Hôtel de Hanau
The Hôtel de Hanau is Strasbourg's city hall, an 18th-century palace between Rue Brûlée and Place Broglie. Built for the Counts of Hanau-Lichtenberg to plans by Robert de Cotte, it has housed the town hall since 1805. It is mostly admired from outside, as you cross Place Broglie, one of the liveliest squares on the Grande Île.
The residence of the Hanau-Lichtenbergs
The site first belonged to the Ochsenstein family, then passed in 1573 to Philip of Hanau, lord of Lichtenberg. The Counts of Hanau-Lichtenberg kept their Strasbourg residence here. In 1728 Johann Reinhard III of Hanau-Lichtenberg, the last male heir of the family, decided to build a new mansion befitting his rank. It is this town palace that would later become the civic home of the people of Strasbourg.
A palace designed by Robert de Cotte
Construction ran from 1731 to 1736. The plans came from Robert de Cotte, First Architect to the King, and the work was entrusted to Joseph Massol, architect to the bishopric and the Grand Chapter. The result is a French-style Baroque town mansion, both restrained and elegant. It has been a classified historic monument since 1921.
City hall since Napoleon
In 1805, when Napoleon passed through Strasbourg, the emperor stayed at the Palais Rohan, which the municipality had occupied until then. The city council therefore moved into the Hôtel de Hanau, which became the city hall and has remained so. Since 1976 most City and Eurométropole departments have worked from the administrative centre on Place de l'Étoile. The Hôtel de Hanau keeps the official role: weddings, receptions, protocol and elected officials' offices.
Rue Brûlée at the front, Place Broglie at the back
The main entrance is at 9 Rue Brûlée, while the rear facade looks onto Place Broglie. That is the side most visitors see first, crossing the square that is also home to the Opera and, in December, part of the Christmas market. Since the building is first and foremost a working city hall, the interior is not visited like a museum: enjoy the facades and the neighbourhood.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the Hôtel de Hanau?
On the Grande Île, between 9 Rue Brûlée (main entrance) and Place Broglie, onto which its rear facade looks.
Is the Hôtel de Hanau still the city hall?
Yes, since 1805. It hosts weddings, receptions and elected officials' offices, while most municipal departments have been at the Place de l'Étoile administrative centre since 1976.
Can you visit the inside?
It is not a museum but a working municipal building. It is best enjoyed from outside, from Rue Brûlée and Place Broglie.
What is there to see around it?
Place Broglie and the Opera, then Place Kléber to the west and the cathedral to the south, all a few minutes' walk away.
Wikimedia Commons — Claude TRUONG-NGOC · Wikimedia Commons — Jorge Bueno
