Amidst the grandeur of Paris, a quiet sanctuary beckons: the Église Protestante Luthérienne. This unassuming church holds a captivating story, intertwined with the history of Lutheranism in France. The Église Protestante Luthérienne stands as a testament to the resilience and growth of the Lutheran community in Paris. Luther’s ideas, though initially met with resistance, found fertile ground in France as early as 1521. The first Protestants in France were called Lutherans.
The Église Protestante Luthérienne’s presence in Paris is particularly unique. For two centuries, it was the sole authorized Protestant church. It served foreign visitors and immigrants. This community grew in two waves. The first wave arrived in the 17th and 18th centuries, comprised of artisans from Germanic countries. Among them were renowned cabinetmakers. The second wave came in the 19th century. Workers drawn to the capital’s growth and Alsatians fleeing the German annexation after the Franco-Prussian War.
In 1802, Napoleon Bonaparte recognized both the Reformed and Lutheran Protestant faiths. Paris, however, lacked a Lutheran church after Napoleon closed the Swedish embassy chapel in 1806. This chapel had hosted services since 1626. Thanks to General Rapp’s persistence, and the fact that Paris had around 10,000 Lutherans, Napoleon decreed in 1808 the establishment of the Église consistoriale de Paris. It was placed under the authority of the Temple-Neuf in Strasbourg and granted the Église des Billettes as its home.
The Franco-Prussian War of 1870 marked a turning point. Alsace and Moselle became German territories. The Lutheran churches in Paris and Montbéliard were severed from Strasbourg. This separation included their theological faculty. In response, a synod in Paris in 1872 created the Église Évangélique Luthérienne de France (EELF). This unified two ecclesiastical regions: Montbéliard and Paris. The latter welcomed Lutherans of German origin, Alsatians who remained French, and people from Montbéliard. The EELF’s first priority was the creation of a joint Lutheran and Reformed theology faculty in Paris. This faculty, established by decree in 1877, opened its doors on land owned by the City of Paris in 1879.
The EELF continued to evolve, reflecting the changing times. In 1906, following the law separating church and state, the EELF adopted its current structure. Cultural associations were declared, and social work became organized under the 1901 law. By 2012, the EELF, with its history of openness and international engagement, embraced both missionary work and ecumenism. It even welcomed women pastors from 1974. Finally, in 2013, the EELF united with the Reformed Church of France. This union formed the Église Protestante Unie de France. While national bodies merged, individual parishes retained their Lutheran or Reformed identities. The Église Protestante Luthérienne, with its rich history, remains a vibrant part of Paris’ diverse religious landscape.