The Palais Universitaire in
Strasbourg
Strasbourg (, , ; german: Straßburg ; gsw, label=Bas Rhin Alsatian, Strossburi , gsw, label=Haut Rhin Alsatian, Strossburig ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France and the official seat of the Eu ...
is a large, neo-Renaissance style building, constructed between 1879 and 1884 under the direction of the German architect
Otto Warth. It was inaugurated in 1884 by
Wilhelm I
William I or Wilhelm I (german: Wilhelm Friedrich Ludwig; 22 March 1797 – 9 March 1888) was King of Prussia from 2 January 1861 and German Emperor from 18 January 1871 until his death in 1888. A member of the House of Hohenzollern, he was the f ...
,
Emperor
An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...
of
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
. Through ''Avenue de la Liberté'' (former ''Kaiser-Wilhelm-Straße''), it faces the equally monumental
former imperial palace (''Kaiserpalast'').
The building served for several decades as the centre of the new imperial
University of Strasbourg
The University of Strasbourg (french: Université de Strasbourg, Unistra) is a public research university located in Strasbourg, Alsace, France, with over 52,000 students and 3,300 researchers.
The French university traces its history to the ea ...
. The old university transferred from the buildings that it had occupied for centuries at the
Jean Sturm Gymnasium
The Jean Sturm Gymnasium (french: Gymnase Jean-Sturm, german: Gymnasium Jean Sturm) is a private Protestant school in Strasbourg, teaching children from the third year of secondary education through to the Baccalaureat.
History
The school, w ...
to the new ones located in the ''
Neustadt''.
Italianate features
The architect, Otto Warth (1845–1918), from
Karlsruhe
Karlsruhe ( , , ; South Franconian: ''Kallsruh'') is the third-largest city of the German state (''Land'') of Baden-Württemberg after its capital of Stuttgart and Mannheim, and the 22nd-largest city in the nation, with 308,436 inhabitants. ...
, was young when he was entrusted with the design of the building. He had just returned from a one-year study visit to Italy, and his passion for Italian classical architecture is reflected in some of the
Italianate features of the Palais.
The Aula
One of the most distinctive features of the building is the Aula, which measures 25 m by 29 m and 16 m high, which Warth modeled on the
Villa Garzoni in Pontecasale,
Candiana
Candiana is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Padua in the Italian region Veneto, located about southwest of Venice and about southeast of Padua. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 2,468 and an area of .All demographics a ...
.
It is decorated with a monumental seated statue of
Ramses II
Ramesses II ( egy, rꜥ-ms-sw ''Rīʿa-məsī-sū'', , meaning "Ra is the one who bore him"; ), commonly known as Ramesses the Great, was the third pharaoh of the Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt. Along with Thutmose III he is often regarded as t ...
, high, brought in 1933 by
Pierre Montet
Jean Pierre Marie Montet (27 June 1885 – 19 June 1966) was a French Egyptologist.
Biography
Montet was born in Villefranche-sur-Saône, Rhône, and began his studies under Victor Loret at the University of Lyon.
He excavated at Byblos ...
.
In 2012, the Aula was dedicated to
Marc Bloch
Marc Léopold Benjamin Bloch (; ; 6 July 1886 – 16 June 1944) was a French historian. He was a founding member of the Annales School of French social history. Bloch specialised in medieval history and published widely on Medieval France ov ...
, former professor at the university, shot by the Nazis in 1944.
Statuary
The Palais is striking for the statuary of its façades, which pay hommage to a number of scientists, theologians, theoricians and thinkers with Germanic connections, thirty-six in all, as follows:
1. von Baer,
Karl Ernst Ritter von Baer Edler von Huthorn (1792 – 1876), scientist and explorer
2. Bopp,
Franz Bopp
Franz Bopp (; 14 September 1791 – 23 October 1867) was a German linguist known for extensive and pioneering comparative work on Indo-European languages.
Early life
Bopp was born in Mainz, but the political disarray in the Republic of Mai ...
