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Origin and history

The mixed church of Saint-Jacques-le-Majeur, located in Reipertswiller in the Lower Rhine, is a religious building whose origins date back to the twelfth century, with major transformations in the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. The bell tower, the oldest part, probably dates back to the early 13th century and would have served as a watchtower. Its massive architecture, covered with a building roof decorated with stone crosses, reflects its initial defensive role. In the 14th century, the nave was rebuilt under the influence of the lords of Lichtenberg, a noble family that made a lasting mark on the history of the village and its church.

The Gothic-style choir was enlarged and enhanced in the 15th century by Jacques de Lichtenberg, known as the Barbu, who established his funeral chapel there in 1478. Trilobed bays, multiple-ribed vaults and semi-hexagonal capitals illustrate this lavish period. The nave, for its part, underwent changes in the eighteenth century (perceived openings) and in 1888 (addition of a stand). The sacristy, destroyed during the Revolution, was rebuilt in 1949.

The church became mixed (Catholic and Protestant) from 1693, reflecting the religious tensions of Alsace post-Trente Ans. Ranked a Historic Monument in 1983, it retains defensive elements such as the original fortified cemetery and traces of its seigneurial past, including the Lichtenberg coat of arms on the vault key. Its history is also linked to the local parish organization: attached to Ingwiller, then to Wimmenau in 1803, it became the center of an independent parish in 1865 with Lichtenberg.

The bell tower, with reinforced walls of metal hooks and inner chains, bears witness to military and architectural adaptations over the centuries. The south dropper wall of the nave, in the extension of the tower, preserves remains of the nave of origin, while the north side, enlarged, reveals a broken arched door of the fourteenth century. The choir, supported by foothills carved from fantastic animal heads, houses stained glass windows with varied motifs and a vault supported by committed columns.

The present organ occupies the site of an ancient seigneurial rostrum, suggested by vestiges of opening near the sacristy. The latter, built between two foothills, was once vaulted and surmounted by a stand, as indicated by the protruding consoles. The successive transformations — enlargements, pierces, reconstructions — illustrate the evolution of liturgical and community needs in a region marked by religious conflicts and political changes.

Ranked among the historical monuments of the Bas-Rhin, the Church of Saint-Jacques-le-Majeur today embodies a heritage that is both religious, military and seigneurial. Its hybrid architecture, combining Roman and Gothic, and its status as a mixed church make it a symbol of Alsatian particularism, between medieval heritage and modern adaptations.

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