Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The civilian hospital of Haguenau came into being in the 12th century, when Emperor Frédéric Barberousse founded in 1189 the Saint-Nicolas hospital, intended for pilgrims, outside the city walls. As soon as Haguenau gained independence, the city wished to have its own hospital. In 1328, the Imperial Provost Ottelin Truttmann offered a house on Place d'Armes to treat the sick, marking the birth of the bourgeois hospital. Successive donations (land, forests, buildings) enrich its heritage, but the establishment suffered repeated destructions between 1570 and 1677 (storm, fire).

The major reconstruction took place in 1757 under the direction of Georges-Joseph Barth, sub-greffier of the city, who designed a horse iron building with an inner courtyard and facades adorned with sculptures and rocks. The chapel, the heart of the hospital, is covered with a dome and allows patients to attend the services from the rooms. In 1883, the neighbouring military hospital was attached to the civilian establishment, which was further expanded in the 20th century (1950-1960) with the acquisition of a military building transformed into a retirement home.

The hospital, enrolled in historical monuments since 1930, suffered damage in 1944 during the Second World War, before being rebuilt and modernized. In 1968, a prefabricated pavilion hosted maternity, paediatrics and delivery rooms. With 410 beds in surgery, medicine, paediatrics and geriatrics, it also became a training place for medical students in Strasbourg from 1950. Today, disused, it bears witness to eight centuries of Alsatian hospital history.

The architecture combines functionality and decor: the facades, carefully carved, combine human faces and plant motifs (rocks). The basements, vaulted in cradles or ridges, support a robust structure, while the Saint Martin Chapel, blessed in 1329 and rebuilt after the destruction, illustrates the evolution of religious styles. Joseph Massol's initial project inspired Barth, and Jean-Baptiste Chassain intervened for the chapel in 1759. The military wing of 1812 and the enlargements of 1863 (by architect Petiti) complete this heterogeneous ensemble.

The social vocation of the hospital evolves with the times: refuge for pilgrims in the Middle Ages, place of care for the sick from the 14th century, then modern institution integrating medical training and specializations (maternity, geriatrics). Private bequests and donations, such as Erlewin Truttmann's in 1328, highlight the community commitment around this building, a symbol of resilience to wars and natural disasters.

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