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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The church Saints-Pierre-et-Paul de Merxheim, classified as a historical monument since 1973, is an architectural testimony of the 2nd quarter of the 11th century. Its Romanesque bell tower, the only vestige of the first church built at the end of the 11th century, consists of three floors in pink sandstone, decorated with arched friezes and geminated windows. This bell tower once housed a sepulchral ditch, revealing traces of an ancient cemetery and a coffin.

The current nave and choir, rebuilt in 1771-1772 under the direction of architect Jean-Baptiste Chassin, replaced the original medieval structures. The bell tower preserves three bells marked by local history: the middle bell, melted in 1736, bears a Latin inscription evoking the Trinity and the donors of the period, including the parish priest Pantaléon Frey. The other two bells, cast in 1921 by F. and A. Causard, pay homage to Saint Odile (Patron of Alsace) and Saint Sebastian, with details on their sponsors and benefactors.

The building, located on Rue de Guebwiller in the Upper Rhine, illustrates the architectural and religious evolution of the region, mixing Romanesque heritage and 18th century transformations. Its classification protects in particular the bell tower, symbol of the sepulchral and community memory of Merxheim, where the ancient cemetery once surrounded the church.

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