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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

Colmar's guard corps, located in the 17th Place de la Cathédrale, occupies the former chapel of Saint James, first mentioned in 1286. This chapel, converted into an ossuary in 1308 after the partial suppression of its cemetery, was definitively abolished in 1533 by an imperial edict prohibiting cemeteries in the city. The arches of the chapel are still visible on the rear wall of the current building.

Built in 1575 under the direction of the master of work Melchior Beier, the guard body incorporated a loggia (1577–82) where the Magistrate took oath and pronounced convictions. Initially planned as a city hall, the building was then used as housing for the municipal guard. Its Renaissance-Rhenish architecture is distinguished by a Tuscan-column portal, a pediment decorated with volutes, and a loggia with carved motifs (palmettes, shields, heads).

The building preserves remarkable elements: an ossuary crypt classified in 1991, a wooden screw staircase, and a large room on the first floor with original painted decorations (including an MDLXXV engraved beam). The facades, roofs and this hall were classified as historical monuments as early as 1958. A narrow passage, formerly called Kragengässlein, connects the Cathedral Square to the rue des Marchands, where there was a nut market.

The guard corps illustrates the transition between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance in Colmar, mixing religious heritage (medieval ossuary) and civic functions (justice, police). Its portal and loggia are among the jewels of Rhine architecture, reflecting the influence of Italian models adapted to local traditions.

Owned by the municipality, the monument is today a symbol of the Alsatian heritage, protected for its facades, staircase, and interior decorations. Architects Melchior Beier (guard corps) and Michel Berck (crypt) left their mark, combining Gothic know-how and Renaissance innovations.

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