Legendary Foundation 1119 (≈ 1119)
First charter written in 1143.
1398
Current on-site relocation
Current on-site relocation 1398 (≈ 1398)
After destruction during conflicts.
1428
Completion of the chapel
Completion of the chapel 1428 (≈ 1428)
Dedicated to the sick and personal.
1716
A devastating fire
A devastating fire 1716 (≈ 1716)
Reconstruction from 1718.
1738
Start of medical lessons
Start of medical lessons 1738 (≈ 1738)
First practical education in France.
1872
University-hospital convention
University-hospital convention 1872 (≈ 1872)
German hospital-university model.
1940
Evacuation to the Dordogne
Evacuation to the Dordogne 1940 (≈ 1940)
Become "Hôpital de la Résistance".
2008
Inauguration of NHC
Inauguration of NHC 2008 (≈ 2008)
Centralization of medical services.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The main building and the former anatomy room: inscription by decree of 13 June 1929 - The tower and door of the Hospital (vestiges of the enclosure of the Middle Ages): inscription by decree of 13 June 1929 - The facades and roofs of the animal pavilion (Box 10 53): inscription by order of 20 March 1989 - The former Pharmacy (former bakery, former pharmacy, administrative building housing the council hall), in full (ca. 10 152, cf. plan annexed to the decree): registration by order of 15 June 2011 - The House of the Sisters in full (cad. 11 17, cf. plan annexed to the decree): inscription by decree of 15 June 2011 The passages and structural elements of the wall of enclosure of the Civil Hospital in place, so named and located on the plan annexed to the decree: 1/ guard pavilion (Quai Louis-Pasteur); 2/ Ha-ha: two stonestone piers carrying the coat of arms of the civilian hospital, covering a gate, two bays and their gate (Quai Louis-Pasteur); 3/ two sandstone stiffening legs bearing the coat of arms of the civil hospital (Quai Louis-Pasteur); 4/ south door (Quai Louis-Pasteur): two guard and gate lodges; 5/ Kirschleger door: doorman's lodge and gate on the left (vantaux bearing the coat of arms of the civil hospital and stonestones) ; as well as the segment of the wall of enclosure pierced by murderers with sandstone support and chaperoned with sandstone slabs between the guardhouse (1) and the south gate (4), quai Louis-Pasteur (cad. 41 05 ; 10 154 ; 41 94): inscription by order of 13 January 2012
Key figures
Jean-Jacques Sachs - Professor of Pathology
Instructor of practical lessons in 1738.
Claude Vasconi - Architect
Manufacturer of the New Civil Hospital (2008).
Patrice Bonnet - Chief Architect
Author of the animal pavilion (1921).
Jacques Marescaux - Surgeon and Professor
Founder of IRCAD (medical research).
Frédéric de Blankenheim - Bishop of Strasbourg
Conflict that led to the destruction of 1392.
Origin and history
The Civil Hospital of Strasbourg came into being in 1119, according to a charter of 1143, although a legend associated with Saint Odile in the 7th century. Originally located near the cathedral, it was run by religious and intended for the spiritual care of the poor and pilgrims. Its charitable role was rooted in the medieval context of ecclesiastical institutions, where Christian charity structured assistance to the poorest.
In the 14th century, in the face of plague outbreaks and famines, the hospital was moved out of the walls of Strasbourg, near the "Hôpital Gate". Destroyed in 1392 for military reasons, it was rebuilt in 1398 on its current location. The Hospices cellar, dating from 1395, symbolized the institution's self-sufficiency, welcoming sick, poor, and travellers. A dedicated chapel was completed in 1428, and a bakery opened in 1572, reflecting the expansion of its activities.
A devastating fire in 1716 razed most of the buildings, saving only the economist, the bakery, and the medieval cellar. The reconstruction, carried out from 1718 by architect F.-R. Mollinger, gave birth to the current main building. The eighteenth century also marked an educational turning point: in 1738, practical lessons were introduced for medical students, under the leadership of Professor Jean-Jacques Sachs, foreshadowing the hospital-university model.
The German period (1871-1918) radically transformed the site. The imperial authorities established modern medical institutes (anatomy, physiology, bacteriology) and specialized clinics (surgery, psychiatry, gynaecology), integrating university research into care. A convention of 1872 formalized the collaboration between the university and the hospital, laying the foundations for a system still visible today. Between 1881 and 1914, a dozen clinics were established, including a maternity clinic (1911) and a radiology clinic (1912).
The twentieth century was marked by global conflicts. In 1939, the hospital was evacuated to Clairvivre (Dordogne), where it became a symbol of the Resistance. After 1945, the Faculty of Medicine developed independently of the hospital site, with the construction of new buildings in the 1960s. In 2008, the New Civil Hospital (NHC), a monobloc designed by Claude Vasconi, centralized most services, while preserving historical pavilions such as the 14th century cellar or the old pharmacy.
Today, the Strasbourg Civil Hospital combines heritage and modernity. Several elements, including the medieval gate tower, the Danatomy Room (1740), and Patrice Bonnet's animal pavilion (1921), are listed as Historic Monuments. The site still houses medical, academic, and rehabilitation projects, such as Nextmed technopark dedicated to medical technologies. Its history reflects the social, scientific and political changes of Alsace, from medieval assistance to contemporary medical excellence.
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