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{{Infobox French commune
|name               = Sélestat
|commune status     = [[Subprefectures in France|Subprefecture]] and [[Communes of France|commune]]
|image              = Selestat Tour de l’horloge.jpg
|caption            = The Clock Tower
|image coat of arms = Blason ville fr Sélestat (Alsace).svg
|arrondissement     = Sélestat-Erstein
|canton             = Sélestat
|INSEE              = 67462
|postal code        = 67600
|mayor              = Marcel Bauer<ref>{{cite web|title=Répertoire national des élus: les maires|url=https://www.data.gouv.fr/fr/datasets/r/2876a346-d50c-4911-934e-19ee07b0e503|website=data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises|date=2 December 2020|language=fr}}</ref> ([[The Republicans (France)|LR]])
|term               = 2020–2026
|intercommunality   = [[Communauté de communes|CC]] de Sélestat
|coordinates        = {{coord|48.259444|7.454167|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
|elevation m        = 173
|elevation min m    = 165
|elevation max m    = 184
|area km2           = 44.40
|population         = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_total}}
|population date    = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_as_of}}
|population footnotes   = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_footnotes}}
}}
'''Sélestat''' ({{IPA|fr|selɛsta|lang}}; [[Alsatian language|Alsatian]]: ''Schlettstàdt''; German: ''Schlettstadt'') is a [[Communes of France|commune]] in the [[Grand Est]] region of France. An administrative division ([[Subprefectures in France|sous-préfecture]]) of the [[Bas-Rhin]] [[Departments of France|department]], the town lies on the [[Ill (France)|Ill]] river, {{convert|17|km|mi|0}} from the [[Rhine]] and the German border. Sélestat is located between the largest communes of [[Alsace]], [[Strasbourg]] and [[Mulhouse]].

In 2019, Sélestat had a total population of 19,242. The [[Humanist Library of Sélestat]] is located there.

== Name ==
[[File:Ortsschild Selestat.JPG|thumb|left|Bilingual French-Alsatian road-sign at the entrance of Sélestat.]]
The present name of the town is a [[Frenchification]] of the original Germanic name. It appeared soon after the French conquest in the 17th century.<ref>{{Cite book|title=La grande encyclopédie des lieux d'Alsace : toponymie, étymologie, histoire|author=Michel Paul Urban|publisher=Nuée bleue|year=2010|isbn=978-2-7165-0756-1|page=25}}.</ref> The town is called ''Schlettstàdt'' ({{IPA|gsw|ˈʃlɛd̥ʃd̥ɐd̥|}}) in [[Alsatian language|Alsatian]] and {{Audio|Schlettstadt.ogg|''Schlettstadt''}} ({{IPA|de|ˈʃlet͡ʃtat}}) in German.<ref name="Names"/>

Sélestat was first mentioned in 727 as ''Sclastat''.<ref name="Urban">{{Cite book|title=La grande encyclopédie des lieux d'Alsace : toponymie, étymologie, histoire|author=Michel Paul Urban|publisher=Nuée bleue|year=2010|isbn=978-2-7165-0756-1|page=468}}.</ref> It was mentioned as ''Scalistati'' in 775, as ''Slectistat'' in 881, as ''Sclezistat'' in 884 and as ''Slezestat'' in 1095.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Nègre|first1=Ernest|title=Toponymie générale de la France, Volume 2|date=1991|publisher=Librairie Droz S. A.|location=Geneva, Switzerland|isbn=978-2-600-00133-5|page=725}}</ref> The current German name, ''Schlettstadt'', appeared in 1310, although various spellings can be noticed on posterior documents, such as ''Schlestat'', ''Schletstat'' and ''Schlettstat''.<ref name="Names">{{Cite book|title=Dictionnaire alphabétique des communes d'Alsace : noms des communes en français, en allemand et en alsacien, avec leurs anciennes dénominations ainsi que le code postal et le canton|author=Bernard Wittmann|publisher=Est-impression|year=2006|isbn=978-2-9517657-5-7|page=268}}</ref> The French administration used various forms from the 17th to the 19th century, such as Frenchified (''Sélestat'', ''Sélestadt'') and Germanic (''Schlestadt'', ''Schelestadt''). The town was officially known as ''Schlettstadt'' between 1871 and 1919, when [[Alsace]] was part of the [[German Empire]].<ref name="Names"/> Since 1920, the town's French name is fixed as Sélestat.

The origin of the name "Schlettstadt" is unclear. It probably derives from Germanic words ''slade'' or ''sclade'' meaning "marshes", and ''stat'' for "city". Sélestat would then be a "city in the marshes", a reference to its position in the [[Grand Ried]], a vast area subject to flooding that stretches over the centre of Alsace. ''Stat'' could also mean "area" rather than "city".<ref>{{Cite book|title=Dictionnaire étymologique des noms de lieu en France|publisher=Librairie Guénégaud|author=Albert Dauzat and Charles Rostaing|year=1979|isbn=2-85023-076-6|page=650b}}</ref>

A popular myth explains that the town takes its name from a [[dragon]] called ''Schletto'' that founded the settlement after opening up the nearby [[Lièpvre]] valley in the [[Vosges mountains]].<ref name="Urban"/>

== History ==

=== Birth of the town ===
[[File:Sirènes, Sélestat.jpg|thumb|An 18th-century relief on a house in the old town.]]
Sélestat was first mentioned in [[AD 727|727 AD]] but the town probably has an earlier Celtic or Roman origin.<ref name="Encyclo p. 6846" group="C">{{harvnb|Encyclopédie de l'Alsace|1985|p=6846}}.</ref> Archaeological findings provide evidence of human settlement during the [[Mesolithic]], the [[Neolithic]] and the [[Bronze Age]]. A large number of wood piles dating from the 1st and 2nd centuries AD were discovered around St. Quirin chapel, suggesting a Roman settlement. At that time Sélestat might have already been a port on the river Ill.<ref group="B">{{harvnb|Almira|Billoin|2000|p=23}}.</ref>

When Sélestat started to appear in written documents in the 8th century, it may have been a market town or simply a village populated by fishermen and farmers. The area was part of the estate of Eberhard, a member of the Alsatian ducal family, who donated it to [[Murbach Abbey]] at the end of his life.<ref name="Encyclo p. 6846" group="C"/> In 775, [[Charlemagne]] spent Christmas in Sélestat, which indicates that the town must have had enough appropriate buildings and population to accommodate his court and troops.<ref name="Encyclo p. 6846" group="C"/>

In the 1080s, Sélestat was the property of Hildegard von Eguisheim, mother of [[Frederick I, Duke of Swabia]], the first member of the [[House of Hohenstaufen]]. Hildegard transformed the place into a religious centre when she founded [[St. Faith's Church, Sélestat|St. Faith's Church]], which she gave to the [[Benedictines]] of [[Abbey Church of Saint Foy|Conques Abbey]]. Monks from Conques opened a priory next to the church in 1092.<ref name="Encyclo p. 6846" group="C"/> The [[House of Hohenstaufen]] quickly became the leading dynasty of the [[Holy Roman Empire]], which came to the imperial throne in 1152. Being under their protection, the priory of Sélestat strongly influenced local life. Even though Sélestat constituted a distinct parish, its priest had only limited power and the Benedictine prior was the true head of the municipality. At the end of the 12th century, the Hohenstaufen dynasty gradually lost power and as a result the priory started to decline.<ref name="Encyclo p. 6846" group="C"/> The citizens used this opportunity to reduce the prior's dominance<ref name="Encyclo p. 6847" group="C">{{harvnb|Encyclopédie de l'Alsace|1985|p=6847}}.</ref> and secure the power of their parish. They started to build a new parish church in the 1220s. [[St. George's Church, Sélestat|St. George's Church]] was designed in [[Gothic architecture|Gothic style]] and was significantly larger than St. Faith's Church, another way to signify the end of Benedictine hegemony.<ref name="Saint-Georges">{{Mérimée|IA00124588|Eglise paroissiale de la Vierge, de Saint-Georges}}.</ref>

