Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

At the beginning of the 20th century, the Seletat Court of Appeal, located at 17 rue de la Première-Armée, was erected in a marked neo-Gothic style, using yellow and pink sandstone. The building, designed by architect Peter Langen (author of plans dated 1901), bears the date of 1900 on its façade. It replaces the former Amtsgericht (local court) previously installed at the town hall, following a decision of the municipal council of 1898. The carved decoration incorporates judicial symbols (glaive, balance) and an owl, attribute of Athena, goddess of Wisdom.

A nearby prison was built in 1904 in the same eclectic style, probably by Langen. Today, private, it retains original elements such as oak doors with judas. The court's courtroom, for its part, preserved its period furniture. The whole, including the fence, was inscribed in historical monuments in 1992, highlighting its heritage importance and its anchoring in Alsatian judicial history.

The communal architect Jean-Jacques Stamm is associated with a situation plan of 1899, but his exact role in the realization of the project remains uncertain. The building illustrates the architectural and administrative transition of Alsace under German domination, mixing local influences and universal symbols of justice. The adjacent prison, although transformed into a dwelling, still bears witness to its initial prison use by its partially preserved interior arrangements.

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