Sasbach and Obersasbach were attached politically until the 14th century. Sasbach, being the larger of the two villages, dominated Obersasbach. Obersasbach was again placed under Sasbach's control on January 1, 1973.

Sasbach is perhaps one of the oldest settlements in the area. In 994 Kaiser Otto III spent Christmas there. Originally, the village belonged to the Burg Ulmberg near Oberkirch under the authority of the Bishop of Strasbourg.

Sasbach had its own aristocracy until the 14th century. Records from the second half of the 12th century mention Eberhardus von Sasbach, and 1338 records mention Fridericus as "Maingoz von Sasbach." Beginning in the 14th century, ownership of the castle at Sasbach began changing hands frequently, and through the centuries fell into ruins. It was probably located near Lindenhofes (the lime yards). The various Courts at Sasbach, Obersasbach, Sasbachried, and Sasbachwalden all collected a tenth of the rents and a tenth of the wine produced within their jurisdiction.

In the 14th century, the church square was fortified in order to afford protection for belongings during time of war. A fee was charged for the purposes of paying the guards.

Sasbach, as well as many other areas in Central Europe, was totally devastated by the Thirty Years' War. Most residents fled, leaving farms and estates abandoned and neglected. The area was so completely devastated that it was necessary to entirely reestablish society at the conclusion of the war (1648).

On July 27, 1675, the French General Turene was killed near Sasbach during battle between French and Austrian armies. The Turene Denkmal (Memorial) was first erected in 1829.

According to town records, the wolf was eradicated in the area from 1680 to 1695.

St. Brigida's Church in Sasbach is one of the oldest in Ortenau. It was founded by Irish Monks (also referred to as Scottish Monks) who were based at the Scottish Cloister Hornau since the 9th century. They also established the St. Brigida churches in Iffezheim and Weitenung in honor of their patron Saint Brigida. It is believed Irish missionaries gave Christianity a firm footing in the region even earlier than the 9th century.

The current church was erected in 1776 in renaissance style. The chancel and tower date to earlier buildings. The chapel was enlarged in 1854, and the entire building was renovated in 1900.

By 1136, the Abbey Schuttern was collecting a tithe. It was incorporated in the parish of Sasbach as a Benedictine abbey in 1324 by Bishop Johann I of Strasbourg. In 1803, the abbey was dissolved.

Legend has it that St. Brigida inspired the building of Brigitten Schloss (Brigitta Castle) for protection from persecution. St. Brigida was the patron saint for the fields and vineyards, and also protected livestock from disease. For over one hundred years, Sasbach was known as a pilgrimage site. In 1694, shepherd children claim to have seen an image of the Holy Ghost and the coronation of Mary at Hochfeld. Thereafter, the Dreifaltigkeit (Holy Trinity) Chapel was erected at Lindenhaus. It became a popular pilgrimage destination. In 1844, the chapel was dismantled, and the altar was used in the newly erected church in nearby Sasbachwalden.

The population in 1900 was 2,491. In 1926 Sasbach had 1,895 residents--1101 males, 1848 Catholics, and 47 Protestants. The village had 271 buildings with 327 households in that year. The area of the village was 958 hectares (2,367 acres) --411 hectares (1016 acres) of fields; 149 hectares (368 acres) of pasture; 360 hectares (890 acres) of forest, and a small amount of tobacco. By 1950, the population grew to 3,465, and in 1990 to 5,100. Currently there are 30 people per square km in Sasbach, while Ortenaukreis has 193 people per square km. At the beginning of the 20th century, Sasbach's employment centered around agriculture (particularly the wine industry), but also included distilleries, the lumber trade, and the making of cement products. Agriculture has since declined in its importance as a major employer. Although the area is known for its fruit and wine, major employers are now in the fields of electronics and metal working. Tourism is also a major industry -- the area's scenery and health spas draw over 21,000 over-night visitors in Sasbach and Obersasbach each year.

Obersasbach
The first historical mention of Obersasbach occurs in 1372 as "Obersassbach". A 1390 record mentions "Oberen Sasbach" (Upper Sasbach). Prior to the 14th century Obersasbach and Sasbach had distinctly separate histories. By 1599, Obersasbach was independent, but was always under the shadow of its larger neighbor. On January 1, 1973, Obersasbach was again placed under the jurisdiction of Sasbach -- ending 374 years of independence.

In the 18th century Obersasbach was comprised of about 30 farms scattered around the hillsides. In 1926, the population of the village was 1,006 -- 421 men, 969 Catholics, 35 Evangelicals, and two others. At that time, the area of the village was 716 hectares (1770 acres) -- 221 hectares (546 acres) of fields, 167 hectares (413 acres) of pastures, 24 hectares (59 acres) vineyards, 274 hectares (677 acres) forest, and small amount of tobacco. By 1990, the population had grown to about 1800.

The Cloister Erlenbad was established in 1895 on the edge of Obersasbach. In the 1870's, three Franciscan nuns faced difficulty establishing a cloister there. In the last half of the 19th century there was a cultural fight between the church and the state. The three nuns left Obersasbach, and founded St. Joseph's Convent in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. One of the nuns later returned to Obersasbach, and established the Cloister Erlenbad. In 1924, the Cloister was built, with a majority of funding come from Wisconsin. During World War II, the Nazi army confiscated the cloister and its grounds, draping camouflage green over the facade. The army also ruined the contents of the building, including furniture and inventory. Fortunately, the building was spared from Allied bombing. It wasn't until 1986, however, that the sisters had enough money to restore the facade of the cloister to pre-World War II conditions.

Obersasbach has no village center. The residential areas are concentrated around Vogelsberg, Blumberg, and the church. The church is one of the newest buildings in the village, having been dedicated in 1954. In 1990, a new church organ was dedicated.

Note: Ken Bartelt has done baptismal extractions from the early Catholic Church records in these communities and is willing to do a lookup for anyone who is specifically researching in this area.