=== Free imperial city ===
[[File:Wapen 1545 Schletstat (Schlettstadt, Sélestat).jpg|thumb|Engraving from ''Wapen des Heyligen Römischen Reichs Teutscher Nation'' (1545) with the coat of arms of Sélestat (at that time an eagle instead of a lion).]]
[[Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor|Frederick II]], ruler of the [[Holy Roman Empire]] in the 13th century, realised that his dynasty was losing its power and granted freedoms to many cities to keep their allegiance. These cities became [[Free imperial cities]] and Sélestat became one of them in 1217. Under the new status Sélestat was able to build [[city walls]] and collect taxes on its own. Its [[serf]]s and settlers were freed.<ref name="Encyclo p. 6847" group="C"/> [[King of Germany|The German monarch]] [[Adolf, King of the Romans|Adolf of Nassau]] granted Sélestat a constitution in 1292. It was amended many times but it regulated local politics until 1789.<ref name="Encyclo p. 6847" group="C"/> Although the new status favoured trade and prosperity, free cities in [[Alsace]] were afraid that they would not be defended by imperial forces if a conflict was to occur. So they decided to form an alliance called the [[Décapole|Decapolis]] in 1354, which comprised ten cities: ([[Haguenau]], Colmar, [[Wissembourg]], [[Turckheim]], [[Obernai]], [[Kaysersberg]], [[Rosheim]], [[Munster, Haut-Rhin|Munster]], Sélestat and Mulhouse). The seat of the alliance was in Haguenau but its archives were kept in Sélestat. Because the town was the most centrally located, it often hosted meetings of the association.<ref name="Encyclo p. 6848" group="C">{{harvnb|Encyclopédie de l'Alsace|1985|p=6848}}.</ref>

The [[Benedictine]] priory was closed in 1424 after many years of decline. It had long lost its power to the local nobility that were gradually replaced by the [[bourgeoisie]] in the mid-14th century.<ref name="Encyclo p. 6847" group="C"/> Nevertheless, Sélestat remained a religious centre even after the closing of the priory. Convents were established in the 13th century by [[Dominican Order|Dominicans]], [[Knights Hospitaller]] and [[Franciscans]]. Several abbeys located outside of the town also had a residence in town.<ref group="C" name="Encyclo p. 6847" /> At the beginning of the 16th century, Sélestat was a noted centre of [[Renaissance humanism]] thanks to its celebrated Latin school. Reformers [[Beatus Rhenanus]] and [[Martin Bucer]] were among the school's alumni.<ref name="Encyclo p. 6848" group="C"/> This school helped spread [[Protestant]] ideas among the population, although the local authorities remained faithful to [[Rome]].<ref name="Encyclo p. 6848" group="C"/> [[Erasmus of Rotterdam]] visited Sélestat four times between 1515 and 1522.<ref group="D">{{harvnb|Vogler|2009|p=194}}.</ref>

Being a free city, Sélestat attracted settlers from the region who sought protection, freedom and a thriving economic environment. The first city wall, which had become too constricting, was replaced in 1280, and a third wall had to be erected in the 16th century as the city grew.<ref name="Encyclo p. 6847" group="C"/> At the end of the [[Middle Ages]], the population was estimated at between 5,000 and 6,000.<ref name="Encyclo p. 6847" group="C"/> It was then the fourth largest Alsatian town after Strasbourg (18,000), Colmar and Haguenau (6,000 each).<ref name="Vogler p. 181" group="D">{{harvnb|Vogler|2009|p=181}}.</ref> The local economy reached its zenith around 1500.<ref name="Vogler p. 183" group="D">{{harvnb|Vogler|2009|p=183}}.</ref> It was centered on shipping and trade (mainly hay, cereals, wine, fish, glass, iron and salt). As the road network was poor and dangerous, goods transited via the [[Ill (France)|Ill]] river.<ref name="Encyclo p. 6847" group="C"/>

=== Decline ===
[[File:Abiit quo nobile seclum ? Schletstat in Elsass.jpg|thumb|"Are illustrious times gone?", early 17th-century engraving symbolising Sélestat with broken [[Tables of the Law]] and columns in the foreground.]]
The decline of the town started in the 1520s, when the humanist school lost its former influence. The troubles surrounding the [[Protestant Reformation]] brought instability and unrest to the region. The town experienced the [[German Peasants' War]] in 1525 and its convents were sacked by a mob in 1534.<ref name="Encyclo p. 6849" group="C">{{harvnb|Encyclopédie de l'Alsace|1985|p=6849}}.</ref> During the same period Sélestat lost its pre-eminence in the Decapolis because the city of Mulhouse left the alliance in 1515 and was replaced by [[Landau]] in 1521, moving the geographical centre of the alliance to the north.<ref group="D">{{harvnb|Vogler|2009|p=195}}.</ref>

During the 17th century, Alsace was one of the main battlefields of the [[Thirty Years War]]. Sélestat was seized by the Swedes in 1632 after a month-long siege. They surrendered the town to their French allies two years later. The local population long remained predominantly faithful to the [[House of Habsburg]].<ref name="Encyclo p. 6849" group="C"/> The [[Peace of Westphalia]] (1648) formalised the annexation of the Decapolis by France.<ref name="Encyclo p. 6850" group="C">{{harvnb|Encyclopédie de l'Alsace|1985|p=6850}}.</ref> Sélestat was briefly occupied by the Germans during the [[Franco-Dutch War]] in 1674.<ref group="D">{{harvnb|Vogler|2009|p=205}}.</ref> The [[Treaties of Nijmegen]] (1679) that ended the war also abolished the Decapolis.<ref name="Encyclo p. 6850" group="C"/>

At first, Sélestat was a major strategic stronghold for the French. Located near the [[Rhine]], it controlled the access to the Vosges mountains and the rest of France. [[Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban|Vauban]], the foremost military architect at that time, rebuilt the town walls between 1675 and 1691. However, after the conquest of Strasbourg in 1681 Sélestat lost much of its strategic importance, as Strasbourg was better located. But it remained a garrison town, and the troops stationed there helped to improve the faltering local economy.<ref name="Encyclo p. 6850" group="C"/> Although Protestantism was not forbidden in [[Alsace]], French authorities largely encouraged Catholicism and opened three new convents in Sélestat.<ref name="Vogler p. 198" group="D">{{harvnb|Vogler|2009|p=198}}.</ref> Jews were expelled from the town in 1642.<ref name="Presse">{{Cite web|url=http://www.wpr.fr/medias/fichiers/Dossier_Presse_exposition_a_la_Bibliotheque_humaniste_Selestat.pdf|title=Dossier de presse, 7 siècles de vie juive à Sélestat : traces et mémoire|publisher=Bibliothèque humaniste|year=2007|access-date=22 May 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111017065257/http://www.wpr.fr/medias/fichiers/Dossier_Presse_exposition_a_la_Bibliotheque_humaniste_Selestat.pdf|archive-date=17 October 2011}}.</ref> During the [[French Revolution]] the population was extremely conservative and opposed to change.<ref name="Encyclo p. 6851" group="C">{{harvnb|Encyclopédie de l'Alsace|1985|p=6851}}.</ref> The new territorial organisation confirmed the decline of the town, which did not become a [[prefectures in France|prefecture]] and was not distinguished as a [[subprefectures in France|subprefecture]] until 1806, when it replaced [[Barr, Bas-Rhin|Barr]] in that capacity.<ref group="D">{{harvnb|Vogler|2009|p=207}}.</ref> Sélestat suffered from the [[Napoleonic Wars]] as it was besieged and bombed by the [[Bavaria]]ns in 1814 and blockaded by a German coalition in 1815.<ref group="B">{{harvnb|Almira|Billoin|2000|p=63}}.</ref>

