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Key figures

Origin and history

The Lycée Condorcet was founded in 1804 in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, on the site of a former Capuchin convent built in 1781 by the architect Brongniart. Opened as the high school of Chaussée-d'Antin, it quickly became a flagship establishment for the progressive bourgeoisie, attracting Jewish and Protestant families in search of secular and liberal education. Its flexible regime and its absence from boarding school make it a preferred choice for Parisian elites.

In the 19th century, the high school underwent major urban transformations, such as the enlargement of Rue Saint-Lazare in 1844 and the piercing of Rue du Havre, reducing its garden but allowing the extension of its buildings. In 1853, a basilica project even threatened its existence. Under the Second Empire, the authorities monitored its environment to avoid any influence deemed dangerous, such as drinking flows or political pamphlets near Le Havre.

From 1880, in the face of the influx of pupils, the high school rented premises in Rome street and turned offices into classrooms. In 1894, students founded the Racing Club de France. Under the Third Republic, the settlement played a key role in the integration of affluent Jews, many of whom fled persecution in Central Europe in the 1930s. Its open and republican pedagogy makes it a symbol of social and religious mix.

During the Second World War, the high school suffered the anti-Semitic laws of Vichy: five Jewish teachers were dismissed as early as 1940, and 90% of Jewish students disappeared between 1942 and 1944, victims of the raids or exodus. In spite of this, some continue to receive prizes, testifying to a benevolent administration. In 1944, the Wehrmacht planned to convert him to barracks before the Liberation.

The school gradually opened up to women: as early as 1924, it welcomed students in preparatory classes, including Clémence Ramnoux, first literary normalist in 1927. In 1972, Anne Chopinet became the first woman received at Polytechnique. In May 1968, students rename it ironically Karl-Marx High School. Today, there remains an establishment of excellence, ranked among the best in France.

Its architecture combines religious heritage and modernity: the cloister of the Capuchins, classified as a historical monument in 1981, borders 19th-century buildings such as the façade of Charles Le Coeur. The rooms bear the names of famous former students, including Proust, Bergson or Gainsbourg, reflecting his role in French intellectual and cultural history.

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