Schwarzach - Saints Peter and Paul

Saint Pirmin, whom we met as the founder of monasteries already in Murbach, Wissembourg and Marmoutier worked here as well, according to his "Vita", written within the 9th century. It is proven, that a monastery existed in "Suarzaha" (= Schwarzach) in 826 near a Roman road running parallel to the Rhine.

Secularisation ended the long and colourful history of the Benedictian monastery in 1802/1803. At that time the condition of the buildings was bad. Most were not that old, as the monastery was rebuilt in baroque style after it ruined during the Nine Years' War. They were used as a quarry and only a few can still be found today. One is the course the church, constructed around 1220/1225, now the parish church of the village. Due to restauration, the church is in a mint condition, but a lot of parts are new - so here the original romanesque church got "reconstructed" in a neo-romanesque way. Excavations and research undertaken in the 1960s proved, that the first church here was built within the first half of the 8th century.

Standing at the western end of the nave, facing east to the choir.

Most of the massive pillars and capitals seen here are copies of the original ones, that had to be replaced during the renovation 1888/97, when the structure was crumbling.

Some of the original capitals are in a little museum next door. During the 1960s all baroque elements got removed. The large baroque altar got saved, but now is placed in the left arm of the transept - and out of sight from this pov. The two rows of windows in the main apse - are a design that can often be found in - Burgundy.