Place de la République

This large square, designed between 1871 and 1918 in a park-like style, occupies the center of Strasbourg's German district. After the 1870 defeat, Germany aimed to make Strasbourg the capital of the Reichsland of Alsace-Lorraine and developed ambitious urban planning there.

The "new town" district features wide traffic avenues, imposing administrative and cultural buildings, as well as upscale residential buildings, all integrated into a carefully landscaped composition.

Around this square stand emblematic monuments of that era: the Palais du Rhin, the University Library, and the National Theatre, testifying to an imperial architecture that is both grand and welcoming.

At the heart of the esplanade stands the war memorial, erected in 1936 by sculptor Drivier. This poignant work depicts a mother surrounded by her two sons, one who died for France, the other for Germany, illustrating the anguish experienced by Alsatians during the two world wars.