Strasbourg

History

The city was originally a Celtic village, and under the Romans it became a garrison town called Argentoratum. It was captured in the 5th century by the Franks, who called it Strateburgum, from which the present name is derived. In 842 Charles II (the Bald), king of the West Franks, and Louis II (the German), king of the East Franks, took an oath of alliance there, the Serment de Strasbourg, a text of which is the oldest written document in Old French. After a struggle for power between its citizens and the bishops in the Middle Ages, Strasbourg became a free city within the Holy Roman Empire.

Strasbourg’s population was mainly Protestant after the Reformation but cautiously avoided the religious conflicts of the Thirty Years’ War (1618–48). In 1681 Louis XIV of France seized the city in peacetime and obtained ratification for his arbitrary action by the Treaty of Rijswijk (1697). The town retained its privileges until the French Revolution (1787–99). In 1792 Claude-Joseph Rouget de Lisle, a French poet, musician, and soldier, composed in Strasbourg the anthem of the Rhine Army, since known as “La Marseillaise.” In the Franco-German War (1870–71) the Germans captured Strasbourg after a 50-day siege and annexed it. The city reverted to France after World War I. It was occupied by Germany again (1940–44) during World War II. The city gained international status with the opening there in 1979 of the European Parliament.

The contemporary city

The city of Strasbourg is traversed by the Ill River, which divides and surrounds the Grand Île (Big Island) on which the old town and most of the city’s famous buildings are situated. The island was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1988. Strasbourg’s 11th–15th-century Cathedral of Notre-Dame, damaged in 1870 and again in World War II, has been carefully restored. Built of red Vosges sandstone, it is a harmonious edifice despite the variety of its architectural styles. It has an asymmetrical facade (mainly 13th century) with fine sculptured portals and only one tower, which has a tall (455 feet [139 metres]) and graceful 15th-century spire. Some of the cathedral’s sculptures, together with vestiges from other old French churches, are exhibited in the Maison de l’Oeuvre Notre-Dame, next to the cathedral. The 18th-century Château des Rohan, a former episcopal palace, houses three museums. The La Petite district of the city has several well-preserved old streets with wooden houses, as well as some picturesque canals.

Tanning, milling, metalworking, and brewing industries have long existed in the city, but major industrial development did not begin until the 1950s because of the city’s border location. Strasbourg’s present-day economic activities include food processing, mechanical and electrical engineering, and the manufacture of pharmaceuticals, electronics, and plastics. There is also a large automobile assembly plant in the city’s industrial port zone. The port itself is one of the largest on the Rhine and handles shipments of petroleum, agricultural products, and building materials.

Strasbourg plays a major role as a business, commercial, and cultural centre. Besides its traditional role as the chief city of Alsace, Strasbourg is also the seat of a number of European institutions and bodies including the European Parliament, the Council of Europe, and the European Court of Human Rights. The city has several universities (among them the prestigious National School of Administration [ENA] for civil service and international cooperation). The city centre, with walking paths and tram cars, has also become a popular tourist destination. A regional airport lies 9 miles (15 km) southwest of the city. Pop. (1999) 264,115; (2008 est.) 272,116.