Westrich (historic region)

Westrich (sometimes Westerreich or Westerrych), in Old French Wastriche or Vestric is the name of a former province of the Holy Roman Empire. The term is attested from the 13th century; the heart of this territory was located in the valley of the Saar, including its tributaries, the Blies, the Albe and the German Nied. Its boundaries, which fluctuated over time, were located to the east, along the northern Vosges and the Pfälzerwald, to the west along the Moselle between Sierck and Saarburg, to the south along the valley of the Seille to the north, along the Nahe. In the Holy Roman Empire, Westrich constitutes a veritable mosaic of territories; The latter are shared between numerous lordships, including the duchies of Lorraine, Palatinate-Deux-Ponts, Duchy of Luxembourg, as well as the Prince-Bishopric of Metz, the archbishopric of Trier, the Elector palatine, the County of Nassau-Saarbrücken, County Palatine of Veldenz, La Petite-Pierre de Deux-Ponts-Bitche. The name "Westrich" slowly fell into disuse after the ravages caused to this province by the Thirty Years' War. Today it is a "phantom province" which covers the current territories of Saarland, the North-East of the Moselle including Dieuze, the Alsace bossue, and the South-West of the Rhineland-Palatinate (Südwestpfalz).