Strasbourg#History

Until the fifth century AD, the city was known as Argantorati (in the nominative, Argantorate in the locative), a Celtic Gaulish name Latinised first as Argentorate (with Gaulish locative ending, as appearing on the first Roman milestones in the first century) and then as Argentoratum (with regular Latin nominative ending, in later Latin texts). That Gaulish name is a compound of -rati, the Gaulish word for fortified enclosures, cognate to the Old Irish ráth (see ringfort) and arganto(n)- (cognate to Latin argentum, which gave modern French argent), the Gaulish word for silver, but also any precious metal, particularly gold, suggesting either a fortified enclosure located by a river gold mining site, or hoarding gold mined in the nearby rivers.{{cite journal |title=Quand l'argent était d'or. Paroles de Gaulois. |journal=Gallia |volume=63 |pages=211–241 |author=Jean-Marie Pailler |publisher=CNRS|language=fr|year=2006 |doi=10.3406/galia.2006.3296|s2cid=194088001 |url=https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01908254/file/Gallia_2006_211-241_PAILLER.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01908254/file/Gallia_2006_211-241_PAILLER.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live }}

After the fifth century the city became known by a completely different name, later Gallicized as Strasbourg (Lower Alsatian: Strossburi; {{Langx|de|Straßburg}}). That name is of Germanic origin and means 'town (at the crossing) of roads'. The modern Stras- is cognate with the German Straße and English street, both derived from Latin strata ("paved road"), while -bourg is cognate with the German Burg and English borough, both derived from Proto-Germanic *burgz ("hill fort, fortress").

Gregory of Tours was the first to mention the name change: in the tenth book of his History of the Franks written shortly after 590 he said that Egidius, Bishop of Reims, accused of plotting against King Childebert II of Austrasia in favor of his uncle King Chilperic I of Neustria, was tried by a synod of Austrasian bishops in Metz in November 590, found guilty and removed from the priesthood, then taken "ad Argentoratensem urbem, quam nunc Strateburgum vocant" ("to the city of Argentoratum, which they now call Strateburgus"), where he was exiled.{{cite book |title=Historia Francorum|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1OWL-l5ssoYC&q=historia%20francorum%20argentoratensem&pg=RA2-PT187 |author=Gregory of Tours |volume=10th book, chapter XIX |page=553 |access-date=7 March 2017 |year=1849 |author-link=Gregory of Tours}}

{{main|History of Strasbourg}}

{{For timeline}}

File:Entrée solennelle de l'empereur Sigismond à Strasbourg en 1414 (3).jpg visiting Strasbourg in 1414, detail of a painting by Léo Schnug]]

The Roman camp of Argentoratum was first mentioned in 12 BC; the city of Strasbourg which grew from it celebrated its 2,000th anniversary in 1988. The fertile area in the Upper Rhine Plain between the rivers Ill and Rhine had already been populated since the Middle Paleolithic.{{cite web |title=Musée Archéologique - Strasbourg De la Préhistoire au Moyen-Âge en Alsace |url=http://www.hominides.com/html/lieux/musee-archeologie-strasbourg.php |website=Hominidés.com |access-date=17 July 2017 |archive-date=5 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170705055718/http://www.hominides.com/html/lieux/musee-archeologie-strasbourg.php |url-status=live }}{{cite web |title=Du Paléolithique au Néolithique |url=https://www.musees.strasbourg.eu/du-paleolithique-au-neolithique |publisher=Musées de la ville de Strasbourg |access-date=29 January 2019 |archive-date=3 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180903215155/https://www.musees.strasbourg.eu/du-paleolithique-au-neolithique |url-status=dead }}

Between 362 and 1262, Strasbourg was governed by the bishops of Strasbourg; their rule was reinforced in 873 and then more in 982.{{cite web |title=Les temps de l'histoire de Strasbourg |url=https://archives.strasbourg.eu/n/les-temps-de-l-histoire-de-strasbourg/n:106 |publisher=Archives de la ville et de l'Eurométropole de Strasbourg |access-date=17 July 2017 |archive-date=12 June 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170612000548/https://archives.strasbourg.eu/n/les-temps-de-l-histoire-de-strasbourg/n:106 |url-status=live }} In 1262, the citizens violently rebelled against the bishop's rule (Battle of Hausbergen) and Strasbourg became a free imperial city. It became a French city in 1681, after the conquest of Alsace by the armies of Louis XIV. In 1871, after the Franco-Prussian War, the city, as part of the Imperial Territory of Alsace–Lorraine, became German again, until 1918 (end of World War I), when it reverted to France. Strasbourg was captured by the German army in June 1940 at the end of the Battle of France (World War II), and subsequently came under German control again through formal annexation into the Gau Baden-Elsaß under the Nazi Gauleiter Robert Wagner; since the liberation of the city by the 2nd French Armoured Division under General Leclerc in November 1944, it has again been a French city. In 2016, Strasbourg was promoted from capital of Alsace to capital of Grand Est.

Strasbourg played an important part in the Protestant Reformation, with personalities such as John Calvin, Martin Bucer, Wolfgang Capito, Matthew and Katharina Zell, but also in other aspects of Christianity such as German mysticism, with Johannes Tauler, Pietism, with Philipp Spener, and Reverence for Life, with Albert Schweitzer. Delegates from the city took part in the Protestation at Speyer. It was also one of the first centres of the printing industry with pioneers such as Johannes Gutenberg, Johannes Mentelin, and Heinrich Eggestein. Among the darkest periods in the city's long history were the years 1349 (Strasbourg massacre), 1518 (Dancing plague), 1793 (Reign of Terror), 1870 (Siege of Strasbourg) and the years 1940–1944 with the Nazi occupation (atrocities such as the Jewish skull collection) and the British and American bombing raids. Some other notable dates were the years 357 (Battle of Argentoratum), 842 (Oaths of Strasbourg), 1538 (establishment of the university), 1605 (world's first newspaper printed by Johann Carolus), 1792 ({{Lang|fr|La Marseillaise|italic=no}}), and 1889 (pancreatic origin of diabetes discovered by Minkowski and Von Mering).

Strasbourg has been the seat of European institutions since 1949: first of the International Commission on Civil Status and of the Council of Europe, later of the European Parliament, of the European Science Foundation, of Eurocorps, and others as well.

File:Strasbourg OSM map.png map of Strasbourg.]]

Strasbourg is situated at the eastern border of France with Germany. This border is formed by the Rhine, which also forms the eastern border of the modern city, facing across the river to the German town Kehl. The historic core of Strasbourg, however, lies on the Grande Île in the river Ill, which here flows parallel to, and roughly {{convert|4|km|mi}} from, the Rhine. The natural courses of the two rivers eventually join some distance downstream of Strasbourg, although several artificial waterways now connect them within the city.

The city lies in the Upper Rhine Plain, at between {{convert|132|and|151|m|ft}} above sea level, with the upland areas of the Vosges Mountains some {{convert|20|km|mi|abbr=on}} to the west and the Black Forest {{convert|25|km|mi|abbr=on}} to the east. This section of the Rhine valley is a major axis of north–south travel, with river traffic on the Rhine itself, and major roads and railways paralleling it on both banks.

The city is some {{convert|397|km|}} east of Paris.{{Cite web|url=https://frdistance.com/route/paris/strasbourg|title=Distance entre Paris et Strasbourg en voiture|website=frdistance.com|language=fr|access-date=2018-12-18|archive-date=18 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181218193503/https://frdistance.com/route/paris/strasbourg|url-status=live}} The mouth of the Rhine lies approximately {{convert|450|km}} to the north, or {{convert|650|km}} as the river flows, whilst the head of navigation in Basel is some {{convert|100|km}} to the south, or {{convert|150|km}} by river.

In spite of its position far inland, Strasbourg has an oceanic climate (Köppen: Cfb),{{cite web|title=Strasbourg Climate Strasbourg Temperatures Strasbourg Weather Averages|url=http://www.strasbourg.climatemps.com/|access-date=29 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170624202042/http://www.strasbourg.climatemps.com/|archive-date=24 June 2017|url-status=dead}}{{cite web |title=Temperature, Climate graph, Climate table for Strasbourg |url=http://en.climate-data.org/location/350/ |website=Climate-Data |access-date=29 September 2017}} though with less maritime influence than the milder climates of Western and Southern France.{{cite web |url=https://www.assistancescolaire.com/enseignant/elementaire/ressources/base-documentaire-en-geographie/les-climats-en-france-france_climates |title=Les climats en France - Ressources pour les enseignants - Ressources élémentaire |website=www.assistancescolaire.com |language=fr |access-date=2019-03-30}} The city has warm, relatively sunny summers and cool, overcast winters.

