Place de la République
Place de la République
4.5
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
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281 reviews
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gfsc5
Perth, Australia1,790 contributions
Jun 2023 • Couples
There are lots of imposing buildings on view in this area of Strasbourg. Very solidly build and with a bit of mix of German and French influence. Lots of French flags on view. And a nice garden area.
Written July 27, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
charbias
Mbombela, South Africa171 contributions
Oct 2020
As it's easy to access by tram and bus, it's an ideal spot to chill and relax, before returning to sightseeing again. It is surrounded by the Rhine Palace, a section fo the university and the National Theatre.
Written November 1, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
amreltouny
cairo - egypt136 contributions
Dec 2015 • Friends
It is located in the district of Neustadt ("new town" in German) in Strasbourg. Installed in 1880 by the German authorities as part of a vast urban development plan, the "Kaiserplatz" (Imperial square) is the junction between the historic city and the new city. It symbolizes the advent of the new German government. It was called the Republic square in 1919 after the return of Alsace-Lorraine to France.
In 1940, during the second German annexation, it became the "Bismarckplatz" (Bismarck Square). It was named Republic Square again in 1945.
The present monument in the middle of central garden was inaugurated in 1936 by President Albert Lebrun. It carries as the only inscription "To our dead" without mentioning the homeland for which the soldiers fell. The sculpture represents a mother (symbolizing the city of Strasbourg) holding in her lap two dying children, one German and one French. They have fought and died before they finally come together.
Imperial Palace (Palais du Rhin): After the Franco-Prussian War, Strasbourg, then German, was faced with the question of an official residence for the Kaiser. The decision was made to create a building symbolic of imperial power, and after much debate, a square Neo-Renaissance design was chosen, remotely inspired by the Palazzo Pitti in Florence. Inaugurated by William II in August 1889, the palace housed the emperor for twelve visits down to 1914.
In 1940, during the second German annexation, it became the "Bismarckplatz" (Bismarck Square). It was named Republic Square again in 1945.
The present monument in the middle of central garden was inaugurated in 1936 by President Albert Lebrun. It carries as the only inscription "To our dead" without mentioning the homeland for which the soldiers fell. The sculpture represents a mother (symbolizing the city of Strasbourg) holding in her lap two dying children, one German and one French. They have fought and died before they finally come together.
Imperial Palace (Palais du Rhin): After the Franco-Prussian War, Strasbourg, then German, was faced with the question of an official residence for the Kaiser. The decision was made to create a building symbolic of imperial power, and after much debate, a square Neo-Renaissance design was chosen, remotely inspired by the Palazzo Pitti in Florence. Inaugurated by William II in August 1889, the palace housed the emperor for twelve visits down to 1914.
Written January 21, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
leboral
Lille, France1,277 contributions
Mar 2024 • Family
Odd to call Place de la République a fine example of Whilelmian architecture. The prefecture was built under the Kaiser to mark the annexation of Alsace. We do better as a republican symbol. The place is pleasant if not original.
Written March 31, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Steve_of_N21
London, UK3,377 contributions
Oct 2015 • Couples
We found this green space when walking around the circular canal and it was certainly worth the detour and I would certainly recommend the investment of the 15 minute stroll to visit here from the Cathedral.
Flanked on one side by the impressive former Imperial Palace building and the University Library building on the other, this pleasant area is also home to the Monuments Aux Morts de Strasbourg, a moving tribute to the French and German soldiers who have died fighting over this town through the years.
Flanked on one side by the impressive former Imperial Palace building and the University Library building on the other, this pleasant area is also home to the Monuments Aux Morts de Strasbourg, a moving tribute to the French and German soldiers who have died fighting over this town through the years.
Written October 29, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dragan Petrović
Munich, Germany1,252 contributions
Sep 2018 • Friends
Place de la Republique or simply Republic Square, former Kaiserplatz in German, is one of the main squares in the city of Strasbourg. It was projected between 1880 and 1887 by architect Jean-Geoffroy Conrath as a large monumental square of a new representative city quarter Neustadt and today represents main city traffic hub. It's located not to far from the city centre, some 800 metres walking distance from Place Kleber.
It is surrounded on three sides by buildings, which are listed as monument historique (National heritage sites in France). None of them is residential.
The most impressive buildings are: Palais du Rhin (Palace of the Rhine), National and University Library and National Theatre of Strasbourg. In the middle of this large square is open green space with ginkgo biloba trees and the War Memorial statue in the very centre of the square.
Take a tour is a must.
It is surrounded on three sides by buildings, which are listed as monument historique (National heritage sites in France). None of them is residential.
The most impressive buildings are: Palais du Rhin (Palace of the Rhine), National and University Library and National Theatre of Strasbourg. In the middle of this large square is open green space with ginkgo biloba trees and the War Memorial statue in the very centre of the square.
