Barembach is located in a valley perpendicular to the Bruche valley some 25 km west by south-west of Illkirch and 30 km north-west of Sélestat at 350 metres above sea level. The Barembach Forest covers most of the commune with several summits including Pépinière, Barraque des Bœufs, Ordon Saxe, and Haut de la Brûlée. Access to the commune is by the D204 road from Grendelbruch in the north-east which passes through the north-eastern corner of the commune and continues to Schirmeck. Access to the village is by the D193 which branches off the D204 in the commune. The D1420 from Muhlbach-sur-Bruche in the north-east passes along the northern border as it goes south-west to Fouday. The Barembach river rises in the south-east of the commune and flows north-west to join the Bruche just north-west of the commune. The Bornichon river rises in the south of the commune and flows north to join the Barembach at the village.
History
Barembach was completely destroyed in 1875 by a violent fire. After the reconstruction of the village almost immediately after the disaster, the economy first restarted with livestock and forestry. There were also mills and sawmills producing galoshes which later changed to weaving. An enterprise was set up by Camille Glaszmann which specialised in Theatrical property. The company was sold in 1964 and continued by Mecatherm who extended the buildings. Shortly before Liberation the village was the headquarters of Marshal Jean de Lattre de Tassigny and served as a springboard to free the region. Barembach previously included part of the commune of Rothau on the north shore of the Rothaine. Barembach appears as Barenbach on the 1750 Cassini Map and the same on the 1790 version. The name Barembach originated from the German Bach meaning "stream" and Bär meaning "bear".
In 2010 the commune had 868 inhabitants. The evolution of the number of inhabitants is known from the population censuses conducted in the commune since 1793. From the 21st century, a census of communes with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants is held every five years, unlike larger communes that have a sample survey every year.
Culture and heritage
Civil heritage
The commune has many buildings and sites that are registered as historical monuments:
Houses and Farmhouses
The War Memorial at Route du Maréchal-De-Lattre-de-Tassigny
3 Wayside Crosses are registered as historical objects.
Notable people linked to the commune
Marshal Jean de Lattre de Tassigny had his headquarters in the village. The street from the cemetery to the church bears his name. There is a monument to him on this street near the church.