(1791 – 1867), linguist
3. Böckh,
August Böckh or Boeckh (1785 – 1867), classical scholar and antiquarian
4. von Buch,
Christian Leopold von Buch
Christian Leopold von Buch (26 April 1774 – 4 March 1853), usually cited as Leopold von Buch, was a German geologist and paleontologist born in Stolpe an der Oder (now a part of Angermünde, Brandenburg) and is remembered as one of the most im ...
(1774 – 1853), geologist and paleontologist
5. Calvin, John or
Jean Calvin
John Calvin (; frm, Jehan Cauvin; french: link=no, Jean Calvin ; 10 July 150927 May 1564) was a French theologian, pastor and reformer in Geneva during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal figure in the development of the system ...
(1509 – 1564), theologian, pastor and reformer in Geneva
6. Copernicus,
Nicolaus Copernicus
Nicolaus Copernicus (; pl, Mikołaj Kopernik; gml, Niklas Koppernigk, german: Nikolaus Kopernikus; 19 February 1473 – 24 May 1543) was a Renaissance polymath, active as a mathematician, astronomer, and Catholic Church, Catholic cano ...
(1473 – 1543), polymath, mathematician, astronomer
7. Eichhorn,
Karl Friedrich Eichhorn
Karl Friedrich Eichhorn (20 November 1781 – 4 July 1854) was a German jurist.
Eichhorn was born in Jena as the son of Johann Gottfried Eichhorn. He entered the University of Göttingen in 1797. In 1805 he obtained the professorship of law at ...
(1781 – 1854), jurist
8. von Fraunhofer,
Joseph Ritter von Fraunhofer (1787 – 1826), physicist and optical lens manufacturer.
9. Gauss,
Johann Carl Friedrich Gauss
Johann Carl Friedrich Gauss (; german: Gauß ; la, Carolus Fridericus Gauss; 30 April 177723 February 1855) was a German mathematician and physicist who made significant contributions to many fields in mathematics and science. Sometimes refer ...
(1777 – 1855), mathematician and physicist
10. Jac. Grimm,
Jacob Ludwig Karl Grimm (1785 – 1863), linguist, philologist, jurist, and folklorist
11. von Guericke,
Otto von Guericke
Otto von Guericke ( , , ; spelled Gericke until 1666; November 20, 1602 – May 11, 1686 ; November 30, 1602 – May 21, 1686 ) was a German scientist, inventor, and politician. His pioneering scientific work, the development of experimental me ...
(1602 – 1686), scientist, inventor, and politician
12. von Haller,
Albrecht von Haller
Albrecht von Haller (also known as Albertus de Haller; 16 October 170812 December 1777) was a Swiss anatomist, physiologist, naturalist, encyclopedist, bibliographer and poet. A pupil of Herman Boerhaave, he is often referred to as "the fa ...
(also known as Albertus de Haller; 1708 – 1777), anatomist, physiologist, naturalist, encyclopedist, bibliographer and poet
13. von Humboldt,
Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich Alexander von Humboldt
Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich Alexander von Humboldt (14 September 17696 May 1859) was a German polymath, geographer, naturalist, explorer, and proponent of Romantic philosophy and science. He was the younger brother of the Prussian minister, p ...
(1769 – 1859), geographer, naturalist, explorer, and proponent of Romantic philosophy and science
14. Jacobi,
Carl Gustav Jacob Jacobi
Carl Gustav Jacob Jacobi (; ; 10 December 1804 – 18 February 1851) was a German mathematician who made fundamental contributions to elliptic functions, dynamics, differential equations, determinants, and number theory. His name is occasiona ...
(1804 – 1851), mathematician
15. Kant,
Immanuel Kant
Immanuel Kant (, , ; 22 April 1724 – 12 February 1804) was a German philosopher and one of the central Enlightenment thinkers. Born in Königsberg, Kant's comprehensive and systematic works in epistemology, metaphysics, ethics, and ...
