Initial construction 1ère moitié XIIe siècle (≈ 1250)
Building prior to the fortifications of Rouffach.
11 mars 2005
Registration MH
Registration MH 11 mars 2005 (≈ 2005)
Protection of exterior walls by arrest.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Key figures
Ministériel de l'évêque de Strasbourg - Suspected resident
Ecclesiastical official linked to the building.
Origin and history
The house at 55 Rettig Street in Rouffach is a historic monument registered since 2005. This square and tower-shaped building dates back to the first half of the 12th century. It consists of a ground floor and two floors, with partially original openings, such as a lighting slot in the south gable and a square bay on the second floor. Its architecture suggests that it preceded the city's first fortifications.
According to the sources, this building was used as a residence for a minister of the bishop of Strasbourg, an ecclesiastical official responsible for administering property or seigneurial rights. The door in the middle of the north gable, not contemporary of the construction, indicates subsequent modifications. Its inscription in the title of historical monuments (Decree of 11 March 2005) protects its exterior walls in their original state.
Rouffach, located in the Upper Rhine (Great East), was a strategic city in medieval Alsace, marked by the influence of the bishops of Strasbourg and local lords. The ministers, like the one who probably lived in this house, played a key role in the management of episcopal territories, between religious power and secular administration. This type of building reflects early defensive civil architecture, prior to urban ramparts.
