MAISON DU TRAITÉ

It was in this building at 61 rue de Lorraine that the Treaty of Lunéville was signed on February 9, 1801, giving France the left bank of the Rhine. This was the final point of the conflict between Bonaparte, First Consul, and François II, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, who was defeated by Bonaparte's army at Marengo. Austria chose Lunéville rather than Sélestat, perhaps because of its Lorraine memories. The house, typical of the neoclassical style, with its long straight lines, moldings, and decoration referring to Greek and French classical art, had been built twenty years earlier for the royal mayor of Lunéville, and was used again during World War II, hosting Generals Patch, Eisenhower, Devers, and Patton, who then launched a great offensive to Austria. To wit: The Treaty House is not open to the public.