The Marais in Paris

Saturday, 5 December 2015 - 01:00 pm (CET/MEZ) Berlin | Author/Destination:
Category/Kategorie: General, Paris / Île-de-France
Reading Time:  6 minutes

Place des Vosges © AlNo/cc-by-sa-3.0

Place des Vosges © AlNo/cc-by-sa-3.0

Le Marais (“The Marsh”) is a historic district in Paris. Long the aristocratic district of Paris, it hosts many outstanding buildings of historic and architectural importance. It spreads across parts of the 3rd and 4th arrondissements in Paris (on the Rive Droite, or Right Bank, of the Seine). In 1240 the Order of the Temple built its fortified church just outside the walls of Paris, in the northern part of the Marais. The Temple turned this district into an attractive area, which became known as the Temple Quarter, and many religious institutions were built nearby: the des Blancs-Manteaux, de Sainte-Croix-de-la-Bretonnerie and des Carmes-Billettes convents, as well as the church of Sainte-Catherine-du-Val-des-Écoliers. From that time to the 17th century and especially after the Royal Square (Place Royale, current place des Vosges) was designed under King Henri IV in 1605, the Marais was the French nobility’s favorite place of residence. French nobles built their urban mansions there such as the Hôtel de Sens, the Hôtel de Sully, the Hôtel de Beauvais, the Hôtel Carnavalet, the Hôtel de Guénégaud and the Hôtel de Soubise.

After the nobility started to move to the Faubourg Saint-Germain, 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 the rue des Rosiers, referred to as the “Pletzl“, welcomed many Eastern European Jews (Ashkenazi) who reinforced the district’s clothing specialization. But, during World War II the Jewish community was targeted by the Nazis who were occupying France. The rue des Rosiers is still a major centre 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 sell kosher food. Le Marais houses the Museum of Jewish Art and History, which traces the history of the Jewish world through its artistic and cultural heritage. The Agoudas Hakehilos Synagogue on 10 rue Pavée is not far from rue des Rosiers. It was designed in 1913 by Art Nouveau architect Hector Guimard, who designed several Paris Metro stations.

Restaurant Chez Marianne © Zantastik/cc-by-sa-3.0 Place des Vosges © flickr.com - Tim Schapker/cc-by-2.0 Hotel Guénégaud - Musée de la Chasse © Pline/cc-by-sa-3.0 Place des Vosges © AlNo/cc-by-sa-3.0 Hotel de Sens © Pline/cc-by-sa-3.0 Hotel Sully © Beckstet/cc-by-sa-3.0
<
>
Hotel Guénégaud - Musée de la Chasse © Pline/cc-by-sa-3.0
By the 1950s, the district had become a working-class area and most of its architectural masterpieces were in a bad state of repair. In 1964, General de Gaulle’s Culture Minister Andre Malraux made the Marais the first secteur sauvegardé (literally safeguarded sector). These were meant to protect and conserve places of special cultural significance. In the following decades the government and the Parisian municipality have led an active restoration and Rehabilitation Policy. The main Hôtels particuliers have been restored and turned into museums: the Hôtel Salé hosts the Picasso Museum, the Hôtel Carnavalet hosts the Paris Historical Museum, the Hôtel Donon hosts the Cognacq-Jay Museum, etc. The site of Beaubourg, the western part of Marais, was chosen for the Centre Georges Pompidou, France’s national Museum of Modern Art and one of the world’s most important cultural institutions. The building was completed in 1977 with revolutionary architecture by Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers.

The Marais is now one of Paris’ main localities for art galleries. Following its rehabilitation, the Marais has become a fashionable district, home to many trendy restaurants, fashion houses, and hip galleries. The neighbourhood has experienced a growing gay presence since the 1980s, as evidenced by the existence of many gay cafés, nightclubs, cabarets and shops. These establishments are mainly concentrated in the southwestern portion of the Marais, many on or near the streets Sainte-Croix de la Bretonnerie and rue des Archives. The Marais is also known for the Chinese community it hosts. The community began to appear during World War I. At that time, France needed workers to replace its at-war soldiers and China decided to send a few thousand of its citizens on the condition that they would not take part in the war. After the 1918 victory, some of them decided to stay in Paris, specifically living around the current rue au Maire. Today, most work in jewelery and leather-related products. The Marais’ Chinese community has settled in the north of the district, particularly in the surrounding of Place de la République. Next to it, on the rue du Temple, is the Chinese Church of Paris. Other features of the neighbourhood include the Musée Picasso, the house of Nicolas Flamel, the Musée Cognacq-Jay, the Musée Carnavalet and the new and very popular Café Charlot.

Read more on timeout.com – Marais and Beaubourg area guide, BBC, 25 July 2019: The secret seat of the Knights Templar and Wikipedia Le Marais (Smart Traveler App by U.S. Department of State - Weather report by weather.com - Global Passport Power Rank - Travel Risk Map - Democracy Index - GDP according to IMF, UN, and World Bank - Global Competitiveness Report - Corruption Perceptions Index - Press Freedom Index - World Justice Project - Rule of Law Index - UN Human Development Index - Global Peace Index - Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index). Photos by Wikimedia Commons. If you have a suggestion, critique, review or comment to this blog entry, we are looking forward to receive your e-mail at comment@wingsch.net. Please name the headline of the blog post to which your e-mail refers to in the subject line.






Recommended posts:

Share this post: (Please note data protection regulations before using buttons)

Biarritz, the sea and health resort on the French Atlantic coast

Biarritz, the sea and health resort on the French Atlantic coast

[caption id="attachment_159871" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Hotel du Palais © Manuel González Olaechea y Franco[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Biarritz is a city which lies on the Bay of Biscay, on the Atlantic coast, in south-western France. It is a luxurious seaside town and is popular with tourists and surfers. The town lies in Basque territory, and Basque flags and symbols are prevalent throughout Biarritz. Biarritz became more renowned in 1854 when Empress Eugenie (the wife of Napoleon III) built a palace on the b...

