacrifices, Achen has acquired rights to the recognition of the Country ". This quote includes the award of the Croix de Guerre with bronze star. Achen paid a heavy price during the two world wars: 20 casualties during the First World War, two victims during the Second World War, 14 Although we fallen or not returned to civilian victims of bombings from 1940 to 1945.10, or a common disaster to 48%.
- Arms:
- The blazon of the town, by order of the prefect of March 14, 1950, is as follows: Gules a chevron cut bent silver and two golden keys together chevron stitching and gold paid to the Cross of Lorraine gules.
- The upper part is the crest of the Earl of Little Peter and the lower those of the Earl of Bitche. The two keys are the attributes of St. Peter, patron of the parish.
- Personalities linked to the municipality:
- Blaise Illig, commander Achen born in 1851.
- Rene Sieffert, japonologue Achen born in 1923.
- Jacques Muller, canon Achen born in 1924.
