Le vieux Souffelweyersheim

Virtually all the half-timbered houses in Souffelweyersheim date from between 1816 and 1819. In 1815, the village was totally destroyed during the Battle of the Souffel, when the retreating Napoleonic army and the Würtenbergers clashed. Reconstruction, at least for the wealthier villagers, began in 1816 (see rue des Tonneliers, rue de la Mairie, rue du Moulin?). But for the village as a whole, it took the whole of the 19th century to recover from this tragedy.
The church of Saint-Georges (place du Général-de-Gaulle) dates from this period. Burnt down in 1815, the building was rebuilt in 1820, retaining part of the tower that had survived the disaster. The building is in the neoclassical style. The only original element (1781) is the clock frame. The Christ on the Cross adorning the side of the church was donated by parishioners in 1815. The nave was enlarged in 1935. Private buildings from this period include the Lorentz farmhouse and chapel (4 rue des Tonneliers). Built for René Lorentz, this building has a romantic charm, with its wooden balcony protected by a roof overhang supported by an elaborately carved wooden gable. This process, which saved on materials, had a highly decorative effect. Aloïse Lorentz (1858-1910), watchmaker and organ builder, built the chapel with his own funds. A fire that ravaged the neighborhood in 1928 stopped at this chapel, and traces of charring can be seen on the outside of the door. Local tradition attributes the miraculous end of the fire to this building. The chapel's choir is adorned with two 1897 stained-glass windows by the Ott brothers of Strasbourg. NB: the farmhouse and chapel are not open to the public, but can be viewed from the street. In a completely different style is the Villa Joséphine (54 rue du Canal). Built in 1890 for Théophile Lienhardt, mayor from 1900 to 1902 and owner of a brickworks, this large villa breaks with traditional village architecture. Its complex layout, overhanging roofs, turret and spire give it a certain charm.