=== Since 1815 ===
[[File:Station du chemin de fer à Schlestadt.jpg|thumb|The train station in 1842, soon after its opening.]]
Industry appeared very early in Sélestat. The town had already several factories at the beginning of the 19th century: a tilery, a sawmill, 12 tanneries and 11 mills. Sélestat quickly became specialised in wire gauze making<ref name="Encyclo p. 6851" group="C"/> but it never became a large industrial centre, remaining a small town with limited influence.<ref group="D">{{harvnb|Vogler|2009|p=209}}.</ref> The completion of the [[Strasbourg]]-[[Basel]] railway (1840), one of the first to be built in France, did not lead to significant urban development.<ref name="Encyclo p. 6851" group="C"/> The town walls that still encircled the town were a significant factor in its economic and demographic stagnation.<ref name="Encyclo p. 6851" group="C"/> After the [[Franco-Prussian War]] of 1870, [[Alsace]] and a [[Moselle (departement)|part of Lorraine]] were annexed by the new [[German Empire]]. The German authorities demolished the city walls in 1874 and built new spacious neighbourhoods around the old town, as they did in [[Strasbourg]] and [[Metz]].<ref name="Encyclo p. 6852" group="C">{{harvnb|Encyclopédie de l'Alsace|1985|p=6852}}.</ref>

Sélestat became French again after the [[First World War]], during which almost a thousand inhabitants died. Following the [[Battle of France]] of the [[Second World War]], it was annexed by [[Nazi Germany]]. Its liberation took three months and ended in February 1945. The town is a recipient of the ''Croix de guerre'' of [[Croix de guerre 1914–1918 (France)|1914–1918]] and [[Croix de guerre 1939–1945 (France)|1939–1945]].<ref name="Sélestat p. 67" group="B">{{harvnb|Almira|Billoin|2000|p=67}}.</ref><ref name="Encyclo p. 6852" group="C"/> Sélestat has experienced steady demographic and economic growth since 1945. Its population almost doubled between 1946 and 1999 and two industrial parks were built to accommodate new large factories. The service industry has enriched the town's economy since the 1970s with a large number of small businesses.<ref name="Sélestat p. 69" group="B">{{harvnb|Almira|Billoin|2000|p=69}}.</ref>

South of the town, at {{coord|48|15|4|N|7|25|28|E|type:landmark_region:FR}}, a large [[Transmitter station|broadcasting facility]] was used for transmitting on 1161&nbsp;kHz and 1278&nbsp;kHz in the medium-wave range.<ref>{{cite web|title=Sélestat Mediumwave Transmitter|url=http://www.emporis.com/buildings/1227502/selestat-mediumwave-transmitter-large-masts-selestat-france|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160811224723/http://www.emporis.com/buildings/1227502/selestat-mediumwave-transmitter-large-masts-selestat-france|url-status=usurped|archive-date=August 11, 2016|website=Emporis|access-date=31 July 2015}}</ref> It was opened in 1948<ref>{{cite web|title=Sur les bonnes ondes durant 57 ans|url=http://www.dna.fr/edition-de-selestat-centre-alsace/2016/03/16/sur-les-bonnes-ondes-durant-57-ans|website=[[Les Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace]]|publisher=dna.fr|access-date=26 June 2016}}</ref> and ceased to emit on 1 January 2016.<ref>{{cite web|title=Strasbourg – Sélestat (67)|url=http://tvignaud.pagesperso-orange.fr/galerie/am/67selestat.htm|publisher=tvignaud.pagesperso-orange.fr|access-date=26 June 2016}}</ref>

== Governance ==
[[File:Sélestat HôtelVille a2.JPG|thumb|The town hall.]]
Sélestat is one of the six [[subprefectures in France|subprefectures]] of the [[Bas-Rhin]] [[departements of France|departement]]. As such it is at the head of the Sélestat-[[Erstein]] [[arrondissements of France|arrondissement]]. Sélestat is also the administrative centre of a [[cantons of France|canton]] including 28 other [[communes of France|communes]] which primarily serve as a constituency for local elections.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000028637478|title=Décret n° 2014-185 du 18 février 2014 portant délimitation des cantons dans le département du Bas-Rhin|publisher=[[Légifrance]]|access-date=30 April 2014}}.</ref> Sélestat is part of the 5th Bas-Rhin constituency for national elections. Since 2002, the Member of the [[National Assembly (France)|National Assembly]] for the constituency has been the [[The Republicans (France)|Republican]] [[Antoine Herth]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.interieur.gouv.fr/Elections/Les-resultats/Legislatives/elecresult__LG2012/%28path%29/LG2012/067/06705462.html|publisher=French Ministry of the Interior|title=Élections législatives de 2012 à Sélestat|access-date=30 April 2014}}.</ref>

Sélestat is a member of a [[communauté de communes|federation of communes]] with shared competencies: the Communauté de communes de Sélestat. Sélestat is its main town, and it includes 11 neighbouring villages. It was created in 1995 to replace an older but similar structure founded in 1969.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cc-selestat.fr/communaute/historique.html|title=Historique|publisher=Communauté de communes de Sélestat|access-date=30 April 2014}}.</ref> Sélestat is also the seat of the Central Alsace ''[[pays (France)|pays]]'', a structure aiming at developing the area.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.pays-alsace-centrale.com/connaitre/presentation_pays.htm|title=Présentation de l'Alsace Centrale|publisher=Alsace centrale|access-date=7 May 2014|archive-date=7 May 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140507030343/http://www.pays-alsace-centrale.com/connaitre/presentation_pays.htm|url-status=dead}}.</ref>

The town has had a council since 1292, when it was granted a constitution under the [[Holy Roman Empire]]. The constitution shaped the local political system until the [[French Revolution]] of 1789. Since then, the town has been administered as all the other [[communes of France]]. Its council currently comprises 33 councillors, whose number is defined by law according to the size of the population. The town also has a mayor elected by the councillors.<ref>Art L. 2121-2 du code général des collectivités territoriales.</ref>

[[Alsace]] in general is a stronghold of the French right.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Descamps|first1=Élise|title=En votant à droite, l'Alsace cultive sa singularité politique|newspaper=La Croix |date=22 March 2010 |url=http://www.la-croix.com/France/En-votant-a-droite-l-Alsace-cultive-sa-singularite-politique-2010-03-22-602610|publisher=la-croix.com|access-date=8 June 2016}}</ref> The main French right-wing party, [[The Republicans (France)|The Republicans]], currently holds a large majority in the council (26 councillors). Marcel Bauer, who has been mayor since 2001, is also a member of that party. Voters in Sélestat generally favour right-wing candidates at other elections as well, although Sélestat was governed by the [[Socialist Party (France)|Socialist Party]] between 1989 and 2001.<ref>{{cite web|title=Décès de Pierre Giersch, ancien maire de Sélestat (1996 à 2001)|url=http://france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr/alsace/deces-de-pierre-giersch-ancien-maire-de-selestat-1996-2001-1012883.html|website=France 3 Alsace|date=2 June 2016 |publisher=france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr|access-date=8 June 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Mort de Gilbert Estève, maire socialiste de Sélestat|url=http://www.liberation.fr/france-archive/1996/06/24/mort-de-gilbert-esteve-maire-socialiste-de-selestat_173548|publisher=liberation.fr|access-date=8 June 2016}}</ref>

== Geography ==
[[File:Panorama Sélestat 2.JPG|thumb|Sélestat and its bell towers with the Vosges mountains in the background.]]
Sélestat is located at the very centre of [[Alsace]], near the limit separating the [[Bas-Rhin]] and [[Haut-Rhin]] departments, which traditionally correspond to Lower and Upper Alsace, respectively. The town is located between [[Strasbourg]] and [[Mulhouse]], the first being {{convert|42|km|mi|0}} north and the latter {{convert|57|km|mi|0}} south of the city. Sélestat is also located between [[Obernai]] ({{convert|22|km|mi|0}}) and [[Colmar]] ({{convert|21|km|mi|0}}). On the other side of the [[Rhine]], [[Freiburg im Breisgau]] is around {{convert|40|km|mi|0}} distant.

