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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Étienne de Cernay, located in the Haut-Rhin in the Grand Est region, is a neo-Gothic religious building built in the 2nd quarter of the 20th century. It replaces a former Gothic church destroyed in 1891, of which only the bell tower of 1850 remains, integrated into the new construction. The architect Charles Winekler designed the current building, characterized by a Latin cross plan, an adorned facade (pink, statues, gates) and a sacristy backed by a bedside. The 1914-1918 war severely damaged the building, resulting in restorations between 1924 and 1925, including the reconstruction of the choir and the removal of the bell tower from the façade.

In 1930, painter René Kuder made a cycle of murals illustrating the Credo above the arcades of the nave, composed of ten triptychs. These works, along with the organ Rickenbach (of which Mathieu Freyburger has been the owner since 1985), are among the outstanding elements of the church. The building also preserves traces of its medieval history, such as a 15th-century Eucharistic cabinet, now exhibited at the Unterlinden Museum in Colmar. The old church, surrounded by a fortified cemetery since 1188, also housed a funeral chapel of the Sires of Ferrette (1565) and a 16th century sacristy, which disappeared during successive reconstructions.

Classified as a historic monument in 2002, the church of Saint-Étienne specifically protects the cycle of Kuder's paintings. Its architecture combines Gothic heritage (neo-gothic tower of 1850) and 20th century modernity, while its history reflects the upheavals of Cernay, marked by world conflicts and urban transformations. The destruction of the statues of the apostles in 1837-1838 and the burning of the bell tower in 1846 also testify to the changes suffered by the site before its definitive reconstruction.

The location of the church, Church Square in Cernay, is part of the historical axis of the city, linked to the suburb of Colmar. His campanile, destroyed during World War I, was never rebuilt. The post-1944 restorations, after damage caused by artillery fire, complete to seal its present appearance, combining artistic heritage (paintings, organ) and memory of successive reconstructions.

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