Protestant church of Bitche

The Protestant Paroisse is located in the Commune Frenchwoman of Bitche , in the department of the the Moselle.

Parish

In a catholic area traditionally very , it is however necessary to notice the presence of Protestant in the Pays of Bitche as of the Guerre Thirty Year old (1618 - 1648). Thus, one notices the reception of Paysan S calvinists on the grounds of the Cistercian abbey of Sturzelbronn, and a Cimetière calvinist is located in the Forêt of this village. mennonites of origin Suisse S also arrive on the firm outside the villages. By their history, the Protestant villages traditionally of Baerenthal and Philippsbourg are an exception in the Bitscherland. The Protestant Paroisse exists strictly speaking only since 1846, date on which the Maire of the time, Blaise, authorizes the Protestant to be met for the prayer by the following municipal stop: " We, Mayor of the Town of Bitche, District of Sarreguemines, department of the Moselle, authorize by the present the professing members the Culte protesting by the present to meet to make their Prière S at the days and hours, that it will be indicated to us, the whole under the terms of Loi S of the 18 Germ. Year X and the article of the constituelle charter of 1830. Blaise. "

From now on, soixante-douze Protestant of Bitche and the surroundings can meet for the Culte all the first Sunday S of the Mois, chaired by a Pasteur of the consistory of Oberbronn. For this effect, the participants rent a small room of prayer. With the creation of the consistory of Niederbronn-the-Baths and the vicariate of Mouterhouse in 1850 under the impulse of the Family DE DIETRICH, the Culte takes place every fifteen days. In 1853, the council presbytéral of Mouterhouse - Bitche acquires of a joint house, located Lange Strasse 80 , used like meeting room with hundred places. Like so much of other houses bitchoises, it is destroyed by the German Bombardement S of 1870.

After the annexation by the Germany, the surge of Fonctionnaire S and Militaire S German increases considerably the number of Protestant parishioners . Starting from October 1871, one authorizes the Paroisse S civil and military to use the Chapelle Citadelle like place of Culte. Some time after, the civil community rents a house like place of Culte, to avoid displacements with the citadel. Very quickly, one considers the construction of parochial buildings, such as church, Presbytère and school. There are negociations with the administration for the free transfer of a constructible ground, but without success. In 1876, Bitche becomes a independent vicariate protesting and is attached to the consistory Sarreguemines. Several attempts are launched in order to acquire a place of Culte more roomy, so much the number of Protestant come from Germany increased. The purchase of a house near the church Holy-Catherine, in the place of current the town hall, is ême considered.

Finally, a opportunity arises and the Paroisse can buy, beginning 1877, a constructible ground with the current site of the church, in spite of the initial opposition of the municipal council and the Maire of the time, Faber. After the collection of financial means necessary and the administrative authorization, one can carry out the installation of the first stone, the May 19th 1881. But after the foundations were posed, the municipal council affirms that one exceeded the limits of the assigned ground and requires the destruction of part of the Mur S. the parishioners must then assemble the guard, in order to prevent that there should be destroyed what was built during the day. Finally, the argument is regulated by amicable agreement thanks to the intervention of the president of district. The festive inauguration of the church takes place the August 6th 1882, at the same time as the installation of old the Vicaire, Georg Ertz, as a Pasteur, because the vicariate of Bitche became Paroisse automatically the April 4th of the same year. At the same time, the parish acquires of the house sheltering the old room of Prière to make the Presbytère of it. It is resold in 1907 in order to buy current the Presbytère, with this time, the contest of the municipal council and the Maire Schuster.

The Protestant Paroisse of Bitche gathers currently forty-two common, set out again on all the Bitscherland, the most distant villages being Rahling and Rimling, distant of approximately twenty kilometers of the church. In spite of its enormous territory, the Paroisse counts only four hundred registered voters, which is relatively little for a Paroisse of the Alsace-Moselle.

Church

The church is built in 1881 - 1882, in a style néo-novel. By the needs for the ground, it is directed in a south-eastern/north-western direction. She knows several times of the important damages following the two world wars. One finds, close to the entry, a commemorative plaque in Métal dedicated to Georg Ertz, old missionary and Pasteur at the time of the construction of the church (1877 - 1906).

The Orgue, rafistolé after war is not strictly speaking of very good quality. Wedged on the side of the estrade, without dresser, it is today in a bad condition. It has nevertheless a sentimental value. The keyboard is indeed recovered in the Protestant church Holy-Aurélie of Strasbourg, and it is on this keyboard that Albert Schweitzer would have recorded several concerts of Orgue immortalized on disc.

The stained glasses, works of the Alsatian Artist Tristan Ruhlmann and going back to 1953, as well as the building, are registered with the topographic inventory of the area Lorraine.

List pastors

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