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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Saint John Commandory of Strasbourg is a medieval architectural complex whose construction spanned from the 14th to the 18th century. Originally occupied by the Trinity convent, the site was entrusted to the Augustins in 1252 before being bought in 1371 by banker Rulman Merswin. The latter founded the "house of the Green Isle", a hermitage for lay people, which he entrusted to the Hospitallers of the Order of St John of Jerusalem. The commandory then became a high place of the Rhine mystic, welcoming figures like Emperor Maximilian I of Austria between 1492 and 1507.

In 1520, a syphilitic hospital was erected on the site, whose building still remains today. During the Thirty Years' War, the command office was evacuated in 1633 and demolished the same year. Despite attempts by the Hospitallers to recover the site after peace, he remained abandoned until 1687, when the city of Strasbourg took possession of it. Only the façade of the hospital building of 1547, decorated with trompe l'oeil windows, bears witness to this period.

In the 18th century, the municipality transformed the ruins into a prison, the Raspelhus, where detainees were occupied with manual work such as the grating of gaiac wood to treat syphilis. The prison, old and overcrowded, closed permanently in 1988. Archaeological excavations then reveal Gallo-Roman remains, 16th-17th century ceramics, and the foundations of successive convents. After restoration, the site has been hosting since 1991 the National School of Administration (now the National Institute of Public Service in 2022).

The building, which has been listed as a historic monument since 1971, now exhibits artifacts from the excavations in its lobby. Its history reflects the urban and social transformations of Strasbourg, from medieval to modern administration.

Archaeological discoveries include a network of underground galleries transformed into sewers, a stone well of the High Middle Ages, and stilts attesting to ancient port activities. These elements illustrate the strategic importance of the site, located near river exchange routes. The commandery thus embodies several historical strata, from medieval spirituality to prison service, before becoming a symbol of contemporary public administration.

Future

After the restoration and restructuring of the prison buildings, carried out under the direction of architects Michel Moretti and Gérard Altorffer, Mrs Edith Cresson then Prime Minister announced on 7 November 1991 the transfer of the National School of Administration to Strasbourg.

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