In the shadow of Strasbourg’s towering cathedral, sinister evidence of the city’s past is lodged in a hotel facade. The defused mortar shell dates back to the siege of Strasbourg, a battle that took place in 1870. The siege lasted from August 14 to September 28, 1870, marking a pivotal stage of the Franco-Prussian War. Prussian forces swept in and vastly outnumbered the French defenders, who were barricaded in what was considered one of the strongest fortresses in France. Despite their advantage, the Prussians launched a bombing campaign on the…
