Partial classification 2017 (≈ 2017)
Roasted and classified remains.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Wall of southern enclosure; vestige of the Badstubtor gate (Box 01 141, 142): inscription by order of 25 February 2000. In total, the fortified enclosure of Westhoffen, i.e. the east and west sides of the fortified enclosure, the remains of the former church of St.Erhard, the bridge opposite the latter, the ditch in its preserved remains (with falsification and counterscarp) as well as in its route (historical plate), the elements already inscribed in 1931 (northern flank and towers); the elements already recorded in 2000 (southward flank and remains of the Lower Gate), as presented in red on the plan attached to the decree (ca. 01 17, 21 to 36, 61, 77, 79 to 81, 122 to 142, 166, 173-174, 208-209, 221, 230, 234, 246, 248, 253-254, 275-276): inscription by order of 16 November 2015. The following elements of the fortified enclosure, in accordance with the plan annexed to the decree: the parts of the enclosure with its faux-braie and its ditch (built elements, remains, soils of the historical right-of-way) (ca. 01 36, 138, 139, 142, 246, 248, 276) including the parts of the counterscarp located on the southern limit of plots 28 to 31, the remains of the former church Saint-Erhard (ca. 01 61): classification by order of 29 March 2017
Key figures
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Origin and history
The Westhoffen fortifications are a medieval defensive complex built in the 2nd quarter of the 14th century to protect the upper city. The enclosure, still well preserved on its original layout, consists of a wall of raised enclosure in the 15th century, equipped with a round road on arches and flanked by six towers of various shapes: three closed square towers, two towers open to the gorge (north and south), and a circular tower added in the 15th century to the northeast corner. St. Ehrard's corner chains, the remains of the lower gate (Badstubtor), and the traces of the church built into the northeast wall show successive modifications, including an elevation in the 16th century to adapt the north tower to artillery.
The initial defensive system also included an outer enclosure (early 14th century), now extinct, consisting of a rise of land, a wooden palisade and a ditch. Two main doors — the low gate (Badstubtor) and the high gate (Klingeltor), now removed — were rhythmic access to the city. The castle of Rosenburg (XI–XII century), prior to the fortifications, participated in the overall defence of the agglomeration. The ditches and counterscarp, particularly visible in the north and north-east, contrast with the southern areas congested by later constructions.
These fortifications are listed and listed several times (1931, 2000, 2015, 2017) and illustrate the evolution of Alsatian military techniques, from medieval ramparts to artillery adaptations. The tower Staedelglöckelturm (southwest), crowned at the end of the eighteenth century, and the remains of St.Ehrard's church (XIIth–XIVth centuries) highlight the historical stratification of the site. The property, shared between the municipality and private actors, preserves built elements, soils and protected archaeological traces.
The inner enclosure, quoted in 1332, reflects the medieval urban organization of Westhoffen, where collective defence predominated. Architectural changes — such as the 19th-century brick structure on the Northwest Tower — reveal continued occupation and functional reallocations. The site, although partially altered, offers a rare example in Alsace of village fortifications preserved on their historical plate, with tangible traces of their role in the community and military life of the Bas-Rhin.
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