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The Marais

Coordinates:48°51′36″N02°21′39″E/ 48.86000°N 2.36083°E/48.86000; 2.36083
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For other uses, seeMarais (disambiguation).
Hôtel de Sens
Hôtel de Guénégaud
TheHôtel de Saint-Aignan,housing theMuseum of Jewish Art and History
Entrance of the Hôtel d'Albret
TheHôtel de Sully's gardens, near thePlace des Vosges
The courtyard of theHôtel Carnavalet
Thecorps de logisof theHôtel de Soubise

The Marais(Le MaraisFrench:[ləmaʁɛ]ⓘ;"the marsh" ) is a historic district inParis,France.It spreads across parts of the3rdand4tharrondissementson theRive Droite,or Right Bank, of theSeine.Having once been an aristocratic district, it is home to many buildings of historic and architectural importance. It lost its status as a fashionable district in the late 18th century, with only minor nobles calling the area home. After theFrench Revolution,the district fell into disrepair and was abandoned by nobility. After a long period of decay, the district has undergone transformation in recent years and is now once again amongst the more fashionable areas of Paris,[1]known for its art galleries, upscale restaurants and museums.

History

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Paris aristocratic district

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In 1240, theKnights Templarbuilt a fortified church just outside the walls of Paris, in the northern part of the Marais. Later on, TheTemple(also known as the Temple Quarter) had many religious institutions built nearby. These include: theconventsdes Blancs-Manteaux, de Sainte-Croix-de-la-Bretonnerie and des Carmes-Billettes, as well as the church ofSainte-Catherine-du-Val-des-Écoliers[fr].

During the mid-13th century,Charles I of Anjou,King of Naples and Sicily, and brother of KingLouis IX of Francebuilt his residence near the current n°7 rue de Sévigné.[2]In 1361, KingCharles Vbuilt a mansion known as theHôtel Saint-Pol,in which theRoyal Courtsettled during his reign (as well as his son's).

From that time to the 17th century and especially after the Royal Square (Place Royale,currentplace des Vosges) was designed under KingHenri IV of Francein 1605, the Marais was the favoured place of residence of the French nobility. Among the many urban mansions—hôtels particuliers,in French—they built there were theHôtel de Sens,theHôtel de Sully,theHôtel de Beauvais,theHôtel Carnavalet,theHôtel de Guénégaudand theHôtel de Soubise.

During the late 18th century, the district was no longer considered the most fashionable district by the nobility, yet it still kept its reputation of being an aristocratic area. By that time, only minor nobles and a few higher ranking nobles, such as thePrince de Soubise,lived there. ThePlace des Vosgesremained a place for nobles to meet. The district fell into disrepair after theFrench Revolutionand was then abandoned by the nobility completely. It was to remain unfashionable until the late 20th century.

Jewish community

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After the French Revolution, the district was no longer the aristocratic district it had been during the 17th and 18th centuries. Because of this, the district became a popular and active commercial area, hosting one of Paris' main Jewish communities. At the end of the 19th century and during the first half of the 20th, the district around therue des Rosiers,referred to as the "Pletzl",welcomed many Eastern European Jews (Ashkenazi) who reinforced the district's clothing specialization. During World War II the Jewish community was targeted by theNaziswho were occupying France. As of today, the rue des Rosiers remains a major center of the Paris Jewish community, which has made a comeback since the 1990s. Public notices announce Jewish events, bookshops specialize in Jewish books, and numerous restaurants and other outlets sellkosherfood.[citation needed]

Thesynagogueon 10 rue Pavée is adjacent to the rue des Rosiers.[3]It was designed in 1913 by Art Nouveau architectHector Guimard,who designed manyParis Metrostations.[citation needed]The Marais houses theMuseum of Jewish Art and History,the largest French museum of Jewish art and history. The museum conveys the extensive history and culture of Jews in Europe and North Africa from the Middle Ages to the 20th century.[4][5]

In 1982, Palestinian extremists murdered 6 people and injured 22 at a Jewish restaurant in the Marais,Chez Jo Goldenberg,an attack which evidenced ties to theAbu Nidal Organization.[6][7][8]

Post-war rehabilitation

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By the 1950s, the district had become a working-class area and most of its architectural masterpieces were in a state of neglect. In 1964, General de Gaulle's Culture Minister,Andre Malraux,made the Marais the firstsecteur sauvegardé(literally translated assafeguarded sector). That was meant to protect and conserve places deemed to be of special cultural significance. In the following decades, the government and the city led an active restoration andRehabilitation Policy.[citation needed]

The mainhôtels particuliershave since been restored and turned into museums: theHôtel Saléhosts the Picasso Museum, theHôtel Carnavaletthe Paris Historical Museum, the Hôtel Donon theCognacq-Jay Museum,and theHôtel de Saint-Aignanhosts theMusée d'Art et d'Histoire du Judaïsme.The site of Beaubourg, the western part of Marais, was chosen for theCentre Georges Pompidou,France's national Museum of Modern Art, which is widely considered one of the world's most important cultural institutions. The building was completed in 1977 with advanced modern architectural features byRenzo PianoandRichard Rogers.[citation needed]

Present day

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The Marais is now one of Paris' most frequented localities for art galleries. Following its restoration, the Marais has now become a popular and culture-defining district, home to many upscale restaurants, museums, fashion houses, and galleries.

