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| Hôtel de Ville | |
|---|---|
 The main frontage of the Hôtel de Ville in February 2011 | |
| General information | |
| Type | City hall |
| Architectural style | Neoclassical style |
| Location | Colmar, France |
| Coordinates | 48°04′45″N 7°21′31″E / 48.0791°N 7.3585°E / 48.0791; 7.3585 |
| Completed | 1782 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Gabriel Ignace Ritter |
The Hôtel de Ville (French pronunciation: [otɛl də vil], City Hall) is a municipal building in Colmar, Haut-Rhin, eastern France, standing on Rue des Clefs. It was designated a monument historique by the French government in 1929.
History
The site was previously occupied by an old courthouse belong to the Pairis Abbey and dating back to the late 16th century. The monks acquired the property from the bailiff of Ensisheim, Jean-Jacques Reiss, in 1775, so that they could have it demolished and replaced by a new residence for their own use. Construction of the new building started in 1779. It was designed by Gabriel Ignace Ritter from Guebwiller in the neoclassical style, built in brick with a cement render and stone dressings, and was completed in 1782.
The design involved a symmetrical main frontage of 13 bays facing onto Rue des Clefs. The central section of three bays featured a segmental headed opening with a rusticated surround and a keystone, flanked by two casement windows with stone surrounds. On the first floor, there was a French door with a stone surround and an iron railing, flanked by two more casement windows with stone surrounds and, on the second floor, there were three casement windows also with stone surrounds. The bays in the central section were flanked by Doric order pilasters supporting an entablature and a pediment with carvings in the tympanum. The wings were fenestrated with casement windows in a similar style but with shutters. There were dormer windows at roof level.
Following the suppression of the monasteries during the French Revolution, the building was siezed by the state and, in 1800, it became the préfecture of Haut-Rhin, where it hosted visits by Charles X in 1828, by Louis Philippe I in 1831 and by Napoleon III in 1850. Eventually the building was considered too small and the préfecture relocated to Rue Bruat in 1866.
The local town council, which had been accommodated in a dilapidated building dating from 1525, acquired the former préfecture and converted it for municipal use as the local town hall. A modern extension, overlooking Place de la Marie, was completed in 1981.
References
- Base Mérimée: PA00085373, Ministère français de la Culture. (in French)
- Toursel-Harster, Dominique; Beck, Jean-Pierre; Bronner, Guy (1995). Alsace: Dictionary of historical monuments. Strasbourg: La Nuée Bleu. ISBN 978-2716502504.
- "Hôtel de Ville Colmar Haut-Rhin, Alsace, France". Structurae. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
- "Hôtel de Ville de Colmar". Tourisme Colmar. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
- Bischoff, Georges (1991). Colmar and its surroundings. (Hachette) FeniXX digital reissue. p. 47. ISBN 978-2706257834.
- Riegert, Henry; Munschi, Jeannette (1969). Colmar: joyau de l'Alsace. Librairie Istra. p. 120.
Cette belle construction édifiée de 1779 à 1782 par l'intendant de l'abbaye de Pairi , devint Hôtel de la Préfecture du Haut-Rhin
- "Colmar, Rue des Clefs, Haut-Rhin (Old postcard)". Collection-JFM. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
- ^ "Découvrez un Hôtel de Ville lors d'une visite guidée Hôtel de Ville Vœgtlinshoffen". Unidivers. 22 September 2024. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
- "Préfecture". Visit Alsace. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
- "Ancien hotel de ville de Colmar: de 1525". Numistral. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
- Braeuner, Gabriel (2003). Colmar: un itinéraire à travers l'histoire. ID L'Edition. p. 14. ISBN 978-2913302563.