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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Augustines Notre-Dame convent in Molsheim, located in the Bas-Rhin, is a historic monument listed in 2002. It consists of a neo-Gothic church on the Greek cross, a funeral chapel and an old orphanage transformed into a learning centre. The architectural ensemble, marked by dogid vaults and sandstone elements, reflects the religious and educational influence of the regular Chanoisesses of Saint-Augustin in the region in the nineteenth century.

The regular Chanoisesses of Saint-Augustin, from the Congregation of Our Lady founded in 1597 by Saint Pierre Fourier and Alix Le Clerc, settled in Molsheim in 1836. They acquire the former Jesuit college to establish a boarding school for young girls. Between 1863 and 1867, the architect Claude-Léon Vautrin built the Conventual Church dedicated to the Sacred Heart, of neo-Gothic style, blessed in 1867. In 1887, an orphanage was added to the south-east of the property, before its final closure in 1954.

The church, characterized by a nave with collaterals and a choir separated by a gate, also houses vaulted rooms for nuns. The cemetery chapel, now abandoned, and the orphanage – marked by a sandstone pediment and a campanile – complete the whole. The church bell tower, recently removed, illustrates the transformations suffered by the site. The convent, sold to the city of Molsheim after 1954, bears witness to the educational and spiritual heritage of the Augustines in Alsace.

The site, located avenue de la Gare and rue Notre-Dame, is a remarkable example of 19th-century religious architecture. Its inscription in historical monuments in 2002 highlights its heritage value, linked to the history of the women's congregations and the urban planning of Molsheim. The panel of the chapter hall and the vaults of the basement recall the craftsmanship of the time.

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