Charterhouse museum - Foundation Bugatti

Description

The history and industrial venture of Molsheim is presented in the prestigious decor of a Carthusian monastery. Founded in 1946 by Dr Henri Gerlinger, the Molsheim Museum is a Museum of Archaeology, Art and History, housed in the prestigious and fitting historical setting of a Carthusian monastery. Located at the gateway to the Bruche valley, Molsheim was a possession of the bishops of Strasbourg since the early Middle Ages. The City had its hour of glory shortly after the Reformation with the settlement of different religious orders, including the Jesuits (1580-1765) and the Carthusians (1598-1792). The French Revolution put an end to the privileges and class system of Ancien Regime (the old regime) and Molsheim became an important industrial and small-scale production center. This exciting venture is presented in the Museum, from the first traces of occupation of the region by man in the Paleolithic Age to the painful memories left by WWII. Several rooms are devoted to the history of the City during the medieval times and to the religious orders (Jesuits, Carthusians, Capuchin Franciscan friars) who settled there before 1789. Artifacts dating from the 19th century complete this presentation of the City and vicinity. The room devoted to sculptor Philippe Grass (1801-1876) is worthy of a special mention. Though the monastery has been altered many times, most of the original buildings are still visible nowadays: the foundations of the convent chapel have been excavated and, behind the cloister, a few monks' cells have been rehabilitated with their original furniture. Bugatti's unique pioneering work shaped the life of the City and many memories of this great creative period are also on display.