Old chancellery

The Old Chancellery – A jewel of Haguenau’s heritage

In the heart of Haguenau's pedestrian city center, the Old Chancellery attracts attention with its richly decorated facade. It features the city's coat of arms and seal, painted at the beginning of the 20th century and restored in 1987. A frieze, located just below the roof, pays homage to the city's noble families: Fuller, Koenig, Bogner, Reisser, Zitter, Brechter, Krantz, Brucker, Eschbach, Fleming, Jungkaub, V. Kirspach, and Geytherthem.

The two elegant neo-Gothic towers, erected in 1903 by the architect Stoll, give the building its current appearance. Originally, the chancellery had stepped gables, visible in an 1849 engraving entitled View of Haguenau from the Wincker House next to the Town Hall.

After the Second World War, the astrolabe from the belfry of the Historical Museum was transferred to the left tower, thus providing better visibility to this remarkable piece.

Architectural treasures to discover:
The Old Chancellery preserves several unique elements of its history:

- a wrought iron gate, designed to protect the city's archives and treasury, while limiting the risk of fire;

- a rare Gothic door in sculpted sandstone, among the last visible in Haguenau;

- a wooden door, moved outside in 1903 when the towers were added;

- a commemorative plaque from 1903, still present at the entrance;

- the medieval consoles of the balcony, from the old neighboring town hall.

The Tourist Office and the Alsatian Museum

Today, this 15th-century building houses both the Haguenau Tourist Office and the Alsatian Museum. The Tourist Office team is available to advise and assist you in planning your stay in Alsace.

The Alsatian Museum, meanwhile, showcases local heritage through a fine collection of traditional costumes from Northern Alsace, antique locks, barrel bolts, as well as a rich collection of folk imagery and under-glass paintings. The top floor recreates a typical Alsatian interior with its kitchen, stub (living room), and potter's workshop.

On the facade of the building, don't miss the astronomical clock installed in 1904. It reproduces an astrolabe designed in 1581 for the town hall of Ulm, Germany, by Isaac Habrecht, famous creator of the astronomical clock of Strasbourg Cathedral.