La Broque & Fréconrupt

La Broque is a French version of an old German name "Vor Brücke" ("before the bridge"). It is a heritage from the past, since before the French Revolution, it was the crossing point between the region of Salm and the diocese of Strasbourg. The crossing was made over a toll bridge on the River Bruche, hence the name "Vor Brücke". Activities and houses gradually grew up near the toll bridge and finally became a small town. La Broque is a modern grouping of several far older villages and hamlets (Fréconrupt, Les Quelles, Salm, etc.). The same is true of other places of the same kind in the valley, such as "Devant Fouday" or "Devant Saint-Blaise-la-Roche" ("Devant" meaning "before" or "in front of").