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Key figures

Origin and history

The church Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Neunhoffen is located away from the village, on the territory of the commune of Dambach, in the department of Bas-Rhin (Great East region). This religious monument, typical of Alsatian Christian architecture, is part of a landscape marked by the turbulent history of the region, between French and German influences.

The building was built during the first quarter of the 19th century, as evidenced by the date of 1823, engraved on the lintel of the nave door. The sacristy, added later, bears the 1868 vintage accompanied by the initials "MA". These elements reflect the successive phases of church construction and development, characteristic of the rural religious buildings of that time.

The present bell tower, distinct from the nave, is a reconstruction after 1945, a year marked by destruction — probably linked to the fighting of the Second World War in this border region. Its reconstruction began in 1964, giving the church a rare architectural characteristic in the Great East: the structural independence between the nave and the bell tower. This choice could reflect technical constraints or a desire for modernization.

Around the church, the cemetery houses the tombstones of the Dürckheim family, highlighting the link between this monument and local history. These burials recall the social and memorial role of rural churches, often associated with influential families in their territory.

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