Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Church of the Immaculate-Design-of-the-Very-Holy-Vierge, located in Lambach, Moselle, is a religious building marked by its cross-border history. Its first stone was laid on 6 October 1904, while the Moselle was part of the German Empire. In a neo-roman style, it is built in red sandstone from the Vosges du Nord, a local material that contrasts with the clear elements of its interior decoration in solid regional wood. This choice of materials reflects both the Germanic heritage of the time and the anchoring of local natural resources.

The stained glass windows of the church, made in 1957 by the Ott House of Strasbourg, illustrate scenes of the life of the Blessed Virgin, with particular attention to the crucifixion and a geometric stained glass window in the choir. These colourful glass works add to a remarkable liturgical furniture, including an organ inaugurated in 1971, designed in the spirit of classic 17th and 18th century instruments. With 1,096 pipes and three keyboards, this organ is a masterpiece of the building's acoustics, studied by Gaston Kern to highlight tonalities like the major Do.

The church's movable heritage also includes exceptional liturgical goldsmith's pieces. A silver chalice, dating from 1753 and signed by Jean-Louis Imlin the young (master silversmith Strasbourgeois), stands out for its decor of abundant horns and cut leaves. Two other pieces, a chalice and a cibor of the 1800s, bear the Weihinger punch and testify to the artisanal richness of the period. These elements, combined with the bells melted by Armand Blanchet, underline the central role of the church in the parish and cultural life of Lambach.

The present altar, made by the workers of the village, replaced the original high altar destroyed during the liturgical reforms of the 1960s, inspired by the Second Vatican Council. This evolution illustrates the architectural and spiritual adaptations of the church throughout the twentieth century, while preserving its historical identity. The building remains a symbol of the religious and artisanal heritage of Bitche country, between German heritage and French tradition.

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