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Origin and history

The Lycée Fustel-de-Colanges of Strasbourg came into being in 1681, when Louis XIV, after the conquest of the free imperial city of Strasbourg, authorized the Jesuits to establish a Royal College there in 1685. This college, designed to educate Alsatian youth in the Catholic and French languages, is built in a classical architectural style in the 17th century. The buildings, adjacent to the Grand Séminaire and the Rohan Palace, became a symbol of French influence in a region then mostly Protestant and German-speaking. During the Revolution (1795-1802), the premises housed a central school with a precarious existence, before being transformed into an imperial high school in 1804 under Napoleon I, marking his vocation to form the national elite.

In 1871, after the annexation of Alsace-Lorraine by Germany, the high school was renamed Kaiserliches Lyzeum and joined the German education system until 1918. The period was marked by tensions, such as the forced withdrawal of Francophile Alsatian students, including Charles Andler in 1879. After the First World War, the establishment regained its French status in 1919 and was named in tribute to historian Numa Denis Fustel de Coulanges, a former professor at the University of Strasbourg. During World War II, during the Nazi occupation (1940-1944), he became the Oberschule Erwin von Steinbach, before returning to his present name at the Liberation.

The high school is distinguished by its Jesuit heritage and its pioneering role in Alsatian education. In the 19th century, he welcomed figures such as Jules Ferry, future Minister of Public Instruction, who obtained his baccalaureate in 1851. In 1974, he took part in the Experience of 58 High Schools, an innovative ministerial computer literacy project, equipped with a Mitra 15 minicomputer and LSE terminals. Today, he remains one of the three high schools in France to prepare specifically for the competition of the École nationale des Chartes, alongside Henri-IV (Paris) and Pierre-de-Fermat (Toulouse).

Architecturally, the high school occupies a set of 17th century classical buildings, partially protected as historical monuments since 1929 (façades and roofs on the Place du Château). Its location, at the foot of the cathedral and close to the Rohan Palace, makes it a central player in the Strasbourg heritage. In 2022, he was ranked 2nd high school in Bas-Rhin and 223rd at the national level, highlighting his academic excellence, particularly in literary fields and ancient languages (Latin, Greek).

The establishment celebrates significant anniversaries, such as the three-hundredth anniversary of the Royal College in 1985 and the two-hundredth anniversary of the Imperial Lycée in 2004. Its history reflects the political upheavals of Alsace, moving from French influence to German, then again French, while maintaining an educational identity of excellence. Today, it offers rare teachings, such as Eastern languages (Chinese, Japanese, Russian) and theme classes (Humanities, Archimedes, Heritage), strengthening its status as an exceptional high school in the Far East.

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