Sélestat lies on the Alsace plains, a narrow, very fertile area that stretches between the [[Rhine]] and the [[Vosges mountains]]. The [[Ill (France)|Ill]] flows parallel to the Rhine and crosses Sélestat. This river frequently branches and swells, making the area very wet and subject to flooding. Sélestat is only {{convert|4|km|mi|0}} from the Vosges,<ref group="A" name="Dorlan p. XIV">{{harvnb|Dorlan|2002|p=XIV}}.</ref> at the opening of one of the rare valleys crossing the mountain range and providing a connection to the rest of France.<ref name="Encyclo p. 6828" group="C">{{harvnb|Encyclopédie de l'Alsace|1985|p=6828}}.</ref> This valley corresponds to the course of the Giessen, a {{convert|35|km|mi|0}} long tributary of the Ill. In contrast to the Ill, which has a constant annual flow, the Giessen is a [[mountain river]] subject to sudden increases in the water level, especially during the spring thaw period. The Giessen passes north of the town and meets the Ill several kilometers to the east, in [[Ebersmunster]].<ref name="Giessen">{{Cite web|url=http://www.bas-rhin.fr/eCommunityDocuments/E34C4D98-631D-459B-AA4E-61C91D2F7BA0/2029/document_conseil-general-bas-rhin-bv-giessen-liepvrette.pdf|title=Le bassin versant du Giessen et de la Lièpvrette|publisher=Conseil général du Bas-Rhin|access-date=28 April 2014|archive-date=20 May 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140520042047/http://www.bas-rhin.fr/eCommunityDocuments/E34C4D98-631D-459B-AA4E-61C91D2F7BA0/2029/document_conseil-general-bas-rhin-bv-giessen-liepvrette.pdf|url-status=dead}}.</ref>

The town itself is built on the Giessen [[alluvial fan]] so it is slightly higher than the rest of the Alsace plains. Much of its territory is however located on areas liable to flooding. Such areas are mostly located inside the Illwald natural reserve and comprise both forests and meadows. There the Ill forms more than {{convert|150|km|mi|0}} of waterways.<ref name="Réseau hydrographique" group="E">{{Cite web|url=http://www.selestat.fr/spip_illwald/rubrique.php?id_rubrique=294|title=La gestion du réseau hydrographique|access-date=28 April 2014}}.</ref>

<gallery mode="packed">
File:Quai de l'Ill, Sélestat.JPG|The Ill in Sélestat.
File:Oberriedgraben.JPG|The Oberriedgraben in the Illwald.
File:Schiffwasser, Sélestat.JPG|The Schiffwasser in the Illwald.
File:Giessen, Sélestat.JPG|The Giessen.
</gallery>

== Transport ==
[[File:Gare SNCF de Sélestat juillet 2013-5.jpg|thumb|Sélestat train station.]]
[[File:Bus TIS Sélestat.JPG|thumb|A TIS bus in Sélestat.]]
Despite its small size, Sélestat is well connected to transport networks. Alsace as a whole, being part of the [[Blue Banana|economic heart of Europe]], has a high road and railway density.

The town is served by the [[A35 autoroute]], a motorway that crosses [[Alsace]] north to south, connecting Strasbourg, Colmar and Mulhouse.<ref>{{cite web|title=Par la route|url=http://www.selestat-haut-koenigsbourg.com/infos-pratiques-alsace/venir-par-la-route.htm|publisher=selestat-haut-koenigsbourg.com|access-date=8 June 2016}}</ref> Further south it connects to the [[A3 motorway (Switzerland)|Swiss A3 motorway]], and further north to the [[Bundesstraße 9|German B9 highway]]. Taken together, these three roads connect the Netherlands to Austria. Sélestat is also located at one of the seven crossings of the Vosges mountains, connecting [[Lorraine (region)|Lorraine]] to Alsace and Germany.

[[Sélestat station|Sélestat train station]] was opened in 1840, which makes it one of the oldest in France. It lies on the [[Strasbourg–Basel railway]], which also serves Colmar, Mulhouse and [[Saint-Louis, Haut-Rhin|Saint-Louis]].<ref group="A">{{harvnb|Dorlan|2002|p=514}}.</ref> Sélestat is at the terminus of two local railways that are partly closed: Sélestat-[[Lesseux]], now ending in [[Lièpvre]], and Sélestat-[[Saverne]], now ending in [[Molsheim]]. The former railway runs towards the west through the [[Vosges]], while the latter runs towards the northwest. A third local line, Sélestat-[[Sundhouse]], closed in 1953.<ref>{{Mérimée|IA67010632|Gare à Sundhouse}}.</ref> Although one of the oldest in France, the Strasbourg-Basel railway allows high speed travel of ({{convert|200|km/h|mph}}) because it is very rectilinear and crosses a very flat landscape. Sélestat is served by all [[Transport express régional|regional trains]] between Strasbourg and [[Basel]] (one train in each direction every hour on weekdays).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://telechargement.ter-sncf.com/Images/Alsace/Tridion/01_Strasbourg_Mulhouse_B%C3%A2le_modifi%C3%A9e_le_20.02_tcm-10-74795.pdf|title=Strasbourg Mulhouse Bâle|publisher=TER Alsace|access-date=29 April 2014}}.</ref> Local trains also run between Sélestat and [[Molsheim]], Sélestat and [[Strasbourg]] and Sélestat and [[Barr, Bas-Rhin|Barr]].<ref name="Strasbourg">{{Cite web|url=http://telechargement.ter-sncf.com/Images/Alsace/Tridion/02_A__Strasbourg_S%C3%A9lestat_Colmar_tcm-10-74796.pdf|title=Strasbourg Sélestat Colmar|publisher=TER Alsace|access-date=29 April 2014}}.</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://telechargement.ter-sncf.com/Images/Alsace/Tridion/07_Strasbourg_Molsheim_S%C3%A9lestat_j_2206_tcm-10-29505.pdf|title=Strasbourg Obernai Sélestat|publisher=TER Alsace|access-date=29 April 2014}}.</ref> Sélestat is served by a Paris-Colmar [[TGV]] every day in each direction, by Strasbourg-[[Nice]] and Strasbourg-[[Cerbère]] [[Intercités]] in the summer, and by [[EuroCity]] trains connecting [[Zürich]] to [[Brussels]] and [[Basel]] to [[Luxembourg City|Luxembourg]].

