Timeline

Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The house at 59 rue Jean-Jaurès in Soultz-Haut-Rhin is a building dating from the 4th quarter of the 16th century, more precisely from 1575-1576. It was built for a winemaker-tonnelier, as evidenced by the emblems and dates engraved on the lintel of the door of the staircase turret and the entrance passage. The initials C.B. and A.K. are associated, suggesting original sponsors or owners. A secondary body (cell and common) was added in 1603, bearing the initials H.B. and P.M., while a second staircase turret, dated around 1680 (uncertain reading), served the commons. The building also houses the Crown Inn, first mentioned in 1677.

The architecture of the house reflects the prestige of its owners: an oriel (window protruding), chanted gables (cut in an adorned manner), and a cradle vault in the perpendicular building, including a cellar in half basement. These elements, as well as the extent of the plot, testify to the wealth of the sponsor. Both gables were listed as historic monuments by order of May 5, 1931, highlighting their heritage value. The restaurant room, probably set up in the 2nd half of the 19th century, has the characteristic panels and stuccos of this period.

Soultz-Haut-Rhin, located in Alsace (Great East), was in the Renaissance a dynamic region, marked by the wine trade and handicrafts. Affluent winegrowers' houses, like this one, often served as places of life, work (press room, cellar) and reception (inn). Their architecture blended functionality and ostentation, reflecting the social status of their owners. The presence of a cellar and extended commons confirms the wine-growing activity, while the inn illustrates the role of these buildings in local community and economic life.

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