Origin and history
The international high school of the Pontonniers of Strasbourg, located 1 rue des Pontonniers, is a secondary and higher education institution built in 1902 by architect Johann Karl Ott. Its historicist architecture is inspired by the Germanic styles of the 15th and 16th centuries, incorporating decorative elements from missing Alsatian houses, such as the woodwork of the house Katzeroller (1509) or the oral of the bakers' house (1589). The site, once occupied by a Franciscan convent (Sainte-Claire-aux-Ondes, mentioned in 1299), became a barracks under Vauban, and then housed the Pontonniers regiment of General Eblé, famous for its role during the crossing of the Berezina in 1812.
From 1871, under German administration, Strasbourg became the capital of the Reichsland Elsaß-Lothringen. The authorities decided to build a model high school for girls, replacing the former High School founded in 1815. The building, completed in 1902, symbolized a desire for Germanization while highlighting local art: reinforced concrete vaults, differentiated stairs for students and teachers, and decorations evoking the Empire (aigles, lions). The director's house, decorated with carved wooden panels, and the teachers' room, equipped with a neo-Gothic oriel, illustrate this mixture of innovation and tradition.
The school became a high school for young girls in 1918, then a mixed school in 1972, and was established as an international high school in 1979, reflecting the European vocation of Strasbourg. It now hosts six international sections (English, German, Spanish, Italian, Polish, Russian) and a Portuguese-speaking section since 2023. Its astronomical clock, manufactured by Ungerer in 1902 and inspired by that of the cathedral, as well as its interior decorations (blasons, stained glass windows, woodwork), have been protected as historical monuments since 2002. The high school is known for its results at the baccalaureate (success rate often above 98%) and its economic preparatory classes.
The history of the place is marked by emblematic figures, such as the resistant Antoinette Feuerwerker and Jeanine Sontag, former students, or Lucie Aubrac, who taught there. The architecture, designed to educate by art, incorporates pedagogical symbols: medallions of theoreticians Fröbel and Pestalozzi at the entrance, coats of arms of the rooms according to their function (musical instruments for the music room). The stairs, originally differentiated (iron forged for pupils, stone carved for teachers), and the staggered pavements (agle, lion, fish) recall the social hierarchy and imperial vocation of Strasbourg under the German Empire.
The high school retains a remarkable furniture and technical heritage: pedagogical mouldings of the 1900s, old maps, and especially its precision clock, complex mechanics derived from that of the cathedral. It, along with facades, roofs, and interior elements (couloirs, stairs, library), have been classified since 2002-2003. The school also plays a role in the integration of foreign students via FLE modules (French as a foreign language) and a MAT (Module d'Accommodation Temporaire) since 2009.
Today run by the Grand Est region, the Lycée des Pontonniers continues its dual mission: to form an academic elite (ranked among the best lycées in France) and to promote multilingualism. His former students include personalities such as actor Pio Marmai, journalist Nadia Daam, or astronomer Neil Ibata, while his history reflects the cultural and political tensions of Alsace, between French and German influences.
Announcements
Please log in to post a review