Eglise Saint Georges

This 12th- and 13th-century sanctuary harmoniously combines Romanesque and Gothic styles: Romanesque nave (12th century) and Gothic choir (13th century). The church was built when the parish was founded in 1143, under the obedience of Frederick II the One-Eyed, Duke of Swabia and Alsace. Today's church is the result of an extension to the nave in 1230 and a Romanesque restructuring of the choir in Gothic style in 1283. The latter was designed by the sculptors of the Notre-Dame work at Strasbourg Cathedral. It was consecrated on September 5, 1283 by the Bishop of Basel. The juxtaposition of the two styles illustrates the shift in power in our city: the nave decided by the nobility, then later, the choir initiated by the bourgeoisie. In the 15th century, two flamboyant chapels were added to the nave. The church also features an 11m-high Eucharistic Tower (custode) dating from 1523, Christ on the Cross by Clement of Baden (1488) and the 19th-century Last Judgement altarpiece, incorporating the remains of an altarpiece executed for Saint-Georgesin 1945, bombing raids reduced the church to rubble: the tower was decapitated, the walls smashed, the vaults collapsed and the stained-glass windows blown out. Contemporary stained-glass windows by Jacques le Chevalier were installed between 1956 and 1970.1963 saw the completion of the reconstruction with the installation of a new high altar, carved from an imposing red sandstone by Louis Rudloff.