(This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before ...)
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.
Histoire générale de Paris; collection de documents; fondée avec l'approbation de l'Empereur et publiée sous les auspices du Conseil municiapl. Introduction (French Edition)
(This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. T...)
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.
(This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curat...)
This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curated for quality. Quality assurance was conducted on each of these books in an attempt to remove books with imperfections introduced by the digitization process. Though we have made best efforts - the books may have occasional errors that do not impede the reading experience. We believe this work is culturally important and have elected to bring the book back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. This text refers to the Bibliobazaar edition.
(This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curat...)
This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curated for quality. Quality assurance was conducted on each of these books in an attempt to remove books with imperfections introduced by the digitization process. Though we have made best efforts - the books may have occasional errors that do not impede the reading experience. We believe this work is culturally important and have elected to bring the book back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.
Baron Georges Eugene Haussmann, as French prefect of the Seine, carried out under Napoleon III a huge urban renewal program for the city of Paris.
Background
Haussmann was born in Paris on 27 March 1809, at 55 Rue du Faubourg-du-Roule in the neighbourhood called Beaujon. The house in which he was born was demolished during his renovation of the city.
Haussmann's family originated from Alsace. He was the son of Nicolas-Valentin Haussmann (1787–1876), a senior official in the military establishment of Napoleon Bonaparte, and of Ève-Marie-Henriette-Caroline Dentzel, the daughter of a general and a deputy of the French National Convention: Georges Frédéric Dentzel (fr), a baron of Napoleon's First Empire.
He was the grandson of Nicolas Haussmann (fr) (1759–1847), a deputy of the Legislative Assembly and National Convention, an administrator of the Department of Seine-et-Oise and a commissioner to the army.
Education
He was educated at the College Henri IV, and subsequently studied law, attending simultaneously the classes at the Paris conservatoire of music, for he was a good musician.
Career
Admittedly Haussmann destroyed a considerable portion of the historic city, but the purpose was to tear down the worst slums and discourage riots, make the city more accessible, accommodate the new railroads, and beautify Paris.
The instigator of the beautification of Paris was Napoleon III, who admired London, especially its squares.
Such a program of beautification would in addition stimulate the banks and solve the problems of unemployment.
Haussmann spent a total of 2, 115, 000, 000 francs, the equivalent of $1. 5 billion in today's currency.
Haussmann began by continuing the Rue de Rivoli as a great east-west link across Paris and by developing the areas of the Louvre and the Halles.
He brought a competent engineer named Alphand from Bordeaux to continue the development of the Bois de Boulogne.
Three-quarters of the de la Cité was destroyed to create a central area for the Palais de Justice and police headquarters and barracks.
The Boulevard de Sebastopol, beginning at the Gare de l'Est, was extended across the I ˆle to provide a north-south route across Paris.
One of his last acts for Napoleon III was the drafting of a proclamation for the siege of Paris in 1870.
His later years were occupied with the preparation of his Memoires (3 vols. , 1890 - 1893).
Haussmann died in Paris on January 11, 1891. His wife, Louise-Octavie de la Harpe, had died just eighteen days earlier. At the time of their deaths, they had resided in an apartment at 12 rue Boissy d'Anglas, near the Place de la Concorde.
The will transferred their estate to the family of their only surviving daughter, Valentine Haussmann.
Achievements
Haussmann laid out the Bois de Boulogne, and made extensive improvements in the smaller parks.
During the administration of Baron Haussmann, 71 miles of new roads, 400 miles of pavement, and 320 miles of sewers were added to Paris; 100, 000 trees were planted, and housing, bridges, and public buildings were constructed.
A new water supply, a gigantic system of sewers, new bridges, the opera, and other public buildings, the inclusion of outlying districts-these were among the new prefect's achievements, accomplished by the aid of a bold handling of the public funds which called forth Jules Ferry's indictment, Les Comptes fan- tastiques de Haussmann, in 1867.
He became sous-prefet of Nerac in 1830, and advanced rapidly in the civil service until in 1853 he was chosen by Persigny prefect of the Seine in succession to Jean Jacques Berger, who hesitated to incur the vast expenses of the imperial schemesfor the embellishment of Paris.
The gardens of the Luxembourg Palace were cut down to allow of the formation of new streets, and the Boulevard de Sebastopol, the southern half of which is now the Boulevard St Michel, was driven through a populous district.
A loan of 250 million francs was sanctioned for the city of Paris in 1865, and another of 260 million in 1869.
These sums represented only part of his financial schemes, which led to his dismissal by the government of fimile Ollivier.
(This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. T...)
Religion
He was from a Protestant family, German in origin.
Politics
After the fall of the Empire he spent about a year abroad, but he re-entered public life in 1877, when he became Bonapartist deputy for Ajaccio.
Membership
Haussmann had been made senator in 1857, member of the Academy of Fine Arts in 1867, and grand cross of the Legion of Honour in 1862.
Personality
Quotes from others about the person
The emperor's minister of the interior, Victor de Persigny, interviewed the prefects of Rouen, Lille, Lyon, Marseille and Bordeaux for the Paris post. In his memoirs, he described his interview with Haussmann:
"It was Monsieur Haussmann who impressed me the most. It was a strange thing, but it was less his talents and his remarkable intelligence that appealed to me, but the defects in his character. I had in front of me one of the most extraordinary men of our time; big, strong, vigorous, energetic, and at the same time clever and devious, with a spirit full of resources. This audacious man wasn't afraid to show who he was. . .. He told me all of his accomplishments during his administrative career, leaving out nothing; he could have talked for six hours without a break, since it was his favourite subject, himself. I wasn't at all displeased. . .. It seemed to me that he was exactly the man I needed to fight against the ideas and prejudices of a whole school of economics, against devious people and skeptics coming from the Stock Market, against those who were not very scrupulous about their methods; he was just the man. Whereas a gentleman of the most elevated spirit, cleverness, with the most straight and noble character, would inevitably fail, this vigorous athlete . .. full of audacity and skill, capable of opposing expedients with better expedients, traps with more clever traps, would certainly succeed. I told him about the Paris works and offered to put him in charge. "
Connections
He was married on 17 October 1838 in Bordeaux to Octavie de Laharpe. They had two daughters: Henriette, who married the banker Camille Dollfus in 1860, and Valentine, who married Vicomte Maurice Pernéty, the chief of staff of his department, in 1865.
Valentine divorced Pernéty in 1891. She then married Georges Renouard (1843–1897).
