The shells of Starsbourg

The shells of Strasbourg, memory of the 1870 siege

At the corner of Rue d'Austerlitz, on the façade of the Au Canon brasserie, a curious shell seems lodged in the wall. It is one of the eight shells embedded in the façades of Strasbourg, witnesses of the 1870 siege. The Strasbourg audio-guided tour stops here, with respect, to evoke this painful episode of the history of the city.

Eight shells in memory of the bombardment

The history of these eight shells goes back to 1870, during the Franco-Prussian War. During the siege of Strasbourg, which lasted several weeks, the city was subjected to an intense bombardment, tens of thousands of shells falling on it. In memory of this ordeal, eight shells were embedded in façades of the city. Discreet but full of meaning, they recall the painful memory of this conflict.

What to see

Here you spot, on the façade of the Au Canon brasserie and elsewhere in the city, these embedded shells that seem to emerge from the walls. Discreet, they invite remembrance of the 1870 siege and its ordeals. It is a stop of memory, which reveals a painful page of the history of Strasbourg, during the stroll.

Practical information

The embedded shells are discovered on façades of Strasbourg, notably at the corner of Rue d'Austerlitz, reachable on foot. They are open-air elements, freely visible from the street, with no ticket office. On the level, they are spotted during an attentive walk in the city, by looking up at the façades.

Where do the shells embedded in the façades of Strasbourg come from?

They go back to the 1870 siege, during the Franco-Prussian War; eight shells were embedded in façades in memory of this bombardment.

Where can you see the shells of Strasbourg?

On façades of the city, notably at the corner of Rue d'Austerlitz, on the Au Canon brasserie, in Strasbourg.