Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Protestant church of Soultz-sous-Forêts, located in the Lower Rhine, is a building whose origins date back to the 15th and 16th centuries. His choir, vaulted with warheads, and his sacristy testify to this medieval period. In 1543 Protestant worship was introduced by the Barons of Fleckenstein, marking a major religious transition for the region.

A devastating fire in 1715 reduced the temple to ashes, sparing only the choir. The reconstruction ended in 1730, with the addition of a nave and a side tower, as evidenced by the date on the building. Between 1758 and 1909, the church was divided between Catholic and Protestant cults, reflecting the religious tensions and compromises of the time. After the construction of a Catholic church in 1909, the Protestant temple was restored in 1912-1913, with works led by architect Schaeffer, whose inscription on the triumphal arch attests.

Ranked a historical monument in 1983, this church illustrates the architectural and religious evolution of Alsace, from the Middle Ages to the contemporary era. Its history is closely linked to that of the Barons of Fleckenstein, major players in the Reformation in the region. Today, it remains a symbol of Alsatian Protestant heritage, while bearing the traces of its shared Catholic past.

External links