Koifhus Colmar: History of the Old Customs House
In the heart of Colmar's old town stands a building that once helped control the city's wealth. With its colorful tiled roof, sandstone arches and centuries-old walls, the Koifhus, also known as the Ancienne Douane or Old Customs House, is one of Colmar's most important historic landmarks.
Today, visitors pass beneath its arches and photograph its distinctive architecture. But around 500 years ago, the building was a centre of commercial and political activity. Merchants brought their goods here, officials collected taxes, and representatives from Alsace's imperial towns gathered upstairs to discuss matters affecting their cities.
The Koifhus also has a surprising history of survival. Despite standing for centuries at the centre of Colmar, it came close to being demolished in the nineteenth century.
Here is the story behind the building, and what you should look for when you see it.
What Is Koifhus in Colmar?
The Koifhus is Colmar's former customs house and its oldest surviving public building. It stands at the junction of Grand'Rue and Rue des Marchands, two important streets in the medieval town.
Its name comes from the regional Germanic term Kaufhaus, meaning a trading house or commercial building. In French, it is called the Ancienne Douane, meaning Old Customs House. Both names refer to the same landmark.
This location was no accident. During the Middle Ages, Colmar was an important trading town within the Holy Roman Empire. Merchants needed places to store their products, conduct business and pay the duties imposed by the city authorities.
A customs house brought these activities together in one place.
Unlike a modern customs office, the Koifhus was not simply somewhere officials checked imported goods. It combined commercial storage, tax collection and civic administration in a single building.
That combination made it one of the most important places in medieval Colmar.
The History of Koifhus: From Medieval Market to Customs House
The history of Colmar's customs house goes back further than the building visitors see today.
A trading house is mentioned in local records as early as 1370, when the city already needed a permanent place to supervise commercial activity.
Plans for the present building were considered during the fifteenth century, and construction was completed in 1480.
By then, Colmar had developed into a prosperous imperial town. Its location in Alsace connected it with commercial networks across the Upper Rhine region.
The Koifhus was designed to serve this growing economy.
On the ground floor, merchants could deposit their goods while officials assessed the taxes payable on merchandise entering or leaving the city. The building also provided storage space for goods awaiting collection or onward transport.
Imagine arriving in Colmar as a merchant in the late fifteenth century. Before selling your merchandise in the town, you might have to bring it to the customs house, where officials could inspect and tax it.
For the city government, these transactions represented an important source of income. For merchants, they were part of the cost of doing business.
The Koifhus was therefore more than a warehouse. It was a place where Colmar exercised control over its commercial life.
The Décapole: When Ten Alsatian Towns Met Upstairs
The most interesting part of the Koifhus story may be what happened above the customs hall.
While merchants conducted business downstairs, the upper floor was used for political meetings.
Colmar belonged to the Décapole, a federation of ten imperial towns in Alsace established in 1354. These towns worked together to defend their privileges and their position within the Holy Roman Empire.
The alliance included towns that had important rights of self-government. Cooperation helped them protect those rights at a time when political authority was divided between emperors, princes, nobles and local institutions.
The Koifhus provided a meeting place for representatives of this federation.
Picture the contrast within the building. On the ground floor, officials were concerned with goods, payments and commercial regulations. Upstairs, representatives discussed the political interests of their towns.
The building also accommodated meetings of Colmar's own magistrates, placing municipal government and regional cooperation under the same roof.
This double role helps explain why the Koifhus mattered so much.
Its importance was not simply architectural. It represented the connection between trade, local wealth and political independence in medieval Alsace.
Why Koifhus Almost Disappeared
It is easy to assume that a building this old must always have been protected. The Koifhus tells a different story.
During the French Revolution, the commercial privileges associated with the old system were abolished. The customs house gradually lost the purpose for which it had originally been built.
Over the nineteenth century, it was adapted to several new uses.
Around 1840, parts of the building were used for theatrical performances. In 1848, it accommodated an early discount banking office. Later, it housed educational institutions, and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry occupied the building between 1870 and 1930.
But decades of changing uses took their toll.
By the nineteenth century, the condition of the building had become so poor that demolition was seriously considered.
One proposal involved replacing the old structure with a municipal theatre and town hall.
Had the plan gone ahead, Colmar would have lost one of its most important surviving medieval public buildings.
Fortunately, demolition was abandoned.
Instead, restoration work was undertaken between 1895 and 1898, preserving the historic building and giving some of its architectural features a renewed appearance.
The turret and decorative glazed roof tiles visible today date from that restoration period.
This is an important detail to remember when looking at the Koifhus: although the main building dates back to the fifteenth century, not everything you see is medieval.
