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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Saint-Benoît church of Bergholtzzell, located in the Upper Rhine in the Grand East region, is a historical monument dating back to the 1st quarter of the 11th century. Built in 1006 in the Ottoman style, it was thoroughly redesigned in the 14th century (1340, 1405) and then in 1738, as evidenced by the dates. These transformations reflect its adaptation to medieval and modern architectural and liturgical developments.

The building was destroyed in 1873, leaving only significant remains: two octagonal pillars, two pilasters, and a stone engraved with an inscription to the Virgin Mary. These elements, as well as a capital of the old nave, are preserved in the present church or in the museum of Our Lady's Work in Strasbourg. Their official protection by registration at Historic Monuments (1993) underscores their heritage value.

The church's location at 1 Swiss Street in Bergholtzzell and its turbulent history (partial destruction, reuse of materials) illustrate the challenges of preserving the Alsatian heritage. The remains, property of the commune, offer a rare testimony of medieval pre-Roman and Gothic religious architecture in Alsace, marked by Ottonic influences and local adaptations.

The site, although partially extinct, remains a historical marker of the Upper Rhine, linked to both the Christian history of the region and the urban transformations of the 19th century. Its late inscription (1993) reflects a gradual awareness of the need to safeguard the material traces of missing or deeply altered buildings.

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