Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The building at 44 Franciscan Street in Mulhouse occupies a historic location, formerly occupied in the thirteenth century by the supply (administrative office) of the Schoensteinbach convent. This place, marked by a medieval religious presence, was transformed over the centuries into a civil home, reflecting the urban and social changes of Mulhouse.

In 1713, the property was acquired by Engelbert Feer, then destroyed and rebuilt around 1764 by his son, Jean Jacques Feer, a Mulhousian merchant. The latter, married to Judith Cornetz — from a family of industrialists — erected a bourgeois house that embodied the economic development of the city in the 18th century. The house, renamed Zum Loewenfels after its sale to Pierre Schlumberger in 1788, illustrates the links between architectural heritage and commercial dynamism.

In the 19th century, the building changed its vocation again: bought in 1847 by brewer Jacques Degermann, it houses a brewery in its outbuildings, testifying to the growing industrialisation of Mulhouse. After 1949, the Saint-Marie circle became the owner, restaurant of the building and installed the parish foyer of Sainte-Marie, while destroying the industrial annexes. This transformation marks its transition from private use to a community and religious function.

Ranked a historic monument in 1985 for its façade and roof, the building is now managed by an association. Its history, mixing medieval heritage, commercial prosperity and modern adaptations, makes it a symbol of the temporal strata of Mulhouse, between Alsace and Grand Est.

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