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Origin and history

The belfry of Thionville found its origins in the franchise charter of 1239, granted by the Counts of Luxembourg, authorizing the bourgeois to erect an enclosure with a watchtower. As early as 1315, a watchman was mentioned. In the 14th century, a first belfry was built, including a tower and an adjacent communal building housing a courtroom and a hospital for the poor. The big bell of the city, attested as early as 1363, was installed there, although it was recast several times. This first ensemble symbolized the communal freedoms of Thionville, then under Luxembourg influence.

The present tower, rebuilt in the first half of the sixteenth century, coincides with the fortification works commissioned by Charles Quint. It appears clearly on Jacques de Deventer's plan around 1565. In 1699, the upper part was redone, adding a clock level topped by an imperial roof. The adjacent building, on the street of the Ancien-Hôtel-de-Ville, welcomes the town hall from 1708, before its move to the 19th century. This building was rebuilt in 1836 in a neoclassical style, while a cast iron fountain was added in 1831 at the foot of the belfry.

The current public clock, created in 1859 by the Strasbourgeois Schwilgue, replaces the previous mechanisms. Despite the damage sustained during the siege of 1870, the tower retained its 1699 frame and four bells dating from 1656, 1689, 1746 and 1844. Partly inscribed in historical monuments since 1980, the belfry today embodies the medieval and reborn heritage of Thionville, between communal power and successive architectural adaptations.

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