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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Schongauer House, also known as the Swan House, is an iconic monument to Colmar in the Upper Rhine. Built at the end of the 15th century, it underwent major transformations in the 17th and 18th centuries, thus mixing Gothic elements (such as the portals adorned with arches and foliage) with a more sober Renaissance facade. The building is distinguished by its massive ground floor pierced by arcades, topped by three floors in corbellation and a gable on two levels. His name comes from the Schongauer family, although the famous painter Martin Schongauer never resided.

The main façade, facing the Rue des Marchands, contrasts with Schongauer Street, where older remains remain, including two Gothic portals from the early 16th century. One of them, now walled, has an arch in a braid decorated with vegetal motifs and crowned with a flower, bearing the Alsatian architectural style of the time. The facades and roofs of the building were protected by an inscription to historic monuments on June 18, 1929, thereby recognizing its heritage value.

Although modified over the centuries, the Schongauer House illustrates the urban evolution of Colmar, a successful merchant town in the Middle Ages. Its strategic location, between two shopping streets, reflects its past role in local economic life. The preserved Gothic elements, such as the bay adorned with Schongauer Street, also recall the artistic influence of the region, especially through families such as the Schongauer, major cultural actors in Alsace.

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