Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The church of Saint-Jacques-le-Majeur is located in the commune of Mouterhouse, Moselle (Great East region). His history is linked to the local demographic and industrial boom: in the 18th century Mouterhouse depended on the parish of Schorbach-Bitche, but in 1764 the master of the forges obtained the installation of a resident vicar. This status evolved with parish reorganizations: Mouterhouse became an independent parish in 1802, then an annex to Sucht in 1808 while retaining a vicar, before being definitively restored in 1821.

The initial chapel, rebuilt in 1763-1764 near the forges (at Gros Marteau), became insufficient in the 19th century. In 1869, under the impetus of Canon Manges, a new parish church was erected on the Langenberg. Dedicated to St.James the Major (fested on July 25), it adopts a plan in Latin cross with flat bedside, typical of the churches-granges, with chapels forming transept and a bell tower integrated into the facade.

The building thus replaces a modest place of worship, reflecting the growing importance of Mouterhouse in the land of Bitche. Its sober architecture, adapted to the needs of an expanding community, is part of the industrial and rural landscape of the Moselle of the Second Empire. Local forges, an economic engine, played a key role in its history, from the chapel of 1764 to the present church.

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