The village of Hoerdt is mentioned for the first time in 1288 after Roman remains were found on the communal ban.
Originally, the name of the village symbolized pastures, Herde, then Herdheim and finally in 1649 Hoerdt.
Bourg Center since 1999, Hoerdt has, apart from its shops and liberal professions, several intermunicipal infrastructures: a crèche, drop-in centre; an extracurricular; a school group for primary school pupils which has nearly 250 pupils; a college with more than 450 students, which welcomes students from Bietlenheim, Geudertheim, Weyersheim and Hoerdt; a municipal library; a retirement home, which accommodates 52 residents; a sports complex comprising a cultural center, a sports hall, three football pitches, as well as facilities for playing tennis, including indoors; a modern sports hall as well as a training and meeting room since January 2005; the service center of the Community of Communes of Basse-Zorn.
If you know Hoerdt, this village of more than 4,500 souls, famous for its asparagus, its racecourse, you have probably heard of the Carnival of Hoerdt, the only cavalcade in Alsace taking place on Shrove Tuesday !
The Carnival as we know it today and Hoerdt is a story of more than 70 years which began in 1950, the year during which an improvised parade coming from the initiative of a group of friends is organized, imitating their elders who had already organized a procession in 1925-1926 in the Ried district. On Friday, December 13, 1996, at the initiative of René Wolfhugel, a new carnival association was created in order not to see the cavalcade of Shrove Tuesday at Hoerdt disappear, an almost fifty-year-old tradition. Thus was born "The Carnival Association Herrefasenacht" of Hoerdt whose founding members are Alain Arlen, Christian Arlen, Roland Beyl, Rémy Brenner, Agnès Furst, Jean-René Furst, Christine Grathwohl, Richard Grathwohl, Michael Gutenkunst, Christian Hahn, Alfred Maechling, Rémy Maechling, René Mischler, Roland Stoll and René Wolfhugel. The latter being elected the first President of the Association.
Since 2020, Hoerdt has new equipment with the "Maison des Arts et du Patrimoine". A place that responds to a need to keep local traditions and customs alive and to allow the public to better know and understand the local culture.
This site, thanks in particular to the conference room, serves as a place of meetings and animations for mainly cultural events in connection with the municipal school of music, the municipal library and the People's University of Hoerdt (UPH).
The museum part intends to respond to the curiosity of visitors who come in large numbers to Hoerdt, especially during the asparagus season and who will thus be able to better understand the specificities of the cultivation of the vegetable so emblematic of the village and to get to know each other with numerous local traditions, as well as Hoerdtois crafts and market gardening.
The municipality of Hoerdt has paid particular attention to its living environment. In 2004, she was awarded her first flower by the regional jury, before obtaining a second flower in 2008 and a third flower in 2013.
However, it is the culture of asparagus which made the reputation of the village. It was introduced at the end of the 19th century by Pastor Heyler who brought back some plants from Algeria. During the asparagus season (April-May), Hoerdt becomes a hotspot for regional gastronomy of international renown. Many connoisseurs from all walks of life travel for this exquisite dish served with 3 sauces and accompanied by the traditional dish of hams.