Take a tour is a must.
Written January 29, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
10Raindrops
Uralla, Australia762 contributions
Dec 2015 • Couples
Here is a very beautiful part of Strasbourg.At present you need to alight from the tram at this point and walk into the markets in town as security is very high.It is a short walk and well worth the effort.
Written December 19, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AnLil
932 contributions
Aug 2024 • Family
The “Republik” of German states (1918) and “Republic” of France (1791) centre on this highly contested plot of land, which featured the nearby destruction of the medieval rue des Juifs (Jews) in the Franco-Prussian War over this historic city in 1870. The Franciscans (Recollets) had already taken up residence there long after 14th-century pogroms. Only the Notre Dame tower was spared the Revolution and then wartime bombing. Kaiser Wilhelm II built up Neustadt here, aiming to replace 2 centuries of French culture in Strasbourg. Hence the many French flags, after regaining the Republic in a liberated city, post-WW2. There’s still the remnant of a Prussian eagle on the Rhine Palace and on the stone facade of the green-roofed National Library, a UNESCO heritage site. A French peace monument also stands in-between, with a gingko tree that symbolized colonial Korea: a gift/switch of Amity from imperial Japan to the Kaiser after the navy-borne “incident.” This Place thus strategically lies on the border of modern Strasbourg and the international Congress as a symbol of reconciliation. You can’t miss it on foot or preferably on rental bicycle, enroute the EU buildings and Parliament from the island of the River L’ill—beyond which runs the River Rhine. The Palais du Rhin is closed but features a great shot if taken from the stairs…or on any of the ubiquitous open-air tour buses that’ll stop for views of the imperial buildings and wide French boulevard.
(The best photo is in the direction towards the copper-roofed 19th-century Bibliothek). You won’t want to miss the interior with its newly renovated postmodern architecture, and only 3 euros pays for a day pass with free locker storage!
(The best photo is in the direction towards the copper-roofed 19th-century Bibliothek). You won’t want to miss the interior with its newly renovated postmodern architecture, and only 3 euros pays for a day pass with free locker storage!
Written August 25, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Esther Rocha
Clayton, NC34 contributions
Jul 2019 • Solo
I went there walking from the Notre Dame Cathedral and it took me only 10 minutes. The Palace is in a big and beautiful garden where we can relax, read a book, have a beer or whatever you up to. :)
The building is fantastic! The architecture is wonderful with a lot of details.
It definitely worth visiting.
The building is fantastic! The architecture is wonderful with a lot of details.
It definitely worth visiting.
Written July 31, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
retireeVancouver
Vancouver, Canada1,828 contributions
May 2019 • Couples
It is enough to have a drive-by around Place de la Republique /Kaiserplatz to see the once newly built government buildings, Imperial Palace, and city square created by the Prussians after they annexed Strasbourg, following their victory in the Franco-Prussian War. This square is outside of the old town of Strasbourg, just across from the River Ill, in the district called Neustadt or new city which it was in the late 1800s. Around the square, visitors can see the exteriors of 5 monumental buildings, all created around 1888. The Imperial Palace/Palais de Rhin was the residence for Kaiser Wilhelm I while 3 buildings housed Ministerial offices and the fourth was for the Parliament for Alsace -Lorraine. These buildings have now been renamed. The Imperial Palace stands out with its different facade. Look closely for symbols of Prussia carved around its entrance.
The treed lawn and flower beds of this city square are probably what I recognized first. In the middle was a huge marble statue, a WWI war memorial, created in 1936. It's a lovely piece of sculpture work featuring a mother with two dead sons at her feet both holding hands in death but who fought on different sides during the war. The symbols would not be lost on the people of Strasbourg who have seen their city belong to both France and Germany. This statue replaces a statue of an equestrian Kaiser Wilhlem I, removed upon Germany's defeat in 1918 when Strasbourg again was returned to France.
These buildings and city square are a part of Strasbourg's history and remain a symbol of its ping-pong relationship with Germany. Tourists will want to see this city square on a tour of the city.
The treed lawn and flower beds of this city square are probably what I recognized first. In the middle was a huge marble statue, a WWI war memorial, created in 1936. It's a lovely piece of sculpture work featuring a mother with two dead sons at her feet both holding hands in death but who fought on different sides during the war. The symbols would not be lost on the people of Strasbourg who have seen their city belong to both France and Germany. This statue replaces a statue of an equestrian Kaiser Wilhlem I, removed upon Germany's defeat in 1918 when Strasbourg again was returned to France.
These buildings and city square are a part of Strasbourg's history and remain a symbol of its ping-pong relationship with Germany. Tourists will want to see this city square on a tour of the city.
Written June 30, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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