It is located on the German border approximately 15 minutes from the center of Saarbrücken, Germany, with which it constitutes a cross-border conurbation, and is part of the Saar-Moselle Eurodistrict.

The chapel of the Holy Cross of Forbach was mentioned in a letter from 1338 by the Bishop of Metz, Adhémar of Monteil, under the name of capella sancta crucis juxta Forbachum.

However, after the nearby Battle of Spicheren in August 1870, the town was occupied by German troops, and at the conclusion of the war annexed to Germany, forming part of the imperial province of Alsace–Lorraine.

Before the Schengen Treaty, Forbach was a major border crossing at which customs procedures were carried out, both for road and for rail transport and travel.

When the mining operations were permanently shut down in 2004,[7] Forbach turned to activities in the tourism, service, energy and other industries to rebuild the local economy.