The third highest temperature ever recorded was {{convert|38.5|°C|1|abbr=on}} in August 2003, during the 2003 European heat wave. This record was broken, on 30 June 2019, when it reached {{convert|38.8|°C|1|abbr=on}} {{cite web |url=http://www.meteofrance.fr/actualites/73942103-canicule-de-juin-2019-retour-sur-un-episode-exceptionnel |title=Canicule de juin 2019 : retour sur un épisode exceptionnel |website=www.meteofrance.fr |publisher=Meteo-France |access-date=2019-07-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190703081246/http://www.meteofrance.fr/actualites/73942103-canicule-de-juin-2019-retour-sur-un-episode-exceptionnel |archive-date=3 July 2019 |url-status=dead }} and then on 25 July 2019, when it reached {{convert|38.9|°C|1|abbr=on}}. The lowest temperature ever recorded was {{convert|-23.4|°C|1|abbr=on}} in December 1938.{{cite news |title=Record de froid: -18 degrés à Strasbourg cette nuit |url=https://www.dna.fr/actualite/2010/12/25/record-de-froid-18-degres-a-strasbourg-cette-nuit |access-date=13 January 2021 |work=Les Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace |date=25 December 2010}}

Strasbourg's location in the Rhine valley, sheltered from strong winds by the Vosges and Black Forest mountains, results in poor natural ventilation, making Strasbourg one of the most atmospherically polluted cities of France.{{cite web |url=http://www.atmo-alsace.net/ |title=Daily measurements for Strasbourg and Alsace |publisher=Atmo-alsace.net |access-date=15 April 2010 |archive-date=16 December 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081216084708/http://www.atmo-alsace.net/ |url-status=dead }}[http://ruedemetzeral.cigogne.org/index.php/2005/10/20/3761-pollution-a-strasbourg Measurements] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071009161440/http://ruedemetzeral.cigogne.org/index.php/2005/10/20/3761-pollution-a-strasbourg |date=9 October 2007}} made on 18 and 19 October 2005 Nonetheless, the progressive disappearance of heavy industry on both banks of the Rhine, as well as effective measures of traffic regulation in and around the city have reduced air pollution in recent years.{{cite web |url=http://www.epe.be/workbooks/tcui/example3.html |title=Outlines of the urban transportation policy led by the urban community of Strasbourg |publisher=Epe.be |date=29 March 2010 |access-date=15 April 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081211090805/http://www.epe.be/workbooks/tcui/example3.html |archive-date=11 December 2008 |url-status=dead}}

{{Weather box

|location = Strasbourg-Entzheim (SXB), elevation: {{convert|150|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1924–present

|collapsed =

|metric first = Y

|single line = Y

|Jan record high C = 17.6

|Feb record high C = 21.1

|Mar record high C = 26.3

|Apr record high C = 30.0

|May record high C = 34.6

|Jun record high C = 38.8

|Jul record high C = 38.9

|Aug record high C = 38.7

|Sep record high C = 33.4

|Oct record high C = 29.1

|Nov record high C = 22.1

|Dec record high C = 18.3

|year record high C = 38.9

|Jan avg record high C = 13.4

|Feb avg record high C = 15.7

|Mar avg record high C = 20.5

|Apr avg record high C = 25.7

|May avg record high C = 29.3

|Jun avg record high C = 32.8

|Jul avg record high C = 33.9

|Aug avg record high C = 33.4

|Sep avg record high C = 28.3

|Oct avg record high C = 23.8

|Nov avg record high C = 17.4

|Dec avg record high C = 13.7

|year avg record high C = 35.0

|Jan high C = 5.2

|Feb high C = 7.3

|Mar high C = 12.1

|Apr high C = 17.0

|May high C = 20.9

|Jun high C = 24.4

|Jul high C = 26.4

|Aug high C = 26.1

|Sep high C = 21.6

|Oct high C = 15.8

|Nov high C = 9.4

|Dec high C = 5.9

|year high C = 16.0

|Jan mean C = 2.5

|Feb mean C = 3.6

|Mar mean C = 7.4

|Apr mean C = 11.3

|May mean C = 15.5

|Jun mean C = 18.9

|Jul mean C = 20.6

|Aug mean C = 20.3

|Sep mean C = 16.1

|Oct mean C = 11.5

|Nov mean C = 6.3

|Dec mean C = 3.3

|year mean C = 11.4

|Jan low C = -0.2

|Feb low C = 0.0

|Mar low C = 2.6

|Apr low C = 5.7

|May low C = 10.1

|Jun low C = 13.4

|Jul low C = 14.9

|Aug low C = 14.5

|Sep low C = 10.7

|Oct low C = 7.2

|Nov low C = 3.3

|Dec low C = 0.8

|year low C = 6.9

|Jan avg record low C = -8.9

|Feb avg record low C = -6.7

|Mar avg record low C = -3.8

|Apr avg record low C = -1.1

|May avg record low C = 3.7

|Jun avg record low C = 7.6

|Jul avg record low C = 9.7

|Aug avg record low C = 8.7

|Sep avg record low C = 4.7

|Oct avg record low C = 0.0

|Nov avg record low C = -3.3

|Dec avg record low C = -7.6

|year avg record low C = -11.3

|Jan record low C = -23.6

|Feb record low C = -22.3

|Mar record low C = -16.7

|Apr record low C = -5.6

|May record low C = -2.4

|Jun record low C = 1.1

|Jul record low C = 4.9

|Aug record low C = 4.8

|Sep record low C = -1.3

|Oct record low C = -7.6

|Nov record low C = -10.8

|Dec record low C = -23.4

|year record low C = -23.6

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation mm = 35.4

|Feb precipitation mm = 34.1

|Mar precipitation mm = 38.6

|Apr precipitation mm = 41.8

|May precipitation mm = 77.2

|Jun precipitation mm = 68.5

|Jul precipitation mm = 71.9

|Aug precipitation mm = 61.3

|Sep precipitation mm = 54.6

|Oct precipitation mm = 59.5

|Nov precipitation mm = 47.6

|Dec precipitation mm = 45.2

|year precipitation mm = 635.7

|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm

|Jan precipitation days = 9.1

|Feb precipitation days = 8.3

|Mar precipitation days = 8.5

|Apr precipitation days = 8.6

|May precipitation days = 10.8

|Jun precipitation days = 10.2

|Jul precipitation days = 10.4

|Aug precipitation days = 9.5

|Sep precipitation days = 8.0

|Oct precipitation days = 9.6

|Nov precipitation days = 9.2

|Dec precipitation days = 10.2

|year precipitation days = 112.3

|Jan snow days = 7.0

|Feb snow days = 6.7

|Mar snow days = 3.3

|Apr snow days = 0.7

|May snow days = 0.0

|Jun snow days = 0.0

|Jul snow days = 0.0

|Aug snow days = 0.0

|Sep snow days = 0.0

|Oct snow days = 0.1

|Nov snow days = 2.2

|Dec snow days = 6.0

|year snow days = 25.9

|Jan humidity = 86

|Feb humidity = 82

|Mar humidity = 76

|Apr humidity = 72

|May humidity = 73

|Jun humidity = 74

|Jul humidity = 72

|Aug humidity = 76

|Sep humidity = 80

|Oct humidity = 85

|Nov humidity = 86

|Dec humidity = 86

|Jan sun = 55.5

|Feb sun = 85.8

|Mar sun = 146.4

|Apr sun = 186.9

|May sun = 209.1

|Jun sun = 226.4

|Jul sun = 239.7

|Aug sun = 224.2

|Sep sun = 173.5

|Oct sun = 100.4

|Nov sun = 55.2

|Dec sun = 44.2

|year sun = 1747.3

|source 1 = Meteo France (snow days 1981–2010)

{{cite web

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220309232908/https://donneespubliques.meteofrance.fr/FichesClim/FICHECLIM_67124001.pdf

| archive-date = 9 March 2022

| url = https://donneespubliques.meteofrance.fr/FichesClim/FICHECLIM_67124001.pdf

| title = STRASBOURG–ENTZHEIM (67)

| work = Fiche Climatologique: Statistiques 1991–2020 et records

| publisher = Meteo France

| language = fr

| access-date = 14 July 2022}}

| source 2 = Infoclimat.fr (relative humidity 1961–1990){{cite web

| url = http://www.infoclimat.fr/climatologie-07190-strasbourg-entzheim.html

| title = Normes et records 1961–1990: Strasbourg-Entzheim (67) – altitude 150m

| language = fr

| publisher = Infoclimat

| access-date = 7 August 2019

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160315040604/http://www.infoclimat.fr/climatologie-07190-strasbourg-entzheim.html

| archive-date = 15 March 2016}}

}}

Strasbourg is divided into the following districts:{{Cite web|url=https://www.strasbourg.eu/quartiers|title=Quartiers|website=www.strasbourg.eu}}

1. Bourse, Esplanade, Krutenau
2. Centre Ville (Downtown Strasbourg)
3. Gare, Tribunal (Central Station, Court)
4. Conseil des XV, Orangerie
5. Cronenbourg
6. Hautepierre, Poteries
7. Koenigshoffen,
8. Montagne-Verte (Green Hill)
9. Elsau
10. Meinau
11. Neudorf-Musau
12. Neuhof 1 (including Ganzau)
13. Neuhof 2
14. Robertsau
15. Port du Rhin (Rhine's Harbor)

{{clear}}

File:Strasbourg - Ponts Couverts vus de la terrasse panoramique.jpg with the medieval bridge Ponts Couverts in the foreground (the fourth tower is hidden by trees at the left) and the cathedral in the distance on the right]]

File:Petite France during golden hour.jpg

File:Strasbourg Cathedral Exterior - Diliff.jpg]]

The city is chiefly known for its sandstone Gothic Cathedral with its famous astronomical clock, and for its medieval cityscape of Rhineland black and white timber-framed buildings, particularly in the Petite France district or Gerberviertel ("tanners' district") alongside the Ill and in the streets and squares surrounding the cathedral, where the renowned Maison Kammerzell stands out.

