Castle Pourtalès (in Alsacien 's Renouard Guet) is in the park of the same name, north-east of Robertsau, former vegetable suburb of the city of Strasbourg.Its first owner was Joseph Guérault, entrepreneur books of the King and responsible in particular for building the fortifications of Strasbourg in the eighteenth century.
In 1784, the Baron de Coehorn in fact his main residence. In 1802, the banker and politician Paul-de Bussières Athanasius (1776-1846) acquired. In 1844 his son Alfred de Bussières (1804-1887) makes a series of transformations.
The castle lies with his daughter Melanie de Bussiere (1836-1914), Countess of Pourtalès, wife of the banker Edmond de Pourtalès-Gorgier. Melanie gets a lot of Pourtalès in the castle that is very profound changes, from 1887 to 1902, by architect Breffendille: reorganization of interiors, adding a new body style building next to Louis XV wing Castle, creation of extensive outbuildings. In 1897 she build a 2nd floor attic in the castle. In 1907, a tower is created by Berninger and Krafft achitect to house including an extensive library. It makes the place a hub of European diplomacy, by receiving many personalities (Napoleon III, Prince Metternich ...) and a circle of French culture during the German occupation after the war of 1870.
The landscaped garden is the scene of several performances including the Folies love with Jean-François Regnard in 1911. At Castle Pourtalès are illustrious names from all over Europe: King Louis II of Bavaria, Emperor Wilhelm II, King and Queen of Belgium, Prince of Wales, Prince Napoleon, Prince Klemens von Metternich, Franz Liszt, Albert Schweitzer or Léon Bakst.
After the death of the Countess Melanie, his daughter Agnes, Marchioness of Loÿs-Chandieu who inherits the castle and home to major literary and political figures (Joseph Joffre, Lyautey, Réjane, Anna de Noailles, Louis de Broglie, François Mauriac, André Maurois ...). In 1929 the castle falls to his youngest daughter, Mrs. Maurice Bérard, which finally closed in 1939.
After the war and years of neglect, the castle becomes the property of the Schiller International University which is one of its campus, while its fleet, purchased by the City of Strasbourg, has been open to the public.
In July 2001, during a performance in the open air in the park, the fall of a tree causing the accidental death of 13 spectators.
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