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Origin and history

The former hospital of Montbéliard came into being in 1249, when Thierry III, Count of Montbéliard, founded a first establishment outside the city walls, on the right bank of Allan, to isolate patients from epidemics. Ravaged by the wars and lootings of the 15th century, especially by the mercenaries of Louis XI, the hospital was rebuilt intra muros in 1450, Place Saint-Martin, under the management of the local bourgeois. A first building was erected at its present location in 1490, rue de l'Aiguillon, including a chapel attested in 1562 but later demolished.

The present building was built between 1759 and 1762, with a major extension in 1850. In 1782 the Tsar of Russia offered 100 louis gold to the hospital during his visit. Between 1852 and 1857, architect Jean Frédéric Fallot added a bath building. Originally reserved for old and infirm, the hospital opened to all in 1840, from 25 to 75 beds after the Franco-Prussian war. Conditions became critical with the arrival of the military garrison in 1874, affected by typhoid fever, triplanting the hospital population in unhealthy premises.

A report from 1859 required his transfer, which had taken place in 1898 with the inauguration of the new André-Boulloche hospital. Disused in 1897, some of the buildings were destroyed in 1902. The remaining vestiges housed the municipal library until 1987, followed by associations. Since 1989, the stairway, galleries and the former bath building have been classified as historical monuments. The architecture mixes limestone base and wooden galleries, with a door dated 1761.

The site illustrates the evolution of medical and urban practices, from medieval hospitals to modern hospitals. The 15th century looting, the princely gifts of the 18th century, and the epidemics of the 19th century left traces. Today, he embodies Montbéliard's hospital heritage, between medical memory and cultural reallocations.

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