Notable medieval streets include Rue Mercière, Rue des Dentelles, Rue du Bain aux Plantes, Rue des Juifs, Rue des Frères, Rue des Tonneliers, Rue du Maroquin, Rue des Charpentiers, Rue des Serruriers, Grand' Rue, Quai des Bateliers, Quai Saint-Nicolas and Quai Saint-Thomas. Notable medieval squares include Place de la Cathédrale, Place du Marché Gayot, Place Saint-Étienne, Place du Marché aux Cochons de Lait and Place Benjamin Zix.File:Absolute Maison des tanneurs 01.JPGIn addition to the cathedral, Strasbourg houses several other medieval churches that have survived the many wars and destructions that have plagued the city: the Romanesque Église Saint-Étienne, partly destroyed in 1944 by Allied bombing raids; the part-Romanesque, part-Gothic, very large Église Saint-Thomas with its Silbermann organ on which Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Albert Schweitzer played;{{Base Mérimée|PA00085032|Eglise Saint-Thomas}}{{cite web |url=https://www.itineraires-silbermann.org/strasbourg-saint-thomas/ |title=Strasbourg - Eglise protestante Saint-Thomas |publisher=itineraires-silbermann.org |access-date=13 July 2022 }} the Gothic Église protestante Saint-Pierre-le-Jeune with its crypt dating back to the seventh century and its cloister partly from the eleventh century; the Gothic Église Saint-Guillaume with its fine early-Renaissance stained glass and furniture; the Gothic Église Saint-Jean; the part-Gothic, part-Art Nouveau Église Sainte-Madeleine etc. The Neo-Gothic church Saint-Pierre-le-Vieux Catholique (there is also an adjacent church Saint-Pierre-le-Vieux Protestant) serves as a shrine for several 15th-century wood-worked and painted altars coming from other, now destroyed churches and installed there for public display; especially the Passion of Christ. Among the numerous secular medieval buildings, the monumental Ancienne Douane (old custom-house) stands out.

The German Renaissance has bequeathed the city some noteworthy buildings (especially the current Chambre de commerce et d'industrie, former town hall, on Place Gutenberg), as did the French Baroque and Classicism with several hôtels particuliers (i.e. palaces), among which the Palais Rohan (completed 1742, used for university purposes from 1872 to 1895,{{cite EB1911 |wstitle=Strassburg |volume=25 |page=984}} now housing three museums) is the most spectacular. Other buildings of its kind are the "Hôtel de Hanau" (1736, now the city hall); the Hôtel de Klinglin (1736, now residence of the {{lang|fr|préfet}}); the Hôtel des Deux-Ponts (1755, now residence of the military governor); the Hôtel d'Andlau-Klinglin (1725, now seat of the administration of the Port autonome de Strasbourg) etc. The largest baroque building of Strasbourg though is the {{convert|150|m|ft|adj=mid|-long}} 1720s main building of the Hôpital civil. As for French Neo-classicism, it is the Opera House on Place Broglie that most prestigiously represents this style.

Strasbourg also offers high-class eclecticist buildings in its very extended German district, the Neustadt, being the main memory of Wilhelmian architecture since most of the major cities in Germany proper suffered intensive damage during World War II. Streets, boulevards and avenues are homogeneous, surprisingly high (up to seven stories) and broad examples of German urban lay-out and of this architectural style that summons and mixes up five centuries of European architecture as well as Neo-Egyptian, Neo-Greek and Neo-Babylonian styles. The former imperial palace Palais du Rhin, the most political and thus heavily criticized of all German Strasbourg buildings epitomizes the grand scale and stylistic sturdiness of this period. But the two most handsome and ornate buildings of these times are the École internationale des Pontonniers (the former Höhere Mädchenschule, with its towers, turrets and multiple round and square angles{{cite web |url=http://www.archi-strasbourg.org/adresse-3_rue_des_Pontonniers_Centre_ville_Strasbourg-702.html?check=1&archiIdAdresse=702&archiAffichage=adresseDetail&debut= |title=Pictures |publisher=Archi-strasbourg.org |access-date=15 April 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090105134906/http://www.archi-strasbourg.org/adresse-3_rue_des_Pontonniers_Centre_ville_Strasbourg-702.html?check=1&archiIdAdresse=702&archiAffichage=adresseDetail&debut= |archive-date=5 January 2009 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all}} and the Haute école des arts du Rhin with its lavishly ornate façade of painted bricks, woodwork and majolica.{{Cite web |url=http://www.archi-strasbourg.org/adresse-1_rue_de_Acad%C3%A9mie_Krutenau_Strasbourg-508.html?check=1&archiIdAdresse=508&archiAffichage=adresseDetail&debut= |title=Views |access-date=20 August 2021 |archive-date=10 May 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150510234327/http://www.archi-strasbourg.org/adresse-1_rue_de_Acad%C3%A9mie_Krutenau_Strasbourg-508.html?check=1&archiIdAdresse=508&archiAffichage=adresseDetail&debut= |url-status=dead }}

File:OrgueSaintThomasStrasbourg.jpg]]

Notable streets of the German district include: Avenue de la Forêt Noire, Avenue des Vosges, Avenue d'Alsace, Avenue de la Marseillaise, Avenue de la Liberté, Boulevard de la Victoire, Rue Sellénick, Rue du Général de Castelnau, Rue du Maréchal Foch, and Rue du Maréchal Joffre. Notable squares of the German district include Place de la République, Place de l'Université, Place Brant, and Place Arnold.

Impressive examples of Prussian military architecture of the 1880s can be found along the newly reopened Rue du Rempart, displaying large-scale fortifications among which the aptly named Kriegstor (war gate).

As for modern and contemporary architecture, Strasbourg possesses some fine Art Nouveau buildings (such as the huge Palais des Fêtes and houses and villas like Villa Schutzenberger and Hôtel Brion), good examples of post-World War II functional architecture (the Cité Rotterdam, for which Le Corbusier did not succeed in the architectural contest) and, in the very extended Quartier Européen, some spectacular administrative buildings of sometimes utterly large size, among which the European Court of Human Rights building by Richard Rogers is arguably the finest. Other noticeable contemporary buildings are the new Music school Cité de la Musique et de la Danse, the Musée d'Art moderne et contemporain and the Hôtel du Département facing it, as well as, in the outskirts, the tramway-station Hoenheim-Nord designed by Zaha Hadid.

File:Absolute place Kleber 02.jpg]]

The city has many bridges, including the medieval and four-towered Ponts Couverts that, despite their name, are no longer covered. Next to the Ponts Couverts is the Barrage Vauban, a part of Vauban's 17th-century fortifications, that does include a covered bridge. Other bridges are the ornate 19th-century Pont de la Fonderie (1893, stone) and Pont d'Auvergne (1892, iron), as well as architect Marc Mimram's futuristic Passerelle over the Rhine, opened in 2004.

The largest square at the centre of the city of Strasbourg is the Place Kléber. Located in the heart of the city's commercial area, it was named after general Jean-Baptiste Kléber, born in Strasbourg in 1753 and assassinated in 1800 in Cairo. In the square is a statue of Kléber, under which is a vault containing his remains. On the north side of the square is the Aubette (Orderly Room), built by Jacques François Blondel, architect of the king, in 1765–1772.