[[SNCF]] and the [[Bas-Rhin]] council operate coach lines between Sélestat and [[Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines]], [[Saint-Dié-des-Vosges]], [[Ribeauvillé]], [[Marckolsheim]], [[Sundhouse]] and [[Villé]]. The council also arranges for seasonal connections with [[Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg|Haut-Kœnigsbourg castle]] and [[Europa Park]].<ref name="Strasbourg"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://telechargement.ter-sncf.com/Images/Alsace/Tridion/21_Ste-Marie-aux-Mines_St-Di%C3%A9_rectifi%C3%A9_1402_tcm-10-55443.pdf|title=Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines Saint-Dié-des-Vosges|publisher=TER Alsace|access-date=29 April 2014}}.</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bas-rhin.fr/eCommunityDocuments/E34C4D98-631D-459B-AA4E-61C91D2F7BA0/2724/document_conseil-general-bas-rhin-reseau67-plan-alsacecentrale-0114.pdf|title=Plan Alsace centrale|publisher=Conseil général du Bas-Rhin|access-date=29 April 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140520040859/http://www.bas-rhin.fr/eCommunityDocuments/E34C4D98-631D-459B-AA4E-61C91D2F7BA0/2724/document_conseil-general-bas-rhin-reseau67-plan-alsacecentrale-0114.pdf|archive-date=20 May 2014}}.</ref>

Sélestat and its [[communauté de communes]] have their own local bus network, the "Transport intercommunal de Sélestat" (TIS).<ref>{{cite web|title=Transport intercommunal de Sélestat|url=http://www.tis-selestat.com/|website=TIS – Transport intercommunal de Sélestat|publisher=tis-selestat.com|access-date=8 June 2016}}</ref> It comprises two lines, one connecting [[Châtenois, Bas-Rhin|Châtenois]] to [[Ebersheim, Bas-Rhin|Ebersheim]], and the other [[Scherwiller]] to [[Muttersholtz]]. These two lines make several stops in Sélestat proper, which is at the centre of the network.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.tis-selestat.com/k/fichiers/172.pdf|title=Plan du réseau|publisher=Transport urbain intercommunal|access-date=29 April 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140520055316/http://www.tis-selestat.com/k/fichiers/172.pdf|archive-date=20 May 2014}}.</ref>

== Demography ==
{{Historical populations
|title       = Historical population
|type        = France
|cols        = 3
|align       = none
|graph-pos = bottom
|footnote    = Sources: ''Base Cassini'' from EHESS for figures until 1962,<ref name="fcass">{{Cassini-Ehess|35751|Sélestat}}</ref> and INSEE for figures since 1968<ref>[https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/4515315?geo=COM-67462#ancre-POP_T1 Population en historique depuis 1968], INSEE, retrieved 22 July 2022</ref>
|1793 |6907
|1800 |7464
|1806 |8068
|1821 |9070
|1831 |9646
|1836 |9700
|1841 |8634
|1846 |9844
|1851 |10365
|1856 |9950
|1861 |10184
|1866 |10040
|1871 |9307
|1875 |9088
|1880 |8979
|1885 |9172
|1890 |9418
|1895 |9304
|1900 |9336
|1905 |9699
|1910 |10604
|1921 |9943
|1926 |10165
|1931 |10959
|1936 |11363
|1946 |10722
|1954 |11705
|1962 |13818
|1968 |14635
|1975 |15248
|1982 |15112
|1990 |15538
|1999 |17179
|2007 |19303
|2012 |19397
|2017 |19252
}}
{{As of|2019}}, Sélestat had 19,242 inhabitants.<ref name=pop2019>[https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/fichier/6011070/ensemble.pdf Téléchargement du fichier d'ensemble des populations légales en 2019], [[Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques|INSEE]]</ref> It is the 8th most populated [[commune (France)|commune]] in Alsace, having reached its maximum population in 2006, with 19,459 inhabitants. The oldest preserved [[Civil registry|birth registries]] of the town's Catholic parish go back to the year 1608; the oldest [[vital record]]s (''état civil'') go back to the year 1793.<ref>{{cite web|title=Registres paroissiaux et documents d'état civil de Sélestat|url=http://archives.bas-rhin.fr/registres-paroissiaux-et-documents-d-etat-civil/ETAT-CIVIL-C458|website=Archives départementales du Bas-Rhin|publisher=archives.bas-rhin.fr|access-date=8 June 2016}}</ref>

Sélestat was one of the largest towns in the region from the [[Middle Ages]] until the beginning of the 19th century. In 1801, it was still the third most populous in Alsace behind Strasbourg and Colmar. It then had 7,375 inhabitants, a slightly higher figure than for Mulhouse (7,197) and Haguenau (7,009). Through the 19th century, Sélestat did not take advantage of industrialisation and [[rural exodus]] because its city wall and military function prevented urban growth. It reached its overpopulation threshold around 1830, with around 10,000 inhabitants living on only {{convert|32|ha|acre|0}}.<ref name="Encyclo p. 6829" group="C">{{harvnb|Encyclopédie de l'Alsace|1985|p=6829}}.</ref><ref group="B" name="Sélestat p. 67" /> Only after the [[Second World War]] did Sélestat experience significant demographic growth, almost doubling its population in 50 years. However, this growth was not strong enough for Sélestat to recover its previous rank.<ref name="Encyclo p. 6829" group="C"/>

The demographic growth that occurred in Sélestat after 1945 was primarily due to a relatively high birth rate<ref name="Encyclo p. 6829" group="C"/> (20.1‰ in Sélestat over the period 1968–1975, compared to 16.9‰ in France). After 1975, this rate progressively declined to match the national figure. Net migration figures remained slightly negative until 1990<ref name=complet>[https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/2011101?geo=COM-67462 Dossier complet, Commune de Sélestat (67462)], INSEE</ref> because Sélestat and Central Alsace were on the margins of the metropolitan areas of [[Strasbourg]] and [[Colmar]] and lacked attractivity. Since 1990, the Strasbourg area greatly expanded to gradually reach Sélestat. The town has thus become more attractive to newcomers.<ref name="Scot"/>

The population of Sélestat is relatively young, 36.2% of the population were under 30 in 2017 (France: 35.7%) and the percentage of people over 60 years old (23.6%) was lower than the national (25.5%) figure.<ref name=complet/> Sélestat has a significant proportion of people between 15 and 44 (39.7%, compared to 36.4% for all of France) because it attracts a large number of young actives and couples starting a family. As other towns in the region, such as [[Saverne]], [[Haguenau]] and [[Molsheim]], it welcomes young adults and encourages them to settle in the surrounding villages.<ref name="Scot">{{Cite web|url=http://www.alsace.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/Rapport_Etalement_scot_selestat_avr10_decembre_v_allege_cle23fc9b.pdf|title=30 ans d'urbanisation en Alsace, Zoom sur le territoire du Scot de Sélestat et sa région|publisher=Direction régionale de l'environnement, de l'aménagement et du logement|access-date=29 April 2014}}.</ref>

== Economy ==
[[File:Sélestat plVictoire a.JPG|thumb|Small shops in the old town.]]
At the end of 2015, Sélestat had 2,142 businesses, most of them (1,441) in the tertiary sector. A large share were small businesses; only 9% had more than 10 employees.<ref name=complet/> Sélestat is a retail and services centre for the whole Central Alsace, with a large shopping park and administrative and educational institutions.<ref group="C">{{harvnb|Encyclopédie de l'Alsace|1985|p=6830}}.</ref> Industry is nonetheless represented by some large firms, such as the ''Société alsacienne de meubles'', which builds kitchens and bathrooms under a Schmidt and Cuisinella franchise, Amcor (aluminium packaging), Daramic (battery separators), Albany (gauzes for the printing industry), Wanzl (warehouse material), and DHJ (textiles).<ref name="Éco" group="E">{{Cite web|url=http://www.selestat.fr/spip_entreprises/rubrique.php?id_rubrique=509|title=L'activité économique|access-date=8 May 2014}}.</ref>

Most of the large factories are in an industrial estate located south of the town centre. Created in the 1930s, it covers a site of {{convert|67|ha|acre|0}}.<ref name="Encyclo p. 6839" group="C">{{harvnb|Encyclopédie de l'Alsace|1985|p=6839}}.</ref><ref name="Zones" group="E">{{Cite web|url=http://www.selestat.fr/spip_entreprises/rubrique.php?id_rubrique=514|title=Zones d'activités|access-date=13 May 2014}}.</ref> The newer commercial estate north of the town was developed in the 1970s and is dedicated to retail and cottage industry. It covers {{convert|134|ha|acre|0}}.<ref name="Sélestat p. 69" group="B">{{harvnb|Almira|Billoin|2000|p=69}}.</ref><ref name="Zones" group="E"/> The town centre is also an important shopping area with more than 200 businesses.<ref group="E">{{Cite web|url=http://www.selestat.fr/spip_entreprises/rubrique.php?id_rubrique=515|title=Centre ville|access-date=8 May 2014}}.</ref>

