Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Beauharnais hotel, located at 78 rue de Lille in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, is a mansion built in the early 18th century. Built in 1714 by architect Germain Boffrand on a land he had acquired the previous year, it was quickly sold in 1715 to Jean-Baptiste Colbert, Marquis de Torcy, nephew of the famous minister of Louis XIV. The hotel, with a garden overlooking the Seine (now Anatole-France quay), changed hands in 1766 when it was bought by the Duke of Villeroy. Its initial architecture, although partially preserved, will be profoundly transformed in the next century.

In 1803 Eugene de Beauharnais, son-in-law of Napoleon I and viceroy of Italy, acquired the hotel for 195,000 francs. Although he did not live there, his mother Josephine and sister Hortense undertook important work there, attracting criticism from Napoleon. The latter, dissatisfied with the excessive expenditure (estimated at one million francs for work estimated at 200,000 francs by his services), reproaches Eugene for having "throwed huge sums to the river". The most notable changes include the addition of a neo-Egyptian porch, reflecting the enthusiasm of the era for ancient Egypt. The hotel, little occupied by its owner, was even placed under embargo by Napoleon in 1806.

After the fall of the Empire, the hotel became a major diplomatic issue. In 1814, the king of Prussia Frédéric-Guillaume III made it his Parisian residence before finally installing the Prussian legation in 1818, for 575,000 francs. The building then houses German political figures, including Otto von Bismarck, ambassador in 1862, who criticizes its humidity and lack of comfort. The hotel played a key role in Franco-German relations, hosting diplomatic receptions such as that of 1867 at the Universal Exhibition, where Napoleon III and Empress Eugénie were received. He became the German embassy after the proclamation of the German Empire in 1871.

The 20th century marks a troubled period for the hotel. In 1938, he was the scene of a tragic event: the assassination of diplomat Ernst vom Rath by Herschel Grynszpan, trigger of the night of Cristal. During the occupation, Ambassador Otto Abetz lives there and organizes cultural receptions, despite the plundering of Jewish works of art exhibited in his walls. Confiscated by France in 1944, the hotel temporarily houses ministerial services before being returned to Germany in 1962. Since then, he has served as a residence for the German ambassador, after a major restoration of his Empire decors, including the famous Salon des Quatre Saisons and Beauharnais' room of Hortense.

Ranked a historic monument in 1951, the Beauharnais hotel illustrates the complex links between France and Germany, combining architectural heritage and diplomatic history. Its interiors, remarkably preserved, bear witness to the fascist of the First Empire and the successive transformations associated with its political use. Today, there remains a symbol of Franco-German reconciliation, while preserving the traces of its turbulent past, from Napoleonic fascists to tragedies of the 20th century.

External links