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Origin and history

Turckheim Guard is a historic monument located in Wickran Square and 1 Wickram Street in Turckheim, Upper Rhine. Built between the late 16th century (circa 1580) and the 18th century, its initial use remains uncertain. It could have served as a city hall, although its construction coincided with that of the current city hall. It was also used as Herrenstube (a meeting place for nobles), then as a space for the city's corporations from the 16th century. At the time of the Revolution, after the dissolution of the corporations, the building became a girls' school, a guard corps, a prison, and housed a house for the sisters upstairs.

In 1650 the building was enlarged by the addition of a stable. A bell dated 1658, melted by Abraham Rohr of Colmar, is installed in the campanile. The gable bears the embossed and painted coat of arms of the Germanic Empire. In 1930, facades and roofs were listed as historical monuments. Around 1960, a major restoration took place, with a restoration of the triplet windows on the first floor and the addition of a modern door with an inflected arch. Today, the guard corps houses the municipal police and the Turckheim Tourist Office.

Sources indicate an approximate location (accuracy noted 5/10) and communal property. The building illustrates the evolution of urban uses in Alsace, moving from a noble corporate role to administrative and tourist functions. Its architecture, marked by sill windows and a door in the middle, reflects the styles of the 16th and 18th centuries.

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