Église Saint-Thomas

The Église Saint-Thomas stands at 11 Rue Martin Luther, on the southern part of Strasbourg's Grande Île in the Grand Est region of France. A church has stood on the site since the early Middle Ages, and the present building was constructed mainly between the 12th and 14th centuries, passing from Romanesque to Gothic forms. It has a rare five-aisled plan, with a nave and four side aisles of nearly equal height, in the manner of a hall church, and the two towers have an unfinished appearance. After the Reformation took hold in Strasbourg in 1529 the church became the main Protestant church of the city and has remained Lutheran since. It was an important centre of Protestant learning, and the church was associated with a school and a chapter attached to the university. The best-known feature is the monumental mausoleum of Marshal Maurice de Saxe, a French commander of the War of the Austrian Succession, who was a Protestant. Made by Jean-Baptiste Pigalle between 1756 and 1777, it shows the marshal stepping into a coffin while Death and allegorical figures struggle to hold him back, and France weeps beside him. The church also houses a Silbermann organ of 1741, played by Mozart in 1778 and later by Albert Schweitzer, which is the setting for regular concerts. Funerary monuments and a small treasury complete the interior. The building was restored after damage in the Second World War. Hours vary by service and season, so visitors should check locally. The church is close to Petite France and the Ill quays, making it an easy addition to a walk around the old town. The plain, large interior is characteristic of Protestant worship, with the focus on preaching and music rather than on altars and images. The building was also associated with an important educational tradition, as the Reformers of Strasbourg, among them Martin Bucer, shaped the city's religious and school life in the 16th century.