Le kiosque à musique
Details
Inaugurated on June 6, 1936, the bandstand on the edge of Haguenau station park dates back to the Second Empire. At the time, it was intended to enable the garrison orchestra to perform in public. Nowadays, it's rarely used, but has been seen around the world thanks to a mini-series. Long planned for the Place du Maire-Guntz, between the theater and the post office, the construction of a bandstand in Haguenau took shape after the First World War, when city architect Adolphe Dollmeyer commissioned a model. For several years, the model was displayed in the meeting room of the town hall. However, the town council refused to spend money on a "Luxusausgabe".
Built by the unemployed
Finally, under the impetus of several music associations organizing parties and concerts, 18,000 francs were raised for the construction of the bandstand. This finally encouraged the city to carry out the work. The work was carried out by unemployed workers, supervised by municipal workers. On the inauguration day, Saturday June 6, 1936, the concert was given by the municipal music band, the Union amicale, the Chorale 1857, the Cigales and the Mandolinata. Many Haguenovians are unaware that this bandstand has been seen millions of times around the world, thanks to Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks. In 2000-2001, these two directors filmed a mini-series entitled Band of Brothers, which can still be seen on replay and streaming on certain platforms. Inspired by a book by historian Stephen Ambrose, it depicts the fate of the men of the 506th Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division during the Second World War.
Recreated in Great Britain
The eighth episode of this mini-series, entitled "The Last Patrol", takes place in Haguenau. Particularly moving, its theme is the battles that took place in January and February 1945, during the city's second liberation. A number of places are recognizable: the Brasserie du
Tigre brewery and the Zuckmantel house in the town center, or the house at the very beginning of rue du Foulon, beside the railroad line. But it's the bandstand that opens this episode. Like other parts of the town, it was photographed on location and rebuilt in Great Britain, on a disused airbase used as a film location. It doesn't quite match the original, probably for reasons of image rights. Many fans of the soap opera, especially from the United States, come to Haguenau every year to follow in the footsteps of the "Brothers in Arms" and photograph the bandstand, which many Haguenovians pass by without even paying attention.
