Place de la République
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This huge park-like square is located in the very heart of the "German quarter". In the centre, we find a war memorial by the sculptor Drivier, dating from 1936. It features a woman with her two sons, one who has died for France and the other for Germany, a dramatic situation which was unfortunately all too real for the people of Alsace during the two world wars.
Following the French defeat in 1870, Germany planned to make Strasbourg the capital of the Reichsland of Alsace-Lorraine. This district, referred to as the "new town", represented a new form of urban planning, featuring wide roads, monumental administrative and cultural buildings, and luxurious private homes. Landscaping also played a key role in this impressive urban planning scheme.
Nearby: the Rhine Palace, the University Library and the National Theatre are superb examples of this imperial, grandiose but warm and welcoming architectural style.