(1724 – 1804), philosopher
16. Kepler,
Johannes Kepler
Johannes Kepler (; ; 27 December 1571 – 15 November 1630) was a German astronomer, mathematician, astrologer, natural philosopher and writer on music. He is a key figure in the 17th-century Scientific Revolution, best known for his laws ...
(1571 – 1630), astronomer, mathematician, astrologer, natural philosopher and writer on music
17. Leibniz,
Gottfried Wilhelm (von) Leibniz (1646 – 1716), polymath, mathematician, philosopher, scientist, and diplomat
18. von Liebig,
Justus Freiherr von Liebig
Justus Freiherr von Liebig (12 May 1803 – 20 April 1873) was a German scientist who made major contributions to agricultural and biology, biological chemistry, and is considered one of the principal founders of organic chemistry. As a profess ...
(1803 – 1873), one of the founders of organic chemistry
19. Lessing,
Gotthold Ephraim Lessing
Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (, ; 22 January 1729 – 15 February 1781) was a philosopher, dramatist, publicist and art critic, and a representative of the Enlightenment era. His plays and theoretical writings substantially influenced the developmen ...
(1729 – 1781), philosopher, dramatist, publicist and art critic
20. Luther,
Martin Luther
Martin Luther (; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, theologian, author, hymnwriter, and professor, and Order of Saint Augustine, Augustinian friar. He is the seminal figure of the Reformation, Protestant Refo ...
(1483 – 1546), priest, theologian and hymnwriter.
21. Melanchthon,
Philip Melanchthon
Philip Melanchthon. (born Philipp Schwartzerdt; 16 February 1497 – 19 April 1560) was a German Lutheran reformer, collaborator with Martin Luther, the first systematic theologian of the Protestant Reformation, intellectual leader of the Lu ...
(1497 – 1560), Lutheran reformer
22. Müller,
Johannes Peter Müller
Johannes Peter Müller (14 July 1801 – 28 April 1858) was a German physiologist, comparative anatomy, comparative anatomist, ichthyology, ichthyologist, and herpetology, herpetologist, known not only for his discoveries but also for his ability ...
(1801 – 1858), physiologist, comparative anatomist, ichthyologist, and herpetologist,
23. Niebuhr,
Barthold Georg Niebuhr
Barthold Georg Niebuhr (27 August 1776 – 2 January 1831) was a Danish–German statesman, banker, and historian who became Germany's leading historian of Ancient Rome and a founding father of modern scholarly historiography. By 1810 Niebuhr wa ...
(1776 – 1831), statesman, banker, and historian
24.
Paracelsus
Paracelsus (; ; 1493 – 24 September 1541), born Theophrastus von Hohenheim (full name Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim), was a Swiss physician, alchemist, lay theologian, and philosopher of the German Renaissance.
He w ...
, Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim (1493 – 1541), physician, alchemist, lay theologian and philosopher
25. v. Pufendorf,
Samuel Freiherr von Pufendorf (1632 – 1694), jurist, political philosopher, economist and historian
26. Savigny,
Friedrich Carl von Savigny
Friedrich Carl von Savigny (21 February 1779 – 25 October 1861) was a German jurist and historian.
Early life and education
Savigny was born at Frankfurt am Main, of a family recorded in the history of Lorraine, deriving its name from the cast ...
(1779 – 1861), jurist and historian
27. Schleiermacher,
Friedrich Daniel Ernst Schleiermacher Friedrich may refer to:
Names
*Friedrich (surname) Friedrich or Friedrichs is a German people, German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
Friedrich
* Johannes Friedrich, Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria
* Ariane ...
(1768 – 1834), Reformed theologian, philosopher, and biblical scholar
28. v. Schwarzenberg,
Johann of Schwarzenberg (1463 – 1528), moralist and reformer
29. Schöpflin,
Johann Daniel Schöpflin
Johann Daniel Schöpflin (6 September 1694, Sulzburg – 7 August 1771, Strasbourg) was a professor of history, rhetoric and law at the University of Strasbourg. He was one of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s teachers.
