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Origin and history

The walls of Molsheim, built mainly between 1250 and 1320, replace earlier fortifications in earth and wood. Built in sandstone, they girdle the city for about 2,200 meters, forming an irregular quadrilateral of 500 to 600 meters. Their height (7 to 8 metres) and their variable thickness (up to 1.70 metres) made it a formidable defence, reinforced by towers and three fortified doors. The only remaining gate of the Forgerons ("Schmiedtor"), marked the southern entrance, while the gates of the Mountain ("Bergtor") and the Tanneurs ("Gerbertor") disappeared. These ramparts, inscribed in the Historical Monuments in 1989, illustrate the medieval Alsatian urbanization.

The construction of the ramparts coincided with the recognition of Molsheim as a "fortified city" (oppidum) in 1252, although they remained incomplete during the Battle of Hausbergen (1262), where the city paid a ransom to avoid looting. A major construction phase took place between 1250 and 1260, when 29 of the 80 Alsatian enclosures were built. Jean de Dirpheim, after the transfer of sovereignty to the bishops of Strasbourg (1308-1309), would have enlarged the eastern rampart to include a hospice. Despite these reinforcements, the city suffered several sieges: fire by Robert I of the Palatinate in 1388, bombardment during the war of the bishops (1592), and successive captures during the Thirty Years' War and the Dutch War.

The ramparts, partially destroyed in the 19th century to facilitate urban expansion, retain significant remains. Their defensive structure included murderers, shooting flares, and interior stairs to the top. The powder tower ("Pulverturm") in the west was equipped with gunboats protected by salient stones. Although Molsheim lost its status as a major stronghold after the 15th century, its ramparts remain an exceptional testimony of medieval military architecture in Alsace, reflecting both local conflicts and urban developments in the region.

Beyond their defensive role, the ramparts symbolized the political status of Molsheim. Their construction is part of a regional movement: neighbouring cities such as Rosheim, Obernai or Dachstein erected their own enclosures between 1250 and 1350. The comparison with Obernai, whose ramparts were considered as strong in 1400, underscores the strategic importance of Molsheim. However, religious wars (XVIth-17th centuries) and European conflicts (Thirty Years' War) gradually weakened its defensive system, despite occasional reparations. Today, the recorded remains offer a glimpse of this turbulent history.

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