The Rhine Palace, former imperial palace (in German
Kaiserpalast), is located in Strasbourg, in the Neustadt, on the
Place de la République which it dominates with its imposing dome.
Together with the large garden that surrounds it (itself surrounded
by ornate wrought iron gates) and the old stables located behind the
building, it forms one of the most complete and emblematic ensembles
of German architecture in the end of the 19th century.
This
building is part of the vast urban redevelopment project undertaken
at the end of the 19th century, after the annexation of
Alsace-Lorraine by the German Empire.
A three-level quadrilateral designed by Hermann Eggert between
1883 and 1888, the Emperor's Palace was intended to signify the
definitive establishment, in stone, of the Second German Reich in
conquered Alsace.
The architectural ensemble, imposing in its
scale, displays a very beautifully crafted Germanic neo-renaissance
style (statuary, bosses, loggia and pediment).
Part of the
interior decoration has been restored. The monumental staircase is
undoubtedly one of the most beautiful architectural works of the
palace.
On the ground floor, the entrance hall opens into two
raised side vestibules leading to the double apartments originally
reserved for a princely couple, to the south, and a distinguished
guest, to the north.
The decor of the Empress' salon, in a
Rococo spirit, stands out resolutely from the Renaissance
inspiration that presided over the interior decoration. The painted
ceiling, the rechamped white doors surmounted by painted panels and
the white marble fireplace give the whole a warm and cheerful
atmosphere which contrasts with the other rooms of the palace. The
walls hung with pale blue silk were to reinforce the impression of
setting.
The west wing was devoted to reception areas which
included a party room, a dining room that could accommodate dinners
for 350 people and a meeting room. The connection between these
different spaces was made by circulation galleries and secondary
staircases.
The attic floor housed the apartments of the
imperial suite as well as the servants' rooms. In the basement, in
addition to the pantry and the kitchens, was the boiler room for the
forced air heating and the water for the various bathrooms. The
palace was lit by gas until 1902 when electricity was installed.
A discreet ironwork decor on the gates of the park of the Palais
du Rhin caricatures Emperor William II of Hohenzollern.
The
facade of the Palais du Rhin faces east on the Place de la
République, the former imperial square. This large circular garden
contributes to the enhancement of the palace which, on its three
other sides, is framed by a small wooded park, enclosed by high
wrought iron gates. The tiered, free-form hedges are composed of
laurels and aucubas, yews and chestnut trees. Four portals govern
the two turning aisles which allowed the teams to access the side
stairs. Paths in curves and counter-curves draw the lawn beds in
which stand some beautiful century-old trees: plane tree, purple
beech, maple, lime tree, Scots pine, cypress, Virginia tulip tree,
ginkgo biloba...
The park also houses an archaeological
collection: around twenty sarcophagi and elements of ancient
monuments from the necropolis of Strasbourg. In 1997, it also housed
the old wrought iron gate of the prefecture. In the north parterre
is installed a voluptuous sculpture by René Hetzel and in the south
parterre, the celestial ladder in white granite by Annie Greiner, a
tribute to the Czech philosopher Jan Patocka.
Following the war of 1870, Strasbourg, now German, quickly raised the
question of welcoming the Emperor. Wanting to be the symbol of imperial
power, a building worthy of the magnificence of the sovereign is
essential. After long and stormy debates, the choice is fixed on a
square building, in neo-Renaissance style, freely inspired by the Pitti
Palace in Florence. Work begins in honor of the 87th birthday of Emperor
William I of Hohenzollern and will take nearly five years to be fully
completed. Throughout the duration of the project, many voices were
raised to criticize the need for and use of the building, its "massive
and elephantine" appearance according to Emperor William I of
Hohenzollern or its exorbitant price (3 million gold marks ).
Inaugurated by William II of Hohenzollern in August 1889, the palace
will welcome the Emperor on around ten occasions until 1914.
During the First World War, the building was converted into a military
hospital. The building adopted its current name in 1920, when the oldest
of European institutions moved within its walls: the Central Commission
for the Navigation of the Rhine.
In 1923, the palace passed into
the hands of the French State and housed the Fine Arts department and
the national furniture of Alsace-Lorraine.
Transformed into a
Kommandantur by the Nazis during the Second World War and damaged by a
bombardment, the building was taken over by the troops of General
Leclerc who transformed it into headquarters. This is where the future
marshal writes his "proclamation announcing the realization of the oath
of Kufra".
Threatened with destruction in the fifties by the
municipality, it had to be replaced by a tower. It was saved thanks to
the action of the association "Friends of Old Strasbourg" created on
this occasion. The palace has been listed as a historical monument since
19932. It now houses, in addition to the Central Commission for
Navigation on the Rhine, the Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs
(DRAC). The palace stables were listed as a historical monument in 2009.