Protestantism in France
With about one million members, the Protestant Church ranks third in France after Catholicism and Islam. But there is an uneven spread over the different geographical regions.
The French Protestant Federation (FPF)
Since 1905, the Fédération protestante de France has included most Protestant Churches and Associations. Most branches of Protestantism which have grown up since the Reformation are represented.
Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi (1834-1904)
The French sculptor was born in Colmar to an Alsatian Protestant family. He is well known for the famous Statue of Liberty (New-York and Paris) and for the Lion of...
Le Corbusier (1887-1965)
The famous architect was born into a Swiss Protestant family, became a French national in 1930 and had an international career.
Marie Durand (1711-1776)
For the French protestants, Marie Durand symbolized those who resisted religious intolerance after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes.
Samuel Bernard (1615-1687)
Samuel Bernard came from a Reformed Church family and was a key member of the group of Protestant artists who contributed so much to the XVIIth century. He recanted after...
Mathieu Lespagnandelle (1616-1689)
This sculptor, who was from a Protestant background and who worked for the king, was torn between his own inherited beliefs and Catholicism – a personal conflict which was typical...
Louis Testelin (1615-1655)
At the time Louis Testelin was an artist, belonging to the Reformed Church did not prevent one from having a brilliant career.
The Mallet Bank
The Mallet Bank was founded in 1713, and peaked in the 19th century. Its managers contributed to economic and industrial development.
Isaac Mallet (1684-1779)
Isaac Mallet was the descendant of a French protestant who had taken refuge in Geneva ; he founded the bank Mallet Frères et Cie, which remained a family bank for the...
Turenne (1611-1675)
Turenne, a great military leader, was converted from Protestantism to Catholicism ; this experience was very significant for him.
Antoine Court de Gébelin (1724 or 1728-1784)
A scholar who served both religion and science.
Antoine Court (1695-1760)
Antoine Court gave himself to the restoration and reorganisation of Protestantism in France after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes (1685).
Pierre Jurieu (1637-1713)
Pierre Jurieu was a pastor of the “refuge” and defended the rights of the people in the kingdom of Louis XIV.
Pierre Bayle (1647-1706)
Pierre Bayle can be seen as a forerunner of the Age of Enlightenment because the concept of tolerance was of great importance to him and, a true scholar, he specialized...
Pierre Du Moulin (1568-1658)
Pierre Du Moulin was a scholar and a well known orator, but he is probably mostly remembered today as the first pastor of the Charenton temple.
Paul Rabaut (1718-1794)
As a pastor in the “Churches of the Desert”, Paul Rabaut lived a secret and dangerous life
Benjamin Du Plan (1688-1763)
Benjamin Du Plan belonged to a group of people who, although not pastors themselves, nevertheless contributed greatly to the rebirth of Protestantism in the Désert.