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Origin and history

The Grand Butcheries de Molsheim, nicknamed Metzig (Alsatian term meaning "abattoir" or "meat market"), were built in 1583, as evidenced by a dendrochronological analysis of their structure. This iconic Renaissance-style building served both as a slaughterhouse, as a place to sell meat on the ground floor (via arches in the middle of the hangar), and as a meeting room for the powerful butcher corporation upstairs. The façade, adorned with a jacquemart clock turret (1607) and an open balustrade, reflected the prestige of this corporation, one of the most influential in the city.

However, the history of the Metzig dates back long before 1583: a first municipal butcher shop was mentioned in 1416, and a "new Metzig" was financed in 1525-1526 by six local butchers (30 each), as evidenced by the city's accounts. However, there is no evidence that these previous buildings occupied the same location. The current building, classified as a historical monument since 1920, was erected on the ruins of a collapsed Kauffhauß (municipal store), as reported in the Molsheim archives. Its construction in a single campaign is confirmed by the marks of eleven stone tailors, some of which are found at all levels of the building.

Over the centuries, the Metzig has had various assignments: slaughterhouse and place of sale until the 19th century, court of instance between 1870 and 1908, and then historical museum of the city of 1986 (after a move from the first floor in 1986 to the former chartreuse). The ground floor, vaulted on six sandstone pillars, still preserved traces of its use butcher in the 1980s: iron hooks, wooden winches, and blood drains. The floor, reserved for banquets and corporate meetings, was decorated with murals (disappeared) and a ceiling with ground soles. A major restoration between 1980 and 1983 helped to restore its original aspect, including the relocation of the pillars of the upper hall.

However, the west façade, which had not been modified since the 16th century, had undergone some additions in the 19th century, such as a side balcony (between 1836 and 1846) and stone antelots, probably replacing older elements. In 1962, Charles de Gaulle delivered a speech from a stage in front of the building, highlighting its symbolic importance. Today, the Metzig houses a restaurant on the ground floor and an exhibition room on the first floor, while remaining property of the municipality. Its roof, wrought iron gargoyles, and its automata clock (two antelots ringing hours) make it one of the most remarkable secular buildings in Alsace.

The archives show that the Molsheim butcher corporation, one of the richest in the city, played a central role in economic and social life. The building, designed to assert its power, combined public utility (meat supply) and prestige (reception room upstairs). Municipal accounts show that the butchers partially financed its construction, as in 1525, where each paid 30 sous for the "new butchers". The Metzig illustrates the Alsatian corporate organization, where trades and municipal power worked closely to manage local resources.

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