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Origin and history

The medieval walls of Strasbourg have its origins in the Roman fortifications of the castrum of Argentoratum, built between the first and fourth centuries to house the VIII Legion. After the departure of the Romans in the fifth century, the local inhabitants kept these ramparts under the episcopal authority, forming the nucleus of the future medieval city. The first significant extensions took place between the 11th and 13th centuries, with the integration of the suburbs (such as the Neustadt) and the construction of stone walls, ditches and towers, including the Tower of the Deniers (1322), symbol of communal freedoms.

In the 14th century, Strasbourg, which became a free city of the Holy Empire, expanded its enclosure to include 202 hectares and 25,000 inhabitants. Four successive expansions (1200–1444) integrate the western suburbs (Finkwiller, Krutenau) and north, with fortified gates such as the Bridges-Coutures (XIII century) or the Tour-aux-Florins (1476). These medieval defences, adapted to white weapons and archers, became obsolete with the advent of artillery in the 16th century.

Faced with the threat of cannons, Strasbourg engineer Daniel Specklin (1536–89) modernized the enclosure between 1576 and 1589 by adding 16 bastions inspired by Italian theories, but adapted to local specificities (shortcuts, optimized cross-fires). This work, carried out in stages for lack of finance, transforms Strasbourg into a fortress "at the Specklin", reputedly invincible. Yet, in 1681, the city capitulated without fight against Louis XIV, marking its attachment to France.

Under the French authority, Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban (1633–07) inspected the defences in 1681 and made minor adjustments, judging the Specklin system still effective. However, it built two major structures: the Citadel (1682), to control the bridge over the Rhine, and the Vauban Dam (1685–1700), a lock bridge to flood the southern suburbs in case of siege. These developments are integrated into a network of Alsatian strongholds (Neuf-Brisach, Landau) designed to curb invasions.

The enclosure resists until the Prussian siege of 1870, where the bombardments destroy part of the ramparts and the city. After German annexation, Strasbourg became a fortified regional capital: the Germans dismantled the medieval walls (1875) and built a new polygonal enclosure (1876–84), 11 km long, surrounded by 14 strong detached walls (Von Biehler system). These fortifications, which had been obsolete since 1885 with the arrival of the explosive shells, were partially preserved as remains, while the city spreads into a Neustadt (new town) triplant its surface.

In the 20th century, the enclosure was decommissioned (1922–1927) and demolished to give way to boulevards. Only classified fragments remain, such as the Orphan's ditch wall (1929) or 14–17 bastions (2009). The Ponts-Coutures and the Vauban Dam, which became symbols of Strasbourg, today recall this military heritage, while the Roman remains (place du Temple-Neuf) testify to the ancient origins of the city.

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