First use as a city hall 1459 (≈ 1459)
Initial building converted into town hall.
1648
Connection of Alsace to France
Connection of Alsace to France 1648 (≈ 1648)
Background to the establishment of the Sovereign Council.
1er mai 1698
Installation of the Conseil Souverain in Colmar
Installation of the Conseil Souverain in Colmar 1er mai 1698 (≈ 1698)
Fixed seat after several moves.
1764-1771
Construction of the current building
Construction of the current building 1764-1771 (≈ 1768)
Work of the architects Chassan and Rungs.
16 octobre 1930
Registration for historical monuments
Registration for historical monuments 16 octobre 1930 (≈ 1930)
Partial protection of the palace.
20 novembre 1998
Classification of facades and chapels
Classification of facades and chapels 20 novembre 1998 (≈ 1998)
Enhanced protection of remarkable elements.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Former palace, except for parts classified: inscription by order of 16 October 1930; Façades and roofs, as well as the two medieval chapels superimposed (Cad. The cadastral plots VH 26, 34 and 40 and TY 203 and 204, in full, comprising the buildings of: the former palace of the Conseil Souverain d'Alsace, including the former Wagkeller and the former sacristy of the church of Augustines; the former convent of the Augustins, which became a stopping house, with its undergrounds and subsequent extensions (wing of the women's district, wing of entry on the rue des Augustins and former house Foltz, known as the Limonadier); the former Gretscher House; the former commercial court, the present judicial court site of the Augustins; the court of seats; located at 1-3-5 rue des Augustins (former arrest house), at 23 rue Berthe-Molly (former Gretscher house), at 3 impasse Hoffmeister (courtyard), at 10 rue des Augustins (former current court of commerce court, site des Augustins), at 58 Grand'Rue (former palace of the Conseil Souverain d'Alsace), on plots n° 26, 34, 40, appearing in the cadastre section VH, and on plots n° 203, 204, appearing in the cadastre section YT, all in accordance with the plan annexed to the decree: inscription by order of 22 July 2024
Key figures
Louis XIV - King of France
Set up the Sovereign Council after 1648.
Chassain et de Rungs - Architects
The palace was conceived between 1764 and 1771.
Nicolas Börlin de Rorschach - Sculptor
Author of the original allegory of 1585.
Origin and history
The Palace of the Conseil Souverain d'Alsace, located at 56 Grand-Rue in Colmar (Haut-Rhin), is an emblematic monument of Alsatian judicial history. Originally, the building served as a city hall from 1459, before welcoming, from 1698, the Conseil Souverain — a superior court of justice established by Louis XIV after the annexation of Alsace in 1648. This provincial parliament, initially itinerant (Enzisheim, Vieux-Brisach, Neuf-Brisach), settled permanently in Colmar, marking the affirmation of royal power in the region.
The current building was rebuilt between 1764 and 1771 by the architects Chassan and Rungs, in a classic style combining pink sandstone and crept bricks. Its triangular pediment, adorned with a royal emblem and an allegory of Justice (replicated by a 1585 work), symbolizes its institutional role. The palace also housed two medieval chapels, remains of the Augustine convent, partially preserved despite the subsequent construction of a stopping house.
Until the beginning of the 20th century, the building housed the Colmar Court of Appeal, before becoming the High Court. Ranked a historical monument in 1930 (registration) and then in 1998 (partial classification for its facades and chapels), it now embodies both the Alsatian architectural heritage and the French judicial heritage. Its 1532 rear sprocket, marked by arches and medallions, bears witness to the historical strata of the site.
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