Saint-Joseph

The Saint Joseph Church was constructed between 1873 to 1877 in the Neo- Gothic style. The plans were the work of the Luxembourg architect Charles Arendt (1825-1910), who won the first prize in the competition. According to  Michel Schmit (1936-2009), former diocesan conservator, it is one of the largest and most monumental historic churches of the greater region. The town’s population grew considerably in the middle of the 19th century because of the development of the  coal and steel industry, and a large and awe-inspiring church was to replace the small old church from the early modern period. The church’s dedication changed from Saint John the Baptist to Saint Joseph,  patron saint of workmen.  It is a stone Basilica with Gothic window openings and buttresses, a short nave and two towers above the side choirs as well as a single choir. The paintings which adorn  the church, carried out by J. Schneider of Roxheim close to Bad Kreuznach in  1908, were covered by whitewash in the 1970s at the time of the liturgical  reform and then restored in 2002 to their original state. After the Second World  War, a chapel was added to the side of the main door to honour the local residents  who lost their lives in the conflict.