Broglie Square

This long square, lined with lime trees and mansions, is home to the famous Strasbourg Christmas market year after year. If you’ve come for the occasion, the square is likely bustling and aglow with festive lights. Believe it or not, this traditional market has been held in Strasbourg since 1570! For the longest time, there were no others in all of France. No wonder, for it was essentially a Germanic tradition. There was a market as early as the Middle Ages, called Klausemärik, and held in the run-up to St. Nicholas’ Day on December 6. Back in the day, it was St. Nicholas who was believed to distribute presents to children. A market was thus set up a few days before this date, so that parents could buy gifts for their little ones. When Strasbourg became Protestant in the 16th century, the local pastor preached to the townspeople, arguing that granting a saint the power to hand out presents to children was bold and too papist, as Protestants would say; he thus suggested that they explain that the gifts came from Christ. The city of Strasbourg thus decided to do away with St. Nicholas Day, but to keep the market, which was then renamed Christkindel, the market of Baby Jesus. Today, it’s more popular than ever. But Broglie Square is popular for yet another reason! See the inscriptions on the Banque de France? The French national anthem, La Marseillaise, is said to have been first sung here. For those who still believe that the Marseillaise was born in Marseilles, allow me to give you a little background. In 1792, the whole of Europe anxiously watched the French Revolution unfold, fearing that the same fate would befall their own countries. And so, to suppress any ideas of rebellion, they declared war on France. The mayor of Strasbourg at the time asked Captain Rouget de Lisle to compose a revolutionary song to motivate the troops of the Army of the Rhine defending eastern France. The militia from Marseilles sang it on their way home, as a sign of the country’s unity from the east all the way to the south. Well, okay; to be fair, it does have something to do with Marseilles. In any case, right here in this square, you’re at the very heart of our history.