Our history

CIARUS was founded by a group of Protestants who felt strongly that the Church should play a more practical role in society. In 1834 their work took on a concrete form with the setting up of SEMIS (Société Evangélique de Mission Intérieure de Strasbourg). SEMIS needed premises and in 1895 opened the Cercle Evangélique in the building which currently houses CIARUS.

On the Rue du Fossé du Treize side, these premises included a gymnasium, meeting rooms, and a club for young people. Activities included lectures, bible study, "Tee-Abende" and charity sales.
On the Rue Finkmatt side were a number of bedrooms and a restaurant for young people without family links. During the Second World War, the Cercle was requisitioned by the Nazis.

SEMIS regained possession of its premises in 1944 and until 1962 the building housed the Institut Martin Bucer, an institute for the training of Protestant Church managers. In 1963, the part of the building on the Rue Finkmatt side became the Foyer Daniel Legrand, which catered mainly for apprentices. Following a number of changes in the school system, the establishment took in more and more school students, as well as young people in difficulty. At the same time, the part of the building on the Rue du Fossé des Treize provided a roof for a number of organisations, the best known of which were the CPJ (Conseil Protestant de la Jeunesse), the UCJG (Unions Chrétiennes de Jeunes Gens), the Croix Bleue and SOS Telephone.

When the Foyer Daniel Legrand closed, the premises were used for some time to house refugees from Laos (Boat People). When the immediate need had passed, a study was carried out as to how the premises might be used and it was decided that the structure should be used for the welfare of young people.

SEMIS decided to set up an association called CIARUS, which would be firmly rooted in the Christian movement, continuing the partnership with the Unions Chrétiennes de Jeunes Gens (the French YMCA). A member of the UCJG, Jean-Pierre Michel, was elected President. CIARUS moved into the building on the Rue Finkmatt side in 1986.

The Association Culturelle du Fossé des Treize (ACFT) became a socio-cultural centre. In 1994, it moved out of the Fossé des Treize building and was rehoused by the City of Strasbourg at 6 Rue Finkmatt. SEMIS then handed over management of the whole building to CIARUS. Extensive building work in 1996-7 transformed the building and made it the centre for international encounters and training that it had been established for more than a century ago.