The annexion: consequences on the urbanization of Strasbourg

As a consequence of the annexion in 1681 of the free republic of Strasbourg to France by the king Louis XIV, Vauban built with Tarade a new fortified wall around the city as well as a citadel on the East (from where the enemy is supposed to come).

After the 1870's annexion, the assailant is now supposed to come from the West. Therefore, as early of January 1871, the emperor Wilhelm I entrusted Von Moltke & Von Kamecke to raise a new wall around the city, with a length of 11 km, and defended by 19 bastions, among them the "Kriegstor" (War Door) behind the new railway station, which makes the latter the only fortified station in Europe. The city area grew from 570 to 1530 acres.
This new rampart was surrounded by a fence that could be flooded, continued by a 500 m broad area where nothing could be built, offering by that way a better visibility to the gunners. That non ædificandi area was extended by another 300 m wide area where only light buildings were allowed.
As a matter of fact, the Germans planned to pull down rapidly these buildings, obliging tha assailant to approach exposed. A very strict regulation limited the choice of materials and the sort of constructions that could be erected there, giving rise since 1880 to a so-called glacis-architecture. These picturesque houses, with very fine façades are still to be found in the following disticts: Neudorf, Montagne-Verte, Koenigshoffen, Cronenbourg, Robertsau, etc...
The charm that arises from these edifices will soon be only a souvenir, as they are not listed as historic buildings.

As soon as the military requirements have determined the city extension, an urbanism project could be developed.
Otto Back, an official promoted by Berlin, beeing as well mayor as town council (i. e. owning both executive and legislative powers), bought to the War Ministery 400 acres. Instead of starting for a competition, Back let 2 architects enter the the lists: the Prussian August Orth and the Alsatian Geoffroy Conrath.
The fist one planned - among else - to transform the old city by pulling down some districts in order to apply the haussmannian model. Then so set a huge center, linking the old part of the city to the new one. He also planned to erect (among others) a monumental church in order to counterbalance the Cathedral.
Orth also projected to favorize traffic by creating large avenues and recommended to use a monumental ("Kolossal") architecture for official buildings.

The second one, municipal architect since 1854, having a french education, likes his city.
He planned to spare the old city. In addition, he projected to put a monumental square (formerly Kaiserplatz, now Place de la République), symbol of the Power, and open to the old city.
By this way, Conrath meant to put the the Emperor's Palace, the ministerial buildings, the territorial library and the Diet. This square will be linked by a triumphal axis (Kaiser-Wilhelm-Strasse now Avenue de la Liberté) to the New University.
In a parallel diraction, an East-West backbone (Avenue des Vosges - Avenue de la Forêt-Noire) bringing to Germany. That monumental way beeing connected to the Ring, a serie of boulevards bringing to the new railway station and runnig along the western districts.
Conrath planned the the Kaiser-Friedrich-Strasse (now Avenue de la Paix), providing a perspective to the Cathedral (like the rue Schweighaeuser).
Lastly, he suggested to use an orthogonal street network crossed by some oblique streets.

Passed in 1878, Conrath's plan will be modified in 1897 as Camillo Sitte published his book Der Städtebau nach seine künstlerischen Gesetze (The urbanism according to their artistic principles).

The erection of the official building saw the triumph of eclecticism and historicism. The german architects (mainly Prussians) carried off nearly all of the commisions. If, by ignoring the modern movement, these buildings are, in the artistic fied, of poor creative value, we must lay stress upon the fact they are of great architectural quality (stone façades, structure using iron,...), therefore witnessing the purpose of the Empire to settle definitively, and also to help forgetting its image of a detructor.

Imperial Palace (now Palais du Rhin) built by Hermann Eggert from 1883 to 1888 in florentine neo-renaissance mixed with some neo-baroque of Berlin influence
University Library by Neckelmann from 1889 to 1894 in neo-renaissance
Diet (now Conservatoire of Music and National Theater of Strasbourg) by Hartel & Neckelmann from 1894 to 1898 in neo-renaissance
Ministerial buildings by Levy from 1892 to 1902 (now Treasury) and from 1906 to 1911 (now Prefecture) in neo-baroque
Main Post Office by Von Rechenberg from 1896 to 1899 in neo-gothic (the last building of that sort built in that style in Europe)
Tribunal by Neckelmann from 1894 to 1898 in neo-classic
St Pierre-le-Jeune's church by Hartel and Neckelmann from 1889 to 1893, mixing neo-roman and neo-gothic
St Maurice's garrison church in 1894 by Becker in neo-gothic
St Paul's garrison church by Muller from 1889 to 1892 in neo-gothic
Synagogue by Levy in 1886
University Palace by Warth from 1879 to 1884 in italian neo-renaissance
University Campus, and more especially: Main Railway Station by Jacobstahl from 1878 to 1884
Customs Head Office by Back (the mayor's son) and Metzenthin from 1891 to 1893 in italian neo-renaissance.
Departmental Record Office by Metzenthin, Cavael and Landshut in 1893 in italian neo-renaissance.
To those buildings, we could add furthermore several institutes at the Civil Hospital, other churches, schools, administrative buildings once more, signal-boxes (one of them is now listed as a monument), bridges, water-towers (one of them also listed as a monument), etc... all that nothing but for the city of Strasbourg.