All military buildings, including nowadays the Lizé compound (with its Western part) and the Lyautey compound, were built between 1907 and 1909 by the architect Edouard Schimpf (1) upon request of the XVth German Army Corps stationed in Strasbourg.
On October 1st, 1909 the "Ober-Elsässisches Feldartillerieregiment Nr. 15" (field artillery regiment), commanded by Oberstleutnant Moyzischewitz, settled down in the Northern part (Lyautey compound). Concerning the Southern part (present Lizé compound), the "Ober-Elsässisches Feldartillerieregiment Nr. 51", commanded by Oberstleutnant Fabarius, settled down there. In 1913, the 15th Artillery Battalion left the floor for the "I. Abteilung des Straßburger-Feldartillerie Regiments Nr.84" (1st battalion) under the command of Oberst Stumpff, in order for him to set up his three batteries.
These two battalions stayed there until the Versailles Treaty. In 1919, the imposing "caserne des Artilleurs" (artillerymen's barracks) – as it was called then – became French again and adopted the name Lizé. It simultaneously opened its gates to the "8ème Régiment de Hussards" (armoured cavalry squadron) and to the "2ème Régiment d’Aviation de Chasse" (fighter aviation regiment). In fact, the latter settled down on two compounds: the first one in the North (Lyautey compound for sheltering its aircraft fleet) and the second one in the East (Guynemer compound – later Aubert de Vincelles compound – in order to be able to use the Polygone airfield).
In 1929, the "8ème Régiment de Hussards" left its compound.
In 1933, the entity of the Lizé military land was divided in two, the Northern part being called Lyautey compound and the "3ème Régiment de Hussards" replacing the "Régiment d’Aviation de Chasse" using both land parts. At the end of 1940, the garrison was German again.
From 1945 to 1960, the compound was successively occupied by the "1er Bataillon Autonome du Génie" (Engineers battalion), the "12ème Régiment du Génie" and finally by the "Compagnie de Dépôt du 12ème RG" (storage company) for "AFN" (French North-Africa).
In the meantime, in 1947, the Western part of the Lizé compound was put at the disposal of the French Ministry of National Education for a duration of 18 years. The final transfer decree came into force on May 13th, 1963.
The premises were then successively occupied by the "1er Régiment du Génie" from 1960 to 1976, the "406ème Bataillon de Commandement et des Services" (command and services battalion) – that became the "6ème Régiment de Commandement et des Services" in 1977 – from 1976 to 1984, the "62ème Groupement Divisionnaire" from 1984 to 1985 and by the "5ème Régiment du Matériel" (supply battalion) from 1985 to 1991.
It was then occupied by the "1er Régiment du Génie" close-by in order to provide the compound's guard. Finally, in the summer 1993, the Eurocorps Headquarters Support Battalion was created and took over the Lizé compound. The major new building they constructed in 1995, was the catering service complex.
In 2000 the Belgian and Spanish National Support Detachments moved to the Lyautey compound for the duration of the renovation works in the Lizé compound. In 2003 new accommodation buildings were constructed in Lyautey in order to lodge the Eurocorps unmarried soldiers. End 2008 the Belgian and Spanish National Support Detachments moved back to the Lizé compound.
Who was Lizé?
Brigadier-General Lizé Lucien, Zacharie, Marie was born on February 25th, 1864 in Angers (Maine et Loire, France). He died for France on January 5th, 1918 in Italy as commander of the "10ème Armée" in Castelfranco.
The cadet Lucien Lizé integrated the "École Polytechnique" on October 1st, 1882. He was promoted Second Lieutenant on October 1st, 1884 and chose the ”Coloniale”. During his long career, he served – besides his assignments in France – in Guadeloupe, Senegal, Réunion, Madagascar, in the former "Tonkin" and Cochin China, in New Caledonia and finally in Italy, carrying out peacetime and war missions in turns.
General Lizé has been awarded the Order of the Annam Dragon, the Tonkin Commemorative Medal, the War Cross and became "Compagnon de l’Ordre du Bain".
He was "Officier d’Académie" and Commander in the Order of the Legion of Honour.
On January 5th, 1917, Brigadier-General Lizé was appointed Commander of the Artillery of the "10ème Armée" in Italy. One year later, on exactly the same day, the headquarters were bombed by the enemy air force and General Lizé was seriously wounded. He was then brought to the evacuation hospital of Galliera (Venitia) in the province of Padua and the chief medical officer declared him dead due to his wounds on the same day.
He was promoted posthumously Major-General and his name was given, after the Versailles Treaty, to this compound in Strasbourg, in which numerous units were stationed since 1919.
Author: Sergeant Major (FRA) TOMCZYK Eddy
Who was Lyautey?
Louis Hubert Gonzalve Lyautey (November 17, 1854 - July 27, 1934) was a French general, the first Resident-General in Morocco from 1912 to 1925 and from 1921 Marshal of France.
Lyautey was born at Nancy (Lorraine).
He graduated from the French military academy of Saint-Cyr in 1873. He made his career by serving in the colonies and not in the more prestigious metropolitan France. The first years after graduating, Lyautey served as a cavalry officer in Algeria. He served from 1894 to 1897 in Indochina. He served from 1897 to 1902 under Joseph Galliéni, whom he had met in Indochina, in Madagascar. Lyautey reached general officer's rank in 1902 when he was made général de brigade.
Madagascar
Louis Lyautey played a key role in the invasion of Madagascar (1896-1898), in which he commanded the French forces. His military skill and success in this campaign greatly contributed to his promotion to general de brigade.
Morocco
The murder of French citizens in Casablanca was used as a pretext for Lyautey to occupy Oujda in eastern Morocco at the Algerian border in 1907. Having been promoted to général de division, Lyautey was Military Governor of French Morocco from 4 August 1907 to 28 April 1912. After the Convention of Fez established a protectorate over Morocco, Lyautey served as Resident-General of French Morocco from April 28, 1912 to 25 August 1925.
He is considered to have been an apt colonial administrator. During the First World War, he continued the occupation of the country, regardless of the fact that France needed most of her resources in the struggle against the Central Powers. Lyautey served as France's Minister of War for three months in 1917. In 1925, Lyautey lost military command of the French forces engaged against Abd-el-Krim to Pétain and resigned to return to France.
He died in Thorey, was buried in Morocco but reinterred in Les Invalides in 1961
(The town of Kenitra was called "Port Lyautey" for a while, after him. The Garrison of the 13th Parachute Dragoon Regiment is named after him.)
(1) Architect Edouard Schimpf (4 Feb 1877 - 22 Sep 1916)
