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Origin and history

The hotel of Hanau, located in Place Broglie in Strasbourg, is an emblematic building of the first half of the eighteenth century. Built between 1731 and 1736 by architect Joseph Massol according to Robert de Cotte's plans, it replaces a former medieval hotel belonging to the Ochsenstein family, then to the Hanau-Lichtenberg. Its Regency style architecture, with a facade decorated with trophies and mascarons, reflects the prestige of its aristocratic sponsors.

As early as the 13th century, a noble residence occupied the present place, acquired in 1573 by Count Philippe de Hanau. In 1728 Régnier III de Hanau-Lichtenberg, the last male descendant, launched the construction of the new hotel. Upon his death in 1736, the building passed to his family by alliance, the Hesse-Darmstadt, before being confiscated in 1789 by the Revolution and renamed "House of Dagobert".

In 1805 Napoleon installed the Strasburg municipality, replacing the Rohan Palace as a town hall. Ranked a historic monument in 1921, the building now retains protocol functions (marriage, receptions) and houses administrative services such as the Urban Development Agency (ADEUS). Its renovation, launched in 2016 for 3.8 million euros, aims to preserve its interior decoration and protected facades.

The horseshoe plan, with a monumental entrance on Rue Brulée and a back façade opening onto Place Broglie, illustrates the balance between classical rigor and rock elegance. Although the municipal services moved from Star Square in 1976, the Hanau Hotel remains a symbol of the Strasbourg heritage, mixing political and architectural history.

The elements protected since 1921 include facades, while the period furniture, partially preserved, completes a representative set of aristocratic art of living in the Enlightenment century. Its current occupation by the protocol service and elected representatives perpetuates its central role in Strasbourg's civic life.

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