Border of France and Germany and a symbol of harmony - Strasbourg, Grande-Île and Neustadt 495; Scribing tradition in French timber framing 00251; Gastronomic meal of the French 00437; Compagnonnage, network for on-the-job transmission of knowledge and identities 00441; Craft techniques and customary practices of cathedral workshops, or Bauhütten, in Europe, know-how, transmission, development of knowledge and innovation 01558
What and Why
Strasbourg derives its name from its German form Straßburg, meaning the fortress of roads and it cannot be more appropriate that this city which borders Germany and France, has become the crossroad of Europe and serves as one of the three de facto capitals of the European Union and the seat of the European Parliament. I still remember when the European Union was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2012 CE, José Barroso, the then President of the European Commission said, 'France and Germany have been fighting non-stop for over 1000 years, but it is unimaginable there would be a war between the two nations nowadays'. This sums up the success of the European Union and the reason why Strasbourg is so significant in European history.
Strasbourg's historic city centre, the Big Island (French: Grande Île), was classified a UNESCO WHS in 1988 CE, and it was the first time such an honour was placed on an entire city centre. Strasbourg is immersed in Franco-German culture, and has served as a cultural bridge between France and Germany for centuries.
Toponymy
Ditto.
See
Notre Dame Cathedral (Cathédrale Notre Dame)
Built in the late 13th century CE, this Gothic-cum-Romanesque Notre Dame Cathedral (Cathédrale Notre Dame) is considered as one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture, so much so that it is nicknamed stone-lace (dentelle de pierre), referring to the delicate sculptures around the church. At 142 m, it was the world's tallest building from until 1874 CE. Today it is the sixth-tallest church in the world. The cathedral is thence visible from as far as the Black Forest (German: Schwarzwald) on the other side of the Rhine (Rhin). Sandstone from the Vosges were used during construction and gives the cathedral its characteristic pink hue.
As in other French cathedrals of the era, like our blogged counterpart in Reims, the main portal of the church is used as a graphical illustration of the Bible for the illiterate and stories of the Bible is sculptured in details.
Unlike the sculpture of earlier cathedrals, the Strasbourg statues on the portal clearly show emotions; the prophets look severe and solemn, the good virgins appear serene, the virtues look noble, and the uneducated appear foolish.
One of the highlights of the cathedral is the northern lateral nave, where it is lit by a unique set of five windows depicting 19 emperors of the Holy Roman Empire (Latin: Sacrum Imperium Romanum), dating mostly from the 12th and 13th centuries CE. Another important showpiece in the church is the astronomical clock.
The original clock was built by Conrad Dasypodius and is literally the best computer during the era. This monumental clock represented the synthesis of the most advanced scientific knowledge of the time, in the domains of astronomy, mathematics, and physics.
The current clock was built by Jean Schwilgué in the original Dasypodius' clock case, albeit equipped with completely new mechanisms. The astronomical part is ridiculously accurate; it indicates leap years, equinoxes, and astronomical data rivalling present day computer. The clock also determines the date of Easter at a time when computers did not yet exist. I am sure most people do not know that Easter was defined in 325 CE as 'the Sunday that follows the fourteenth day of the full moon that falls on 21st March (northern spring equinox) or immediately after'.
Big Island (Grand Île)
Described as an old quarter of mediaeval cities, this little inland-island surrounded by canals oozes Alsatian heritage. Just by looking at the buildings, you might probably imagine yourself immersed in Beauty and the Beast.
This type of timber reinforcement building is known as timber-framing (pan de bois) and it works by creating structures using carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden pegs. This method of reinforcement has been used in various parts of the world for more than a thousand years, but most of the oldest surviving ones are from Strasbourg. The particular design and scribing method of timber-framing is a UNESCO ICH and perpetuates until today mainly to preserve these local buildings. Scribing is a combination of the graphic processes used in France since the 13th century CE to perpetuate the designs amongst carpenters, and is a secret within the carpenter compagnon community and Bauhütten, another ICH blogged earlier in Fontainebleau, and later Bamberg. Through this process, the carpenter can determine all the components before they are built, however complex they are, and thus be sure that all the assemblies fit perfectly when the timber frame is built.
The Big Island also houses the city's most imposing 18th-century CE hôtels particuliers, including the Palais Rohan and the Ancienne Douane. The central piazza of the town is shown below.
Little France (Petite France)
Also known as the Tanners' Quarter (Quartier des Tanneurs) as it was home to ancient tanners, farmers and fishermen, this is a very scenic area outside the island with timber houses all over.
The place name is far from patriotic: it is named after the syphilis disease, which was then called the French disease (German: Franzosenkrankheit), mocking the French's promiscuity, when the area had a number of hospices for the disease.
Place Kléber
Place Kléber, the largest square at the heart of the city's commercial area, was named after general Jean Kléber, the famous French general born in Strasbourg in the mid-18th century CE. In the square is a statue of Kléber, under which is a vault containing his remains. This is the main commercial centre where most of the luxury brands open their shops.
New City (Neustadt)
The newest addition to the UNESCO WHS, the Neustadt district was created by the Germans before the First World War to serve as a new city centre when the area belonged to Germany. The new town was conceived along broad and Cartesian roads that symbolises the new urbanism. New building materials like reinforced concrete was also used extensively. This area also houses the European Council building.