File:Absolute Pavillon Joséphine 01.jpg

File:Absolute Chateau de Pourtales 01.JPG

Strasbourg features a number of prominent parks, of which several are of cultural and historical interest: the Parc de l'Orangerie, laid out as a French garden by André le Nôtre and remodeled as an English garden on behalf of Joséphine de Beauharnais, now displaying noteworthy French gardens, a neo-classical castle and a small zoo; the Parc de la Citadelle, built around impressive remains of the 17th-century fortress erected close to the Rhine by Vauban;{{cite web |url=http://www.archi-strasbourg.org/adresse-1_3e_Regiment_Tir_Algeriens_Place_Esplanade_Strasbourg-904.html?check=1&archiIdAdresse=904&archiAffichage=adresseDetail&debut= |title=Parc de la Citadelle with remains of the Vauban fortress |publisher=Archi-strasbourg.org |date=26 August 2007 |access-date=15 April 2010 |archive-date=5 January 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090105145149/http://www.archi-strasbourg.org/adresse-1_3e_Regiment_Tir_Algeriens_Place_Esplanade_Strasbourg-904.html?check=1&archiIdAdresse=904&archiAffichage=adresseDetail&debut= |url-status=dead }} the Parc de Pourtalès, laid out in English style around a baroque castle (heavily restored in the 19th century) that now houses a small three-star hotel,{{cite web |url=http://www.chateau-pourtales.eu/cms/front_content.php?idcat=1&changelang=3 |title=Overview |publisher=chateau-pourtales.eu |access-date=12 December 2010 |archive-date=28 July 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100728101001/http://www.chateau-pourtales.eu/cms/front_content.php?idcat=1&changelang=3 |url-status=live }} and featuring an open-air museum of international contemporary sculpture.{{cite web |url=http://www.ceaac.org/html/espace_public/pourtales/frame.htm |title=Overview |publisher=Ceaac.org |access-date=15 April 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101204060533/http://www.ceaac.org/html/espace_public/pourtales/frame.htm |archive-date=4 December 2010 |df=dmy-all}} The Jardin botanique de l'Université de Strasbourg (botanical garden) was created under the German administration next to the Observatory of Strasbourg, built in 1881, and still owns some greenhouses of those times. The Parc des Contades, although the oldest park of the city, was completely remodeled after World War II. The futuristic Parc des Poteries is an example of European park-conception in the late 1990s. The Jardin des deux Rives, spread over Strasbourg and Kehl on both sides of the Rhine opened in 2004 and is the most extended (60-hectare) park of the agglomeration. The most recent park is Parc du Heyritz (8,7 ha), opened in 2014 along a canal facing the hôpital civil.

As of 2020, the city of Strasbourg has eleven municipal museums (including Aubette 1928),{{cite web |title=Museums |url=https://en.musees.strasbourg.eu/ |publisher=Musées de la ville de Strasbourg |access-date=3 January 2020 |archive-date=26 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191226012927/https://en.musees.strasbourg.eu/ |url-status=live }} eleven university museums,{{cite web |title=Jardin des Sciences - Et aussi |url=https://jardin-sciences.unistra.fr/patrimoine-universitaire/decouvrir/et-aussi/ |publisher=University of Strasbourg |access-date=3 January 2020 |archive-date=1 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200401050023/http://jardin-sciences.unistra.fr/patrimoine-universitaire/decouvrir/et-aussi/ |url-status=dead }} and at least two privately owned museums (Musée vodou and Musée du barreau de Strasbourg). Five communes in the metropolitan area also have museums (see below), three of them dedicated to military history.

The collections in Strasbourg are distributed over a wide range of museums, according to a system that takes into account not only the types and geographical provenances of the items, but also the epochs. This concerns in particular the following domains:

• Old Master paintings from the Germanic Rhenish territories and until 1681 are displayed in the Musée de l'Œuvre Notre-Dame (MOND); old master paintings from all the rest of Europe (including the Dutch Rhenish territories) and until 1871, as well as old master paintings from the Germanic Rhenish territories between 1681 and 1871, are displayed in the Musée des Beaux-Arts; paintings since 1871 are displayed in the Musée d'art moderne et contemporain (MAMCS).
• Decorative arts until 1681 are on display in the MOND, decorative arts from the years 1681 until 1871 are on display in the Musée des arts décoratifs, decorative arts after 1871 are on display at the MAMCS, with items from each epoch also shown in the Musée historique.
• Prints and drawings until 1871 are displayed in the Cabinet des estampes et dessins, save for the original plans of Strasbourg Cathedral, displayed in the MOND. Prints and drawings after 1871 are displayed in the MAMCS, and in the Musée Tomi Ungerer/Centre international de l'illustration (the combined number of prints and drawings amounts to well over 200,000).
• Artefacts from Ancient Egypt are on display in two entirely different collections, one in the Musée archéologique and the other belonging to the Instituts d'Égyptologie et de Papyrologie of the University of Strasbourg.

File:Paul Hannong Strassburg.jpg]]

• The Musée des Beaux-Arts owns paintings by Hans Memling, Francisco de Goya, Tintoretto, Paolo Veronese, Giotto di Bondone, Sandro Botticelli, Peter Paul Rubens, Anthony van Dyck, El Greco, Correggio, Cima da Conegliano and Piero di Cosimo, among others.
• The Musée de l'Œuvre Notre-Dame (located in a part-Gothic, part-Renaissance building next to the cathedral) houses a large and renowned collection of medieval and Renaissance upper-Rhenish art, among which original sculptures, plans and stained glass from the cathedral and paintings by Hans Baldung and Sebastian Stoskopff.
• The Musée d'Art moderne et contemporain is among the largest museums of its kind in France.
• The Musée des Arts décoratifs, located in the sumptuous former residence of the cardinals of Rohan, the Palais Rohan displays a reputable collection of 18th century furniture and china.
• The Cabinet des estampes et des dessins displays five centuries of engravings and drawings, but also woodcuts and lithographies.
• The Musée Tomi Ungerer/Centre international de l'illustration, located in a large former villa next to the Theatre, displays original works by Ungerer and other artists (Saul Steinberg, Ronald Searle ... ) as well as Ungerer's large collection of ancient toys.

• The Musée archéologique presents a large display of regional findings from the first ages of man to the sixth century, focusing on the Roman and Celtic period. It also includes a collection of works from Ancient Egypt and Ancient Greece, assembled and bequeathed by Gustave Schlumberger.{{cite web |title=Antiquités égyptiennes Musée Archéologique |url=https://www.musees.strasbourg.eu/fr/collection-musee-archeologique/-/entity/id/614144?_eu_strasbourg_portlet_entity_detail_EntityDetailPortlet_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.musees.strasbourg.eu%2Ffr%2Fcollection-musee-archeologique%2F-%2Fentity%2Fid%2F614116%3F_eu_strasbourg_portlet_entity_detail_EntityDetailPortlet_returnURL%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.musees.strasbourg.eu%252Fzh%252Foeuvre-musee-archeologique%252F-%252Fentity%252Fid%252F614144%253F_eu_strasbourg_portlet_entity_detail_EntityDetailPortlet_returnURL%253Dhttps%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.musees.strasbourg.eu%25252Fzh%25252Fcollection-musee-archeologique%25253Fp_p_id%25253Dcom_liferay_asset_publisher_web_portlet_AssetPublisherPortlet_INSTANCE_2oHsumd6sokN%252526p_p_lifecycle%25253D0%252526p_p_state%25253Dnormal%252526p_p_mode%25253Dview%252526p_p_col_id%25253Dcolumn-1%252526p_p_col_pos%25253D2%252526p_p_col_count%25253D3%252526p_p_auth%25253D5ZJ1A3QL |publisher=Musées de la vile de Strasbourg |access-date=3 January 2020 |archive-date=8 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308144339/https://www.musees.strasbourg.eu/fr/collection-musee-archeologique/-/entity/id/614144?_eu_strasbourg_portlet_entity_detail_EntityDetailPortlet_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.musees.strasbourg.eu%2Ffr%2Fcollection-musee-archeologique%2F-%2Fentity%2Fid%2F614116%3F_eu_strasbourg_portlet_entity_detail_EntityDetailPortlet_returnURL%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.musees.strasbourg.eu%2Fzh%2Foeuvre-musee-archeologique%2F-%2Fentity%2Fid%2F614144%3F_eu_strasbourg_portlet_entity_detail_EntityDetailPortlet_returnURL%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.musees.strasbourg.eu%2Fzh%2Fcollection-musee-archeologique%3Fp_p_id%3Dcom_liferay_asset_publisher_web_portlet_AssetPublisherPortlet_INSTANCE_2oHsumd6sokN%26p_p_lifecycle%3D0%26p_p_state%3Dnormal%26p_p_mode%3Dview%26p_p_col_id%3Dcolumn-1%26p_p_col_pos%3D2%26p_p_col_count%3D3%26p_p_auth%3D5ZJ1A3QL |url-status=live }}
• The Musée alsacien is dedicated to traditional Alsatian daily life.
• Le Vaisseau ("The vessel") is a science and technology centre, especially designed for children.
• The Musée historique (historical museum) is dedicated to the tumultuous history of the city and displays many artifacts of the times, including the Grüselhorn, the horn that was blown at 10 every evening during medieval times to order the Jews out of the city.
• The Musée vodou (Voodoo museum) opened its doors on 28 November 2013. Displaying a private collection of artefacts from Haiti, it is located in a former water tower (château d'eau) built in 1883 and classified as a Monument historique.
• The Musée du barreau de Strasbourg (The Strasbourg bar association museum) is a museum dedicated to the work and the history of lawyers in the city.{{cite web|title=Le Musée du Barreau de Strasbourg|url=http://www.avocats-strasbourg.com/musee-de-lordre|publisher=Ordre des avocats de Strasbourg|access-date=1 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201182341/http://www.avocats-strasbourg.com/musee-de-lordre|archive-date=1 December 2017|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|title=Le Musée du Barreau de Strasbourg|url=http://www.alsace20.tv/VOD/Actu/6-minutes-eurometropole/Musee-Barreau-Strasbourg-C6bm7hSRUz.html|publisher=Alsace 20|access-date=1 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201182406/http://www.alsace20.tv/VOD/Actu/6-minutes-eurometropole/Musee-Barreau-Strasbourg-C6bm7hSRUz.html|archive-date=1 December 2017|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}

