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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Protestant church of Harskirchen, located on Altwiller Street (or 9 Fenetrange Street according to the sources), is an 18th century building classified as a historic monument since 10 July 1926. It embodies the Protestant religious architecture of the region, with a rectangular nave surmounted by a bulb bell tower, modified in 1958 after the deposit of the old one. Three gates, one decorated with pilasters and a cartridge, allow access to the nave, while a door under the pulpit leads to the sacristy. The inscription relating to Friedrich Joachim Stengel, director of the buildings of the prince of Nassau, was added in 1910 above the western gate.

The construction of this church is part of a historical context marked by the 1766 agreement between Count Guillaume de Nassau-Sarrebruck and Louis XV. This agreement, abolishing the simultaneous (partition of a church between Catholics and Protestants), allowed Catholics to keep the old church, while Protestants obtained this new building. The plans were drawn up by architect Karl Abraham Dodel, under Stengel's supervision, and the church was inaugurated on 3 December 1767. It thus symbolizes the denominational separation in Alsace in the 18th century.

The building has undergone major restorations, notably in 1910 and 1958, the latter concerning the bell tower. The property of the church now belongs to an association. Its architecture, mixing sobriety and baroque elements like the bell tower bulb, reflects the stylistic influences of the time. The approximate location (accuracy: 5/10) and available photos, such as Ralph Hammann's Creative Commons license, document his current status.

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