History and Heritage: The Sainte-Croix Chapel in Forbach

A medieval gem, the Sainte-Croix chapel was erected in the 13th century on Mount Sainte-Croix (Kreuzberg) to the east of Forbach in Moselle. By its position, it dominates the whole buttonhole of the Warndt and, from the surroundings of the chapel, the walker enjoys an unobstructed view of the region. The chapel is part of the road to Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle from Sarre to Metz

History of the chapel

· Mentioned as early as 1338 in a letter from the Bishop of Metz Adhémar de Monteil under the name of “capella sancta crucis juxta Forbachum”, it was probably built in the 13th century. It was greatly altered in the 14th and 15th centuries. Damaged during the Thirty Years War, it was in the hands of the barons von der Leyen in 1684.

· It then returned to the lords of Forbach and, property of Countess Marianne Camasse, wife of Christian IV of Deux-Ponts, it was confiscated in 1793 during the Revolution. During this period, it suffered numerous degradations and some of the statues were only saved because they were hidden or walled up by the local population. The chapel then went to Countess Marianne, then to her heirs before being bought by the Wendel family in 1824.

· The chapel has been registered as a historical monument since September 14, 1937.

· In 1946, it became the property of the coal mines of the Lorraine basin.

· The town of Forbach bought the building in poor condition in 1969 for the symbolic price of one franc.

· The chapel was restored from 1978 under the joint impetus of the association of Friends of the Sainte-Croix chapel and the town of Forbach.

Architecture

· The Sainte-Croix chapel is a chapel-hall built on a narrow rock.

· The square nave is made of cut sandstone. These stones have numerous lifting clamp holes and mortar joints. The choir, in rubble, is of much less regular construction. There were originally two separate buildings as evidenced by the offset between the axes of the two parts: the future nave, a former massive dwelling house, and the choir which formed a closed whole. The nave is older than the choir. The choir dates from the second half of the 13th century. It has Gothic windows, one of which is partially walled up. The nave has two vessels, each with two bays with cross-ribbed vaults. The four keystones are adorned with two rosettes and two male and female heads.

· The origin of the chapel is obscure. It may be an old fortified house dating from at least the 13th century or an outbuilding of the castle.

· At the foot of the altar, four researchers discovered in November 1978, a tomb with a cephalic niche cut in the rock intended for a tall, but frail, female person. This tomb has been restored.

· Inside the chapel you can see a sculpted tympanum from the 13th century representing Christ on the cross.

Calvaries

· Around the chapel, there are several sculpted groups belonging to different periods: wayside crosses, crosses, various statues.

Legend of Alice of Forbach

· According to legend, the beautiful Alice, daughter of Thierry de Werd (Thierry de Woerth in Alsace), Count of Réchicourt and Lord of Forbach, liked to be courted. It caused the death of 2 brothers who fought a duel. Filled with remorse after the death of the two young people, she withdrew from the world and built an oratory on Mount Sainte-Croix, where she ended her days in renunciation and prayer. She was buried at the foot of the altar in her oratory and her tomb was the object of popular veneration. Sometimes called Saint Alice of Forbach, she has never been officially canonized.

Chronicle produced by Arlette, a trained historian and tourist guide.