The Université de Strasbourg is in charge of a number of permanent public displays of its collections of scientific artefacts and products of all kinds of exploration and research.{{cite web |url=http://collections.u-strasbg.fr/index.htm |title=Overview of the collections |publisher=Collections.u-strasbg.fr |access-date=9 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131109191835/http://collections.u-strasbg.fr/index.htm |archive-date=9 November 2013 |url-status=dead }}

• The Musée zoologique is one of the oldest in France and is especially famous for its collection of birds. The museum is co-administered by the municipality.
• The Gypsothèque (also known as Musée des moulages or Musée Adolf Michaelis) is France's second-largest cast collection and the largest university cast collection in France.
• The Musée de Sismologie et Magnétisme terrestre displays antique instruments of measure.
• The Musée Pasteur is a collection of medical curiosities.
• The Musée de minéralogie is dedicated to minerals.
• The Musée d'Égyptologie houses a collections of archaeological findings made in and brought from Egypt and Sudan. This collection is entirely separate from the Schlumberger collection of the Musée archéologique (see above).{{cite web |title=Histoire de la collection |url=http://egypte.unistra.fr/la-collection-de-linstitut-degyptologie/histoire-de-la-collection/ |publisher=University of Strasbourg |access-date=3 January 2020 |archive-date=3 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200103134032/http://egypte.unistra.fr/la-collection-de-linstitut-degyptologie/histoire-de-la-collection/ |url-status=live }}
• The Crypte aux étoiles ("star crypt") is situated in the vaulted basement below the Observatory of Strasbourg and displays old telescopes and other antique astronomical devices such as clocks and theodolites.

• Musée Les Secrets du Chocolat (Chocolate museum) in Geispolsheim{{cite web |title=The Museum "The Secrets of Chocolate" |url=http://musee-du-chocolat.com/en-index.php |website=musee-du-chocolat.com |access-date=3 March 2017}}
• Fort Frère in Oberhausbergen{{cite web |title=Fort Großherzog von Baden - Fort Frère |url=http://www.fort-frere.eu/ |website=Fort Frère |access-date=16 May 2017}}
• Fort Rapp in Reichstett
• MM Park France, a military museum, in La Wantzenau{{cite web|title=MM Park France|url=http://www.mmpark.fr/index.php|website=mmpark.fr|access-date=3 March 2017|archive-date=3 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170303201404/http://www.mmpark.fr/index.php|url-status=live}}

The commune of Strasbourg proper had a population of 291,313 on 1 January 2021, the result of a constant moderate annual growth which is also reflected in the constant growth of the number of students at its university (e. g. from 42,000 students in 2010 to 52,000 students in 2019).{{cite web |title=Effectifs étudiants |url=http://www.unistra.fr/index.php?id=27945 |publisher=University of Strasbourg |access-date=3 January 2020 |archive-date=8 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200508065938/https://www.unistra.fr/index.php?id=27945 |url-status=live }} The metropolitan area of Strasbourg had a population of 853,110 inhabitants in 2019 (French side of the border only), while the transnational Eurodistrict had a population of 1,000,000 in 2022.

In the Middle Ages, Strasbourg (a free imperial city since 1262), was an important town. According to a 1444 census, the population was circa 20,000; only one third less than Cologne, then a major European city.{{cite web |last1=Klipfel |first1=Monique |title=L'importance démographique de la ville |url=http://www.crdp-strasbourg.fr/data/histoire/strasbourg_1400/ville_opulente.php?parent=19#section2 |publisher=Académie de Strasbourg |access-date=4 January 2020 |archive-date=28 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200528073030/http://www.crdp-strasbourg.fr/data/histoire/strasbourg_1400/ville_opulente.php?parent=19#section2 |url-status=live }}

{{Historical populations

| align = none

| cols = 2

| percentages = pagr

| source = EHESS{{Cassini-Ehess|36842|Strasbourg}} and INSEE (1968-2017)[https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/4515315?geo=COM-67482#ancre-POP_T1 Population en historique depuis 1968] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220924104803/https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/4515315?geo=COM-67482#ancre-POP_T1 |date=24 September 2022 }}, INSEE

| graph-pos = bottom

|1793 | 47254

|1800 | 49056

|1806 | 51465

|1821 | 49680

|1831 | 49712

|1836 | 57885

|1841 | 70298

|1846 | 71992

|1851 | 75565

|1856 | 77656

|1861 | 82014

|1866 | 84167

|1871 | 85654

|1875 | 94306

|1880 | 104471

|1885 | 111987

|1890 | 123500

|1895 | 135608

|1900 | 151041

|1905 | 167678

|1910 | 178891

|1921 | 166767

|1926 | 174492

|1931 | 181465

|1936 | 193119

|1946 | 175515

|1954 | 200921

|1962 | 228971

|1968 | 249396

|1975 | 253384

|1982 | 248712

|1990 | 252338

|1999 | 264115

|2007 | 272123

|2012 | 274394

|2017 | 280966

|2020 | 290576

}}

{{More citations needed section|date=May 2024}}

Strasbourg is the seat of internationally renowned institutions of music and drama:

• The Orchestre philharmonique de Strasbourg, founded in 1855, one of the oldest symphonic orchestras in western Europe. Based since 1975 in the Palais de la musique et des congrès.
• The Opéra national du Rhin
• The Théâtre national de Strasbourg
• The Percussions de Strasbourg
• The Théâtre du Maillon
• The "Laiterie"

Other theatres are the Théâtre jeune public, the TAPS Scala, the Kafteur ... 

• Musica, international festival of contemporary classical music (autumn)
• Festival international de Strasbourg (founded in 1932), festival of classical music and jazz (summer)
• Festival des Artefacts, festival of contemporary non-classical music
• Les Nuits électroniques de l'Ososphère
• Strasbourg European Fantastic Film Festival is an annual film festival devoted to science fiction, horror and fantasy. It was known as the Spectre Film Festival before 2008.
• Strasbulles is the annual comic con, also known as the European Festival of Bande Dessinée
• The Strasbourg International Film Festival is an annual film festival focusing on new and emerging independent filmmakers from around the world.
• Christkindelsmärik, held from the end of November through December, is an annual Christmas market that dates back to 1570.{{Cite web |last=Thuria |first=Agence |title=The Christmas Markets: a success story dating back to 1570 |url=https://noel.strasbourg.eu/en/tradition-noel-alsace |access-date=2022-07-13 |website=noel.strasbourg.eu |language=en-US |archive-date=8 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220708214807/https://noel.strasbourg.eu/en/tradition-noel-alsace |url-status=live }}

Strasbourg, well known as a centre of humanism, has a long history of excellence in higher education, at the crossroads of French and German intellectual traditions. Although Strasbourg had been annexed by the Kingdom of France in 1683, it still remained connected to the German-speaking intellectual world throughout the 18th century, and the university attracted numerous students from the Holy Roman Empire, with Goethe, Metternich and Montgelas, who studied law in Strasbourg, among the most prominent. With 19 Nobel prizes in total, Strasbourg is the most eminent French university outside of Paris.

