The Bandstand

Inaugurated on June 6, 1936, the Haguenau bandstand, located on the edge of the train station park, originated from a Second Empire project aimed at providing a concert venue for the garrison orchestra. After World War I, municipal architect Adolphe Dollmeyer created a model, but the city hesitated due to the cost of such a project.

It was only after musical associations raised 18,000 francs of the time that the city finally decided to build the bandstand. The work was carried out by unemployed workers supervised by municipal employees. On the day of the inauguration, several local musical groups performed to mark the event. Today, this bandstand, though rarely used, is world-famous thanks to the mini-series *Band of Brothers* by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks.

Filmed in 2000-2001, the series depicts the 506th Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division during World War II. The eighth episode, "The Last Patrol," partly takes place in Haguenau and opens with a scene filmed in front of the bandstand. Although reconstructed in Great Britain for practical reasons, it remains a pilgrimage site for fans of the series, especially Americans, who come every year to photograph this modest monument.