Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The refectory of the DMC plant, located 13 rue de Pfatatt in Mulhouse, is part of a vast industrial complex founded in 1800 by Daniel Dollfus-Mieg. Originally, the company specialized in the production of Indian women, the printed fabrics that were very successful in the early 19th century. Unmechanized in its early days, the plant relied on a large workforce before diversifying its activities towards spinning and weaving, becoming a local economic pillar.

The industrial site, covering 75 hectares in the heart of Mulhouse, reflects the rapid expansion of the company. The refectory, now unoccupied, bears witness to the social organization of the time, where collective spaces played a central role in the lives of the workers. Since 2008, the building has belonged to the Société d'Equipement de la Région Mulhousienne (SERM), with a renovation project entrusted to architects Reichen and Robert to transform it into a place open to the public.

Ranked a historic monument since August 26, 2015, the refectory is fully protected, including its original landscape. This ranking underscores its heritage importance, both as a vestige of 19th-century industrial architecture and as a symbol of Mulhusian labour history. The DMC plant, with its refectory, thus embodies the memory of Alsatian textile, a sector that has shaped Mulhouse's economic and social identity.

The accuracy of its location is estimated to be mediocre (note 5/10), possibly reflecting the urban transformations at the site. The available coordinates place the building at the historic address of 13 rue de Pfastatt, in the department of Haut-Rhin. Its future, linked to a redevelopment project, could revive this historic place, while preserving its industrial authenticity.

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