Temple Neuf
The Temple Neuf is a large Lutheran Protestant church on the Grande Île, a short walk from the cathedral and Place Kléber. Inaugurated in 1877, it replaced the old Dominican church destroyed during the 1870 siege. Come for its broad neo-Romanesque nave, its Merklin organ and the story of a site where Meister Eckhart and Johannes Tauler once lived.
In the footsteps of the Dominicans
Before the present church, this was the site of the Dominican friary, home to two great figures of Rhineland mysticism, Meister Eckhart and Johannes Tauler. In 1681 the Dominican church took in the Protestant parish of the cathedral. Today the Temple Neuf belongs to the Union of Protestant Churches of Alsace and Lorraine. Tauler's tomb is kept inside, linking the modern building to that medieval past.
That night in August 1870
During the siege of Strasbourg in the Franco-Prussian War, the shelling of August 1870 struck the old Dominican church. The fire also destroyed the city and university libraries housed there. Among the losses was the manuscript of the Hortus deliciarum by Herrad of Landsberg, a treasure of Alsatian illumination. The loss still weighs on the city's memory and explains why such a recent church stands in the heart of the old town.
A neo-Romanesque basilica in Vosges sandstone
The foundation stone was laid in May 1874 and the church was inaugurated on 4 October 1877, to a design by Émile Salomon inspired by early Christian basilicas. Built of Vosges sandstone, its nave is almost 49 metres long and 29 metres wide. The 60-metre facade tower was only completed in 1888. Inside, the white stone altar and pulpit and the monuments carved by Landolin Ohmacht are worth a look.
A Merklin organ first played by Guilmant
The great organ was built by Joseph Merklin in 1877 and inaugurated that same year by the organist Alexandre Guilmant. It has 45 stops over three manuals and a pedalboard. Both its case and its instrumental part are protected as historic monuments. If you get the chance, attend a service or a concert: it is the best way to hear the instrument fill the great nave.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the Temple Neuf?
On Place du Temple-Neuf, on the Grande Île, between Place Kléber and the cathedral, right in the historic centre.
Why is the church so recent in the middle of the old town?
The old Dominican church burned down in the shelling of August 1870. The present building was put up on the same spot between 1874 and 1877.
Can you go inside?
It is a working parish church. Access depends on services and events, so check on site, and try a concert to hear the organ.
What can you visit nearby?
Place Kléber and Place Gutenberg are a few minutes away, with Notre-Dame cathedral just beyond. An ideal walking loop on the Grande Île.
Wikimedia Commons — https://www.flickr.com/photos/razvanorendovici/ · Wikimedia Commons — Valentin F.R.
