Geographical overview and history

Geographically the village is located on a plateau, cold and windy during the winter, therefore agriculture was harder there than in other villages. That's why barotchés turned themselves to the forest which brought back incomes complements to the farm. So has a long tradition of building trades been developed: sawyer, carpenter, and public works contractor.

Labaroche has the characteristics to belong to the "Welch" township. If this difference is now proudly proclaimed, it must be said that this name wasn't always a compliment said by people who used this name ! Basically, Welch means "those from the west", "strangers", the different ones in fact…

Actually, in the Lapoutroie township, everything was different from "below" (word which is an answer to the "welch" insult …)

First, the dialect used wasn't alemanik, and humour was the universal weapon against ups and downs of life.

Than, the settlement was very scattered. Small farms nestled at the mountain, flanked by a strange bridge leading directly to the loft, in order to facilitate the storage of the hay.

Even autochthon's nature was different: dogged, tenacious, and un-talkative, they weren't well understood by the people from the plain.

Economy was much poorer, in these mountain lands, than around the sub-vosgian hills, protected from the cold.