Cité Ungemach

140 houses, each with their own garden, in the Wacken district

The Ungemach estate was built in the early 1920s by local businessman Léon Ungemach, on 12 ha of land in the middle of the Wacken district. The estate comprises 140 small houses,, with an upstairs and downstairs and each with an individual garden. The houses, which are between 100 and 165 m², all have sloping roofs, with light penetrating through dormer windows. At the time they were built, the houses were better equipped than social housing, while the rent was lower than in the private sector.

Léon Ungemach, Alsatian industrialist and philanthropist

Léon Ungemach was an Alsatian businessman, the owner of a local food company and a man who looked after the well-being of his employees. “The fondation des jardins Ungemach”, as the founder wrote, “is for young married couples in good health, who want to have children and raise them in proper conditions of hygiene and morality.” One of the aims was that couples whose children had grown up should move out and leave their house to be occupied by other young parents.
The architecture of the houses various little from one to another, and careful attention needs to be given when walking through the area to find the different styles. The somewhat poetic attractiveness of the estate has made it a favourite walking place for locals.

The estate came under the city’s ownership in 1950, in line with its founder’s wishes, and is nowadays under the management of a social housing organisation.