- History:
- Four villages gave birth to Creutzwald: Creutzwald or Crisvald; Villers La Croix, the current Neudorf (New Village) Wilhelmsbronn, the district Nassau, The Houve.
- In 1601, the family of Condé marched purchaser of the "Forest of the Cross" or Creutzwald which belonged to the abbey of Saint Croix Bouzonville. This enclave in the Warndt was sold in 1594 by the monks of the Sieur Etienne de Bouzonville Hening, who sold it in 1601 to Calvinist gentleman glassmaker Louis de Condé. Quickly formed a small hamlet around a first glassworks near the Church of the Centre. He took the name of the forest Creutzwald. In 1607, a new village (Neudorf) was formed not far away: he took the name of Villers Cross in honor of Frances de Villers, second wife of Louis de Condé.
- Creutzwald in 1611 became the holder of a domain under the sovereignty of Lorraine.
- The first two villages were partially destroyed during the Thirty Years War (1618-1648). Most of the inhabitants were scattered mainly Protestants. Some of them returned after the war, bringing with them new settlers mostly Catholic.
- In 1626, Daniel Conde founded on the lands of Count William of Nassau-Saarbrücken a new town took the name of Wilhelmsbronn: the current Nassau district. Three independent villages coexisted with their then respective glass, and wash their mills until 1644 when Creutzwald encompassed Villers La Croix to form the village of La Croix Creutzwald.
- The people now frequented predominantly Catholic then probably the first wooden chapel built in 1653 on land made available by the lords of Condé.
- In 1705, Duke Leopold, gave the foundation charter of a glass at a place called La Houve on the left bank of the Bisten to revive the economy in the area under its sovereignty. New village and saw the day and took the name of The Houve.
- A stone church was built in 1730 to the current location of the central church to replace the chapel became too small. Threatening ruins and rebuilt several times, the church acquired its present form in 1911 at the initiative of Father Stenger.
- The three villages were attached to France in 1766.
- Finally a decree of Napoleon 1st dated 24 March 1809, Creutzwald Cross, and Creutzwald Wilhelmsbronn Creutzwald The Houve were united in one municipality: Creutzwald. Later, the town was renamed again: Creutzwald the Cross. This name still exists on the front of the station.
- Finally in 1961 the city will find the name of its original forest: Creutzwald.
- Three industries contributed to the development of Creutzwald:
- Glass: The first industrial boom is bound to the glass, thanks to the abundance of forest wood and the presence of silica sand in soil materials necessary for the operation of glass furnaces. Glass craft was first installed between 1602 and 1603 by Condé family, gentlemen glassmakers from Champagne. Several glass Creutzwald functioned simultaneously until the mid 17th century, and they declined gradually. The last glass, that of Houve, established in 1705 to stimulate activity, was purchased by the glass Meisenthal in 1843. This industry first founder Creutzwald only remain as witnesses of a once flourishing activity: Place de Condé, Place des Verriers four glasses ... and kept in City Hall.
- Iron: The steel starts in the forest of the initiative Houve Family Quien which installed two furnaces initially fed charcoal. We will use coal and coke much later. Hydraulic force produced by the water Bisten allowed to put into action the blowers used to increase the temperature in the furnace. The iron industry is not really developed at the initiative of Charles Wendel. She became very successful until the revolution that put a stop to this activity. In 1814, François Payssé revived the production. Then the factory passed into the hands of the family Schlincker. The furnaces were arrested and remained only molding of the cast. Family Quinchez succeeded as head of the company. The park and the street "Quinchez" recall his visit to Creutzwald. Finally, the foundry was taken over in 1929 by brothers Schmitt. It finally closed in the aftermath of the Second World War. It remains today one red brick building witnessed this industry.
- Coal: Coal took off to Creutzwald with shaft sinking Marie at seat 1 of the Houve in 1895 by the Society of "the Houve Mines" directed by Jules Schaller. Production progressed rapidly and in 1908 was made the seat of the two Houve. Well Barrois was dark in 1935. A total of seven wells each surmounted by a headframe and spread over 5 sites constituted the "Mine of Houve" which has produced 106 million tonnes of coal in terms of its operations in 2004. She has been in his time one of the most modern mines in Europe and has contributed predominantly to the development of the city. Headquarters of Houve was the last coal mine in operation in France.
