Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Palace of Feasts, originally named Sängerhaus (house of singers), was commissioned in 1897 by the Straßburger Männer Gesangverein, an Alsatian male choir company founded in 1872. This project, supported financially by the German Ministry and private donations, aimed to create a multi-purpose cultural venue including a concert hall of 1,750 seats, a restaurant, a library and rehearsal spaces. The building, designed by architects Richard Kuder and Joseph Müller, became, as soon as it was inaugurated in 1903, a high place in the cultural life of Strasbourg, welcoming notably the musical festival of Alsace-Lorraine in the 1920s.

The Palais des Fêtes is distinguished by its eclectic architecture, combining neo-Gothic, neo-Renaissance and Art Nouveau styles, with pioneering reinforced concrete elements in Strasbourg, made according to the Hennebique process. The grand hall, decorated with a concert organ inaugurated in 1909, was designed by experts such as Albert Schweitzer and Marie-Joseph Erb, with 56 games and 3,912 pipes. The organ, electrified in 1958, is now being restored after decades of wear and tear.

Ranked a historic monument in 2007, the Palais des Fêtes underwent a complete renovation between 2012 and 2020, including restoration of the façade, roof and interiors. Since 2021, the Collectif Palais des Fêtes, bringing together some 30 local cultural actors, has organized events to revitalize this place, as a festival in 2023 marking its 120th anniversary. The building also houses the Strasbourg Choreographic Centre in an adjacent wing built in the 1920s.

The history of the Palais des Fêtes reflects the political and cultural transitions of Alsace, moving from the German period (initial order in 1897) to French management after 1918. His organ, designed by major figures such as Charles-Marie Widor and Eugène Gigout, symbolizes this duality, as well as its architecture, a witness to the technical and artistic innovations of the early twentieth century. Today, it remains one of the few French rooms with a concert organ, alongside the Philharmonie de Paris or the Auditorium de Lyon.

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