History

In 1978, Nicolas Herrenschmidt, a Doctor in Primatology at the Louis-Pasteur University of Strasbourg (France), founded the Primatology Centre on the remaining foundations of Fort Foch, a fortress built on the outerskirts of Strasbourg by the Germans in 1870.

The site, one of a kind in Europe and spanning over 7 hectares of wooded land, welcomed its first animals for use in behavioural research: a group of Sulawesi and Java Macaques. The remoteness of the available spaces provided an ideal setting for the study of primates in semi-free-ranging conditions, leading to new insight into the behaviour of such social groups.

In 2011, the site was expanded. In keeping with the regulatory framework, new buildings were added improving the enclosures and the housing conditions. With the aim of professionalising its activities, the SILABE platform (an association under private law) was founded and took over the running of the site’s activities, including the provision of a platform for ethological research. Over the years, the association has endeavoured to maintain and improve the infrastructures rented to the University of Strasbourg, to implement quality standards through ISO 9001 certification and to commit to the consideration of animal welfare by obtaining the AAALAC international accreditation.

In January 2018, the SILABE platform was integrated into the University of Strasbourg, which subsequently took over management of the centre's activities forming a single structure: SILABE - University of Strasbourg. This organisation makes it possible to combine, under the University’s supervision, research, service provision, training activities whose synergies are conducive to the development and promotion of good practices and quality standards.