Before the Chapelle de Garnison stood a Franciscan convent. This was between 1251 and 1270. It was near the horse market now Place Broglie. The convent housed Clarisse nuns. These were often daughters of wealthy families. Not always driven by religious vocation.
The Chapelle de Garnison’s history is rich and layered. It wasn’t always a place of worship. In 1399 the convent buildings became workshops. They produced catapults and other weapons. This was near the old Jewish tower and the city walls.
By 1529 the Reformation changed things. The convent buildings were secularized. Strasbourg converted them into an arsenal. This stored municipal artillery. Three courtyards housed weaponry. Even carnival items were kept there. There was even a cachalot jawbone. These odd items came from the Werkhof. This was an arsenal in Marais Vert.
The current Chapelle de Garnison building was constructed in 1642. At least that is what a damaged date indicates. It was slightly modified to hold newly cast artillery pieces. Its three-story main gable has a frontispiece portal. Elaborate scrollwork was added in the 18th century. The Chapelle de Garnison’s architectural details reveal its long history.
The Thirty Years’ War ended with the Treaty of Westphalia. Alsace became part of France. Strasbourg remained a free republic until 1681. In 1701 Strasbourg helped Louis XIV build a new foundry. Strasbourg would get the foundry if operations ceased. The foundry was completed by 1711. In 1764 Gribeauval tested new cannons between Hoenheim and Wantzenau. The old buildings near Place Broglie became a regimental artillery school.
The Franco-Prussian War of 1870 heavily damaged Strasbourg. The artillery school buildings were rebuilt. They became an officers’ casino. They were renovated in 1886. After Alsace returned to France in 1918 they became the military officers’ club.
After World War II the synagogue on quai Kléber was destroyed. The surviving Jewish community needed a new place of worship. From 1945 to 1948 they used a vocational school and the Palais des Fêtes. In 1950 the city offered the former arsenal building. Architects Cromback and Picard created a 600-seat synagogue. This served until the Synagogue de la Paix opened in 1958. The Chapelle de Garnison now stands in its place.
The Chapelle de Garnison and the building along quai Schoepfling are listed historical monuments. This happened since 1929. Their facades and roofs are protected. The Chapelle de Garnison stands today. It is a testament to centuries of Strasbourg’s history. It’s a place where history’s echoes resonate in the very stones.