Saint Maurice Church

The church of Soultz, whose construction began around 1270 on the site of an earlier building, is the result of a long architectural evolution. In the early 14th century, the transept was added with its north and south arms, as well as the central square, refining the building's silhouette. The original windows of the transept and the two tomb niches at their base, dating from before 1310, bear witness to the history of the Nobles of Pfaffenheim. The large sacristy, built in the 15th century, is distinguished by a complex ribbed vault composed of four six-pointed stars. In 1489, a final bay was added to the west under the impetus of Robert of Bavaria, prince-bishop of Strasbourg, to accommodate the growing population. It was in this bay that the first organ was installed around 1600, replaced in 1750 by the instrument of Jean-André Silbermann and his brothers. Inside, a pulpit in fine woodwork, made around 1600, draws attention. The east chapel houses a statue of the Virgin and Child, in the Rhineland style of the 16th century, as well as a bas-relief depicting Saint George slaying a dragon, probably from the now-lost chapel of Alswiller. The interior walls preserve numerous painted decorations and inscriptions, including the names of the martyred saints who were companions of Saint Maurice, patron of the parish, massacred in the 17th century for their faith.