Thesaurus

Strasbourg is the capital of the department of Bas-Rhin in the Alsace region of northeastern France. Strategically located on the Ill River, it was originally a Celtic settlement, then a Roman garrison town. In the 5th century it was sacked by Attila the Hun, then rebuilt by the Franks. The Oath of Strasbourg 842 between the eastern and western Frankish kings was taken there. It became a free city under the Holy Roman Empire. In 1681 it was seized by Louis XIV of France but retained many of its free city privileges until after the French Revolution. Germany and France alternated possession until finally in 1945 it reverted to France. It sustained significant damage in the Franco-German war of 1870-1871 and in World War II. The old city features a cathedral built between the 11th and 15th centuries, and the Chateay de Rohan, an episcopal palace now housing three museums. The modern industrial city of the 21st century is the seat of the assembly of the European Union.