Born in 1865 in Boersch, at the heart of the region, he grew up in an Alsace torn between France and Germany. Faced with the gradual disappearance of local traditions, he chose to preserve Alsatian identity through art.

Painter, writer, and above all a master marquetry artist, Spindler captured everyday life, festivals, traditional costumes, and Alsatian landscapes with rare sensitivity. His works — whether painted canvases or intricate marquetry — tell the story of a living, authentic Alsace, deeply rooted in its culture.

In Saint-Léonard, he founded a marquetry workshop that became iconic. There, he transformed wood into meticulously assembled tableaux, a true artisanal homage to his homeland. Today, these creations are exhibited in several museums across the Bas-Rhin and form an integral part of Alsatian heritage.

In 1893, Charles Spindler launched the Revue Alsacienne Illustrée, an ambitious publication that brought together artists, writers, and thinkers to celebrate local culture. For over twenty years, this journal became the central hub of artistic and intellectual life in Alsace.

Charles Spindler embodies Alsatian folk art in a single legacy. His influence lives on in museums, workshops, and the pages of his revue. To discover his world is to immerse yourself in a sincere, colourful, and vibrant Alsace.

Our recommendation: go and find him — with a good Kougelhopf and a curious mind.