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The
Epidemics
Epidemic after epidemic ravaged the
area... |
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Paris
Becomes Imperial
Napoleon
the Third placed the urbanization of the capital city as one
of his priorities ... |
A
Modern
Sewer System
One
of Haussmann’s first priorities was the purification and
decontamination of the city... |
A
Titanic Task
Haussmann’s
undertakings of massive proportions ... |
The
Department Stores of the Boulevard
Haussmann
The middle of the
nineteenth century marked the beginning of the French modern
commercial era ... |
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onjour! Baron Haussmann, the man responsible for the transformation of the capital city into the magnificent "City of Light" that we all know and love to visit.
Napoleon and Paris
Napoleon the First had grand ideas for
Paris, a city he hoped would become not only the capital of
France but of the Empire. He had developed plans to bring the
city out of its antiquated squalor, pestilence and somberness.
During his reign a few transformations had begun. But the wars
Napoleon had engaged the country in, kept him from finishing
his project. His nephew, Napoleon III who took power in 1848,
shared the same ambitions for the city. During his long years
in exile, he developed many plans for the city. The loyalty,
tenacity and audacity of the new city manager -- George Eugene
Haussmann -- allowed Napoleon III to undertake what would be
for many decades the largest transformation of a city in the
world.
Paris is Suffocating
During the middle of the nineteenth
century Paris was an unsanitary, dangerous and congested city.
The population had literally doubled between 1800 and 1850,
with more than one million inhabitants -- 2/3 of whom lived
well under the poverty level. As such, nothing had really
changed since the reign of Louis XIV, and the Parisians were
suffocating. The acreage of the city was unmovable due to the
city "toll" which dated from the Middle Ages. At that time,
one could only enter the city through certain gates, after
paying a tax on the merchandise being brought in. In 1841, a
second wall was constructed to protect the city. This only
added to the feeling of confinement Parisians felt. The
location of these walls corresponds today to the outer
boulevards which encircle the city. |
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| The Epidemics |
| Despite
the sovereigns' goodwill and ambitions throughout the
middle of the nineteenth century, Paris was at an
impasse. Epidemic after epidemic ravaged the area. In
1820, cholera took 45,000 lives, and in March, 1832,
during the procession into the city of his Majesty
Carnaval, the disease reappeared to claim 3,500 lives in
one week. Paris was in a horrible state. Cholera easily
spread through the garbage on the streets and through
the polluted water. In an attempt to clean up the city,
the city manager ordered that the street cleaners remove
all of the garbage. Intimidated by the massive scale of
the task, the city workers went on strike. The roads of
Paris became somber paths where one funeral procession
followed another. More than 18,500 people died in the
course of this epidemic, and in 1849 another 9,000 fell
victim to yet another attack. The city needed help, and
Haussmann was the man they needed! |
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| Paris Becomes
Imperial |
| The urbanization and modernization of
Paris was a priority of Napoleon III. He considered
himself invested with an imperial mission, and like his
illustrious uncle before him, Napoleon I, he wanted to
respect the traditions of the sovereign builders. He
carefully rendered detailed plans for the development
and modernization of Paris, taking care to integrate not
only aesthetic principles, but also political, strategic
and social ones. During only twenty-five years, Paris
had suffered nine uprisings. Napoleon III had witnessed
how easily the narrow streets had been barricaded
against him. Hoping to ease the movement of the cavalry
if another conflict arose, as well as considering the
dimensions of the steering locks for the horse drawn
artillery, Napoleon III carefully calculated the width
of the avenues based on these factors, as well as
aesthetic ones. He also wished to ease the destitution
of the Parisians. After all, wasn't a happy population,
a submissive one? The implementation and coordination of
theses changes were left to Haussmann, who also
confronted the many critics of such a massive
undertaking. |
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 A Modern Sewer System |
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One of Haussmann's first
priorities was the purification and decontamination of
the city's water. At the time, Parisians still used
water carriers, and were allowed only 2 1/2 liters of
water per day. There existed a sewer system, but it was
ancient, and only extended for 160 kilometers. An
engineer, Eugene Belgrand, was named by Haussmann to be
Director of Water and Sewers of Paris. He attacked the
problems of potable water, and the evacuation of waste
water, by creating a sort of city under the city. Water
was harnessed by underwater springs -- some of which
were located 100 kilometers from Paris -- then
broughtfresh, clean water into the city by aqueducts.
The water was held in reservoirs built at the entrance
of the city. Twenty years later the production of
drinkable water tripled, and the sewer system extended
to 600 kilometers. Today, almost 3,400 kilometers of
canalization with strict health guidelines wind their
way under the city and surroundings. |
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| A Titanic
Task |
| Haussmann's massive
undertakings extended well beyond the creation of large
avenues, grandiose monuments and the installation of
magnificent parks. Haussman also organized and made
Parisians' lives easier. First, he set in place the
numeration of the districts of the city, starting with
number one at the Imperial Palace in the Tuileries, (in
honor of the Emperor), and continuing through number
twenty, moving around clockwise, from district to
district, in the form of a snail. He also instituted the
numeration of houses. For streets running perpendicular
to the River Seine, those houses closest to the river
would start with the number 1, and increase as they
extended toward the suburbs. The streets parallel to the
river would have ascending numbers in the direction of
the current. He regulated traffic so that henceforth,
Parisians would drive on the right side of the road. He
also established an inexpensive public transportation
system that would allow all to navigate the city.
Haussmann made certain that the second level of the
omnibuses that traveled the city were banned to women.
He observed that their ascent to the second level on the
stairways would reveal their ankles to those below. We
couldn't have that now could we? He also regulated the
billposting of the Parisian theatre which until then had
been totally disorganized. The creation of the famous
green Morris columns proved to be a success, and is
still part of the Parisian landscape. |
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| The Department
Stores of the Boulevard Haussmann |
 The
middle of the nineteenth century marked the beginning of
the French modern commercial era, and the creation of
large department stores went hand in hand with the
"Haussmannisation" of the capital. Jules Jaluzot, a
previous employee of the Bon Marché, which had been the
first department store in the world, decided that he too
would open a store. Originally intended to be small and
modest, he opened "Le Printemps" in 1865. Its
construction, however, created a general outcry. Sitting
amidst a row of Napoleon III style buildings, Parisians
were shocked to see a building being erected with a
Renaissance style dome, large bay windows, revolving
doors, an imposing staircase and counters made from
polished wood. Today it is casually called the
"admiral's vessel", and comprises two buildings, joined
by a footbridge, for a total surface area of about
474,000 square meters. It was, however, outdone by the
"Galeries Lafayette Haussmann", whose surface area
reaches about 478,000 square meters, since its
renovations of 1975. Both are, however,
indistinguishable as a source of happiness for the
Parisians and the tourists on the Haussmann Boulevard
where they are located. In particular during the
holidays, when the display windows are full of automated
figures and illuminations, which are a spectacle in
themselves. |
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| With 1,500 architects and 60,000
workers, the autumn of 1853 made Paris the largest
construction site in the world, and it would remain that
way for two decades. We speak of a "Haussmannian
Revolution" because, for the first time in history
,under an emperor's impetus, a single man had the
vision, willpower and stamina to systematically
modernize and embellish a city on such a massive scope.
As with most change, this transformation brought about
criticism and pain. People mourned the loss of old
monuments. And the destruction of entire neighborhoods
forced huge numbers of workers to flee the city to the
suburbs. But, what valiant efforts and progress that
allow the entire world -- Parisians and tourists alike
-- to enjoy the ever magnificent CITY OF LIGHT! |
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