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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Michel de Rhinau, located in the Lower Rhine, has its origins in the 1st quarter of the 16th century, with a first mention in 1292. The original building, dedicated to Saint Nicholas and Saint Michael, was rebuilt in 1540 under the impulse of Bishop William III, whose weapons appear on a key vault. When it was enlarged in 1835, it suffered heavy destruction in 1944: its bell tower collapsed on December 10, and the rest of the church burned during the bombings, while the population evacuated the burning village. Only the Gothic choir, inscribed in historical monuments since 1935, survived and was restored.

The reconstruction of the present church began in 1955 under the direction of architects Chirot, Kuntz and Schaetzel, with the laying of the first stone on December 11. The building was completed in 1959, incorporating symbolic elements such as a engraving by St. Michael terrorizing the dragon, carved by John Henninger, and brass doors decorated with wheat and vine leaves motifs, made by John Perey. The cornerstone, blessed by Bishop Weber of Strasbourg, contains a parchment of the destructions of 1944, as well as commemorative plaques of previous churches (1515, 1540, 1835).

The choir of the old church, transformed into a monument to the dead, today bears witness to this historical heritage marked by wars. The primitive vault key, dedicated to Saint Nicholas, and the arms of Rhineau recall the successive stages of this place of worship, mixing medieval heritage and modern reconstruction. Silver coins and documents sealed in the cornerstone offer a material testimony of the eras of the Renaissance to the aftermath of World War II.

Today's architecture combines tradition and modernity, with materials such as the limestone of Anstrude for the sculpture of Saint Michael, or the brass hammered doors. The consecration of the church by Bishop Elchinger even left visible traces on the large door, struck by his buttocks. This monument thus embodies the resilience of a community and the perpetuation of a place of memory, between destruction and rebirth.

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