Until 2009, there were three universities in Strasbourg, with an approximate total of 48,500 students in 2007, and another 4,500 students attended one of the diverse post-graduate schools:{{cite web|url=http://www.universites-formations-alsace.fr/index.php?langue=1 |title=L'enseignement universitaire en Alsace|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012164855/http://www.universites-formations-alsace.fr/index.php?langue=1 |archive-date=12 October 2007 |date=12 October 2007 |access-date=3 June 2011}}

• Strasbourg I – Louis Pasteur University
• Strasbourg II – Marc Bloch University
• Strasbourg III – Robert Schuman University

The three institutions merged in 2009, forming the Université de Strasbourg. Its component schools include:

• Sciences Po Strasbourg (Institut d'études politiques de Strasbourg), the University of Strasbourg's political science and international studies centre
• The EMS (EM Strasbourg Business School), the University of Strasbourg's business school
• The INSA (Institut national des sciences appliquées), the University of Strasbourg's engineering school
• The ENA (École nationale d'administration). ENA trains most of the nation's high-ranking civil servants. The relocation to Strasbourg was meant to give a European vocation to the school and to implement the French government's "décentralisation" plan.
• The ISEG Group (Institut supérieur européen de gestion group)
• The ECPM (École européenne de chimie, polymères et matériaux)
• The EPITA (École pour l'informatique et les techniques avancées)
• The EPITECH (École pour l'informatique et les nouvelles technologies)
• The ITIRI (Institute de traducteurs, d'interpretes, et de relations Internationales)
• The INET (Institut national des études territoriales)
• The IIEF (Institut international d'études françaises)
• Three IUTs (Instituts universitaires de technologie located in Schiltigheim, Illkirch, and Haguenau)
• The ENGEES (École nationale du génie de l'eau et de l'environnement de Strasbourg)
• The CUEJ (Centre universitaire d'enseignement du journalisme)
• TÉLÉCOM Physique Strasbourg (École nationale supérieure de physique de Strasbourg), Institute of Technology, located in the South of Strasbourg (Illkirch-Graffenstaden)

Two American colleges have a base in Strasbourg: Syracuse University, New York, and Centre College, Kentucky. There is also HEAR (Haute école des arts du Rhin) the celebrated art school, and the International Space University in the south of Strasbourg (Illkirch-Graffenstaden).

The European Center for Studies and Research in Ethics {{cite web |title=CEERE |url=http://ethique.unistra.fr/en/welcome-to-ceere/?no_cache=1/ |access-date=3 May 2024 |archive-date=21 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161221015820/http://ethique.unistra.fr/en/welcome-to-ceere/?no_cache=1/ |url-status=live }} is a tertiary establishment for research and education in Ethics. This center is located at the premises of the old faculty of medicine in Strasbourg. The Center’s name in French is CEERE (Centre européen d’enseignement et de recherche en éthique).

International schools include:

Multiple levels:

• European School of Strasbourg (priority given to children whose parents are employed at the European institutions)
• International School Strasbourg

For elementary education:"[http://eramore-alsace.u-strasbg.fr/fichiers/GB_enseigninter.pdf International schooling in Strasbourg]" ([https://web.archive.org/web/20160328222053/http://eramore-alsace.u-strasbg.fr/fichiers/GB_enseigninter.pdf Archive]). City of Strasbourg. Retrieved on 28 March 2016. p. 1.

• École Internationale Robert Schuman
• International School at Lucie Berger
• Russian Mission School in Strasbourg"[http://www.rusecole-strasbourg.narod.ru/kontakt.html Контакты]." Russian Mission School in Strasbourg. Retrieved on March 28, 2016. "6, alle'e de la Robertsau, 67000, Strasbourg"

For middle school/junior high school education:

• Collège International de l'Esplanade

For senior high school/sixth form college:

• Lycée International des Pontonniers (FR)
• Lycée International Jean Sturm

File:Absolute Bibliotheque nationale 01.jpg]]

The Bibliothèque nationale et universitaire (BNU) is, with its collection of more than 3,000,000 titles,{{cite web |url=http://www.bnu.fr/BNU/FR/A+propos/ |title=Figures |publisher=Bnu.fr |access-date=15 April 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101204042757/http://www.bnu.fr/BNU/FR/A%20propos/ |archive-date=4 December 2010 |df=dmy-all}} the second-largest library in France after the {{lang|fr|Bibliothèque nationale de France|italic=no}}. It was founded by the German administration after the complete destruction of the previous municipal library in 1871 and holds the unique status of being simultaneously a students' and a national library. The Strasbourg municipal library had been marked erroneously as "City Hall" in a French commercial map, which had been captured and used by the German artillery to lay their guns. A librarian from Munich later pointed out "...that the destruction of the precious collection was not the fault of a German artillery officer, who used the French map, but of the slovenly and inaccurate scholarship of a Frenchman."Butler, Pierce. 1945. Books and libraries in wartime. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. p. 15

The municipal library Bibliothèque municipale de Strasbourg (BMS) administers a network of ten medium-sized libraries in different areas of the town. A six stories high "Grande bibliothèque", the Médiathèque André Malraux, was inaugurated on 19 September 2008 and is considered the largest in Eastern France.[https://web.archive.org/web/20160313063450/http://www.lexpress.mu/display_article.php?news_id=114962 Strasbourg ouvre une grande médiathèque sur le port] in L'Express {{in lang|fr}}

As one of the earliest centres of book-printing in Europe (see above: History), Strasbourg for a long time held a large number of incunabula — books printed before 1500 — in its library as one of its most precious heritages: no less than 7,000.{{cite web |url=https://www.bnu.fr/fr/services/nos-collections/les-incunables |title=Les incunables |date=10 December 2019 |publisher=Bibliothèque nationale et universitaire de Strasbourg |language=fr |access-date=9 January 2020 |archive-date=28 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200528073044/https://www.bnu.fr/fr/services/nos-collections/les-incunables |url-status=live }} After the total destruction of this institution in 1870, however, a new collection had to be reassembled from scratch. Today, Strasbourg's different public and institutional libraries again display a sizable total number of incunabula, distributed as follows: Bibliothèque nationale et universitaire, ca. 2,120, Médiathèque de la ville et de la communauté urbaine de Strasbourg, 349,{{cite web |url=https://www.mediatheques.strasbourg.eu/medias/medias.aspx?INSTANCE=exploitation&PORTAL_ID=erm_portal_003.xml&SYNCMENU=003 |title=Présentation des Fonds patrimoniaux |publisher=Portail des médiathèques de la ville et de l'Eurométropole de Strasbourg |language=fr |access-date=9 January 2020 |archive-date=1 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200801211732/https://www.mediatheques.strasbourg.eu/medias/medias.aspx?INSTANCE=exploitation&PORTAL_ID=erm_portal_003.xml&SYNCMENU=003 |url-status=live }} Bibliothèque du Grand Séminaire, 238,{{cite web |url=http://gdsemstrasbourg.blogspot.de/2011/01/la-bibliotheque-xviiieme-siecle-du.html |title=La bibliothèque ancienne du Grand Séminaire |date=27 October 2014 |publisher=Séminaire Sainte Marie Majeure - Diocèse de Strasbourg |language=fr |access-date=12 December 2014 |archive-date=13 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141213014324/http://gdsemstrasbourg.blogspot.de/2011/01/la-bibliotheque-xviiieme-siecle-du.html |url-status=live }} Médiathèque protestante, 66,{{cite web |url=https://www.chapitre-saint-thomas.org/mediatheque-protestante-strasbourg.html |title=La Médiathèque Protestante |publisher=Chapitre de Saint-Thomas |access-date=9 January 2020 |archive-date=27 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191027050121/https://www.chapitre-saint-thomas.org/mediatheque-protestante-strasbourg.html |url-status=live }} and Bibliothèque alsatique du Crédit Mutuel, 5.{{cite web |url=http://www.bacm.creditmutuel.fr/FONDS_ANCIEN.html |title=Général |publisher=Bacm.creditmutuel.fr |access-date=16 June 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100909101932/http://www.bacm.creditmutuel.fr/FONDS_ANCIEN.html |archive-date=9 September 2010 |df=dmy-all }}

File:Strasbourg PontThéâtre 02.JPG

Train services operate from the Gare de Strasbourg, the city's main station in the city centre, eastward to Offenburg and Karlsruhe in Germany, westward to Metz and Paris, and southward to Basel. Strasbourg's links with the rest of France have improved due to its recent connection to the TGV network, with the first phase of the TGV Est (Paris–Strasbourg) in 2007, the TGV Rhin-Rhône (Strasbourg-Lyon) in 2012, and the second phase of the TGV Est in July 2016.

Strasbourg also has its own airport, serving major domestic destinations as well as international destinations in Europe and northern Africa. The airport is linked to the Gare de Strasbourg by a frequent train service.{{cite web | url = http://strasbourg.aeroport.fr/EN/Passengers/Flights/Destination-map.html | title = Destination map | publisher = Aéroport Strasbourg | access-date = 18 September 2015 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150918101006/http://strasbourg.aeroport.fr/EN/Passengers/Flights/Destination-map.html | archive-date = 18 September 2015 | url-status = live}}{{cite web | url = http://strasbourg.aeroport.fr/EN/Passengers/Access/Shuttle-train.html | title = Shuttle train | publisher = Aéroport Strasbourg | access-date = 18 September 2015 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150918100759/http://strasbourg.aeroport.fr/EN/Passengers/Access/Shuttle-train.html | archive-date = 18 September 2015 | url-status = live}}

City transport in Strasbourg includes the Strasbourg tramway, which opened in 1994 and is operated by the regional transit company Compagnie des Transports Strasbourgeois (CTS), consisting of 6 lines with a total length of {{convert|55.8|km|mi|abbr=on}}. The CTS also operates a comprehensive bus network throughout the city that is integrated with the trams. With more than {{convert|500|km|0|abbr=on}} of bicycle paths, biking in the city is convenient and the CTS operates a cheap bike-sharing scheme named Vélhop. The CTS, and its predecessors, also operated a previous generation of tram system between 1878 and 1960, complemented by trolleybus routes between 1939 and 1962.{{cite news |last1=Krebs |first1=Eric |title=Europe's New Trams Are Reviving a Golden Age of Transit |url=https://reasonstobecheerful.world/europe-tram-systems-revival/ |work=Reasons to be Cheerful |date=4 August 2022}}

Being on the Ill and close to the Rhine, Strasbourg has always been an important centre of fluvial navigation, as is attested by archeological findings. In 1682 the Canal de la Bruche was added to the river navigations, initially to provide transport for sandstone from quarries in the Vosges for use in the fortification of the city. That canal has since closed, but the subsequent Canal du Rhône au Rhin, Canal de la Marne au Rhin and Grand Canal d'Alsace are still in use, as is the important activity of the Port autonome de Strasbourg. Water tourism inside the city proper attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists yearly.

