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Origin and history

The Lutheran church of Bouxwiller, originally dedicated to the Virgin Mary, is attested as early as 1355, although its foundation may date back to the early 14th century. Located in the Lower Rhine, it moved to Lutheran worship in 1542 under the leadership of Count Philip IV of Hanau-Lichtenberg, marking the Protestant Reformation in the region. The lower part of its tower, vaulted dogives, dates from this medieval period, while reshuffles took place in 1546.

In 1613, Count Johann Reinhard I of Hanau-Lichtenberg ordered the demolition and reconstruction of the nave, enlarged to accommodate two floors of stands. The church tower is raised and integrated into the building, while the western wall of the old church is preserved. In the 18th century, major changes changed its appearance: in 1728, the tower gained an octagonal belfry with bulb, and the windows lost their Gothic networks for more brightness. The vaults of the lower side were abolished in 1758, and the installation of the Silbermann organ in 1778 led to the renovation of the seigneurial lodge, decorated with stuccos.

Inside the church reflects its Protestant history, with a rectangular plan for preaching. The stands, initially on two levels, are painted with biblical scenes (Jacob, Jonas, Last Judgment) restored at the beginning of the twentieth century by Henri Ebel. The organ, a masterpiece by Jean-André Silbermann, replaced in 1778 an instrument of 1666 today preserved elsewhere. The polychrome chair (1579-1614) blends flamboyant Gothic and Renaissance styles, while the seigneurial lodge, reserved for the local nobility, has stucco decorations of 1778.

Classified as a historical monument inventory in 1930, the church underwent restorations in 1912-1913 (outside and inside) and 1965, where the second floor of the stands was removed. Its ancient Gothic choir, accessible from the stair turret, houses eight 17th century tombstones, testifying to the heraldic history of the seigneurial families. The building thus embodies almost seven centuries of religious history, between Catholic heritage and Alsatian Lutheran identity.

The site also retains funerary and sculptural elements, such as head cap and commemorative slabs. Late Gothic doors and simplified stained glass windows (oculi and broken arches) recall the successive adaptations of liturgical space. The church, surrounded by massive foothills, dominates the urban landscape of Bouxwiller, symbol of the coexistence of times and cults in Alsace.

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