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Origin and history

The Saint-Martin temple of Montbéliard found its origins in a Catholic church mentioned in 1343. In 1524, under the influence of reformer Guillaume Farel, the city adopted the Lutheran Reformation, and Saint Martin's church moved to Protestant worship in 1536. The principality of Montbéliard, a Protestant enclave surrounded by Catholic regions, then became a refuge for the Reformed.

At the beginning of the 17th century, in the face of population growth, Prince Frédéric I of Montbéliard ordered a new temple to architect Heinrich Schickhardt. The first stone was laid in 1601, and the Renaissance-style building was completed in 1607. Built in white limestone and pink sandstone, it is distinguished by its large rectangular room, without choir, typical of the Reformed churches.

In 1677, after the French occupation, Louis XIV imposed Catholic worship, leading the inhabitants to add a bell tower to transform the temple into a church. The organ, installed in 1755 and renovated in 1843, as well as furniture such as the 19th century altar and 18th century sculptures, are classified as historical monuments. The temple, restored in 1991 and 2007, remains a symbol of French Protestant heritage.

The building had various uses: grain attic in 1615, Temple of Reason during the Revolution, food depot in 1870-71, and flour store between 1914 and 1921. Today, it occupies a central place in the social life of Montbéliard, facing the Town Hall and the theatre, and hosts every year the Christmas market.

Ranked a historical monument in 1963, the Saint Martin temple is the largest and oldest Lutheran church in France in Renaissance style. Its architecture, marked by pilasters and triangular frontons, as well as its turbulent history, make it an exceptional testimony of the Protestant heritage in Burgundy-Franche-Comté.

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