History of Strasbourg

Cathedral of Strasbourg

Early History

Strasbourg's origins can be traced back to a Celtic settlement named Argentorate. In 71 BCE, the local Sequani, a Celtic tribe, invited the Suebi and the Triboci, Germanic and Celtic tribes respectively from the eastern side of the Rhine, to settle in Alsace to assist them in their conflict with the Haedui.

In 12 BCE, Roman general Drusus, brother of Emperor Tiberius, established a military outpost at the site and Latinized the name to Argentoratum. A civilian settlement, known as a canabae, developed west of the Roman fort, laying the foundation for the future city.

Initially part of the Roman province of Gallia Belgica, the region soon became a separate entity known as Germania Superior, with its capital in present-day Mainz.

In 352, the Alamanni, a Germanic tribe related to the Suebi, destroyed the city. However, in 357, the forces of future Roman Emperor Julian defeated them at the Battle of Argentoratum, capturing the Alamanni king, Chnodomarius. Around January 1, 366, the Alamanni crossed the frozen Rhine in large numbers and settled in Alsace, later expanding their presence into most of Switzerland.

Germanic Invasions and Frankish Rule

The year 406 saw the invasion of Gaul by the Huns, Burgundians, Vandals, and Suebi. Attila destroyed Argentoratum in 451. The Franks, who had settled in the Roman Empire for about two centuries and fought alongside the Romans against the eastern invaders, eventually restored peace to the region after Clovis reunified what remained of Roman Gaul (=> see History of the Franks).

In 496, the Franks rebuilt the city under the name Strateburgum, and Clovis installed one of the first bishops to hold secular power. Strasbourg experienced a period of great prosperity during the 8th and 9th centuries.

In 842, Louis the German and Charles the Bald signed the Oath of Strasbourg, pledging mutual support in their opposition to their elder brother, Emperor Lothair. The oath was recorded in three languages: Latin, Old High German, and Old Gallo-Romance, the ancestor of Old French. The Treaty of Verdun, signed a year later, effectively divided the Carolingian Empire among the three brothers. Strasbourg remained part of Lothair's territory, known as Lotharingia, which later evolved into "Lorraine".

Medieval Period

In 923, Strasbourg came under the control of the Holy Roman Empire when the Duke of Lorraine swore allegiance to German King Henry I. Subsequently, a prolonged series of conflicts arose between the bishop and the populace. The burghers obtained the right to form a council in 1212, and in 1262, King Philip of Swabia granted the city the status of Free Imperial City, thereby transferring secular authority from the Bishop of Strasbourg to the burghers.

The struggle for power persisted, this time among the burghers themselves, culminating in a civil war between two prominent families, the Zorn and the Mullenheim, in 1332. As a result, the city government was expanded to include the guilds.

In 1210, Gottfried von Strassburg composed his renowned courtly romance "Tristan," widely regarded as one of the greatest narrative masterpieces of the German Middle Ages.

Strasbourg developed into a major commercial center on the Rhine, prospering from trade and taxation on various goods, including textiles, cereals, glass, furs, silk, and spices. The city was particularly noted for its Alsatian wine, which gained fame throughout the Empire and as far as England and Scandinavia.

The final medieval expansion of the city occurred between 1387 and 1441, incorporating the neighborhood of Krutenau. Construction of the cathedral, which began in 1015, was completed in 1439. In 1625, following the destruction of the spires of Lincoln Cathedral (1549) and St. Olav's Church in Tallinn (1625), Strasbourg Cathedral became the world's tallest building, reaching a height of 143 meters. It held this distinction until 1874 when it was surpassed by St. Nikolai Church in Hamburg.

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Cathedral of Our Lady, Strasbourg

Renaissance and Early Modern Era

The 15th and 16th centuries witnessed the flourishing of humanism in Strasbourg, with notable figures such as Jakob Wimpheling (1450-1528), Geiler von Kaysersberg (1445-1510), and Sébastien Brant (1458-1521). Johannes Gutenberg, the inventor of movable type printing, spent at least a decade in Strasbourg (1434 to 1444), where he likely conducted early experiments with his revolutionary printing technique.

In the 1520s, Strasbourg embraced Protestantism, influenced by its status as a center of humanist scholarship and early book printing. However, this religious shift led to significant destruction of churches and cloisters due to Protestant iconoclasm. The University of Strasbourg was established in 1567, and in 1605, one of the world's first modern newspapers was published in the city, alongside another in Antwerp.

French Annexation and Modern Era

During the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648), the Free City of Strasbourg maintained neutrality. The Treaty of Westphalia (1648) resulted in France's annexation of Lorraine and southern Alsace. In September 1681, King Louis XIV of France annexed Strasbourg to consolidate control over the western bank of the Rhine. This annexation was formally recognized following the War of the Palatinian Succession (1688-1697).

Despite revoking the Edict of Nantes in 1685, which instituted religious intolerance towards Protestants, Louis XIV strategically refrained from enforcing this policy in Alsace to prevent potential revolt among the predominantly Protestant population. The only concession was the transfer of the cathedral to Catholic control, while the German Lutheran university continued to operate until the French Revolution.

On April 25, 1792, Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle composed "La Marseillaise" in Strasbourg. Initially created as a patriotic "Marching Song of the Rhine Army," it was later adopted as France's National Anthem in 1795.

The 19th century brought significant prosperity to Strasbourg through industrial and commercial growth. Consequently, the city's population tripled, increasing from approximately 50,000 at the time of the French Revolution to 150,000 by 1900.

French or German?

During the Franco-Prussian War and the Siege of Strasbourg in 1870, the Prussian army heavily bombarded the city. On August 24, 1870, the Museum of Fine Arts and the Municipal Library, housed in the Gothic former Dominican Church, were destroyed by fire. This resulted in the loss of a unique collection of medieval manuscripts, including the famous Hortus deliciarum, rare Renaissance books, and Roman artifacts. Following the war, the Treaty of Frankfurt in 1871 annexed Strasbourg to the newly established German Empire as part of the Reichsland Elsaß-Lothringen (Imperial Territory of Alsace-Lorraine). The University of Strasbourg, which had been suppressed during the French Revolution due to its German sentiment, was reopened in 1872. A ring of massive fortifications was constructed around the city, much of which remains standing today. After Germany's defeat in World War I, Strasbourg was returned to France without a plebiscite for the Alsatians. During the Second Reich (1871-1918), Strasbourg had become a symbol of German superiority, particularly in relation to France. Subsequently, France attempted to gallicize the German-speaking Alsatians, disregarding the region's cultural diversity and prompting culturally and politically motivated protests against the centralized French government. In 1940, Nazi Germany occupied Northern France and re-annexed Alsace to the Reich. Berlin initiated a campaign of forced re-germanization, which included changing French street names to German ones, prohibiting the use of the French language, and even altering French-sounding family names to more German variants. This succession of political and cultural changes had a profound impact on Strasbourg's identity and its inhabitants throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Strasbourg's role as a European hub began in 1920 when it became the seat of the Central Commission for Navigation on the Rhine, one of the earliest European institutions, which was previously located in Mannheim.

The city's European significance expanded in 1949 when it was selected to host the Council of Europe and several of its associated institutions. Since 1979, Strasbourg has served as one of the official seats of the European Parliament. However, it's important to note that while plenary sessions are held in Strasbourg on a monthly basis, the majority of parliamentary activities take place at the main European Parliament building in Brussels.

In 1987, Strasbourg's international profile was further enhanced with the establishment of the International Space University in the nearby commune of Illkirch-Graffenstaden.