French 80 Midterm 2 – Anatomy of Paris (Expanded Edition)

French 80 Midterm 2

Exam Details

  • Professor: N. Paige

  • Institution: UC Berkeley

  • Exam Date: October 29, 2025

Razing Paris and Haussmann

  • The Carrousel neighborhood was the initial target of Baron Haussmann’s demolition plans in Paris.

  • This marked the commencement of modern urban renewal in the city.

  • Haussmann's second significant focus was the Île de la Cité, historically the medieval core of Paris, which he nearly obliterated.

  • Both areas symbolize the erasure of the past of Paris in favor of modernization.

  • Napoleon III's ambition to modernize Paris originated from his experiences during exile in London.

  • He reportedly returned to France in 1848 with a map overlayed with red lines, indicating proposed boulevards.

  • Upon gaining power, he appointed Baron Haussmann to execute the transformation, prioritizing:

    • Modernization

    • Traffic flow

    • Social control

  • Haussmann referred to himself as a “demolition artist,” claiming he was “creating space” and “space and sightlines.”

  • His interventions allowed for the military to traverse easily through working-class neighborhoods, mitigating potential revolts.

  • Haussmann’s goals integrated political motivations and financial gains:

    • The eastern section of Paris, known for historical revolutions, was opened up with novel boulevards.

    • Wealthy neighborhood areas were invaded to seize new investment opportunities.

  • Outcomes of Haussmann’s plan included:

    • Enhanced wheeled traffic

    • Improved sanitation

    • Urban speculation

  • The reimagined Paris is characterized as a hybrid city, combining:

    • Modern boulevards currently admired

    • Fragments of old Paris despite the demolitions

  • According to Jordan's reading, “Haussmannian Transformation,” this modernization was defended as a public good; however, it resulted in the displacement of roughly 350,000 Parisians.

  • Critics, including Victor Fournel and Victor Hugo, expressed strong disapproval regarding the loss of history and moral depth during this transition.

  • The new Paris was perceived as sterile and mechanical.

  • Haussmann's initiatives involved utilizing “national properties” — lands confiscated from the Church during the Revolution — for constructing newer roads such as the Rue de Rivoli.

  • He nationalized space for economic and political objectives.

  • Haussmann employed the photographer Charles Marville to capture images of old Paris prior to its destruction.

  • Marville’s photographs of the Île de la Cité depict the dense, irregular streets that disappeared post-Haussmannization.

  • After Haussmann’s renovations, the Île de la Cité integrated monumental institutions:

    • A new hospital

    • The Chamber of Commerce

    • Expanded police headquarters

    • The significantly larger Palais de Justice

  • Only a few medieval remnants persisted:

    • Place Dauphine

    • Parts of the Palais de Justice

    • Notre Dame

    • Adjacent houses

  • On the Right Bank, the Hôtel de Ville was enlarged, and the Place de Grève was expanded.

  • Surrounding medieval structures were demolished to create space for newly constructed boulevards.

  • The Boulevard de Sébastopol and the Boulevard de Strasbourg exemplify Haussmann’s characteristic “piercing,” which ran straight through the city from the Seine northward.

  • These boulevards established a new modern order in Paris.

  • Critics argued that Haussmann’s approach led to the eradication of Paris's soul.

  • Victor Hugo lamented the city’s historical significance, viewing modernization as a repressive measure — akin to sewers eliminating waste alongside the city's memory.

  • Overall, Haussmann’s Paris epitomizes modernization via destruction: where progress was accomplished through the erasure of history.

  • The Carrousel and Île de la Cité serve as prime examples of this transformation, showcasing how modern boulevards superseded centuries of historical landscapes.

The Carrousel: From Royal Grounds to Demolition Zone

  • Initially, the Carrousel referred to equestrian exhibitions by nobles, displaying synchronized horsemanship before the Tuileries Palace and the rear of the Louvre.

  • Over time, the area became populated with buildings, including:

    • A church

    • A music academy

    • The Hotel de Nantes (which was a townhouse, not a modern hotel)

  • By the 1790s, the Carrousel transformed into a bustling and vibrant location, associated with alternative lifestyles.

  • By 1850, some areas were cleared; it was entirely razed by 1857.

  • Napoleon III added the last wing to the Louvre, encapsulating the Carrousel area into the existing structure.

  • The destruction of the Carrousel represented the termination of chaotic old Paris and the emergence of a neat, orderly urban vision.

Baudelaire’s “The Swan” and the Carrousel

  • Baudelaire’s poem “The Swan” is set in the recently cleared Carrousel area, highlighting themes of urban renewal.

  • The poem juxtaposes the poet’s nostalgia against the modern city's indifference.

  • The swan symbolizes themes of exile, longing, and memory.

  • Baudelaire connects the physical destruction of spaces with emotional displacement.

  • The poem’s poignant line, “Old Paris is no more,” underscores the duality of personal and collective loss.

  • Unlike Hugo’s romanticized nostalgia, Baudelaire's tone is modern and introspective:

    • Mourning the transformation of the city as an immediate trauma rather than a distant past tragedy.

  • The poem captures a universal sentiment of displacement resulting from perpetual change in urban environments.

Summary of Haussmann’s Legacy

  • Haussmann’s reworking of Paris resulted in improvements in:

    • Hygiene

    • Movability

  • However, this came at the cost of historical erasure and displacement of residents.

  • Napoleon III strategized modernization as a means for exerting control and facilitating development.

  • Approximately 350,000 Parisians were displaced during Haussmann’s construction efforts.

  • Charles Marville’s photography preserved the remnants of what Haussmann’s transformations obliterated.

  • Literary figures like Baudelaire and Hugo interpreted Haussmann’s urbanism as moral allegory, shedding light on the social costs of modernization.

  • The hybrid city that emerged from these transformations, merging modern elements with medieval remnants, remains a defining characteristic of Paris today.

Summary Integration

  • This expanded section ties together the “Razing Paris” and “Haussmann Annex” lectures, illuminating the dual nature of Haussmann's transformations:

    • Modernization as both productive progress and tragic loss.

  • Napoleon III's vision to reshape Paris under Baron Haussmann’s guidance brought clarity, illumination, and fiscal growth to the city but devastated the irregular, organic spaces that characterized its historical identity.

  • The destruction of the Carrousel and the reconstruction of the Île de la Cité exemplify the rebirth of Paris through the lens of erasure.

  • Baudelaire's mournful poetry, Hugo's poignant critique, and Zola's subsequent narratives all grapple with the same fundamental question:

    • What becomes of nature, memory, and humanity in a city remade for profit and systematic control?