Foundation of the spa 1854 (≈ 1854)
Purchase of the Genemoy source by Louis Bouloumié.
1855
Official opening of the thermal baths
Official opening of the thermal baths 1855 (≈ 1855)
Treatment of renal and urinary disorders.
1941-1944
German internment camp
German internment camp 1941-1944 (≈ 1943)
Requisition of the thermal park during the war.
1990
Registration for historical monuments
Registration for historical monuments 1990 (≈ 1990)
Protection of Vittel's thermal system.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Key figures
Louis Bouloumié - Founder of the spa
Acheta la source Gérémoy in 1854.
Mary Berg - Polish Jewish internee
Author of a newspaper about the camp.
Édouard Herriot - Internal politician
Detained in Vittel in 1943.
Origin and history
The Casino of Vittel is part of the city's thermal history, inseparable from the discovery of the healing virtues of its mineral waters. The station, initially divided into two entities (Grand-Ban and Petit-Ban) until the Revolution, developed from 1854 thanks to lawyer Louis Boulomie. The latter acquired the Genemoy source and officially founded the thermal establishment in 1855, marking the beginning of a tourist and medical vocation centered on kidney and urinary disorders.
The construction of the Casino is part of a larger urban project, aimed at attracting an affluent European and international clientele. Thermalism transforms Vittel, with the creation of luxurious infrastructures such as hotels, parks and leisure facilities. In 1990, all thermal buildings, probably including the Casino, were listed as historical monuments, recognizing their collective heritage value.
During the Second World War, the thermal park – of which the Casino is part – was requisitioned by the Germans to establish a camp internment there (1941-1944). This place, originally designed for entertainment and cure, then becomes a symbol of the contradictions of history, welcoming British, American and Polish Jews under varying conditions. After 1945, Vittel regained its thermal and touristic vocation, with the Casino as the centrepiece of its attractiveness.
Today, the Vittel Casino embodies both the 19th century architectural heritage and the social changes related to thermalism. Its integration into a wider set (parks, springs, hotels) reflects a time when spas were places of sociality, health and prestige. The protection of historic monuments in 1990 underlines its importance in the heritage of Lorraine, combining medical memory, seaside planning and European history.
