In October 1626, a group of about twenty Scandinavian and German princes and ambassadors gathered in Paris to celebrate Holy Communion. The ceremony, presided over by the Swedish pastor Jonas Hambraeus, took place within one of their embassies. By 1635, the renowned scholar Hugo Grotius was appointed Swedish ambassador to Paris. He established a chapel at the embassy, first located at 7 Quai Malaquais, and later at the Hôtel de Cavoye, 52 Rue des Saints-Pères. Pastor Hambraeus officiated there until 1660, when he was succeeded by another minister.
In 1679, amid growing persecution of French Protestants by the monarchy, particularly through the dragonnades, Swedish legate Nils Bielke granted the embassy chapel extraterritorial status. This diplomatic protection allowed the continuation of Protestant worship within Paris, a practice otherwise forbidden to the French under the Edict of Nantes (1598). During this period, French Protestants were compelled to worship outside Paris, such as at the Temple of Charenton, southeast of the city.
The situation worsened with the Edict of Fontainebleau in 1685, which revoked the Edict of Nantes and outlawed Protestantism. The Swedish chapel, along with other embassy chapels of Protestant nations such as the Netherlands, Brandenburg, England, and Denmark, became a refuge for French Protestants. It hosted baptisms and provided a safe haven for clandestine worship. Despite severe restrictions, registers of Protestant activities were maintained throughout the Ancien Régime, a testament to the resilience of the community.
Simultaneously, French Protestant refugees, known as Huguenots, found sanctuary abroad. Many were welcomed by the French Reformed Church in Stockholm, Sweden, where freedom of worship was granted.
Religious freedom in France was only fully established in 1789 with the French Revolution. Shortly thereafter, the French Protestant community established a temple at the Church of Saint-Louis-du-Louvre. In 1811, this congregation moved to the Oratoire du Louvre, where it remains a symbol of Protestant history and perseverance.