Its present appearance reflects several different chapters of Colmar's history.
What to Look for at Koifhus Today
The Koifhus is best appreciated slowly, because some of its most interesting features are easy to overlook.
The Ground-Floor Arches
Start with the arches at street level.
These openings are a reminder of the building's original commercial purpose. The lower level was designed to accommodate the movement and storage of merchandise.
Standing beneath the arches, imagine the activity that once took place here: merchants arriving, goods being unloaded, and officials recording transactions.
The scene would have been very different from the one visitors encounter today.
The Colorful Glazed Roof Tiles
Now look towards the roof.
The patterned tiles are among the most recognizable features of the Koifhus. They belong to the late-nineteenth-century restoration rather than the original fifteenth-century construction.
This makes them particularly interesting.
The tiles contribute to the building's historic appearance, but they also illustrate how restorers of the nineteenth century interpreted and renewed older architecture.
The Turret
Look for the turret rising from the roofline.
Like the glazed tiles, it was introduced during the restoration carried out between 1895 and 1898.
It is a useful reminder that old buildings are rarely preserved completely unchanged. They are repaired, adapted and sometimes given new features by later generations.
The Renaissance-Style Sandstone Balustrade
Another detail worth noticing is the sandstone balustrade.
This Renaissance-style feature was removed in 1976 and reinstated during restoration work completed in 2002.
Its history shows how the appearance of a landmark can change even in relatively recent times.
The Upper-Floor Meeting Hall
Above the former customs spaces lies the historic meeting hall associated with Colmar's magistrates and the Décapole.
The hall is an important part of the building's political history. However, the Koifhus is not a conventional museum with unrestricted daily access to all rooms.
If a public event gives you access to the interior, it offers an opportunity to appreciate a part of the building normally hidden from the street.
Koifhus Today: From Customs House to Historic Landmark
The Koifhus remains an active part of Colmar rather than an abandoned historic monument.
It is used for exhibitions, public activities and events, while its exterior remains one of the most recognizable sights in the old town.
The building has also undergone further restoration, including work to its roof, structural features and historic architectural details.
What makes the Koifhus special is the way its different functions have accumulated over time.
It began as a place concerned with trade and taxation. It became an important meeting place for local and regional authorities. It survived changing political systems, commercial reforms and proposals for demolition.
Today, visitors can walk beneath the same historic building and see traces of that long history.
Where Is Koifhus and Can You Visit It?
Address: Place de l'Ancienne Douane, 68000 Colmar, France.
The Koifhus stands in the historic centre of Colmar, close to Grand'Rue and Rue des Marchands.
You can appreciate the building's exterior from the surrounding public streets and square. Its location also makes it easy to combine with several other important landmarks.
Nearby are the Schwendi Fountain, Maison Pfister and Saint Martin's Collegiate Church, all of which help tell the story of Colmar's development.
There is no need to buy a ticket simply to see the exterior. Access to the interior depends on the exhibitions and events taking place, so check the current arrangements before planning to enter.
Explore Koifhus on a Self-Guided Walking Tour of Colmar
The Koifhus is only one chapter in Colmar's history.
A short walk through the old town reveals merchant houses, medieval religious buildings, Renaissance architecture and the canals of Little Venice.
If you would like to understand the stories behind these places rather than simply photograph them, Tourific offers a self-guided audio walking tour of Colmar.
The tour includes Koifhus, Maison Pfister, the House of Heads, Schwendi Fountain and Little Venice, along with other historic landmarks.
You can follow the route at your own pace using your smartphone, listen to historical commentary at each stop, and use the tour offline after downloading it.
Frequently Asked Questions About Koifhus Colmar
Is Koifhus the same as Ancienne Douane?
Yes. Koifhus, Koïfhus, Ancienne Douane and Old Customs House are different names for the same historic building in Colmar.
When was Koifhus built?
The present building was completed in 1480, although an earlier trading house was recorded in Colmar as far back as 1370.
What was Koifhus used for?
Its ground floor was used for storing goods and collecting customs duties. The upper floor hosted meetings of Colmar's magistrates and representatives of the Décapole, an alliance of ten Alsatian imperial towns.
Why is Koifhus famous?
It is Colmar's oldest surviving public building and an important reminder of the town's medieval commercial and political history. Its distinctive architecture and remarkable survival after a proposed demolition also make it a notable local landmark.
Can you go inside Koifhus?
The exterior is visible from public streets. Interior access depends on the exhibitions, events and activities hosted inside the building.
Where is Koifhus located?
It is situated on Place de l'Ancienne Douane, at the junction of Grand'Rue and Rue des Marchands in Colmar's historic centre.
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