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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Saint-Étienne church of Reguisheim, built around 1160, is inspired by the Austrian style with a western massif and an opposite choir. This type of construction, called massif-porch, probably served as a porch, a passageway, and perhaps space for baptisms or burials, although this latter function is not confirmed by the sources. The tower, the only vestige of the 12th century, is 7.35 m long for 11.05 m wide, with four levels decorated with leesenes and archatures, although the southern facade is less decorated than the others.

Towards the end of the 13th or early 14th century, a fire ravages the church, causing the partial collapse of the western massif. Rebuilt in 1313, it was finally razed in the 18th century to give way to a neoclassical building. Only the tower, transformed into a bell tower, remains. Its interior, vaulted on the ground floor, housed a sacristy and a masonry staircase leading to the upper floors. The tower, classified as a historical monument in 1988, illustrates the architectural evolution between Alsatian Romanesque art and later reconstructions.

The western facade, almost entirely destroyed by the medieval fire, was reconstructed summarily in bricks, without decoration. Originally, the tower opened on the outside by an arcade and communicated with the nave through a monumental gate in the middle of the wall. Its massive character, attenuated by committed friezes and columns, makes it a remarkable example of the Austrian religious architecture in Alsace. The excavations and studies, such as those of Jacky Koch and Suzanne Braun (2004), underline its importance in understanding the opposing choir churches of this period.

In 1778, the current choir and nave were built, while the entrance gate, dated 1888, corresponds to the addition of the bell tower. The classification of 1898 (for the bell tower) and then of 1988 (for the whole) protects this heritage, witness to architectural transformations and liturgical uses over nearly nine centuries. The tower, owned by the municipality, remains a symbol of the Ottoman past of Reguisheim, despite subsequent changes.

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