Long ago this very spot housed soldiers. The Citée Administrative Gaujot stands before you. It wasn’t always a hub for government workers. It began its life in 1691 as a military hospital. Construction took place in two phases due to ongoing wars. The north and west wings were completed by 1694. The remaining sections including a monumental horseshoe-shaped entrance were finished between 1736 and 1742.
The hospital was a significant structure. It stretched two hundred meters. Its wings housed nine hundred beds across multiple levels. Transversal pavilions connected the wings offering services like kitchens and a pharmacy. One pavilion even had its own bell tower. More than just a hospital it also housed a midwifery school. Classes in anatomy surgery and obstetrics were also taught there. By 1814 it was one of France’s four teaching hospitals.
Problems arose with stagnant water in the surrounding ditches. This led to disease. An investigation revealed that mosquitoes breeding in the Rheingiessen a branch of the Rhine were responsible. This waterway was filled in around 1874. The military hospital continued its function until 1918. It then took the name of a former instructor Doctor Gaujot.
During World War II the Citée Administrative Gaujot was a health center for Russian prisoners. After the war Strasbourg’s city hall was destroyed. Civil administrations needed a new home. They chose the Gaujot hospital. The building required extensive renovations. Work took place from September 15 1945 to July 1946. Prisoners of war helped with the cleanup. Budgets were tight so some materials were even salvaged from Germany. The Citée Administrative Gaujot opened its doors. It housed twenty-three regional and departmental services. About twelve hundred civil servants began working here.
Today the Citée Administrative Gaujot stands as a testament to its rich past. From military hospital to civil administration center its story continues. The building still holds many government offices. It offers ample parking and even its own inter-administrative restaurant. The building’s history is more than bricks and mortar. It’s a living story of resilience adaptation and the enduring spirit of Strasbourg.