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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The chapel of the Jesuit College of Maubeuge, built in 1624 by architect Jean de Block in a Baroque style, was originally dedicated to worship. Disacralized in 1793 during the Revolution, it was renamed Sthrau Hall in tribute to an Alsatian soldier who died in Wattignies. In the 19th century, it served in turn as a military store, stable, barracks, and then as a museum and library before 1914. The bombardments of September 1914, during the siege of Maubeuge, destroyed its interior, leaving only the exterior walls and the 17th century gable intact.

In 1925, the Maubeuge architects Jean and Henri Lafitte undertook his reconstruction in an Art Deco style, completed in 1927. The project divided the space into two levels: a music room on the ground floor and a ballroom on the floor, topped by an elliptical window. The interior decorations, signed Henri Lafitte (frescoes of 1927, ironworks, vaults in nest-d'bees), combine local historical references — such as La Fête de la libération de 1749 — and artistic tributes, including a fresco dedicated to the painter Mabuse, native of Maubeuge. The chapel, partially classified as a historical monument in 1958 (façades) and then 1997 (inside), was reacralized after 1945 to make up for the destruction of the church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul.

Closed in 1998 for security reasons, the Sthrau Hall benefited from a major restoration in 2018 (5 M€), funded by the City and the Heritage Foundation. The works allowed us to find the original volumes, consolidate the reinforced concrete vaults, and restore the emblematic decorations: stuccos, stained glass windows (Pierre-Brouard workshop), and ceramics on the ground from the Douzies factory. Today integrated into the municipal cultural pole, it hosts concerts, conferences, and the Micro-folio, while preserving its 17th century baroque apse, a witness to its religious past.

The building illustrates a unique superimposition of styles: the brick and blue stone facade, with its pillared portal and broken pediment decorated with the Maubeuge coat of arms, contrasts with the Art Deco interior. Modern materials (concrete, ironwork, glass) interact with historical remains, such as ceiling stucco boxes or wall paintings. The ballroom, with its cradle vault and glazed ceiling, remains a rare example of the festive architecture of the 1920s, designed for the city's workers.

Its history reflects Maubeuge's upheavals: revolutionary disuse, wartime destruction (1914-1918 and 1939-1945), and cultural reconversion. Historic Monument protection underscores its heritage value, both religious, military, and artistic. The restoration of 2018 preserved this hybrid place, where Jesuit memory, industrial heritage, and decorative creation intersect, while adapting to contemporary norms (accessibility, security).

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