Buy and Do
The Strasbourg version of the River Seine cruise. Batorama is a scenic boat ride and it passes by the Barrage Vauban which is the dam to control the flooding situation of the Big Island. Built during the 17th century CE, this also served as a military defence system against foreign navy by raising water levels. It is a very scenic ride and gives a good overview of Strasbourg.
Eat and Drink
Alsatian cuisine (Cuisine alsacienne)
Strasbourg, for its history is famous for its Alsatian cuisine (Cuisine alsacienne), which is a rough mixture of 75% German + 25% French food. It features a lot of pork, sauerkraut, wine and beer. The sauerkraut is called garnished cabbage (choucroute garnie). The main dish is probably the baeckeoffe, a tajine-like stew made from potatoes, vegetables, as well as three different meat (lamb, pork and beef).
We had our Alsatian banquet dinner in a world-famous restaurant Maison Kammerzell, housed in one of the most ornate and well preserved mediaeval civil housing buildings, built in the mid-15th century CE.
Getting There and Around
The Big Island can be completed by foot and Strasbourg is one hour high-speed train from Paris. Spend one week in Strasbourg. The batorama costs EUR 25€.
UNESCO Inscriptions
The initial property, inscribed in 1988 on the World Heritage List, was formed by the Grande-Île, the historic centre of Strasbourg, structured around the cathedral. The extension concerns the Neustadt, new town, designed and built under the German administration (1871-1918). The Neustadt draws the inspiration for its urban layout partially from the Haussmannian model, while adopting an architectural idiom of Germanic inspiration. This dual influence has enabled the creation of an urban space that is specific to Strasbourg, where the perspectives created around the cathedral open to a unified landscape around the rivers and canals.
The purpose of the scribing tradition is to master in three dimensions the design of a complex wooden building. This traditional expertise runs counter to modern standardization by emphasizing the role of the builder in the construction process and giving a creative impulse to the structures themselves. Scribing is a combination of the graphic processes used in France since the thirteenth century that make it possible to express accurately through the design the actual volumes of a building, its interlocking, and the characteristics of the wooden components. It was taught as a special subject quite distinct from the theory and practice of architecture. Through this process, the carpenter can determine all the components before they are built, however complex they are, and thus be sure that all the assemblies will fit together perfectly when the timber frame is built. Carpenters who are members of trade guilds recognize the scribing tradition as having a symbolic and initiatory meaning that remains a secret. The art plays a crucial role in the value system of the Companions of the Tour de France, for example. Special training in scribing is available in several dozen training centres, guilds and businesses.
The gastronomic meal of the French is a customary social practice for celebrating important moments in the lives of individuals and groups, such as births, weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, achievements and reunions. It is a festive meal bringing people together for an occasion to enjoy the art of good eating and drinking. The gastronomic meal emphasizes togetherness, the pleasure of taste, and the balance between human beings and the products of nature. Important elements include the careful selection of dishes from a constantly growing repertoire of recipes; the purchase of good, preferably local products whose flavours go well together; the pairing of food with wine; the setting of a beautiful table; and specific actions during consumption, such as smelling and tasting items at the table. The gastronomic meal should respect a fixed structure, commencing with an apéritif (drinks before the meal) and ending with liqueurs, containing in between at least four successive courses, namely a starter, fish and/or meat with vegetables, cheese and dessert. Individuals called gastronomes who possess deep knowledge of the tradition and preserve its memory watch over the living practice of the rites, thus contributing to their oral and/or written transmission, in particular to younger generations. The gastronomic meal draws circles of family and friends closer together and, more generally, strengthens social ties.
The French Compagnonnage system is a unique way of conveying knowledge and know-how linked to the trades that work with stone, wood, metal, leather, textiles and food. Its originality lies in its synthesis of varied methods and processes of transmitting knowledge: national and international educational travel (known as the ‘Tour de France’ period), initiation rituals, school-based teaching, customary learning and technical apprenticeship. The Compagnonnage movement involves almost 45,000 people, who belong to one of three groups of compagnons. Those aged 16 years or over who wish to learn and/or develop their skills in a given profession can apply to join a Compagnonnage community. Training lasts on average five years, during which apprentices regularly move from town to town, both in France and internationally, to discover types of knowledge and ways of passing them on. To be eligible to transmit this knowledge the apprentice must produce a ‘masterwork’, examined and assessed by the compagnons. Compagnonnage is popularly perceived as the last movement to practice and teach certain ancient craft techniques, to deliver true excellence in craft training, to closely integrate the development of the person and the training of the worker, and the last to perform trade initiation rites.
The workshop organization, or Bauhüttenwesen, appeared in the Middle Ages on the construction sites of European cathedrals. Now, as then, these workshops are home to various trades working in close collaboration. The term Bauhüttenwesen in German refers both to the organization of a workshop network dealing with the construction or restoration of a building and to the workshop itself, as a place of work. Since the end of the Middle Ages, these workshops have formed a supra-regional network extending beyond national borders. The workshops safeguard the traditional customs and rituals of their professions, as well as a wealth of knowledge transmitted across the generations, both orally and in writing. Faced with the progressive shortage of technical skills and in an age of increasing mechanization and cost optimization, the workshops created or re-established in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries have become institutions that preserve, transmit and develop traditional techniques and know-how. Their commitment to safeguarding and promoting living heritage, through targeted awareness raising, information and communication measures and close cooperation with shareholders in the field of politics, the church, monument conservation, business and research, can be considered as an example to be adapted and implemented in other contexts worldwide. Through their organization and training system for on-site practice, the workshops could be considered as a model for all types of buildings that need to be built and maintained.
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