Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The church of Saint Adolphe, located in Neuwiller-lès-Saverne (Bas-Rhin), originated in the early 12th century as a parish church and seat of a chapter of eight canons, dependent on the Benedictine abbey Saints-Pierre-et-Paul nearby. His history turned towards 830, when Drogon, bishop of Metz, transferred the relics of Saint Adolphe (bishop of Metz died in 410), attracting pilgrims and requiring the expansion of the initial chapel. The first written mention of the church dates from 1147, but its major reconstruction began in 1190, with a late Romanesque style marked by the use of pink sandstone. The relics of Saint Adolphe were solemnly transferred there around 1220.

In the 13th century, the church underwent several modifications: lengthening of the nave (five current spans), development of the transept, and addition of a wooden frame for relics. The Romanesque choir, originally composed of three apses, was replaced at the end of the 13th century by a three-nave Gothic choir, facilitating access to the reliquary. In the 14th century niches were set up in the north crusillon, and in 1431 the Bürgerglocke (big bell) cast by Johann Grempp of Strasbourg was installed in the bell tower. The late 15th century saw the addition of tapestries narrating the life of Saint Adolphe in the choir.

The religious turning point occurred in 1545, when Philip IV of Hanau-Lichtenberg imposed the Lutheran Reformation. In 1562, the church became the first simultaneum of Alsace: Protestants occupied the nave, while Catholics retained the transept and choir, separated by a wall in 1683 by order of Louis XIV. The Thirty Years War worsened community tensions, but the status continued until the Revolution. In 1800, the church was attributed to Protestants, while the neighboring abbey became Catholic. The Gothic choir, sold and demolished in 1824, gave way to major restorations in 1845-1847 (bell tower arrow, organ stand, suppression of side stands).

The architecture of Saint-Adolphe combines Romanesque elements (nef, transept with dogive vaults, west facade adorned with turrets and a carved portal) and Gothic additions (extinct heart, foothills of the southern collateral redone in 1876). The cross tower, square and open with geminous bays, dominates the building. Among the remarkable remains are Louis de Lichtenberg's laying (1471) in an underground hall of the north transept, and 16th century graffiti. Classified as a historical monument since 1862, the church embodies both a high medieval pilgrimage site and a symbol of religious conflicts in Alsace.

The simultaneum, abolished after 1800, left traces in the interior layout: the 17th century separation wall (demoli in 1835) and the side door of the southern crusillon, open for Catholics. The 15th century tapestries, now gone, and the Bürgerglocke (still in place) bear witness to its rich past. The 19th century restorations, carried out by architect Aloyse Vincent Maestlé, aimed to find a stylistic unit, while adapting space to Protestant cultural needs. The remains of the Gothic choir, partially preserved in the transept, recall the importance of reliquary worship in its history.

External links