Catholic Church of Munster

Originally a simple chapel built in the 12th century, this building was initially intended to welcome the parishioners of Munster, as the abbey church was reserved for the monks of the Benedictine Abbey of Saint Gregory. By 1287, it was already located outside the fortified city walls, and it was devastated by a fire in 1354. The Catholic worship was replaced by Protestantism in 1553, before becoming the scene of conflicts between local Lutherans and Abbot Henri de Jestetten until 1574. From 1575, it was entirely dedicated to Protestant worship, with Catholics attending the abbey church. In 1686, its choir was returned to Catholic worship, and the building became a simultaneous church, hosting both confessions until the inauguration of the Protestant church. From January 1874, it was exclusively reserved for Catholics. Enlarged and renovated in the second half of the 19th century, its 1590 bell tower was raised by one story. Restored after the First World War, it received new bells in 1927 and 1950, replacing those confiscated during the two world wars. Four additional bells were added in 2006. Inside, a carved baptistery and a 1986 Guerrier organ adorn the space. Since September 2008, an astronomical clock, designed by the Ungerer workshops after the First World War and restored by the Voegelé workshops of Strasbourg, is visible on the gallery. This clock, seven meters high and weighing half a ton, is topped by four dials indicating the months, moon phases, days, and time, created by the artist Didier Chanut. A mechanical rooster, crowing three times and flapping its wings at noon before the Angelus, recalls Saint Peter's denial. The church is open to visitors every day.