Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The chapel Notre-Dame du Scapular, also known as the Oberhof Chapel, is a 14th-century religious building located in Kaysersberg, Upper Rhine. It was built on the initiative of Wetzel Berwart, a nobleman of Kaysersberg, who offered it in 1391 to the Cistercian abbey of Pairis, with the adjoining courtyard. His funeral slab, dated 1396, is still visible in the nave. The Gothic-style building features a cut-paned choir, networked windows, and an apparent ceiling. It was repaired and rebuilt in 1473 after damage, then sold as national property in 1791 to Pierre Eckert, former administrator of the abbey.

The chapel, which had remained private property since 1791, was reassigned to worship in 1808 and became a Marian pilgrimage site in the 19th century. It underwent several restorations (1700, 1750, 1862, 1957) and was classified as a historical monument in 1946. The site includes an abbey house from the 15th to 16th century, with massive architectural elements such as angle chains and a vaulted basement. Today, the property houses a wine farm and outbuildings, while maintaining its historical character.

Architecturally, the chapel is distinguished by its absence of traditional liturgical orientation and its campanile screen attached to the gable. Inside, a side door overlooks the courtyard, and a geminied 19th century west-side window shows later modifications. The site, marked by war damage, illustrates the evolution of a medieval religious place in private and wine heritage. The Virgin painted in the 20th century by Louis Lichtenauer (?), as well as the traces of the different eras, make it a rich witness of Alsatian history.

External links