Timeline

Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The house at 9 rue de Strasbourg in Molsheim (Bas-Rhin) is a civil building emblematic of Alsatian Renaissance architecture, built in the early seventeenth century. Dated precisely from 1605, it was erected for a baker, as evidenced by the emblems of the profession (including a pretzel) carved on the window of the first floor. Its facades are distinguished by neat decorative elements: carved quadripartite windows with chambranles, side columnettes, and shell niches, as well as wood allegations partially carved and filled with crepi. Two-level corbellation, supported by sandstone crows, and consoles decorated with lion heads or a putti holding the emblem of bakers, illustrate the artisanal know-how of the time.

Classified as a historic monument by order of 18 June 1929, this adjoining house retains traces of its original use, although the ground floor has been completely redesigned to accommodate a butcher-carcuterie extending up to the back yard. The wooden screw staircase, located in-work and accessible by a side corridor, as well as the windows cut from the second floor allegories, recall the spatial organization of the urban dwellings of the period. The windows, although redesigned, retain their Renaissance structure, while the facade and roof, protected by the inscription, testify to the heritage importance of this building in the historical landscape of Molsheim.

The building is part of an urban context marked by artisanal and commercial activity, typical of the Alsatian cities in the 17th century. The presence of bakery-related motifs and the subsequent transformation into a butcher shop underline the economic vocation of these often versatile houses. Its early inscription (1929) among historical monuments reflects the recognition of its architectural and symbolic value, at a time when the preservation of local heritage became a priority in France. Today, it is a representative example of the Renaissance heritage in Alsace, mixing domestic and artisanal functions in the same building.

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