Purchase by Louis Nessel 1838 (≈ 1838)
Development of the thermal and commercial site.
1840 (vers)
Construction of administrative buildings
Construction of administrative buildings 1840 (vers) (≈ 1840)
Horse iron building and casino.
1860 (vers)
Creation of the Lisbeth source
Creation of the Lisbeth source 1860 (vers) (≈ 1860)
Municipal source for residents.
1891
Fire and reconstruction
Fire and reconstruction 1891 (≈ 1891)
Partial destruction and immediate reconstruction.
1949
Unification of sources
Unification of sources 1949 (≈ 1949)
Creation of the Communal Authority of Sources.
1995
Historical monument classification
Historical monument classification 1995 (≈ 1995)
Registration of main buildings.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Building of the Nessel source called the North Hall, 5 avenue de la Source-Nessel; central body; South Hall (Box 9 156, lieudit Saegmatten): entry by order of 1 December 1995. Building of the communal source known as the Lisbeth source, 12 avenue de la Source, with the exception of the adventitious construction to the east (cad. 8-15, placedit Heidenberg): inscription by order of 1 December 1995
Key figures
Louis Nessel - Owner and developer
Buyer in 1838, modernized the establishment.
Origin and history
The Nessel bath and cure establishment, located in Soultzmatt in the Upper Rhine, has its origins in the exploitation of local mineral springs, attested from the Middle Ages. In the 17th century, these springs began to be used for thermal purposes, but it was in the 19th century that the site developed significantly. In 1838, Louis Nestel acquired the source and initiated an ambitious project to welcome curators on a European scale, marking the beginning of a period of intense construction, with the construction of the administrative building, the former casino and the central body around 1840.
In 1891, a fire ravaged a large part of the factory, causing its immediate reconstruction according to a characteristic thermal architecture. The north and south halls, as well as the central building of the 1850s, are preserved. The mineral source, commercially exploited, sees its activity evolve from thermalism to industrial bottling. At the same time, the city of Soultzmatt opened in 1860 a municipal source, the Lisbon source, for local consumption. This infrastructure, supplemented by a 19th century chapel for curators, reflects the economic and social importance of the site.
In the 20th century, the town became the owner of the property. In 1949, the Nessel and Lisbeth sources were gathered under the Communal Régie des sources de Soultzmatt. Although new production buildings were added in the 1990s, 19th-century structures remain, reflecting this blissful era. The site has been listed as historical monuments since 1995, preserving its architectural heritage, marked by neo-classical elements (columns, pediments, carved medallions) and industrial (glass windows, brick fireplace).
The architecture of the complex combines functionality and aesthetics: the office building, made of horseshoe with a glass courtyard, contrasts with the production halls with walls partially made of exposed bricks. Nearby, the Lisbeth source, a neo-classical inspiration, and the simple stone chapel, with its wooden campanile, complete this emblematic ensemble. These elements illustrate the evolution of the uses of sources, from thermalism to industrialization, while anchoring the site in local and regional history.
