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Origin and history

The Notre Dame de Dusenbach shrine, located in Ribeauvillé in the Haut-Rhin, has its origins in the 13th century. According to legend, a hermit establishes a calvary frequented by local populations. In 1210, Egelolphe II of Ribeaupierre, returning from crusade, had a chapel built there to house a statue of the reported Virgin of the East. This place quickly became a center of Marian devotion, attracting pilgrims from all over the region.

Over the centuries, the sanctuary was enlarged and embellished, notably by Maximin II of Ribeaupierre at the end of the 15th century, which added a cross path and stations reproducing the scenes of Calvary. However, the site suffered several destructions: in 1360 by English plunderers, in 1632 by the Swedes during the Thirty Years' War, and in 1794 during the French Revolution. Despite these ravages, it was always rebuilt, bearing witness to the perseverance of the faithful and local protectors.

The most significant reconstruction took place at the end of the 19th century under the impetus of Bishop Fritzen of Strasbourg and Canon Aimé Raess. In 1894, the chapels were restored in a neo-Gothic style, and a new church was erected in 1903. The sanctuary, inscribed in historical monuments since 2007, remains today an active place of pilgrimage, famous for its painful statue of the Virgin and its restored cross path.

The sanctuary is also linked to local traditions, such as the confraternity of the menisters of Alsace, placed under the protection of Notre-Dame de Dusenbach by the lords of Ribeaupierre. These musicians, often despised in the Middle Ages, found in this place a symbol of respectability. Another fraternity, Maria Raydt, founded in 1392, organized processes and charitable works there, strengthening the social and spiritual role of the sanctuary.

Repeated destruction never altered the fervour of pilgrims. After each reconstruction, the site regained its influence, as evidenced by the solemn inauguration of 1894, which attracted more than 20,000 faithful. Today, the sanctuary, maintained by the Capuchins, continues to welcome visitors and pilgrims, perpetuating an eight-century tradition.

Among the remarkable elements, the statue of the painful Virgin, carved in polychrome wood in the 15th century, is attributed to a local artist named Laurentz. This work, 53 cm high, represents the Virgin holding Christ down from the cross, and embodies the emotion and devotion that animates this place since the Middle Ages.

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