== Sights and culture ==
In terms of architecture the city has the third largest cultural heritage after Strasbourg and Colmar.<ref>{{Mérimée|IA00124585|Ville}}.</ref> Sélestat has 35 [[Monument historique|listed buildings]] and 119 additional sites that are indexed in the French list of cultural heritage monuments.<ref>{{Search Mérimée|67462}}</ref>

=== Museums ===
[[File:Bibliothèque humaniste de Sélestat 21 janvier 2014-99.jpg|thumb|The [[Humanist Library of Sélestat]].]]
The [[Humanist Library of Sélestat|Humanist Library]] displays one of the oldest and most homogeneous collections of medieval manuscripts and Renaissance books in Europe. Its core is the still almost intact library of [[Beatus Rhenanus]], which was bequeathed to the city and has been maintained by it ever since. The institution also holds the books that belonged to the Latin school of Sélestat, at which Rhenanus and many other reformers were educated around 1500. In 2011, the library was inscribed by [[UNESCO]] in its [[Memory of the World Register – Europe and North America|Memory of the World international register]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Beatus Rhenanus Library|url=https://www.unesco.org/en/memory-world/beatus-rhenanus-library|publisher=UNESCO Memory of the World Programme|access-date=2025-04-22}}</ref>

The library is open to both researchers and tourists, with an exhibition displaying some of its most noteworthy items: an 8th-century [[lectionary]], the first books printed in [[Alsace]], a copy of the ''[[Cosmographiae Introductio]]'' where the oldest mention of America can be found, and a 1521 document which contains the oldest record of a [[Christmas tree]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.musees-alsace.org/les-musees/musee/?ref=269000055_bibliotheque-humaniste|title=Bibliothèque Humaniste|publisher=Musées d'Alsace|access-date=31 May 2014}}.</ref>

Sélestat also has a museum dedicated to bread and baking<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.musees-alsace.org/les-musees/musee/?ref=269000100_maison-du-pain-d-alsace|title=Maison du Pain d'Alsace|publisher=Musées d'Alsace|access-date=31 May 2014|archive-date=2 June 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140602200627/http://www.musees-alsace.org/les-musees/musee/?ref=269000100_maison-du-pain-d-alsace|url-status=dead}}.</ref> and it is the seat of the FRAC d'Alsace, a regional institution whose aim is to collect contemporary works of art (see below, [[#Cultural institutions and events|Cultural institutions and events]]). These works are regularly part of temporary exhibits in Sélestat and other places in Alsace. FRAC possesses works by [[Aurélie Nemours]], [[Olivier Debré]], [[Mario Merz]] and [[Panamarenko]], among other artists.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.culture-alsace.org/art-contemporain/oeuvres-circulation/la-collection.html|title=La collection du Frac Alsace|publisher=Agence culturelle d'Alsace|access-date=31 May 2014|archive-date=5 June 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140605051301/http://www.culture-alsace.org/art-contemporain/oeuvres-circulation/la-collection.html|url-status=dead}}.</ref>

=== Religious architecture ===
[[File:Eglise Sainte-Foy Selestat.jpg|thumb|St Faith's Church.]]
Sélestat has two large and remarkable churches from the [[Middle Ages]]. [[St. Faith's Church, Sélestat|St. Faith's Church]] is the oldest and a prime example of [[Romanesque architecture]]. Its design is related to similar buildings both in the [[Rhine]] region and in [[Lorraine (region)|Lorraine]]. It was built during the second half of the 12th century to replace an earlier building.<ref name="Encyclo p. 6845" group="C">{{harvnb|Encyclopédie de l'Alsace|1985|p=6845}}.</ref> The church was renovated in the 19th century and a medieval [[death mask]] was found during this work. It is often attributed to Hildegard of Eguisheim, founder of the church, and is now displayed in a crypt.<ref group="B">{{harvnb|Almira|Billoin|2000|p=91}}.</ref>

[[St. George's Church, Sélestat|St. George's Church]] has always served as the main parish church. It is often referred to as "the cathedral" because of its size, but it has never been the seat of a [[diocese]]. Its construction started soon after 1200 and was completed at the beginning of the 15th century. Its design is pure [[Gothic architecture|Gothic]], save for a Romanesque [[Portal (architecture)|side portal]]. The choir, the last part to be completed, is the most remarkable element. It is illuminated by 288 [[stained glass]] panels, of which 55 date from the 15th century.<ref group="B">{{harvnb|Almira|Billoin|2000|p=81}}.</ref>

Most of the convents of the town have disappeared; the [[Dominican Order|Dominican]] convent is the only one to have retained much of its original appearance. It was built in the 13th century and still has its church and cloister.<ref name="Sélestat p. 92" group="B">{{harvnb|Almira|Billoin|2000|p=92}}.</ref><ref name="Encyclo p. 6843" group="C">{{harvnb|Encyclopédie de l'Alsace|1985|p=6843}}.</ref> The [[Franciscan]] convent was completely destroyed, apart from the choir of its church, which now serves as a Protestant church.<ref name="Sélestat p. 100" group="B">{{harvnb|Almira|Billoin|2000|p=100}}.</ref> Sélestat also has an old granary that belonged to the [[Benedictine]] priory,<ref name="Sélestat p. 92" group="B"/> and a 16th-century commandery built by the [[Knights Hospitaller]].<ref group="B">{{harvnb|Almira|Billoin|2000|p=84}}.</ref>

The synagogue was built in 1890. Its architecture is typical of the region, with a square shape and discreet neo-romanesque ornaments. Its [[cupola]] was destroyed in 1940 by the Nazis and never rebuilt.<ref name="Sélestat p. 100" group="B"/> The Jewish cemetery, located outside the old town, was opened in 1622. It has several 18th century gravestones showing a Christian artistic influence.<ref group="B">{{harvnb|Almira|Billoin|2000|p=112}}.</ref>

<gallery mode="packed">
File:Inconnue de Sélestat.JPG|The death mask in St. Faith's.
File:Saint George's Church of Sélestat.jpg|St. George's Church.
File:Sélestat StGeorges182.JPG|Stained-glass windows in St. George's.
File:Sélestat EgliseProt 05.JPG|The Protestant church.
File:Synagogue de Sélestat.JPG|The synagogue.
</gallery>

=== Civil and military architecture ===
[[File:Sélestat rChevaliers 07.JPG|thumb|Rue des Chevaliers.]]
The old town comprises a large number of medieval and Renaissance buildings. The ''quai des Tanneurs'' ("[[Tanning (leather)|tanners]]' quay") is one of the most picturesque streets in Alsace. A stream used to flow in the middle of the street until the beginning of the 20th century, the relic of a former noxious-smelling trade, since [[Tanning (leather)|tanning]] required large amounts of flowing water for treating and washing animal skins. Most of the old tanner houses date back to the [[Middle Ages]] and have a tall attic to provide a ventilated space for drying leather.<ref group="B">{{harvnb|Almira|Billoin|2000|p=93}}.</ref> In the neighbouring streets, ''rue des Oies'' ("[[Goose|geese]] street") and ''rue des Veaux'' ("[[Calf (animal)|calf]] street"), many houses were covered with a coat of plaster in the 19th century to hide the timbering, which was considered too rustic.<ref name="Almira p. 95" group="B"/>

