Haussmann and Haussmannization

Georges-Eugène Haussmann was born in Paris in 1809. Today he is also known as Baron Haussmann, the name he requested when emperor Napoleon III made him a member of the French Senate. Haussmann was chosen by Napoleon III to complete a grand reconstruction of Paris. He had been working in public administration since 1831 and his personality and work ethic left a positive impression during interviews for Napoleon III’s desired reconstruction.

Paris had been overcrowded, traffic did not flow well, and it was unsanitary. Thus, Haussmann began work in 1854 initially focusing on Napoleon III’s desire to expand Rue de Rivoli in time for the Universal Exposition to be held in Paris in 1855. In addition to the expansion of this street, Haussmann, prompted by the emperor, created several grand streets to better connect the west, east, north and west parts of Paris. This design of large streets crossing Paris was given the name the Grand Croisée de Paris.

During the next 17 years Haussmann continued to create new streets in order to better accommodate the traffic and population of the city. He added eight arondissements to the city of Paris, bringing the prior twelve arondissements to the twenty arondissements we know today. In addition to redesigning the arondissements, Haussmann also annexed the suburbs and 11 communes (Auteuil, Batignolles-Monceau, Belleville, Bercy, Charonne, Grennelle, La Chapelle, La Villette, Montmartre, Passy, and Vaugirard) at the request of the emperor. This was to accommodate the growing population of Paris.

Perhaps the most widely known aspect of Haussmann’s renovation is the façade of the apartment buildings he created. Each building was expected to be similar in style, with the same height, cream colored stone, and a mansard roof. The buildings were structured as follows: ground floor, mezzanine or first floor, second floor with balcony, third floor, fourth floor, fifth floor with balcony, and the mansard roof.

In addition to the construction of roads and buildings, Haussmann also refurbished and created parks. The four large parks Haussmann constructed during the renovation were Bois de Boulogne, Bois de Vincennes, Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, and Parc Montsouris. All in all, Haussmann’s reconstruction of Paris was the largest project and rebuilding of a European city that was not otherwise in need of reconstruction. Other cities in Europe had been renovated before as a result natural disasters and battles.

Haussmann’s renovation, what is now referred to as Haussmannization, lasted until 1870. He was asked to stop work mostly in part due to the backlash he was receiving for the renovations and their cost (2.5 billion Francs). Though Haussmann stopped his work after 17 years, his work continued to influence the design of Paris and countless other cities. The organization and appearance of the Paris we know today is largely in part due to the work of Haussmann.