“Saint-Louis-des-Francais” once honored the Roi Soleil. Today, we stand before the \u00c9glise Saint-Louis de Strasbourg. It is also called \u00c9glise Saint-Louis en ville. This is to distinguish it from the other church dedicated to Saint Louis in the Robertsau district.
The \u00c9glise Saint-Louis de Strasbourg is located on Rue Saint-Louis. It sits in the Finkwiller district. This is a baroque-style Catholic parish church. Its history is quite interesting.
The site was once home to a Carmelite monastery. That was until the Protestant Reformation. In 1528, it was secularized. It became a residential building with a tallow shop.
A first church dedicated to Saint Louis was built in 1687. This was when Catholicism regained importance in Alsace. It occurred during the reign of Louis XIV. The parish was entrusted to the Congregation of Notre-Sauveur. They managed it as Maison Saint-Louis until the Revolution. The church was a pilgrimage site for Notre-Dame des Douleurs.
The church was sold in 1790 during the French Revolution. After a fire in 1805, it became a tobacco warehouse. The church was rebuilt between 1825 and 1827. It retained a very simple appearance.
The \u00c9glise Saint-Louis de Strasbourg is in the Neo-Baroque and Neoclassical style. Some of the current features date back to its 19th-century construction.
Inside, notice the altarpiece. It features three statues from 1893. Saint Augustine represents the 17th-century canons. Saint Theresa of Avila commemorates the Carmelites. And of course, Saint Louis is the patron saint of the church.
The nave contains a pulpit sculpted by Theophile Klem. It won an award at the Strasbourg industrial exhibition in 1895. Oil paintings by Martin Feuerstein depict scenes from Saint Louis’ life.
In the 1930s, the Ott brothers created stained glass windows for the church. The choir was renovated between June and October 2015.
The gallery organ dates back to 1896. Its case is listed as a historical monument. The choir’s paintings by Martin Feuerstein are also remarkable. Charles and Edgard Wetzel built the organ. Paul Klein created its Neo-Baroque case. It replaced an instrument by Jean-Conrad Sauer. It is based on a Cavaillé-Coll organ. It has 25 stops with a Machine-Barker system. The instrument has seen few modifications over time. Some of the organ pipes were stolen in 1973. They were replaced in 1983.
The \u00c9glise Saint-Louis serves both the local parish and the parish of the Croix glorieuse. The latter practices the Tridentine Rite. Since September 2021, Abbé Florent Molin leads both parishes.
Today, the \u00c9glise Saint-Louis de Strasbourg stands as a testament to the city’s complex religious past. It serves as a vibrant center for Catholic worship. It continues to evolve with the community it serves.