[ read more ]

Ithaka off the west coast of Greece

Ithaka off the west coast of Greece

[caption id="attachment_153482" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Vathy © flickr.com - auteur/cc-by-sa-2.0[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Ithaca or Ithaka is an island located in the Ionian Sea with an area of 120 square kilometres (46 sq mi) and a little more than three thousand inhabitants. It is also a separate regional unit of the Ionian Islands region, and the only municipality of the regional unit. It lies off the northeast coast of Kefalonia and to the west and within sight of continental Greece. The municipality of It...

[ read more ]

Theme Week Myanmar - Bago

Theme Week Myanmar - Bago

[caption id="attachment_196318" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Monk examinations © flickr.com - magical-world/cc-by-sa-2.0[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Bago (formerly spelt Pegu, formerly known as Hanthawaddy (meaning "She Who Has Swans"), is a city and the capital of the Bago Region in Myanmar. It is located 91 kilometres (57 mi) north-east of Yangon. Places of interest are Shwethalyaung Buddha (Reclining Buddha), Shwemawdaw Pagoda, Kyaikpun Buddha, Kanbawzathadi Palace site and museum, Kalyani Ordination Hall, Mahazedi Pagoda,...

[ read more ]

The Volkswagen city of Wolfsburg

The Volkswagen city of Wolfsburg

[caption id="attachment_151146" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Wolfsburg Skyline © Cubanito[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Wolfsburg is located on the River Aller northeast of Braunschweig (Brunswick), and is mainly notable as the headquarters of Volkswagen AG. Wolfsburg is bordered by the districts of Gifhorn and Helmstedt. Wolfsburg was founded on 1 July 1938 as the Nazis' Stadt des KdF-Wagens bei Fallersleben (English: City of the KdF Car at Fallersleben), a planned town around the village of Fallersleben in order to house the ...

[ read more ]

Carnegie Hall in New York

Carnegie Hall in New York

[caption id="attachment_163153" align="aligncenter" width="590"] © Martin Dürrschnabel/cc-by-sa-2.5[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park. Designed by architect William Burnet Tuthill and built by philanthropist Andrew Carnegie in 1891, it is one of the most prestigious venues in the world for both classical music ...

[ read more ]

Theme Week Saudi Arabia - Hofuf

Theme Week Saudi Arabia - Hofuf

[caption id="attachment_166029" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Al Hasa Oasis © Shijan Kaakkara/cc-by-sa-3.0[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Al-Hofuf is the major urban center in the Al-Ahsa Oasis in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. It is also very well known for being one of the largest date producers in the world, and for its old souks and palaces. Historically, Hofuf made textiles out of wool, silk, and cotton. The town was also renowned for its fruit of the date palm, the Arabs considering the khalasi variety of dates, grow...

[ read more ]

The Underground City of Montreal

The Underground City of Montreal

[caption id="attachment_7174" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Complexe Les Ailes © Oleksandr[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Montreal's Underground City (officially RÉSO or La Ville Souterraine) is the set of interconnected complexes (both above and below ground) in and around Downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is also known as the indoor city (ville intérieure), and is one of the largest underground complexes in the world. Not all portions of the indoor city (ville intérieure) are underground. The connections are cons...

[ read more ]

Landsberg am Lech

Landsberg am Lech

[caption id="attachment_153418" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Market Square © flickr.com - Christian Spannagel/cc-by-sa-2.0[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Landsberg am Lech is a town in southwest Bavaria, about 65 kilometers west of Munich and 35 kilometers south of Augsburg on the Romantic Road. It is the capital of the district of Landsberg am Lech. Landsberg has a picturesque lively medieval old town, which is still in pretty good shape. The town comprises three main areas. The historic old town centre of Landsberg, w...

[ read more ]

Berlin Botanical Garden and Botanical Museum

Berlin Botanical Garden and Botanical Museum

[caption id="attachment_169431" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Italian Gardens and Tropical House © Axel Mauruszat[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]The Berlin-Dahlem Botanical Garden and Botanical Museum (German: Botanischer Garten und Botanisches Museum Berlin-Dahlem) is a botanical garden in Berlin, with an area of 43 hectares and around 22,000 different plant species. It was constructed between 1897 and 1910, under the guidance of architect Adolf Engler, in order to present exotic plants returned from German colonies. The garden ...

[ read more ]

The Seven Wonders of the World

The Seven Wonders of the World

[caption id="attachment_27176" align="aligncenter" width="424"] Seven Wonders of the World © Slof/cc-by-sa-3.0[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Various lists of the Wonders of the World have been compiled from antiquity to the present day, to catalogue the world's most spectacular natural wonders and manmade structures. The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World is the first known list of the most remarkable creations of classical antiquity; it was based on guidebooks popular among Hellenic sightseers and only includes works located aroun...

[ read more ]

Return to TopReturn to Top
'Welcome to fabulous Las Vegas' sign © Pobrien301
The Las Vegas Strip

The Las Vegas Strip is a stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard South in Clark County, Nevada, internationally known for its...

© M(e)ister Eiskalt/cc-by-sa-4.0
Oberpollinger in München

The Oberpollinger is a known department store in Neuhauser Strasse in Munich. It is run by the The KaDeWe Group...

Statsraad Lehmkuhl and Lord Nelson © flickr.com - Bruno Girin/cc-by-sa-2.0
The Statsraad Lehmkuhl

The Statsraad Lehmkuhl is a three-masted barque rigged sail training vessel owned and operated by the Statsraad Lehmkuhl Foundation. It...

Schließen