Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The former town hall of Rouffach, located in 8 Place de la République, finds its origins in the last quarter of the 15th century, with the construction of the western building body, visible on a engraving of the city dated 1548. This first building, characterized by redent gables, met the administrative and festive needs of the medieval city. In 1581, the municipality decided to enlarge the building by adding a second body parallel to the existing one, entrusted to the municipal architect Frantz Baur. The latter unified the facades with the Gothic motifs, while preserving the gable of origin on the south side. The floor hosted meetings of the local magistrate, while the ground floor was used for corporate celebrations.

A fire ravaged the west wing in the early eighteenth century, requiring a reconstruction led by Joseph Bisatz in 1721. The latter respected the original style, notably by reproducing the carved columns of the windows, although the armorial shields were hammered during the Revolution. The building lost its municipal function after the construction of a new city hall near the Notre Dame church. In the 19th century, it will be home to a school and then a school of agriculture (in 1870), leading to internal changes such as the piercing of new openings. Abandoned in the 20th century, it was saved by a major restoration in 1973, led by the chief architect of the Bertrand Monnet Historical Monuments, which restored the facades but completely remodeled the interior for associative purposes.

Ranked a historic monument since 1921, the building illustrates the Alsatian architectural evolution, mixing late Gothic (reddening pinions), Renaissance (sculpted from 1581) and Baroque (reconstruction from 1721). The tasker marks noted on the east body, as well as the initials engraved by the architects (F. Baur, J. Bisatz), testify to the construction techniques and the crafts continuity. Today owned by the municipality, the building retains a public vocation, including a tourist office.

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