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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The building at 20, Place du Marché in Obernai is a rare example of Renaissance civil architecture in Alsace, built at the end of the 16th century. The building is distinguished by its stone façade adorned with a Renaissance window dressing, resting on carved pillars. One of these pillars is dated 1575, while the house itself is dated 1584. These decorative elements, as well as visible taskmen's marks, bear witness to the craftsmanship of the period and the importance attached to the ornamentation of bourgeois houses.

The building was the subject of dual heritage protection: its facades and roofs were registered as historical monuments by order of 18 June 1929, then its oriel (logette) dated 1575 was classified by order of 15 April 1958. This official recognition highlights the architectural and historical value of the building, representative of the Alsatian urban heritage of the Renaissance. The house also illustrates the architectural changes that occurred in the 18th century, although the sources do not specify the exact nature of these changes.

Obernai, a town in the Lower Rhine, was in the Renaissance a dynamic commercial and cultural crossroads in the Alsatian region. The half-timbered or stone houses, like this building, reflected the prosperity of local merchants and artisans. These buildings served as both a dwelling, a workshop and sometimes a storage space for goods, playing a central role in the economic and social life of the city. The Market Square, where the building is located, was then a beating heart of the city, a place of exchanges and meetings for the inhabitants.

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