History of Strasbourg remained neutral during the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648), and retained its status as a Free Imperial City. However, the city was later annexed by Louis XIV of France to extend the borders of his kingdom. Louis' advisors believed that, as long as Strasbourg remained independent, it would endanger the King's newly annexed territories in Alsace, and, that to defend these large rural lands effectively, a garrison had to be placed in towns such as Strasbourg. Indeed, the bridge over the Rhine at Strasbourg had been used repeatedly by Imperial (Holy Roman Empire) forces, and three times during the Franco-Dutch War
Strasbourg Mosque in the centre of Strasbourg, near the law-courts. It was not the first mosque to be established in Strasbourg. There have been mosques in the city since 1967 and there are now over twenty. Strasbourg Mosque The Strasbourg Mosque or Great Mosque of Strasbourg () is a large purpose-built Islamic mosque in the French city of Strasbourg. It is located on the banks of the Ill river in the Heyritz area, south of the Grande Île. It was inaugurated in September 2012 and has a capacity of 1,200 people. The mosque was designed by Paolo Portoghesi, who also designed the