Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Notre-Dame du Grasweg Chapel, located in Huttenheim in Lower Rhine, is a religious building dating back to the first half of the 15th century. The choir, attested as early as 1420, is the oldest part, while the nave, built in 1441 by construction master Hans Lauwel Schilling, houses murals from the late Middle Ages. These frescoes, depicting scenes such as the Leak in Egypt or Jesus among the doctors, were masked during the Revolution and rediscovered in 1874 by architect Antoine Ringeisen during a major restoration.

Between the 16th and 18th centuries, the chapel underwent several additions: a campanile probably erected in the 16th century, a porch and a sacristy dated 1739, and a neo-classical oratory built around 1850 to house a Virgin of Mercy. Ranked a historic monument in 2002, the chapel illustrates the architectural and artistic evolution of an Alsatian place of worship, marked by historicist restoration campaigns in the 19th century, especially between 1874 and 1880.

Historical sources, including works by Fabien Baumann-Gsell and Hervé Schuler, highlight the importance of this site for the study of religious buildings between the Middle Ages and the modern era. The murals, after their restoration, offer a rare testimony of medieval iconography in Alsace, while the later modifications reflect successive stylistic influences, from Gothic art to 19th century historicalism.

External links