Musée Alsacien

Haguenau's Chancellery and Alsatian Museum, a historic building in the heart of the town.
The Chancellery, built at the end of the 15th century, is one of the last tangible vestiges of imperial power in Haguenau. It was in this building that the town once safely stored its archives and treasures. Today, it houses both the Alsatian Museum and the Tourist Office.
The façade of the building is adorned with paintings depicting the coat of arms and seal of Haguenau, created in the early 20th century and restored in 1987. Just below the roof, a frieze mentions several local noble families, including: Fuller, Koenig, Bogner, Reisser, Zitter, Brechter, Krantz, Brucker, Eschbach, Fleming, Jungkaub, V. Kirspach and Geytherthem.
The building was originally endowed with crenellated gables, which can be seen on a drawing entitled Vue de Haguenau de la Maison Wincker à côté de la Mairie in 1849. This drawing is said to be reproduced on a glass plate in the Musée Historique photographic archives (check with Suzanne Muller). In 1903, two neo-Gothic towers were added by architect Stoll. At the same time, the wooden entrance door to the ground-floor hall was moved to the outside. The plaque commemorating the building?s construction was also moved from the left tower to the main entrance. The medieval brackets on the balcony come from the former town hall, once located in the immediate vicinity.
Noteworthy details:
The sandstone entrance door, decorated with brace moldings, is one of the few of its type still preserved in Haguenau. Inside, on the tower side, there is an iron door installed to protect the archives and treasure, but also to slow the progress of fire in the event of a blaze.
An astrolabe, formerly installed on the belfry of the Musée Historique, was moved after the war to the left tower of the Chancellery, to make it more visible and more appreciated by the public.
Inside the building, you can admire a replica of the astronomical clock built in Ulm (Germany) in 1581 by Swiss watchmaker Isaac Habrecht.
The Musée Alsacien de Haguenau showcases numerous utilitarian and decorative objects illustrating the art of living in Alsace in the 19th century. Among its most emblematic spaces: a room dedicated to traditional regional costumes. A reconstruction of a potter?s workshop. A typical Alsatian interior, with a kitchen and a "Stub" (main room that doubles as a bedroom), complete with alcove.
Would you like to visit the Musée Alsacien with your group? It's now possible! Contact the Pays de Haguenau Tourist Office on 03 88 06 59 99 or tourisme@agglo-haguenau.fr.