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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The house of the Baths of Obernai, located at 24 rue Sainte-Odile, has occupied since 1441 the site of the Mittelbadstub (bath of the middle town), one of the three thermal establishments that housed the Alsatian city. This building, owned by the city of Obernai, was rebuilt in 1567 as indicated by the date worn on its façade. He served as a public bath until 1826, when he was converted into occupied dwellings until World War II. Today, the building retains three vaulted rooms, a well and ventilating holes, as well as tasker marks bearing witness to its artisanal history.

Ranked a historic monument by order of 12 October 1929, the protection specifically concerns its facade, the room of the old basin, a room with well and an adjoining pantry. These architectural elements, typical of medieval and reborn seaside establishments, illustrate the importance of public baths in the social and hygienic life of the Alsatian cities before the 19th century. The Maison des Bains thus embodies both communal and vernacular heritage, marked by its collective use and its transformation into private habitat.

The site, although not explicitly mentioned as open to the public in available sources, remains a rare testimony of the urban health infrastructure of Ancien Régime. Its architecture, combining utility functions (ventilation, water supply) and modest decors (task marks), reflects the local know-how of the second half of the 16th century. The accuracy of its location (notation 5/10 in the Merimée database) suggests minor uncertainties on its exact location, despite the registered official address.

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