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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The House of the People of Saint-Claude found its origins in the acquisition in 1894 by the cooperative La Fraternelle (founded in 1881), of an 18th-century bourgeois residence: the former Dumoulin house, enlarged between 1855 and 1874. In 1894, this socialist workers' circle, heir to the local cooperative movements, established a grocery store, a café, housing and then a bakery (1899), before expanding its activity with branches in the city and in the neighbouring communes. The project is part of a dynamic of economic solidarity, with a social fund system financed by the cooperative's profits.

Between 1908 and 1910, the House of the People proper was built in the gardens of the property, according to the plans of architect Charles Meunier (1902) and under the direction of Paul Mouret. The complex was enriched in 1919 with a printing and gymnasium, and in 1928 with an elevation. At its peak in the 1920s, it houses a variety of services: commerce (grocery, charcuterie, roasting), catering, housing, but also a theatre, a library, meeting rooms for trade unions, and the headquarters of the newspaper Le Jura Socialiste. The set illustrates the ambition of a versatile place, both economic, political and cultural.

The La Fraternelle cooperative grew remarkably, from 150 members in 1886 to 4,173 in 1925, before declining (135 in 1980). In 1965, it became Les Coopérateurs du Jura and merged in 1984 with the Union des Coopérateurs. The buildings, transferred in the same year to the cultural association La Fraternelle, are partly converted: two cinemas (1984-1985), rehabilitating printing (1991), and adding an external staircase (1992). Classified as a Historical Monument in 1993, the People's House bears witness to a pioneering cooperative heritage in France, combining social utopia and architectural innovation.

The building is distinguished by its ambitious architectural programme, including technical equipment for the period (mountain-load, Decauville track) and a spatial organization reflecting the ideals of worker self-management. His role goes beyond the commercial framework: he embodies a counter-power of trade unions and culture, hosting the Bourse du Travail and educational activities such as the École de Saint-Claude (1896), founded by Henri Ponard. This system of redistribution of profits to social funds (mutual assistance, pensions) ceased in 1965, marking the end of an era.

Located at 12 rue de la Poyat, the People's House is part of the urban landscape of Saint-Claude, a city marked by industry and social struggles. Its architecture, signed by Meunier and Mouret, combines functionality and symbolism, with spaces dedicated to collective life (theatre, decorated café, library). The facades, roofs, and interior elements (projection cabin, vaulted passage) have been protected since 1993, highlighting its historic and architectural value.

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