Eglise Saint-Martin

The site of Kintzheim was occupied since the Neolithic period. The first mention dates from the 8th century. At that time, the village was called Künigesheim, which means "King's Domain". It was indeed the seat of a vast Merovingian royal domain. In 774, Charlemagne detached large areas of forest in the Liepvrette Valley and donated them to Fulrad, Abbot of St. Denis. They were intended for the maintenance of his monastery. Later on, the royal estate became part of the property of St. Richarde, daughter of the Count of Lower Alsace Erchangar and founder of the Abbey of Andlau. Dedicated to St. Martin, the church is located on a promontory in the center of the village, which still reveals traces of ancient fortifications and on which a religious building once stood. In the 18th century, this old church proved to be too small to accommodate the faithful of the parish (dimensions: 13.70 x 10.70 m). It dates from the time when Kintzheim was still part of the town of Sélestat (1341-1793). The present church was built between 1844 and 1846, revealing the faith and the impetus of the community by the size of its construction. Its construction was part of a restructuring of the village center (1844-1860), including the town hall, the school and the presbytery. The new church dedicated to Saint Martin was consecrated by André Raess, bishop of Strasbourg, on August 2, 1846. The paintings and statues were added as funds became available. In 1870, a storm and a lightning strike tore off half of the church's bell tower roof. On September 5, 1917, the German administration removed two bells and 78 organ pipes to be melted down and turned into war material. The bells were found near Frankfurt and returned in 1922. The new organ, built in 1926 by J. Rinckenbach, will be restored by Michel Gaillard (Aubertin factory) in 2011. The style of the church bears witness to an era in love with harmony and space, with a pronounced taste for the late baroque Above the entrance porch stands a stone statue of St. Martin, patron saint of the parish The bell tower is 42 meters high and its gallery, at 30 meters, allows an admirable panorama on the village, the Vosges mountains and the Alsace plain. In 2000, a new rooster was installed on the top of the bell tower. The architect in charge of the plans, Antoine Ringeisen, was the author of other remarkable cultural achievements in Central Alsace.