A place that has been lived in since the 8th century, the building long served as a Hunting Lodge for the Lorraine Dukes. In 1825 the Society of Mary took over the building to convert it into an educational establishment.

The monks formed part of the Society of Mary founded by the blessed Guillaume Joseph Chaminade, a priest coming from Bordeaux (1761-1850). This religious group underwent an extraordinary expansion, with Saint-Hippolyte as its centre, in Alsace in the 19th century with some 400 schools.

A large number of religious figures in Alsace left to found establishments the world over.

Since the college closed in 1986, a small community still lives on the site and congregates every day in the chapel.