The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1919-05-17

~ lRASSbURT, from the TefnOteSl
times, has revealed a love OF
~ liberty and independence which,
it must be said, frequently be-
wildered and even disconnected dts
would-be oppressor. Through its nm.
merOuS vicisSitudes 1t has retained a
personality which nothing ever sue
ceeded in destroying. Little is known
Of the city during the Celtic period.
When the Romans invaded Gaul, they
discovered on the banks of the Ill. and
quite near the Rhine, a small village.
the strategicSl importance of which
they Immediately recognized. Perched
on relatively high hill, ArgentOtarum.
as the Romans named this hamlet,
dominated the whole of the fertile
plain Of Alsace and the river valley.
They therefore fortified it and estab-
lished there the general headquarters
of the legiOns who were especially
intrusted with the defense of the pas
sage Of the Rhine. For more than
three centuries this region remained
under Roman domination after which
lapse of time it was conquered by a
powerful Germanic tribe. the Alamans.
For several centuries Strassburg
was subjected to the continual vicissi-
tudes Of warfare, says the Christian
Science Monitor. The Franks sue
sceeded the Alamans and after the bat
tie Of Tolbiac in 49S, Strassburg and
The greater part Of Alsace were Chris
tianized by Clovis.
Under the Merovingisn dynasty,
Strassburg was elevated to the dig
nifty of a royal city. The Carlovingian
i monarchs even signed several of their
celebrated charters there. However,
the city itself vegetated; lack of Sc
scurity hindered its development, and
when, in 925, Alsace was Incorporated
in the German empire, Strassburg
waS still a relatively unimportant
town. 1t had possessed bishopric
for several centuries, and so long as
its DEVELOPMENT had remained sta
tionary, had submitted unprotestingly
to the dominion Of the clergy. How
ever, as it's commerce developed and
its industries gradually evolved,
Strassburg rebelled, first timidly. then
openly and successfully, against the
clerical yoke.
Building the Great Cathedral.
! The real prosperity Of Strassburg
dates from the thirteenth century.
when it already numbered $4,000 in
habitants. The bishops vainly strove
to regain their former supremacy by
force of arms, but Strassburg de-
tended itself with much energy and
at last enjoyed a period Of relative
peace, during which all classes lived
In harmony.
This period comedies with a great
development in the fine arts. 1t was
then that Gotfried Of Strassburg, the
first Alsatian poet Of the middle ages,
was scribe in his native town. and
Erwin Of Steinbach, artist and archi-
:ect, undertook to build the cathedral
on the site Of the former basilica,
erected about $40 A. d. on a spot
where once stood temple dedicated
to Hercules.
The original plan Of Master Erwin
has not been faithfully followed, and
1t must be admitted that the edifice
has lost nothing through this, but has
rather gained considerably. He had
conceived Of q facade two stories in
height, dominated by two towers Of
equal height. 1t was. however, many
years later that the cathedral was
completed, and the two towers were
welded together at the height of the
first story, the left tower alone being
finished, its delicate openwork spire-
q marvel of sculpture-rising 142 me-
tiers above the earth. The threefold
portal. giving access to the three
Gothic nayes. is decorated by multi
tude Of remarkable sculptures.
The great tower was finished In
1889, Under the direction of John