Biography
Schöpflin was ...
(1694 – 1771), professor of history, rhetoric and law at the University of Strasbourg
30. Sleidanus,
Johannes Sleidanus Johannes Sleidanus or Sleidan (1506 – 31 October 1556) was a Luxembourgeois historian and annalist of the Reformation.
Life
He was born at Schleiden, then part of the duchy of Luxembourg, an element of the Spanish Netherlands (not far from Aach ...
or Sleidan (1506-1556), historian of the Reformation
31. Spener,
Philipp Spener
Philipp Jakob Spener (23 January 1635 – 5 February 1705), was a German Lutheran theologian who essentially founded what would become to be known as Pietism. He was later dubbed the "Father of Pietism". A prolific writer, his two main works, '' ...
(1635-1705), Lutheran theologian, founder of Pietism
32. Joh. Sturm, Johannes or
Jean Sturm (1507 – 1589), educator and Protestant reformer
33. Werner,
Abraham Gottlob Werner
Abraham Gottlob Werner (; 25 September 174930 June 1817) was a German geologist who set out an early theory about the stratification of the Earth's crust and propounded a history of the Earth that came to be known as Neptunism. While most tenet ...
(1749 – 1817), geologist
34. Winckelmann,
Johann Joachim Winckelmann
Johann Joachim Winckelmann (; ; 9 December 17178 June 1768) was a German art historian and archaeologist. He was a pioneering Hellenist who first articulated the differences between Greek, Greco-Roman and Roman art. "The prophet and founding he ...
(1717 – 1768), art historian and archaeologist
35. F.A Wolf,
Friedrich August Wolf
Friedrich August Wolf (; 15 February 1759 – 8 August 1824) was a German classicist and is considered the founder of modern philology.
Biography
He was born in Hainrode, near Nordhausen. His father was the village schoolmaster and organist ...
(1759 – 1824), classicist, founder of modern philology
36. Zwingli, Huldrych or
Ulrich Zwingli
Huldrych or Ulrich Zwingli (1 January 1484 – 11 October 1531) was a leader of the Reformation in Switzerland, born during a time of emerging Swiss patriotism and increasing criticism of the Swiss mercenary system. He attended the Unive ...
(1484 – 1531), leader of the Reformation in Switzerland
Two
allegorical
As a literary device or artistic form, an allegory is a narrative or visual representation in which a character, place, or event can be interpreted to represent a hidden meaning with moral or political significance. Authors have used allegory th ...
statues representing ''Germania'' (Germany) and ''Argentina'' (Strasbourg), the former removed in 1918 and the latter destroyed in 1945, were replaced in their respective niche on the façade in 2014, after having been restored and/or replicated based on photos.
Monument historique
On 21 May 1990, the hall, the Aula and the main stairways were classified as a
monument historique
''Monument historique'' () is a designation given to some national heritage sites in France. It may also refer to the state procedure in France by which National Heritage protection is extended to a building, a specific part of a building, a coll ...
.
Council of Europe
The
Parliamentary Assembly of the
Council of Europe
The Council of Europe (CoE; french: Conseil de l'Europe, ) is an international organisation founded in the wake of World War II to uphold European Convention on Human Rights, human rights, democracy and the Law in Europe, rule of law in Europe. ...
held its first session in this building, from 8 August to 10 September 1949.
University Press
The Presses Universitaires de Strasbourg, reputedly the oldest university press in France, has had its headquarters in the building ever since it was founded in 1920.
Gypsothèque
The Palace's basement houses the ''Gypsothèque de Strasbourg'', also known as ''Musée des moulages'' (
plaster cast
A plaster cast is a copy made in plaster of another 3-dimensional form. The original from which the cast is taken may be a sculpture, building, a face, a pregnant belly, a fossil or other remains such as fresh or fossilised footprints – p ...
museum). This classical cast collection was initiated with the founding of the ''Kaiser-Wilhelms-Universität'' in 1872 by
Adolf Michaelis Adolf Michaelis (22 June 1835 – 12 August 1910) was a German classical scholar, a professor of art history at the University of Strasbourg from 1872, who helped establish the connoisseurship of Ancient Greek sculpture and Roman sculpture on their ...
