St. Paul's Church (Strasbourg)
Encyclopedia
The Lutheran St. Paul's Church of Strasbourg (French
: Église réformée Saint-Paul or Église Saint-Paul de Strasbourg) is a major Gothic Revival architecture
building and one of the landmarks of the city of Strasbourg
, in Alsace
, France
.
Built between 1892 and 1897 during the time of the Reichsland Elsass-Lothringen
(1870–1918), the church was designed for the Lutheran members of the Imperial German
garrison
stationed in Strasbourg. Several of the church's most striking features, such as its great width relative to its not so great length and the inordinately high number of portals and entrances giving access to it (19 in all, compared to Strasbourg Cathedral
's 7) result from the need to accommodate military personal from the very highest ranks down, including the Emperor, in case he came (the actual Imperial Palace
being not far away). In 1919, after the return of Alsace to France, the church was handed over to the Lutheran Church and became its second parish
church in the town after St. Thomas' Church
For the overall design of the church, architect Louis Muller (1842–1898) drew his inspiration from the Elisabeth Church of Marburg
, although he did not slavishly copy its design, gracing St. Paul's Church with three large and elaborate rose windows modelled on the (smaller scaled) rose window adorning the façade of the previously mentioned St. Thomas' Church. Thanks to its spires rising up to 76 m (249.3 ft)and its spectacular location at the southern extremity of an island in the middle of the largest section of the Ill River
, the church can be seen from far away.
The furnishing of the church has suffered damages from British and American bombing raids in August 1944, as well as, as far as the stained glass
windows are concerned, from a violent hail
storm in 1958, incidentally the same hailstorm that destroyed most of the Botanical Garden's
historical greenhouses as well. The most outstanding feature inside is the main tribune pipe organ
of 1897 (modified in 1934 and restored several times since), also classified as Monument historique
. This is, by the number of pipes and registers as well as by the sheer size of the organ case, one of the largest instruments in Alsace and most probably Eastern France. In 1976, a second pipe organ was installed in the transept.
The church is undergoing restoration since June 2009. Work began by the complete scaffolding of the south tower.
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
: Église réformée Saint-Paul or Église Saint-Paul de Strasbourg) is a major Gothic Revival architecture
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
building and one of the landmarks of the city of Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
, in Alsace
Alsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Built between 1892 and 1897 during the time of the Reichsland Elsass-Lothringen
Alsace-Lorraine
The Imperial Territory of Alsace-Lorraine was a territory created by the German Empire in 1871 after it annexed most of Alsace and the Moselle region of Lorraine following its victory in the Franco-Prussian War. The Alsatian part lay in the Rhine Valley on the west bank of the Rhine River and east...
(1870–1918), the church was designed for the Lutheran members of the Imperial German
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
garrison
Garrison
Garrison is the collective term for a body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it, but now often simply using it as a home base....
stationed in Strasbourg. Several of the church's most striking features, such as its great width relative to its not so great length and the inordinately high number of portals and entrances giving access to it (19 in all, compared to Strasbourg Cathedral
Strasbourg Cathedral
Strasbourg Cathedral or the Cathedral of Our Lady of Strasbourg is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Strasbourg, France. Although considerable parts of it are still in Romanesque architecture, it is widely consideredSusan Bernstein: , The Johns Hopkins University Press to be among the finest...
's 7) result from the need to accommodate military personal from the very highest ranks down, including the Emperor, in case he came (the actual Imperial Palace
Palais du Rhin
The Palais du Rhin , former Kaiserpalast , is a building situated in the German section of Strasbourg, dominating the Place de la République with its massive dome...
being not far away). In 1919, after the return of Alsace to France, the church was handed over to the Lutheran Church and became its second parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
church in the town after St. Thomas' Church
Saint Thomas Church (Strasbourg)
The Saint-Thomas Church is a historical building in Strasbourg, eastern France. It is the main Protestant church of the city since its Cathedral became Catholic again after the annexation of the town by France in 1681...
For the overall design of the church, architect Louis Muller (1842–1898) drew his inspiration from the Elisabeth Church of Marburg
Elisabeth Church (Marburg)
St. Elisabeth's Church is a religious building in Marburg, Germany, built by the Order of the Teutonic Knights in honour of Elisabeth of Hungary...
, although he did not slavishly copy its design, gracing St. Paul's Church with three large and elaborate rose windows modelled on the (smaller scaled) rose window adorning the façade of the previously mentioned St. Thomas' Church. Thanks to its spires rising up to 76 m (249.3 ft)and its spectacular location at the southern extremity of an island in the middle of the largest section of the Ill River
Ill (France)
The Ill is a river in Alsace, in north-eastern France. It is a left-side, or western tributary of the Rhine.It starts down from its source near the village of Winkel, in the Jura mountains, with a resurgence near Ligsdorf, turns around Ferrette on its east side, and then runs northward through...
, the church can be seen from far away.
The furnishing of the church has suffered damages from British and American bombing raids in August 1944, as well as, as far as the stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
windows are concerned, from a violent hail
Hail
Hail is a form of solid precipitation. It consists of balls or irregular lumps of ice, each of which is referred to as a hail stone. Hail stones on Earth consist mostly of water ice and measure between and in diameter, with the larger stones coming from severe thunderstorms...
storm in 1958, incidentally the same hailstorm that destroyed most of the Botanical Garden's
Jardin botanique de l'Université de Strasbourg
The Jardin Botanique de l'Université de Strasbourg , also known as the Jardin botanique de Strasbourg and the Jardin botanique de l'Université Louis Pasteur, is a botanical garden and arboretum located at 28 rue Goethe, Strasbourg, Bas-Rhin, Alsace, France...
historical greenhouses as well. The most outstanding feature inside is the main tribune pipe organ
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
of 1897 (modified in 1934 and restored several times since), also classified as Monument historique
Monument historique
A monument historique is a National Heritage Site of France. It also refers to a state procedure in France by which national heritage protection is extended to a building or a specific part of a building, a collection of buildings, or gardens, bridges, and other structures, because of their...
. This is, by the number of pipes and registers as well as by the sheer size of the organ case, one of the largest instruments in Alsace and most probably Eastern France. In 1976, a second pipe organ was installed in the transept.
The church is undergoing restoration since June 2009. Work began by the complete scaffolding of the south tower.
External links
- Presentation of the church on the parish's website
- Presentation of the church on archi-strasbourg.com
- The transept pipe organ