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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Star House is an emblematic building located at 42 rue du Général-de-Gaulle in Riquewihr, in the Haut-Rhin department. Built in the 4th quarter of the 17th century (dated 1686), it is distinguished by its facade in carved wood, blending ornamental motifs (dolphins, angelots, grapes) and local symbols such as the eponymous star or the city's weapons. Originally, this building served as a communal inn for the lower town, before being rebuilt in 1686 under the direction of master craftsmen from Ribeauvillé and Zurich sculptor Zacharias Wolfensperger.

Sold by the city in 1721 because of debt, the house remained inn until 1890. Its architecture combines a ground floor in sandstone (windows, dated cartridges) and a richly decorated half-timbered floor, including allegorical figures (vigneron, woman, character with cup). The façade was restored in 1923 by architect Edouard Spittler, while the current sign, made of painted iron (1928), was inspired by a drawing by Hansi (Jean-Jacques Waltz).

Ranked a historic monument in 1930 (facade and roof), the house illustrates the Alsatian heritage of the Great East, marked by the influence of local corporations and transregional artistic exchanges. The dependencies, partly dated from 1686, complete this historical ensemble, a witness to the social and economic life of Riquewihr in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Notable architectural details include the back-slope wooden dormitory, the curule chairs carved in the windows' allegories, or the open-worked guardrail of the east outbuilding. These elements reflect the know-how of the artisans of the time, as well as the central role of the inn as a place of assembly and commerce.

The original cover, replaced in 1870 by a mansard roof in slate, and subsequent restorations (XX century) highlight the successive adaptations of the building. Today, the Star House embodies both the medieval heritage of Riquewihr and the architectural transformations of Modern Times in Alsace.

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