The Marseillaise in Strasbourg

In 1790, the Revolution put an end to Strasbourg’s special status. In 1792, with the onset of the revolutionary wars, the town became a transit centre for army supplies and ensured the spread of revolutionary ideas outside France.

It was also in Strasbourg that Rouget de l’Isle composed the French national anthem at the request of the mayor, Baron de Dietrich. It was sung here for the first time on 25 April 1792. To begin with, it was dedicated to the Rhine Army and its commander Marshall de Luckner and sung by volunteers from Marseilles on their triumphant entry into Paris in 1792. This explains its name.