Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Museums of the Rohan Castle are located in the former Episcopal Residence of Saverne, in the Lower Rhine. This site exhibits a rich archaeological and historical heritage, including an exceptional collection of Gallo-Roman steles and remains from the region, including those of the ancient Tres Tabernæ. The surrounding Vosgesian forests have enabled remarkable conservation of these artifacts, often discovered in situ thanks to the presence of local sandstone quarries. The sites represented include necropolises and Gallo-Roman settlements of Saverne, Eckartswiller, Haegen, as well as Mosellan discoveries such as Waldscheid or Garrebourg.

The museum also presents Saverne's history through models, paintings, religious statues and remains of nearby castles. A major section is dedicated to the donation Louise Weiss, gathering furniture, paintings from the 19th and 20th centuries, ethnographic objects and archives illustrating the battles of this intellectual figure. The large gallery of the castle also hosts temporary exhibitions, supplementing the permanent collections.

Founded in 1858 to preserve local archaeological remains, the museum has been enriched over time, notably between 1952 and 1966 by donations of paintings by Alfred Roll, and in 1983 by the legacy of Louise Weiss. Its collections cover archaeology (prehistory in medieval times), religious art (sculptures from the 15th to the 19th century), decorative arts, and ethnology. The Rohan Castle, an associated historical monument, was the residence of the prince-bishops of Strasbourg, strengthening its heritage anchor.

The Gallo-Roman lapidary collection, with more than 450 steles and architectural elements, is nationally recognized for its abundance and diversity. Funeral steles, in particular, offer a complete overview of their typology, while fragments of votive or funerary monuments, re-used in the Roman enclosure of the fourth century (partly preserved), testify to the ancient history of the region. The museum also plays a role as a repository of excavations, consolidating its status as a scientific reference.

The topics covered range from national archaeology (gallo-Roman, medieval) to Christian art, military collections, numismatics or popular traditions. The castle also houses 15th century stained glass windows, ceramics, ancient locks, and decorative art objects. Its label Musée de France and its location on Place du Général de Gaulle make it a central cultural place in the Great East.

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