Imperial City

Playing a unifying role in the mind of Kaiser Wilhelm II, the post office was one of his key concerns. Architect Ludwig Bettcher, attached to the Alsace-Lorraine post office, designed the building in the Rhenish neo-Romanesque style imposed by Kaiser Wilhelm II, with a particular focus on functionality. Built from 1908 in pink Vosges sandstone, the post office was inaugurated in 1911. Today, it awaits renovation and is visible from the outside.

In 1873, the old station in Metz was destroyed by fire, and a new, monumental station was built in Jaumont stone. German architect Jacob Stahl chose the form of a palace in the Italian neo-Renaissance style, with two side wings symbolizing triumphal arches and rich ornamentation.

Inspired by Camillo Sitte's theses on the art of city building, the streets open out irregularly, space is staged, and plant and mineral elements follow one another. The square imposes the imperial mark through the powerful buildings that encircle it, such as the former Hôtel des Corporations and the former Banque Impériale.

A cylindrical artillery tower built in the 15th century at the corner of the ancient rampart, the Camoufle tower owes its name to a master bombardier, a valiant man of war who saved the city on several occasions.

Avenue Foch was built on the ramparts of the old town between 1903 and 1914. It features garden villas on the old town side, an old bridle path in the center, and apartment and commercial buildings on the station side. The buildings on either side form a remarkably diverse and eclectic mix of architectural styles.

This square is the real link between the old town and the Imperial Quarter. The facades of the old, low 18th-century houses are built of Jaumont stone. The limestone and sandstone buildings of the German period are taller without disfiguring the square. They provide a variety of shapes and volumes, leading smoothly into the new district and the urban extension around the station.