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Origin and history

The ramparts of Herrlisheim-near Colmar, located on the Church Square in this commune of Upper Rhine, date from the first half of the 14th century. Their construction is part of a fortification typical of the Alsatian episcopal cities, with a wall surrounded by a ditch (present-day rue du Fossé). Two round towers remain today: the circular Wasserturm (or the Voleurs Tower), adjacent to the former presbytery, and a second southwest tower partially integrated with the current buildings. These defensive works marked the separation between the upper and lower cities.

The village, then owned by the bishop of Strasbourg, was girded by these fortifications at the end of the 13th century (a source mentions the year 1289). The best preserved remains are to the west, where the two towers belonged to separate alignments, suggesting a double wall defensive system. The Wasserturm, dated around 1370, illustrates the military architecture of the time with its murderers and its opening to the throat. The collection was classified as a Historic Monument in 1934, reflecting its heritage importance.

The southwest tower, today truncated and integrated into a farm, shows how medieval fortifications were reinvested by subsequent habitat. The filled ditch became a street, while the walls were partially dismantled or absorbed by the later buildings. These ramparts reflect the medieval urban organization in Alsace, where the enclosures played a role both defensive, symbolic (marker of episcopal power) and practical (control of access). Their present state offers a rare example of Alsatian village fortification preserved.

The available sources (Wikipedia, Monumentum) highlight the historical value of these remains, although their exact location is considered "a priori satisfactory" (note 6/10). The tower near the presbytery, a communal property, remains the most emblematic element, with its evocative local name (tour des Voleurs). These ramparts also recall the conflicts and tensions that marked the region at the end of the Middle Ages, when the bishops of Strasbourg strengthened their grip on their rural territories.

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