Origin and history
The Metz-Ville station, built between 1905 and 1908 under the first German annexation (1871-1918), replaces two previous stations dating from 1850 and 1878. Designed by Berlin architect Jürgen Kröger, assisted by Peter Jürgensen and Jürgen Bachmann, it embodies the Rhine Roman Revival style, a symbol of German imperial power. The original project, inspired by Art Nouveau ("Licht und Luft"), was modified to adopt an aesthetic more in keeping with Guillaume II's expectations, combining religious and palatial references. The building, 300 meters long with a clock tower of 40 meters, incorporates carved decorations evoking civilization and stained glass windows paying homage to Charlemagne, highlighting its propagandistic dimension.
Inaugurated on 17 August 1908 after a budget far exceeding the forecast (29 million gold mark against 2.19 million estimated), the station had a strategic military vocation: to transport 20,000 soldiers in 24 hours to the French border via the Moselstellung. Its raised docks, designed for horses and troops, and its 300 m3 castle (powering steam locomotives) testify to this function. After 1918, German symbols were partially erased, such as the imperial eagle or the statue of Count Haeseler, replaced by neutral elements. The station, which was listed as a historic monument in 1975 for its facades, departure hall and decorated buffet, remains a notable example of imperial urban planning in the Neustadt district.
Between 2002 and 2015, the station underwent major modernisations to meet the increase in traffic (+54% in 10 years), notably with the arrival of the TGV in 2007. Two new wharves and renovated lanes have made it possible to absorb 35% additional traffic, reinforcing its role in the Lorraine furrow (Nancy–Metz–Thionville–Luxembourg). The project, which was budgeted at EUR 133.17 million, was financed by the State, the Lorraine region and Réseau ferré de France. Today, the station, elected "most beautiful station of France" on three occasions (2017, 2018, 2021), combines historical heritage and contemporary dynamism, with TGV services to Paris (1h23), Strasbourg, Lyon, and cross-border connections to Germany and Luxembourg.
The station's heritage value goes beyond its architecture: its buffet, decorated with woodwork and painted friezes illustrating social classes and means of transport, and its honorary lounge reflect the Empire's symbolic ambition. Materials, such as the sandstone of Niderviller, contrast with the Jaumont stone of traditional Messin buildings, marking an urban break. Despite the initial criticisms (Maurice Barrès called it a "fine" in the "colossal style"), the station is today celebrated, inspiring artists and writers, like Bernard Lavilliers in Le buffet de la Gare de Metz (1975). His parvis now hosts contemporary works, including a statue of Jean Moulin (2014) and General de Gaulle (2021), reaffirming its anchor in French history.
The station experienced several operators as a result of conflicts: the Imperial Directorate-General of Railways of Alsace-Lorraine (1871–1918), the Administration of Railways of Alsace and Lorraine (1919–1937), the Deutsche Reichsbahn during the Second World War (1940–1944), and the SNCF from 1938 onwards. Its original metal halls, corroded by the steam of the locomotives, were dismantled in the 1970s and replaced by a reinforced concrete slab, transformed into an air parking lot. The 3,034 reinforced concrete foundation piles, innovative for the time (Hennebique procedure), still support the building. The station, open to freight and passengers, remains a multimodal hub, with underground passages named in tribute to Jürgen Kröger and Adrienne Thomas, local figure of the First World War.
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