, a distinguished classical scholar and art history pioneer. Next to casts of works like
Harmodius and Aristogeiton
Harmodius (Greek: Ἁρμόδιος, ''Harmódios'') and Aristogeiton (Ἀριστογείτων, ''Aristogeíton''; both died 514 BC) were two lovers in Classical Athens who became known as the Tyrannicides (τυραννόκτονοι, ''tyranno ...
,
Apollo Belvedere
The ''Apollo Belvedere'' (also called the ''Belvedere Apollo, Apollo of the Belvedere'', or ''Pythian Apollo'') is a celebrated marble sculpture from Classical Antiquity.
The ''Apollo'' is now thought to be an original Roman creation of Hadrianic ...
,
Aphrodite of Cnidus
The Aphrodite of Knidos (or Cnidus) was an Ancient Greek sculpture of the goddess Aphrodite created by Praxiteles of Athens around the 4th century BC. It is one of the first life-sized representations of the nude female form in Greek history, d ...
and the
metopes of the Parthenon
The metopes of the Parthenon are the surviving set of what were originally 92 square carved plaques of Pentelic marble originally located above the columns of the Parthenon peristyle on the Acropolis of Athens. If they were made by several artists, ...
, the museum also displays casts of works by
Antoine Bourdelle
Antoine Bourdelle (30 October 1861 – 1 October 1929), born Émile Antoine Bordelles, was an influential and prolific French sculptor and teacher. He was a student of Auguste Rodin, a teacher of Giacometti and Henri Matisse, and an important fi ...
. The collection is the second largest cast collection in France and the largest university cast collection of France. The collections were moved into the Palace's basement in 1939, with the outbreak of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, and have stayed there since, although plans have periodically been made to move them into a separate building.
''…sur la Gypsothèque de l’Université de Strasbourg''
collections.u-strasbg.fr
Gallery
Strasbourg Université n106.JPG, The Palace's motto
A motto (derived from the Latin , 'mutter', by way of Italian , 'word' or 'sentence') is a sentence or phrase expressing a belief or purpose, or the general motivation or intention of an individual, family, social group, or organisation. Mot ...
on top of the avant-corps
An ''avant-corps'' ( it, avancorpo or , plural , german: Risalit, pl, ryzalit), a French term literally meaning "fore-body", is a part of a building, such as a porch or pavilion, that juts out from the ''corps de logis'', often taller than othe ...
Palais Universitaire de Strasbourg-Ramsès II (2).jpg, Statues of Ramses II in the Grand hall
Université de Strasbourg-Plaque WWII (1).jpg, World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
commemorative plaque
A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, or in other places referred to as a historical marker, historic marker, or historic plaque, is a plate of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material, typically attached to a wall, stone, or other ...
inside the Palace
PalaisU-Strasbourg-Corniche (3).jpg, Four of the statues of great learned men on the façade (to read the names, click on the picture)
PalaisU-Strasbourg-Corniche (1).jpg, Four others
PalaisU-Strasbourg-Corniche (2).jpg, Three others
Musée des moulages (4612867621).jpg, Inside the ''Gypsothèque'' below the Palace
Musée des moulages (4613491958).jpg, Inside the ''Gypsothèque'' below the Palace
References
External links
*
''Palais Universitaire''
on archi-strasbourg.org
Strasbourg University Press
{{Coord, 48.5848, 7.7625, type:landmark_region:FR, display=title
Education in Strasbourg
Tourist attractions in Strasbourg
Buildings and structures completed in 1884
Buildings and structures by German architects
Historicist architecture in France
Plaster cast collections
Monuments historiques of Strasbourg
1884 establishments in Germany