Hoffmann Hotel

This quadrilateral hotel with main building between courtyard and Parisian-style garden was built around 1770 in the Louis XV style. Two balconies and a balcony decorate the street facade. 6 variants of jambs are represented on the entire building. The keys above the windows are carved with a bust at the top - relief, very varied rock gardens and flowers. However, those on the left were not carved, the bankruptcy of the Hoffmann family having prevented the completion of the decoration. François Joseph Ignace Hoffmann built this hotel before going bankrupt in 1781.
The Hoffmann family played a very important role in the Alsatian economy of the 18th century. True captains of industry, they grew rich thanks to the madder cultivated in the surroundings. The root of this plant gives a bright red dye to the fabrics. This color was already known in Haguenau in the Middle Ages under the name "Hagenauer Röth". In the 18th century, thanks to the Hoffmanns, Haguenau became the largest European center for this production. From the dried and crushed root, a red powder was obtained, which was sold throughout Europe. It was used in particular to dye the pants of French soldiers until 1915, making them all the more visible at the start of the Great War. Note that the Saint Cyrians in ceremonial uniform still wear “madder red” pants today.