Initial construction XIIIe–XIVe siècles (≈ 1450)
Gothic origins of the current building.
1599–1603
Renaissance renovation
Renaissance renovation 1599–1603 (≈ 1601)
Major overhaul of the existing building.
XVIIe siècle
Baroque additions
Baroque additions XVIIe siècle (≈ 1750)
Integrated railings and stairs.
15 octobre 1992
MH classification
MH classification 15 octobre 1992 (≈ 1992)
Registration of communes, gallery and fence.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Main body, attached body and outbuilding with wooden balustrade gallery in their old parts; fence wall with its gate and wrought iron railings; drinking water in the court (Box BO 42): inscription by order of 15 October 1992
Key figures
Information non disponible - No character cited
The source text does not mention any specific historical actors related to this monument.
Origin and history
The former chancellery of Colmar is a historic monument located at 6 rue des Augustins, in the Haut-Rhin department. This building, one of the few preserved examples of Gothic architecture at Colmar, incorporates 13th and 14th century structures, which were thoroughly redesigned in the late 16th century (1599–1603) and in the 17th century. Its medieval features include a wood section in the attic, an old frame, a spear, as well as a trilobed opening in the back façade. The courtyard also houses a drinking bowl and a well console dating back to this period.
The Renaissance marked the addition of a wooden baluster gallery to the outbuildings, while the wrought iron railings, the staircase with balusters (XVIII century), and other decorative elements testify to subsequent evolutions. The seal of the Chancery, now kept at the Unterlinden Museum, represents a mass of weapons surrounded by Arabicsques and bears the inscription "SIG:SECRETUM-CANCELL-COLMARIENSIS". This silver object (18 mm high, 37 mm in diameter) symbolized the administrative authority of the Free City of Empire.
Ranked a historic monument in 1992, the building protects its commons, gate, fence and guardrails from the 17th and 19th centuries. These protections underline its heritage importance, mixing medieval heritage, renaissant influences and Baroque adaptations. The chancery thus illustrates the architectural and political evolution of Colmar, an ancient Alsatian imperial city, through more than four centuries of history.
The main body and appendices, with their gemined bays in the middle and their interior decorations, reflect the administrative and legal functions of the building. The presence of a drinking pot in the courtyard also recalls its practical use, linked to the daily life of the time. Today, this monument offers a tangible testimony of urban organization and municipal power under the Old Regime, in an area marked by its status as a free city within the Holy Roman Empire.
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