Several [[hôtel particulier|hôtels particuliers]] (large townhouses) date from the [[Renaissance]]. Most of them have [[oriel window]]s that are characteristic of German Renaissance architecture. The grandest of these hôtels belonged to the [[Ebersmunster]] abbey and it has a large three-story granary. The Ziegler house has a beautiful oriel that shows the interest of the elite of that time in [[Antiquities|Antiquity]]. The oriel partly reflects [[De architectura|Vitruvius]]'s architectural legacy and displays the portraits of four key figures of Antiquity. [[Baroque architecture]] is visible on some later hôtels dating from the 17th and 18th century. French classical architecture and its main feature, the [[mansard roof]], were largely employed in the 18th century. To reduce costs, buildings were still built with timber framing, but as this technique was considered too Germanic and rustic, they were often covered with a rendering imitating stone.<ref group="B">{{harvnb|Almira|Billoin|2000|p=103}}.</ref>

[[File:Sélestat quTanneurs a.JPG|thumb|left|Quai des Tanneurs.]]
The German period (1871–1918) left some examples of [[Wilhelminism]] in the city's architecture. This prestige-oriented style is a [[Historicism (art)|mixture of various earlier styles]], including Romanesque, Gothic and neoclassical. Noteworthy are the post office (1884),<ref name="Almira p. 107" group="B">{{harvnb|Almira|Billoin|2000|p=107}}.</ref> the courthouse (1900),<ref name="Sélestat p. 111" group="B">{{harvnb|Almira|Billoin|2000|p=111}}.</ref> the lycée Koeberlé (1913)<ref name="Almira p. 86" group="B">{{harvnb|Almira|Billoin|2000|p=86}}.</ref> and the water tower (1906). The latter (height: {{Convert|50|m|abbr=on}}) was largely inspired by the water tower in [[Deventer]], Netherlands.<ref>{{cite web|title=Château d'eau|url=http://www.selestat.fr/les-atouts-de-selestat/un-patrimoine-bati-exceptionnel/chateau-d-eau.html|publisher=selestat.fr|access-date=9 June 2016}}</ref>

The medieval city walls, built in several stages between the 13th and the 16th century, were torn down after the French annexation in the 17th century. However, four towers escaped destruction. The ''Tour des Sorcières'' ("witches' tower"), which served as a gate and a jail, is the tallest.<ref group="B">{{harvnb|Almira|Billoin|2000|p=96}}.</ref> The ''Tour de l'Horloge'' ("clock tower") was also originally part of a gate. The clock and the elaborate roof were added in 1614.<ref name="Sélestat p. 99" group="B">{{harvnb|Almira|Billoin|2000|p=99}}.</ref> Two much smaller towers can also be seen, one near the Ill river and another integrated into a later house.<ref name="Sélestat p. 99" group="B"/> All these remains date from the 13th century.<ref name="Sélestat p. 98" group="B">{{harvnb|Almira|Billoin|2000|p=98}}.</ref>

New walls were built by [[Jacques Tarade|Tarade]] and [[Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban|Vauban]] in the 17th century. They were in their turn destroyed in 1874. Only small portions survive: two [[bastion]]s and the ''Porte de Strasbourg'' ("Strasbourg gate"), a good example of French architecture under [[Louis XIV]].<ref name="Sélestat p. 98" group="B"/><ref name="Sélestat p. 87" group="B">{{harvnb|Almira|Billoin|2000|p=87}}.</ref> Sélestat still has two old arsenals, Sainte-Barbe on the main square (1470) and Saint-Hilaire (1518).<ref name="Almira p. 95" group="B">{{harvnb|Almira|Billoin|2000|p=95}}.</ref> The first, with a large crenelated gable, is a fine example of Gothic architecture.<ref name="Sélestat p. 100" group="B"/>

<gallery mode="packed">
File:Sélestat rDoctKoeberlé d.JPG|Rue Koeberlé.
File:Sélestat Praelatenhof a4.JPG|Hôtel d'Ebersmunster.
File:Place du Marché aux Pots, Sélestat.JPG|One of the many squares.
File:Sélestat ChâteauEau a.JPG|The water tower.
File:Tour des Sorcières, Sélestat.JPG|Tour des Sorcières.
File:Sélestat ArsenalSteBarbe b.JPG|Arsenal Ste Barbe.
</gallery>

=== Municipal archive ===
The municipal archive (''archives municipales'') of Sélestat owns and exhibits numerous ancient documents, among which [[royal charter]]s dating back to the 13th century and, most famously, the register dated from 1521 containing the first written mention of the [[Christmas tree]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Fonds des Archives municipales|url=http://www.selestat.fr/les-atouts-de-selestat/archives-municipales/fonds-des-archives-municipales.html|publisher=selestat.fr|access-date=5 January 2017}}</ref>

=== Illwald forest ===
[[File:Une cigogne dans l'Illwald - panoramio.jpg|thumb|A stork under way in the Illwald.]]
The Illwald forest was designated a regional nature reserve in 2013.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.reserves-naturelles.org/ried-de-l-ill-wald|title=Ried de l'Ill*Wald|language=fr|publisher=Réserves Naturelles de France|access-date=11 September 2019}}</ref><ref name="Alsace">{{Cite web|url=http://www.region-alsace.eu/actualites/2013/11/06/lillwald-reserve-naturelle-regionale-du-ried-de-selestat-2253|title=L'Ill*Wald, Réserve Naturelle Régionale du Ried de Sélestat|publisher=Région Alsace|access-date=3 June 2014|archive-date=6 June 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140606232420/http://www.region-alsace.eu/actualites/2013/11/06/lillwald-reserve-naturelle-regionale-du-ried-de-selestat-2253|url-status=dead}}</ref> It covers {{convert|1855|ha|acre|0}}, almost half of the territory of Sélestat, and is one of the largest [[riparian forest]]s in France. It lies on the [[Ill (France)|Ill]], which forms a complex hydrographic network there. The site is subject to flooding and it is characteristic of the [[Grand Ried]], a flat region located between the Ill and the [[Rhine]] that serves as a natural spillway for the two rivers.<ref group="E">{{Cite web|url=http://www.selestat.fr/spip_illwald/rubrique.php?id_rubrique=278|title=Au rythme de l'eau|access-date=28 April 2014}}</ref>

Common trees are [[oak]]s, [[willow]]s and [[alder]]s, which tolerate wet soils. Because the phreatic table is very close to the surface, soils hardly freeze in winter and drought rarely occurs in summer.<ref group="A">{{harvnb|Almira|Billoin|2000|p=13}}</ref> The nature reserve also has meadows and reed beds. Common animals include a large variety of birds ([[white stork|storks]], [[Eurasian curlew|curlews]], [[western marsh harrier|harriers]]), amphibians and mammals ([[European beaver|beaver]]s). The reserve is home to the largest [[fallow deer]] population in France. This animal was introduced to the area in 1854.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://alsace.lpo.fr/index.php/illwald|title=La forêt de l'Illwald|publisher=alsace.lpo.fr|access-date=8 June 2016}}</ref>

The Illwald contains three chapels that were originally pilgrimage destinations. The Schnellenbuhl chapel was built by Jesuits in 1683; Our Lady of the Oaks dates back to the 15th century but it was rebuilt after a fire in 1920; Our Lady of Peace was built in 1960, and St. Anthony was founded in 1280 but rebuilt in 1930.<ref group="B">{{harvnb|Almira|Billoin|2000|p=108}}.</ref>

