Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The former mansion located at 16, rue de la Première-Armée-Française in Ensisheim (High Rhine) is an emblematic building of the 3rd quarter of the 18th century, built in 1764 as attests the date engraved on the central window support of the floor. The key to the old front door, adorned with a rock cartridge, carries unidentified weapons, while the original pararon has disappeared recently. The basement, entirely arched, and a room on the ground floor, covered with a similar vault and equipped with an iron door, suggest a careful spatial organization, possibly linked to specific functions such as a cell or a secure space.

Ranked a historic monument by decree of 25 July 1994 (amended on 6 October and 1 December 1994), the hotel underwent notable changes: the stables and the shed were abolished, and the lodge of the palefrenier was raised from one floor. The property is now shared between the municipality of Ensisheim and a private company. Its architecture, marked by drapery carved decorations and rock elements, reflects the aristocratic taste of the era, while integrating practical arrangements such as arches.

The location of the hotel, in the centre of Ensisheim, a historic city of the Haut-Rhin in Alsace, underlines its importance in the 18th century urban fabric. At that time, the region, then under French influence, saw the development of bourgeois and noble residences, often linked to local administration or commercial activities. These private hotels served as both a place of representation and a place of residence, illustrating the social status of their owners. Their preservation today offers a valuable insight into the art of living and architecture of the Old Regime in Alsace.

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