Site selection 1921 (≈ 1921)
Selection of the fortified enclosure for the City.
18 novembre 1922
Donation Decree
Donation Decree 18 novembre 1922 (≈ 1922)
Official acceptance of the Deutsch donation.
9 mai 1923
Laying the first stone
Laying the first stone 9 mai 1923 (≈ 1923)
Inaugural ceremony.
printemps 1925
Inauguration
Inauguration printemps 1925 (≈ 1925)
Opening of the first pavilions.
1998
First entry MH
First entry MH 1998 (≈ 1998)
Partial protection of facades and gardens.
14 décembre 2023
Total MH
Total MH 14 décembre 2023 (≈ 2023)
Complete classification of the foundation.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The grand salon with its decoration of the pavilion of the United States Foundation (box BE 1, cf. plan annexed to the decree): inscription by decree of 10 September 2009
Key figures
Émile Deutsch de la Meurthe - Industrial and patronial
Principal donor of the foundation.
Lucien Bechmann - Architect
Flag designer and general plan.
Louise Deutsch de la Meurthe - Wife of the patron
Foundation also bears his name.
Origin and history
The Fondation Émile et Louise Deutsch de la Meurthe is an emblematic student residence of the Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris, inaugurated in 1925. She owes her name to Émile Deutsch de la Meurthe, a French industrialist and patron, and to his wife. This project, born after the First World War, aimed to create an international living space for students, symbolizing peace and intellectual cooperation.
The decree of 18 November 1922 formalized the donation of Emile Deutsch de la Meurthe, and the first stone was laid on 9 May 1923. Designed by architect Lucien Bechmann, related to the patron, the foundation adopts a traditional style reminiscent of English universities, with seven pavilions organised around a central garden. The materials used, such as brick, stone and slate, as well as picturesque elements (bow-windows, scallops), reinforce this inspiration.
The six residential buildings bear the names of scholars or illustrious scholars linked to the University of Paris. Inaugurated in the spring of 1925, they were the first constructions of the City. The foundation was partially listed as a historical monument in 1998, and in full in 2023. A renovation campaign, started in 2005 with the Curie Pavilion, modernized the housing while preserving the architectural heritage.
The site, served by Porte d'Orléans and Cité Universitaire metro stations, embodies the philanthropic and educational heritage of its donor. Its architecture, combining tradition and functionality, makes it a model for subsequent student residences. The reference to the Anglo-Saxon model, explicitly claimed, reflects a desire for international openness in the inter-war period.
The Deutsch Meurthe Foundation remains a symbol of intellectual and moral reconstruction after 1918. Its belfry and its clock, central elements, recall its role as a place of life and study, while the pavilions (Pasteur, Callel, Liard, Gréard, Poincaré) honour major figures of French science and education.
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