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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The tobacco fermentation centre in Benfeld is an industrial building built in the 3rd quarter of the 19th century (1853-1855) to replace an old episcopal castle, which has become insufficient for the needs of tobacco control. This castle, acquired in 1811 by the government, was initially used as a deposit before being razed to give way to a modern complex. The new building, designed by architect André Weyer, was used to store and prepare locally harvested tobacco before it was moved to the Obernai factory. Its architecture, marked by a quadrilateral with central courtyard and facades in pink and brick sandstone, reflects both a utilitarian and monumental function.

Damaged by a fire in 1918, the site was restored with minor modifications, such as replacing slate roofs with wooden tiles and poles with concrete. Industrial activity finally ceased in 1988, when the town of Benfeld bought the buildings and registered them for historical monuments in the same year. Today, the complex, consisting of a preparatory building and an administrative pavilion, bears witness to the Alsatian industrial history of tobacco cultivation.

The site is part of an ancient local tradition: as soon as the tobacco monopoly was established, Benfeld housed a dedicated shop, first installed in the castle of the bishops of Strasbourg. The construction of the fermentation centre in 1853-1855 marked a modernization of infrastructure, adapted to the rise of regional tobacco production. The facades and roofs of the complex, as well as the administrative pavilion, were protected by decree of 20 December 1988, highlighting their heritage value.

The architecture of the centre, sober but elegant, combines functional elements (closed courtyard, multiple levels) and decorative elements (pink sandstone strips, bays in the middle). This blend of brick and stone, typical of the 19th century Alsatian industrial buildings, makes it a remarkable example of the technical heritage of the Greater East region. The site, now communal property, could be the subject of conversion projects, as mentioned in university studies (e.g. Patrick Zink's memoir, 1996).

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