The Marais is also known for its Chinese community, which first formed duringWorld War I.At that time, France needed workers on the home front to perform the duties previously filled by men who were now soldiers on the front lines. China sent a few thousand of its citizens, on the condition that they would not actually take part in the war. Following the 1918 Allied victory, some of them stayed in Paris, living around the current rue au Maire. Today, most work in jewellery and leather-related products. The Marais' Chinese community has mainly settled in the north of the district, particularly in the vicinity ofPlace de la République.Next to it, on the Rue du Temple, is the Chinese Church of Paris.[citation needed]

Other features of the neighborhood include theMusée Picasso,the house ofNicolas Flamel,theMusée Cognacq-Jay,and theMusée Carnavalet.

LGBT culture

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The Marais became a center ofLGBTculture, beginning in the 1980s.[citation needed]Florence Tamagne, author ofParis: 'Resting on its Laurels'?,wrote that the Marais "is less a 'village' where one lives and works than an entrance to a pleasure area" and that this differentiates it from Anglo-Americangay villages.[9]Tamagne added that like US gay villages, the Marais has "an emphasis on 'commercialism, gay pride and coming-out of the closet'".[9]Le Dépôt,one of the largest cruising bars in Europe as of 2014 (per Tamagne), is in the Marais area.[9]

  • Gay village in the Marais
    Gay village in the Marais

Notable residents

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Places and monuments of note

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  • Jo Goldenberg's Jewish delicatessen (now defunct) on the rue des Rosiers; site of the Goldenberg restaurant attack
    Jo Goldenberg's Jewish delicatessen (now defunct) on therue des Rosiers;site of theGoldenberg restaurant attack
  • Chez Marianne, a Jewish restaurant in Le Marais
    Chez Marianne, a Jewish restaurant in Le Marais
  • Restaurant Pitchi Poï in the predominantly Jewish Pletzl quarter
    Restaurant Pitchi Poï in the predominantly JewishPletzlquarter
  • Murciano Jewish bakery in the rue des Rosiers
    Murciano Jewish bakery in the rue des Rosiers
  • Hôtel de Sens
    Hôtel de Sens
  • Hôtel Soubise
    Hôtel Soubise
  • Maison de Jean Herouet
    Maison de Jean Herouet
  • Entrance of l'Hôtel d'Almeras
    Entrance of l'Hôtel d'Almeras
  • Interior of Saint-Gervais-et-Saint-Protais Church
    Interior of Saint-Gervais-et-Saint-Protais Church
  • Saint-Paul Saint-Louis Church
    Saint-Paul Saint-Louis Church
  • Hôtel Salé (Picasso Museum)
    Hôtel Salé (Picasso Museum)
  • Place des Vosges
    Place des Vosges
  • Medieval cellar of the Hôtel de Beauvais
    Medieval cellar of the Hôtel de Beauvais
  • Medieval houses in rue Miron
    Medieval houses in rue Miron
  • Reading room in the Bibliothèque Historique de la Ville de Paris (City of Paris History Library)
    Reading room in the Bibliothèque Historique de la Ville de Paris (City of Paris History Library)
  • View of rue Aubriot
    View of rue Aubriot
  • Temple du Marais, a Protestant church
    Temple du Marais, a Protestant church
  • Courtyard of the Hotel de Saint-Aignan, which houses the Musée d'Art et d'Histoire du Judaïsme
    Courtyard of the Hotel de Saint-Aignan, which houses theMusée d'Art et d'Histoire du Judaïsme

See also

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References

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  1. ^"Le Marais in Paris".Paris Digest. 2018.Retrieved10 September2018.
  2. ^This hôtel remained until 1868, and the rue du Roi-de-Sicile is named after it.
  3. ^JARRASSE Dominique, Guide du patrimoine juif parisien, éditions Parigramme, 2003, p. 121-125.
  4. ^Godet, Jean-Christophe (2011). "Musée d'Art et d'Histoire du Judaïsme,"TimeOut Paris(online, 13 September), see[1],accessed 15 November 2015.
  5. ^"Musée d'Art et d'Histoire du Judaïsme".
  6. ^Samuel, Henry (17 June 2005)."Suspected mastermind of 1982 Paris Jewish restaurant attack 'bailed in Jordan'".The Telegraph.Retrieved15 November2015.
  7. ^Massoulié, François (1999).Middle East Conflicts.Interlink Illustrated Histories. Northampton, Massachusetts, USA: Interlink Books. p. 98.ISBN978-1566562379.Retrieved15 November2014.
  8. ^Harrison, Michael M. (1994)."France and International Terrorism: Problem and Response".In Charters, David (ed.).The Deadly Sin of Terrorism: Its Effect on Democracy and Civil Liberty in Six Countries.Contributions in Political Science, No. 340 (Johnpoll, B. K., ser. ed.). Westport, Connecticut: ABC-CLIO/Greenwood. p. 108.ISBN978-0313289644.Retrieved15 November2014.
  9. ^abcTamagne, Florence (2014). "Paris: 'Resting on its Laurels'?" (Chapter 12). In: Evans, Jennifer V. and Matt Cook.Queer Cities, Queer Cultures: Europe since 1945,pp. 240, 250, London, ENG:Bloomsbury Publishing,ISBN144114840X,9781441148407, see240and[2],accessed 15 November 2015.
  10. ^Anon. (9 July 1971). "Jim Morrison: Lead rock singer dies in Paris".The Toronto Star.United Press International.p. 26.
  11. ^Young, Michelle (1 July 2014)."The Apartment in Paris Where Jim Morrison Died at 17 Rue Beautreillis".Untapped Cities.Retrieved15 November2015.

Further reading

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Wikimedia Commons has media related toLe Marais.

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