=== Other cultural institutions and events ===
[[File:Corso Fleuri a Selestat Alsace - panoramio - Marzio Candusso (1).jpg|thumb|The "corso fleuri".]]
Sélestat is the seat of the ''Agence culturelle d'Alsace'' ("cultural agency of Alsace", ACA) since 1976.<ref>{{cite web|title=Historique de l'Agence culturelle d'Alsace|url=http://www.culture-alsace.org/agence-culturelle/historique/|publisher=culture-alsace.org|access-date=9 June 2016|archive-date=27 May 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140527212216/http://www.culture-alsace.org/agence-culturelle/historique/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Since 1982, Sélestat is the seat of the FRAC Alsace, the Alsace branch of the [[Fonds régional d'art contemporain]] ("Regional [[Contemporary art]] fund"), administered by the ACA.<ref>{{cite web|title=Missions du Frac Alsace|url=http://www.culture-alsace.org/art-contemporain/frac/mission-frac-alsace.html|publisher=culture-alsace.org|access-date=9 June 2016}}</ref> A [[biennale]] dedicated to contemporary art takes place every two-year in autumn since 1984. It has welcomed artists like [[Daniel Buren]], [[Ben Vautier]], [[Sarkis Zabunyan]] and [[Agnès Varda]].<ref group="E">{{Cite web|url=http://www.selest-art.fr/rubrique.php?id_rubrique=561|title=La biennale de Sélestat : plus de 20 ans d'existence|access-date=9 May 2014}}.</ref> Since 2006, Sélestat is the seat of ''Archéologie Alsace'' (formerly known as the ''Pôle interdépartemental d'archéologie rhénan'', the "[[Rhine|Rhenish]] inter-départemental center for archaeology"), which conducts and documents [[Archaeology|archaeological]] [[Archaeological field survey|field surveys]] and [[Excavation (archaeology)|excavations]] in Alsace.<ref>{{cite web|title=Archéologie Alsace – Présentation|url=http://www.archeologie.alsace/fr/le-service/presentation.html|publisher=archeologie.alsace|access-date=12 December 2016|archive-date=20 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220110117/http://www.archeologie.alsace/fr/le-service/presentation.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Every year since 1927, Sélestat has organised a large flower procession through its old town. The "corso fleuri" is one of the biggest floral shows in eastern France. New floats are made each year around a theme and decorated with [[dahlia]]s only.<ref group="E">{{Cite web|url=http://www.corso-fleuri.fr/index.php|title=Le Corso fleuri|access-date=9 May 2014}}.</ref> A [[carnival|carnaval]] procession is also held in March. It is the remnant of a very old tradition started by the town's butchers.<ref group="B">{{harvnb|Almira|Billoin|2000|p=130}}.</ref> Sélestat also has festivals dedicated to electronic music (Epidemic Experience), satirical cartoons (Sélest'ival), a spring fun fair, and a summer medieval reenactment with a market and a procession.<ref group="E">{{Cite web|url=http://www.selestat.fr/spip_habitant/IMG/pdf/SELESTADIEN_48web.pdf|title=Le Sélestadien|access-date=10 May 2014}}.</ref>

The cultural complex ''Les Tanzmatten'', built by [[Rudy Ricciotti]], was inaugurated in 2000. It serves as the town's concert and performances hall, as well as for exhibitions, commercial fairs and weddings.<ref>{{cite web|title=Les Tanzmatten en bref|url=http://www.tanzmatten.fr/le-complexe/presentation.html|website=Site officiel des Tanzmatten de Sélestat|publisher=tanzmatten.fr|access-date=9 June 2016}}</ref>

== Sports ==
[[Sélestat Alsace Handball]] is a noted French [[Handball|handball club]]. It was founded in 1967.<ref>{{cite web|title=Sélestat Alsace Handball : l'histoire|url=http://www.sa-hb.com/le_club/l_histoire.html|website=SAHB – Sélestat Alsace Handball|publisher=sa-hb.com|access-date=8 June 2016}}</ref> [[FC Sélestat]], the [[Association football|football]] club, was founded in 1906.<ref>{{cite web|title=Histoire et Palmarès|url=http://www.fcselestat.fr/index.php/fr/le-club/histoire-et-palmares|website=Football Club Sélestat|publisher=fcselestat.fr|access-date=8 June 2016}}</ref>

==Notable people==
=== Born in Sélestat ===
{{see also|Category:People from Sélestat}}
* [[Martin Bucer]], German Protestant reformer
* [[Fabienne Keller]], French politician
* [[Jacques Paul Klein]], French-American Diplomat and General
* [[Eugène Koeberlé]], French surgeon
* [[Heinrich Kramer]], German inquisitor
* [[Johannes Mentelin]], German printer
* [[Beatus Rhenanus]], German humanist
* [[Charles Sitzenstuhl]], French politician
* [[Joseph Wackenthaler]], French organist and composer
* [[Nicolas-Joseph Wackenthaler]], French organist and composer
* [[Jakob Wimpfeling]], German humanist

=== Connected to Sélestat ===
* [[Ludwig Dringenberg]] (died in Sélestat)
* [[Frédéric Fiebig]], painter (lived and died in Sélestat)
* [[Thierry Omeyer]] (played professionally for Sélestat)
* [[François Ignace Schaal]] (died in Sélestat)

==Twin towns – sister cities==
Sélestat is twinned with:<ref>{{cite web |title=Jumelages|url=https://www.selestat.fr/les-atouts-de-selestat/jumelage.html|website=selestat.fr|publisher=Sélestat|language=fr|access-date=2019-11-18}}</ref>
*{{flagicon|BEL}} [[Charleroi]], Belgium, since 1959
*{{flagicon|GER}} [[Waldkirch]], Germany, since 1966
*{{flagicon|SUI}} [[Grenchen]], Switzerland, since 1988
*{{flagicon|AUT}} [[Dornbirn]], Austria, since 2006

== See also ==
* [[Communes of the Bas-Rhin department]]
* [[Humanist Library of Sélestat]]
* [[Décapole]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

===Citations===
====A====
{{Reflist|group=A|colwidth=30em}}

====B====

{{Reflist|group=B|colwidth=30em}}

====C====

{{Reflist|group=C|colwidth=30em}}

====D====

{{Reflist|group=D|colwidth=30em}}

====E====

{{Reflist|group=E|colwidth=30em}}

=== Works cited ===
* {{Cite book|first=Alexandre|last=Dorlan|title=Histoire architecturale et anecdotique de Sélestat (Schlestadt) : les transformations d'une place forte alsacienne des origines à nos jours|publisher=Le Livre d'histoire|volume=1|year=2002|isbn=2-84373-270-0}}
* {{Cite book|first1=Jacques|last1=Almira|author1-link=Jacques Almira|first2=David|last2=Billoin|first3=Daniel|last3=Ehret|title=Sélestat|publisher=La Nuée bleue|year=2000|isbn=2-7165-0526-8|ref={{harvid|Almira|Billoin|2000}}|display-authors=etal}}
* {{Cite book|title=Encyclopédie de l'Alsace|publisher=Publitotal|year=1985|volume=11|ref={{harvid|Encyclopédie de l'Alsace|1985}}}}
* {{Cite book|first=Bernard|last=Vogler|title=La Décapole|publisher=La Nuée bleue|year=2009|isbn=978-2-7165-0728-8}}
* {{Cite web|url=http://www.ville-selestat.fr|title=City of Sélestat}}

==External links==
{{Commons}}
* [http://www.ville-selestat.fr/ City council website] {{in lang|fr}}
* [http://www.selestat-tourisme.com/ Sélestat tourist office] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100129085757/http://www.selestat-tourisme.com/ |date=2010-01-29 }} {{in lang|fr|en|de}}
* [http://judaisme.sdv.fr/synagog/basrhin/r-z/selestat.htm History of the Jewish community of Sélestat] {{in lang|fr}}
{{Décapole}}
{{Bas-Rhin communes}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Selestat}}
[[Category:Sélestat| ]]
[[Category:Décapole]]
[[Category:Cities in France]]
[[Category:Populated places established in the 13th century]]
[[Category:Communes of Bas-Rhin]]
[[Category:Subprefectures in France]]
[[Category:Cities in Grand Est]]