Bâtir · Préserver · Transmettre : Les 800 ans de la Fondation de l’Œuvre Notre-Dame

The Fondation de l’Œuvre Notre-Dame is a unique institution in France, dedicated for eight centuries to the construction and preservation of Strasbourg Cathedral. This exhibition invites visitors to explore the rich history and distinctive character of this singular institution, from its creation to the present day.

Founded in the early 13th century by the Bishop of Strasbourg and the cathedral’s chapter of canons to oversee the building site and manage donations and bequests, the Œuvre Notre-Dame came under the control of the City as early as the 1280s.

The exhibition offers an insight into the importance and diversity of the missions of one of the oldest cathedral workshops in Europe, whose skills have been inscribed on Unesco’s intangible heritage list since 2020.

It highlights the wealth of its heritage, preserved without interruption since the Middle Ages: property and land holdings, architectural drawings, plans and surveys from every period, prints, photographs, casts, sculptures, historic tools, and so on. These collections, still being enriched today by the technical output of the building works, make Strasbourg Cathedral one of the best-documented buildings in France.

Through this exhibition, Strasbourg celebrates eight centuries of exceptional commitment to the preservation of its heritage, while recalling that these skills continue to be passed on and keep the cathedral alive today.

The exhibition trail in 15 sections is housed within the Musée de l’Œuvre Notre-Dame, a museum of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, installed in the Foundation’s historic house since 1931.