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Origin and history

The Protestant Church of Mundolsheim, located in the Lower Rhine, is a composite building dating back to the twelfth century. It consists of a square peg tower and a rectangular nave with a flat bedside. The tower, partially destroyed in 1262 during a conflict between the bishop of Strasbourg and the bourgeois of the city, was rebuilt in the 18th century. His Romanesque portal, dated between 1150 and 1160, presents remarkable sculptures, including dragons faced and a frieze of palmettes, comparable to those of the churches of Dompeter and Bergholtzzell.

Originally, the church, probably dedicated to St George in the 14th century, was a place of Catholic worship before becoming a Protestant after the introduction of the Reformation in 1531. The adjoining cemetery, fortified in the 13th century, retains visible traces on the cadastre of 1808. In the 18th century, major works were undertaken, as evidenced by the date of 1755 engraved on an amount of the portal. The nave was enlarged in 1902, sacrificing the medieval choir, while the tower was enhanced in 1863.

Ranked a historic monument in 1929 for its tower and eight tombstones, the church was restored, notably in 1981 and 1987. During the latter, tombstones of the Joham family, originally placed outside, were moved inside the porch and the nave. The building, owned by the municipality, illustrates the architectural and religious evolution of Alsace, mixing Romanesque heritage and Protestant transformations.

Archaeological studies, such as those conducted by Erwin Kern in 1989, revealed new evidence on the former Mundolsheim Sanctuary, confirming the historical importance of the site. The church, still active, remains a major testimony of the Alsatian Protestant heritage, marked by centuries of transformation and adaptation.

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