“What stories do these walls conceal?” I wonder. We’re standing before Chapelle Notre-Dame-Wihrel. It is a testament to Strasbourg’s enduring spirit. This chapel is a place of worship. Its history is entwined with the city itself.
Strasbourg, a city with both French and German influences is home to amazing architecture. Strasbourg Cathedral stands tall as a central religious monument. The cathedral has been a target during times of unrest. It suffered damages in three wars. In 1870, during the Franco-Prussian War the cathedral had its choir stalls set aflame. During WWI all but one of its bells were removed. During WWII, Hitler ordered its stained-glass windows to be dismantled. American soldiers discovered them in a German salt mine in 1945. The windows returned home.
Notre-Dame de Strasbourg is also called the Cathedral in Strasbourg. The church dates to 1015. The Cathedral was built in 1220. It was erected on the remains of a previous church. The architect for the church was Erwin von Steinbach. The church originally had two towers or spires. Somehow it ended up with only one.
From 1684 until 1874, it was the tallest building in the world. Its height never really changed. Other buildings exceeded its height. These were destroyed through war or fire. For a couple hundred years, it reigned at the top spot. Like many buildings in this region, it is built with reddish-pink sandstone.
Inside the Cathedral, there is amazing stained glass. The large circle of glass is called Erwin’s Rose. It was designed to illuminate the interior of the church. During World War II, Hitler admired this panel. He had it removed along with the rest of the stained glass. They were hidden in a salt mine in Germany for protection. Hitler wanted to make the church into a shrine for the German people after the war. The Cathedral was damaged. Because the windows had been removed they were reinstalled after the war. The Monuments Men preserved and recovered historic and cultural monuments during and after the war.
One of the most intriguing aspects is the world-famous astronomical clock. It was ingeniously put together by a team of experts, artists and mathematicians. A green ray of light marks the autumn and spring equinoxes. The sun shines through the green stained-glass windows.
The stone the cathedral is made of comes from the Vosges Mountains. We call it the pink sandstone of the Vosges. The stone blocks had to be carted from the quarries with oxen. Legend says that a Hungarian arrived with an aurochs. It carried ten times more weight than the oxen. The aurochs died of fatigue in front of the cathedral.
Despite the size of the monument, sandstone is fairly fragile. It is sensitive to erosion. Rain can cause a chemical reaction. This darkens the stone’s color. Most of the statues are copies. The originals are kept in the Musée de l’Œuvre Notre Dame.
Sculpting sandstone requires finesse. You must use the hammer and chisel with delicacy. It allows for precise achievements. “Stone lace” defines the facade of Notre Dame.
The pink sandstone’s color comes from iron oxide. It changes with the hours and seasons. The facade can change from brown to orange to pink. It can even turn almost black grey in rainy weather.
Chapelle Notre-Dame-Wihrel stands not just as a building but as a vessel. It carries stories of faith, resilience, and artistry. It connects us to the past. It inspires us today.