The tram system that now criss-crosses the historic city centre complements walking and biking in it. The centre has been transformed into a pedestrian priority zone that enables and invites walking and biking by making these active modes of transport comfortable, safe and enjoyable. These attributes are accomplished by applying the principle of "filtered permeability" to the existing irregular network of streets. It means that the network adaptations favour active transport and, selectively, "filter out" the car by reducing the number of streets that run through the centre. While certain streets are discontinuous for cars, they connect to a network of pedestrian and bike paths which permeate the entire centre. In addition, these paths go through public squares and open spaces increasing the enjoyment of the trip. This logic of filtering a mode of transport is fully expressed in a comprehensive model for laying out neighbourhoods and districts – the fused grid.

At present the A35 autoroute, which parallels the Rhine between Karlsruhe and Basel, and the A4 autoroute, which links Paris with Strasbourg, penetrate close to the centre of the city. The Grand contournement ouest (GCO) project, programmed since 1999, planned to construct a {{convert|24|km|mi|adj=mid|-long}} highway connection between the junctions of the A4 and the A35 autoroutes in the north and of the A35 and A352 autoroutes in the south. This routes well to the west of the city in order to divest a significant portion of motorized traffic from the unité urbaine.{{Cite web|url=https://www.grand-est.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/|title=DREAL Grand Est|first=DREAL Grand|last=Est|date=22 March 2023|website=DREAL Grand Est}} The GCO project was opposed by environmentalists, who created a ZAD (or Zone to Defend).{{cite news |last1=Caravagna |first1=Léo |title=Strasbourg : une ébauche de ZAD contre le projet de grand contournement ouest |url=http://www.lefigaro.fr/actualite-france/2017/02/16/01016-20170216ARTFIG00205-strasbourg-une-ebauche-de-zad-contre-le-projet-de-grand-contournement-ouest.php |access-date=5 May 2019 |work=Le Figaro |date=7 February 2017 |archive-date=5 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190505112702/http://www.lefigaro.fr/actualite-france/2017/02/16/01016-20170216ARTFIG00205-strasbourg-une-ebauche-de-zad-contre-le-projet-de-grand-contournement-ouest.php |url-status=live }} After much delay, the GCO was finally inaugurated on 11 December 2021 as the A355 autoroute.{{cite web |title=Suivez en direct l'inauguration du GCO |url=https://www.dna.fr/faits-divers-justice/2021/12/11/suivez-en-direct-l-inauguration-du-gco-en-presence-de-jean-castex |publisher=Les Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace |access-date=11 December 2021 |archive-date=11 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211211100132/https://www.dna.fr/faits-divers-justice/2021/12/11/suivez-en-direct-l-inauguration-du-gco-en-presence-de-jean-castex |url-status=live }}

The average amount of time people spend commuting on public transport in Strasbourg on weekdays is 52 min. 7% of travellers on public transport travel for more than 2 hours every day. The average amount of time people wait at a stop or station for public transport is 9 min and 11% of passengers wait for more than 20 minutes on average every day. The average distance people usually travel in a single trip on public transport is {{convert|3.9|km|mi|abbr=on}}, whilst none travels for more than {{convert|12|km|mi|abbr=on}} in a single direction.{{cite web|url=https://moovitapp.com/insights/en/Moovit_Insights_Public_Transit_Index_France_Strasbourg-1023|title=Strasbourg Public Transportation Statistics|publisher=Global Public Transit Index by Moovit|access-date=June 19, 2017|archive-date=24 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170824135437/https://moovitapp.com/insights/en/Moovit_Insights_Public_Transit_Index_France_Strasbourg-1023|url-status=live}} File:CC-BY_icon.svg Material was copied from this source, which is available under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

File:Council of Europe Palais de l'Europe aerial view.JPG of the Council of Europe]]

{{Main|European Institutions in Strasbourg}}

Strasbourg is the seat of over twenty international institutions,{{cite web |url=http://www.investir-strasbourg.com/page.php/en/258.htm |title=List of international institutions in Strasbourg |publisher=Investir-strasbourg.com |date=15 January 2003 |access-date=15 April 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100310132118/http://www.investir-strasbourg.com/page.php/en/258.htm |archive-date=10 March 2010 |df=dmy-all }} most famously of the Council of Europe and of the European Parliament, of which it is the official seat. Strasbourg is considered the legislative and democratic capital of the European Union, while Brussels is considered the executive and administrative capital and Luxembourg the judiciary and financial capital.{{Cite web|url=https://wlulaw.wordpress.com/2011/05/24/comparative-law-academy-the-echr-and-the-fcc/|title=Comparative Law Academy: the ECHR and the FCC|date=2011-05-24|website=The Brief|access-date=2016-10-13|archive-date=19 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161019090421/https://wlulaw.wordpress.com/2011/05/24/comparative-law-academy-the-echr-and-the-fcc/|url-status=live}}

Strasbourg is the seat of the following organisations, among others:

• Central Commission for Navigation on the Rhine (since 1920)
• Council of Europe with all the bodies and organisations affiliated to this institution (since 1949)
• European Parliament (since 1952)
• European Ombudsman
• Eurocorps headquarters,
• Franco-German television channel Arte
• European Science Foundation
• International Institute of Human Rights
• Human Frontier Science Program
• International Commission on Civil Status
• Assembly of European Regions
• Centre for European Studies (French: Centre d'études européennes de Strasbourg)
• Sakharov Prize

{{Main|Strasbourg-Ortenau Eurodistrict}}

France and Germany have created a Eurodistrict straddling the Rhine, combining the Greater Strasbourg and the Ortenau district of Baden-Württemberg, with some common administration. It was established in 2005 and has been fully functional since 2010.

File:Stade de la Meinau.JPG, home of RC Strasbourg]]

Sporting teams from Strasbourg are the Racing Club de Strasbourg Alsace (football), SIG Strasbourg (basketball) and the Étoile Noire (ice hockey).{{cite web |url=http://www.etoile-noire.fr/accueil/ |title=Etoile Noire de Strasbourg |publisher=Etoile-noire.fr |date=31 May 2009 |access-date=16 June 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190308010546/http://www.etoile-noire.fr/accueil/ |archive-date=8 March 2019 |url-status=dead }} The women's tennis Internationaux de Strasbourg is one of the most important French tournaments of its kind outside Roland-Garros. In 1922, Strasbourg was the venue for the XVI Grand Prix de l'A.C.F. which saw Fiat battle Bugatti, Ballot, Rolland Pilain, and Britain's Aston Martin and Sunbeam.

In 2006 Strasbourg hosted the Grand Depart of the Tour de France.

The city is home to SN Strasbourg, a First division water polo team that plays its home games at the Piscine de la Kibitzenau.

