Fortified Church of Balbronn

The Protestant church of Balbronn, mainly constructed in the 11th and 12th centuries, was originally dedicated to the Virgin Mary, as evidenced by the inscription in minuscule script above its entrance. It likely stands on an ancient pagan sanctuary, possibly Celtic, and its foundation around the original nave suggests a pre-Romanesque origin. Initially Catholic, the building adopted Protestant worship in 1545. In 1687, under the reign of Louis XIV, it became a simultaneum, sharing use between Protestants and Catholics, the latter receiving the choir. This arrangement lasted nearly 220 years, until the construction of a Catholic church in 1905. The Protestant church was then restored in 1908: magnificent stained glass windows, created by Fritz Geiges of Freiburg im Breisgau in a style inspired by the 15th century, were installed. They notably depict Emperor Barbarossa, the coats of arms of the Hohenstaufen, Hanau, the Holy Roman Empire, the New Empire, the Kingdom of France, and Haguenau. The furnishings, also dating from 1908, reuse the original altar. The nave, the oldest part, retains a dim atmosphere typical of Romanesque churches, thanks to its narrow windows.