Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The house at 22 Allied Square in Masevaux-Niederbruck (formerly Masevaux, Haut-Rhin) is an emblematic building of the first half of the 16th century, marked by Renaissance architecture. It is distinguished by its lateral transverse corridor, its right staircase adorned with carved wooden balusters, and an entrance door to the moulure chamber, although very restored. These elements, typical of the period, reveal an aesthetic and functional will peculiar to bourgeois or notable dwellings of the time in Alsace.

In the 18th century, the house underwent major renovations, particularly in terms of its roof and openings, reflecting the architectural changes and new needs of its occupants. At that time, she became the home of two major French diplomatic figures: Conrad Alexandre Gérard (1729-1790), first French ambassador to the United States, and Joseph Mathias Gérard de Rayneval (1736-1812), diplomat and writer. Their birth in this place underscores its anchor in the political and intellectual history of the region.

Ranked a historic monument by order of 24 May 1937, the protection concerns specifically its entrance gate, a remarkable architectural element. This classification reflects the heritage value of the building, both for its preserved Renaissance style and its connection to historical personalities. The ground vaults of the second floor windows, decorated with a cellar, as well as the traces of an old cellar door on the ground floor, add to its archaeological and historical interest.

The location of the house, in the centre of Masevaux, then dynamic city of the Upper Rhine, reflects its role in local life. During the Renaissance, this region, marked by intense cultural and commercial exchanges between France and the German Empire, saw the blooming of urban houses combining late Gothic and Renaissance influences. These houses often served as residences for wealthy, merchant or administrative families, as the Gérards attest, whose diplomatic career illustrates the international opening of Alsace in the 18th century.

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