Églises et temples en bassins industriels : Belfort-Héricourt-Montbéliard (Franche-Comté) (1944-2008)

Abstract

From the example of Belfort-Montbéliard, a fair number of places of worship - Catholic and Lutheran - were built in French industrial basins between 1950 and 1968. Stages: modern “in majesty” churches around 1950, sober buildings with curved shapes in priority development areas around 1960, prefabricated buildings after 1964, hardly any construction in 1968, conversion of buildings as from 1990. Reasons for this marked growth and for the swift decline: social tensions and evolution of parishioners ‘minds.

Keywords

• Catholic and protestant churches in industrial basins