On October 10th 1734 J.T. Hoeffel, native of Woerth, completed his medical thesis in Strasbourg. Alsatian oil and its by-products appear to him as a universal medicine. During his experiments, Hoeffel produced lamp-oil by distillation. After his thesis was published, the Alsatian sand oil field will be known all over Europe.

Joseph Achille LE BEL1847-1930
4th generation Le Bel, he introduced the first electric drilling, which allowed the discovery of the first deposits of light oils containing gas. Founder of modern organic chemistry, J.A. Le Bel was a world famous chemist. His name will always be linked locally with the economic development of northern Alsace.He was a member of the Académie des Sciences and the Le Bel Institute of Strasbourg University reminds us of the importance of this personality.

Jean BaptisteBOUSSINGAULT1802-1887
He was a student at the Ecole des Mines at St Etienne. From 1820 to 1822 he was manager of the lignite mines of Lobsann. He made friends with Marie Joseph Le Bel, the owner of Pechelbronn. After time spent in South America he married Adèle Le Bel in 1835 and established the first experimental farm which put chemistry at the service of agriculture. He came up with results which are the basis of modern organic science.

Marcel et Conrad SCHLUMBERGER
On September 5th 1927 they made the first electric measurements in a drilling at Pechelbronn, on the site of Dieffenbach les Woerth. This event was to open a new path for Schlumberger and provide the oil industry with a powerful tool, which made it possible as early as 1931 to distinguish between pervious and impervious strata and so to identify oil reserves.

The "Karichschmiermann "
A distinctive figure in Pechelbronn at the beginning of the 20th century, the grease vendor pushed his wheelbarrow all over northern Alsace.Hepting Louis, born at Preuschdorf became a farmer at Schoenenbourg. By and by he and his wheelbarrow were known by all the population and he became the legendary character painted by Louis Philippe Kamm in 1928.