Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The medieval enclosure of Strasbourg finds its origins in the Roman fortifications of Argentoratum, a legionary camp founded around 12 B.C. by the Legio II Augusta to secure the rhenan limes. The first wooden and earth ramparts, built in the first century, were replaced by limestone walls (II century) and then in pink sandstone (IIIth-IVth century), punctuated with semicircular towers. These defences, 550 metres long and around 19 hectares, protected an estimated population of 20 000-30 000 inhabitants until the fifth century.

In the Middle Ages, Strasbourg extended beyond the Roman castrum, requiring four successive extensions of its enclosure between the 11th and 15th centuries. The first medieval wall (XI-XII century) covered the Neustadt (New Town) and its parishes, while the second (XIII century) included the Grande Île and the Finkwiller district. The Bridges-Coutures (XIII century), a wall bridge with square towers spanning the arms of the Ill, and the Tower of Deniers (1322), symbol of municipal freedoms, marked this period. The third extension (1370-1390) includes the western suburbs, adding 76 hectares protected by 6 square towers and 17 octagonal turrets.

The fourth and final extension (14th-15th centuries) secured the Krutenau, an eastern suburb of 27 hectares, with a brick enclosure one kilometre long. At its peak in 1444, the fortified enclosure covered 202 hectares, housing nearly 25,000 inhabitants. External threats, such as the Scourgers (1444) or the progress of artillery, led to modernizations, notably under engineer Daniel Specklin (XVI century), which introduced bastions adapted to the guns. His system, inspired by Italian theories but optimized for flanking shots, was partially applied before the surrender of Strasbourg against Louis XIV in 1681.

Under French domination, Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban strengthened the existing enclosure by adding a citadel (1682) and a dam on Ill (1685-1700) for defensive flooding. The citadel, conceived as an autonomous bridge, monitored the Rhine bridge and housed a permanent garrison. The Vauban Dam, a 13-arch lock bridge, allowed the southern suburbs to submerge in case of siege. These developments were part of a network of Alsatian strongholds (Belfort, Neuf-Brisach) designed to counter invasions.

The siege of 1870, during the Franco-Prussian war, revealed the limits of fortifications against modern artillery. After 46 days of bombing, the city capitulated, leaving 661 military deaths and 200 civilians, as well as major damage (Cathedral, Temple-Neuf). Under German administration (1871-1918) Strasbourg became a fortified square of the Second Reich, with a belt of 14 strong detached (Von Biehler system) and a new urban enclosure (1876-1884). The 11-km-long rampart with battled bastions was dismantled after 1918, leaving only a few remains classified.

Today, the medieval enclosure of Strasbourg is limited to emblematic elements such as the Ponts-Coutures, the Tour du Bourreau, or sections of walls (rue du Fossé-des-Orphelins, boulevard du Président-Wilson). These remains, witness to nearly two millennia of military history, coexist with modern urban developments, recalling the past of the free city of the Holy Empire, then of the regional capital under the French and German dominations.

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