Honours associated with the city of Strasbourg:

• The Medal of Honor Strasbourg
• Sakharov Prize seated in Strasbourg
• City of Strasbourg Silver (gilt) Medal, a former medal with City Coat of Arms and Ten Arms of the Cities of the Dekapolis{{Cite web|url=http://www.cachecoins.org/strasbourg.htm|title=Cache Numismatics - All Things Numismatic|access-date=6 May 2016|archive-date=3 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160603182949/http://www.cachecoins.org/strasbourg.htm|url-status=live}}

{{Main list|List of people from Strasbourg}}

{{Further|University of Strasbourg#Notable academics and alumni|Observatory of Strasbourg#Notable astronomers|List of bishops, prince-bishops and archbishops of Strasbourg}}

In chronological order, notable people born in Strasbourg include:

• Eric of Friuli
• Johannes Tauler
• Sebastian Brant
• Jean Baptiste Kléber
• Louis Ramond de Carbonnières
• François Christophe Kellermann
• Marie Tussaud
• Ludwig I of Bavaria
• Charles Frédéric Gerhardt
• Louis-Frédéric Schützenberger
• Gustave Doré
• Émile Waldteufel
• Jean-Georges Cornélius
• René Beeh
• Jean/Hans Arp
• Charles Münch
• Hans Bethe
• Maurice Kriegel-Valrimont
• Marcel Marceau
• Tomi Ungerer
• Elizabeth Sombart
• Arsène Wenger
• Petit
• Pio Marmaï
• Matt Pokora
• Barbara Pravi

In chronological order, notable residents of Strasbourg include:

• Johannes Gutenberg
• Hans Baldung
• Martin Bucer
• John Calvin
• Joachim Meyer
• Johann Carolus
• Johann Wolfgang Goethe
• Jakob Michael Reinhold Lenz
• Klemens Wenzel von Metternich
• Georg Büchner
• Louis Pasteur
• Ferdinand Braun
• Albrecht Kossel
• Georg Simmel
• Albert Schweitzer
• Otto Klemperer
• Marc Bloch
• Alberto Fujimori
• Marjane Satrapi
• Paul Ricœur
• Jean-Marie Lehn

{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in France}}

Strasbourg is twinned with:{{cite web|url=http://www.en.strasbourg.eu/en/europe-international/partnerships-and-solidarity/strasbourg-twin-city/|title=Strasbourg, Twin City|access-date=21 August 2013|work=Strasbourg.eu & Communauté Urbaine|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130728153619/http://www.en.strasbourg.eu/en/europe-international/partnerships-and-solidarity/strasbourg-twin-city/|archive-date= 28 July 2013}}

• {{flagicon|USA}} Boston, United States, since 1960{{cite web|url=http://www.cityofboston.gov/arts/sistercity.asp |title=Boston Sister Cities |access-date=5 April 2009|publisher=The City of Boston |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090208224246/http://www.cityofboston.gov/arts/sistercity.asp|archive-date=8 February 2009}}
• {{flagicon|UK}} Leicester, United Kingdom, since 1960{{cite web|url=http://www.completefrance.com/language-culture/twin-towns|title=British towns twinned with French towns|access-date=11 July 2013|work=Archant Community Media Ltd|archive-date=5 July 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130705094933/http://www.completefrance.com/language-culture/twin-towns|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=http://www.leicester.gov.uk/your-council-services/lc/twinning/|title=Twinning|publisher=Leicester City council|access-date=5 February 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101002090459/http://www.leicester.gov.uk/your-council-services/lc/twinning/|archive-date=2 October 2010|df=dmy-all}}
• {{flagicon|DEU}} Stuttgart, Germany, since 1962{{cite web|url=http://www.stuttgart.de/item/show/14673/1|title=Stuttgart Städtepartnerschaften|access-date=27 July 2013|work=Landeshauptstadt Stuttgart, Abteilung Außenbeziehungen|language=de|archive-date=8 August 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130808023714/http://stuttgart.de/item/show/14673/1|url-status=dead}}
• {{flagicon|DEU}} Dresden, Germany, since 1990{{cite web|url=http://www.dresden.de/en/02/11/c_03.php |title=Dresden – Partner Cities |publisher=2008 Landeshauptstadt Dresden |access-date=29 December 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081016001550/http://www.dresden.de/en/02/11/c_03.php |archive-date=16 October 2008 }}
• {{flagicon|ISR}} Ramat Gan, Israel, since 1991{{cite web |url=http://www.ramat-gan.muni.il/RamatGan/sister-cities/home-page.htm |title=Ramat Gan Sister Cities |access-date=6 April 2008 |archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20080307234012/http://www.ramat-gan.muni.il/RamatGan/sister-cities/home-page.htm |archive-date = 7 March 2008}}

Strasbourg has cooperative agreements with:{{cite web |title=Jumelages |url=https://www.strasbourg.eu/jumelages |website=strasbourg.eu |access-date=1 August 2022 |archive-date=3 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803135328/https://www.strasbourg.eu/jumelages |url-status=live }}

• {{flagicon|HAI}} Jacmel, Haiti, since 1991 (Coopération décentralisée)
• {{flagicon|MAR}} Fez, Morocco, since 1999 (Coopération décentralisée)
• {{flagicon|CMR}} Douala, Cameroon, since 2005 (Coopération décentralisée)
• {{flagicon|RUS}} Vologda, Russia, since 2009 (Coopération décentralisée)
• {{flagicon|ALG}} Oran, Algeria, since 2015 (Coopération décentralisée)
• {{flagicon|TUN}} Kairouan, Tunisia, since 2015 (Coopération décentralisée)
• {{flagicon|RUS}} Moscow, Russia, since 2016 (Coopération décentralisée)
• {{flagicon|UGA}} Kampala, Uganda, since 2018 (Coopération décentralisée)
• {{flagicon|JAP}} Kagoshima, Japan, since 2019 (Coopération décentralisée)

• The opening scenes of the 1977 Ridley Scott film The Duellists take place in Strasbourg in 1800.
• The 2007 film In the City of Sylvia is set in Strasbourg.
• Early February 2011, principal photography for Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011) moved for two days to Strasbourg. Shooting took place on, around, and inside the Strasbourg Cathedral. The opening scene of the movie covers an assassination-bombing in the city.

• One of the longest chapters of Laurence Sterne's novel Tristram Shandy (1759–1767), "Slawkenbergius' tale", takes place in Strasbourg.{{cite web |url=http://www.tristramshandyweb.it/testo/vol4/tale4.html |title=Full text |publisher=Tristramshandyweb.it |access-date=15 April 2010 |archive-date=19 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719172012/http://www.tristramshandyweb.it/testo/vol4/tale4.html |url-status=dead }}
• An episode of Matthew Gregory Lewis' novel The Monk (1796) takes place in the forests then surrounding Strasbourg.
• A part of the story in White Album 2 takes place in Strasbourg.

• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart called his Third violin concerto (1775) Straßburger Konzert because of one of its most prominent motives, based on a local, minuet-like dance that had already appeared as a tune in a symphony by Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf.{{cite web|last1=Lempfrid|first1=Wolfgang|title=Wolfgng Amadeus Mozart: Konzert für Violine und Orchester in D-Dur, KV 218|url=http://www.koelnklavier.de/texte/komponisten/moz-kv218.html|publisher=koelnklavier.de|access-date=5 April 2016}} It is not related to Mozart's ulterior stay in Strasbourg (1778), where he gave three concert performances on the piano.
• Havergal Brian's Symphony No. 7 was inspired by passages in Goethe's memoirs recalling his time spent at Strasbourg University. The work ends with an orchestral bell sounding the note E, the strike-note of the bell of Strasbourg Cathedral.
• British art-punk band The Rakes had a minor hit in 2005 with their song "Strasbourg". This song features witty lyrics with themes of espionage and vodka and includes a count of 'eins, zwei, drei, vier!!', even though Strasbourg's spoken language is French.
• On their 1974 album Hamburger Concerto, Dutch progressive band Focus included a track called "La Cathédrale de Strasbourg", which included chimes from a cathedral-like bell.
• Strasbourg pie, a dish containing foie gras, is mentioned in the finale of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Cats.
• Several works have specifically been dedicated to Strasbourg Cathedral, notably ad hoc compositions (masses, motets etc.) by Kapellmeisters Franz Xaver Richter and Ignaz Pleyel and, more recently, It is Finished by John Tavener.

{{NoteFoot}}

{{Reflist}}

{{refbegin}}

• Connaître Strasbourg by Roland Recht, Georges Foessel and Jean-Pierre Klein, 1988, {{ISBN|2-7032-0185-0}}.
• Histoire de Strasbourg des origines à nos jours, four volumes (ca. 2000 pages) by a collective of historians under the guidance of Georges Livet and Francis Rapp, 1982, {{ISBN|2-7165-0041-X}}.

{{refend}}

{{Commons category|Strasbourg}}

{{Wikivoyage|Strasbourg|Strasbourg}}

• [http://www.en.strasbourg.eu/en/home-en/ Strasbourg municipality website]
• [https://www.visitstrasbourg.fr/en/welcome-in-strasbourg/ Visit Strasbourg official Tourist office]

{{Clear}}

{{Geographic location

|Centre = Strasbourg

|North = Haguenau

|Northeast = Baden-Baden (Germany), Karlsruhe (Germany)

|East = Stuttgart (Germany)

|Southeast = Offenburg (Germany)

|South = Colmar, Freiburg im Breisgau (Germany)

|Southwest =

|West = Nancy

|Northwest = Saarbrücken (Germany)

}}

{{World Heritage Sites in France}}

{{Cities in France}}

{{Prefectures of regions of France}}

{{Prefectures of departments of France}}

{{Bas-Rhin communes}}

{{Alsace topics}}

{{Free imperial cities}}

{{Portal bar|Europe|France}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Strasbourg}}

Category:Cities in France

Category:Communes of Bas-Rhin

Category:Former republics

Category:Populated places on the Rhine

Category:Prefectures in France

Category:States and territories established in 1262

Category:World Heritage Sites in France

Category:Vauban fortifications in France