Poland in the Council of Europe

The building of the Permanent Representation of the Republic of Poland to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg comes from the turn of 1905/1906 and is located on the corner of rue Geiler and quai Rouget de Lisle, in the historic district of Neustadt. The design of the building is the work of two architects: Franz Lütke and Heinrich Backes. The Palaio Alsatia, whose full name is "Korpshaus der Palaio Alsatia", was raised in the German Burgerstil style and is an example of Neo-Renaissance architecture.

At the beginning it was a headquater of the student association Corps Palaio-Alsatia, whose coat of arms is still visible above the entrance. After World War I, the palace rooms were used by various institutions dealing with the dissemination of French culture: "Bureau des oeuvres françaises" (1920), then "Société des Amis de l'Université de Strasbourg", "Foyer des Oeuvres Françaises" and "Le Livre des Français" ".

In 1991, after Poland joined the Council of Europe, the villa was finally purchased by Polish authorities for the Polish Consulate / Permanent Representation. Since 2009, the facility has been used exclusively by the Permanent Representation of the Republic of Poland to the Council of Europe. The present appearance of the facade, restored in 2012, is the result of the care taken by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland to preserve the unique architecture of Strasbourg.