THE COURSE OF VICTORY Place de la Concorde – Notre-Dame De Paris Approximately 40 minutes - 3 km (2 miles) Landmarks After landing in Normandy on June 6th 1944 the Allies advanced eastwards. In August 1944, Paris was under the control of General von Choltitz, appointed commander of Greater Paris (the German military command zone which included Paris and the Paris region) by Hitler on August 7th 1944. Since the Landing the different Resistance movements, in particular the National Resistance Council (CNR) and the Parisian Liberation Committee (CPL), had been encouraging Parisians to revolt. The French Forces of the Interior (FFI), the Resistance movement’s military body, also played a major role in the Paris uprising that started on August 19th, thanks in particular to Colonel Rol-Tanguy, head of the FFI in Île-de-France. The insurgents put up barricades all over the city.

In view of these events the Allies, who had initially planned to take a detour round Paris, authorised General Leclerc, commander of the 2nd Armoured Division (A.D.), to go to Paris to provide support for the uprising. On August 24th part of the 2nd A.D. entered Paris and after the next day’s battle General von Choltitz surrendered. The following day, General de Gaulle paraded from the Arc de Triomphe to Notre-Dame.

1/6 – Place de la Concorde Place de la Concorde is the biggest square in Paris. Built in the 18th century by the architect Ange-Jacques Gabriel, it was initially called Place Louis XV, and a statue of this king by Edme Bouchardon was in its centre (it was destroyed in the Revolution). It was not until 1836 that one of the two Luxor obelisks gifted by the Egyptian Viceroy was placed here. Under the Occupation this was a key strategic location since it was at the centre of the German base in Paris. Hotel Crillon, to the left of Rue Royale, was occupied by the Military Governor of Paris and Hotel de la Marine, on the right, by the Kriegsmarine, the German navy.

1. Place de la Concorde transformed into a barricaded encampment before the attack on Hotel Crillon and Hotel Meurice.

2. Hotel de la Marine after combat: the 5th column of the façade was destroyed by a shot from a Sherman tank of the 2nd A.D. due to a misunderstanding: the tank operator took literally the warning “watch out for the 5th column”, which actually referred to lone snipers, the term being used for German secret agents.

General de Gaulle’s parade also passed through Place de la Concorde on 26th August 1944. It was there that the first rifle shots sounded, and carried on throughout the parade until the arrival on the forecourt of Notre-Dame.

3. The enthusiastic crowd cheers General de Gaulle, head of the Provisional Government, Place de la Concorde, August 26th.

From Place de la Concorde, go along Rue de Rivoli. See the destination on Google map.

2/6 – Hôtel Meurice, 228 rue de Rivoli Construction of the Rue de Rivoli began under Napoleon. The Hotel Meurice was established here in 1835. The mansion was the command headquarters of Greater Paris, with its leader General von Choltitz.

4. Soldiers of the Chad March Battalion of the Leclerc division attacking Hotel Meurice after von Choltitz’s refusal to surrender, August 25th.

5. German prisoners under guard by soldiers from the 2nd Armoured Division entering Rue de Rivoli to go to the small depot at the Prefecture of Police, 25th August..

Opposite the mansion is the Jardin des Tuileries. Continue the walk through this garden. See the destination on Google map.

3/6 – Jardin des Tuileries This garden gets its name from the palace built in the 16th century by Catherine de Medici, which was the royal and imperial residence until its destruction in 1871 during the Paris Commune. The palace stretched between the Flore and Marsan pavilions, which also formed part of it and today are on the end of the wings of the Louvre. The design of the garden remains unchanged from that given to it by André Le Nôtre in the 17th century. On August 25th 1944 fighting broke out in the Jardin des Tuileries were German tanks were parked, as shown in the photograph.

6. A German Panther tank destroyed during fighting in the Jardin des Tuileries.

Follow Rue de Rivoli alongside the Louvre, and then go straight on (approx 20 min). Or take the metro line 1 towards Château de Vincennes and get off at Hôtel de Ville. See the destination on Google map.

4/6 – Hôtel de Ville The City Hall has been home to the City of Paris authorities since the 14th century. The current building dates from the end of the 19th century, and was rebuilt as a replica of the 16th century building burned down under the Paris Commune. From August 20th 1944 the City Hall was held by a group of police officers. Despite a lack of resources, the building was successfully defended.

7. The French tricolour flies once again over the City Hall on August 20th.

The Parisian Liberation Committee, which had been set up in September 1943 and which directed the Paris Resistance, moved into the City Hall on 22nd August 1944. The arrival on the 24th of Captain Dronne and his men, sent by General Leclerc, marked the beginning of the Liberation of Paris. The following day, General de Gaulle made a memorable speech here.

8. Rifle shots on the City Hall forecourt at the arrival of General de Gaulle on August 26th.

9. General de Gaulle’s speech on August 25th.

Go along the Pont d’Arcole and continue along Rue d’Arcole to the forecourt of Notre-Dame. See the destination on Google map.

Two steps further...

City Hall, Saint-Jean room, 5 rue de Lobau Visit the exhibition "August 1944: The fight for freedom." (until September 27th, free entrance). As part of the 70th anniversary of the Liberation, Paris City Hall* brings back to life the players and key moments of this decisive week in the History of the Capital, in one of the very places where the main events took place: the City Hall. In August 1944, after 4 years of occupation, Paris lived in the hope of regaining her freedom following the Allied Normandy Landings on 6th June. From 19th to 26th August, the joint efforts of the resistance movement, the soldiers of General Leclerc and the American 4th division, combined with the mobilisation of inhabitants, led to one of the most important moments in Paris’ history; Paris City Hall will be hosting a reproduction of this extraordinary week, in the very place where some of the key events took place. The centrepiece of the exhibition is a vast audio-visual fresco projected onto a 22-metre screen, reliving the highlights of this week of uprising. From the first strikes to the taking of the Prefecture of Police and the construction of the barricades, right up to the surrender of Von Chollitz and scenes of public jubilation, the images immerse us in the decisive moments of this combat. From 10am to 3 :30pm Mondays to Saturdays. Closed on Sundays and holidays. Free for everyone.

5/6 – Prefecture of Police (behing the forecourt, opposite Notre-Dame de Paris) Paris has the unusual feature of having a Prefecture of Police to protect the security of people and goods. This institution, created by Napoleon, succeeded the General Lieutenancy of Police established in the 17th century. The current building, which stands opposite Notre-Dame Cathedral, dates back to the development work on the Île de la Cité by Haussmann, the Prefect of the Seine at the time. In August 1944 the police were the first to rise up by taking and holding the Prefecture of Police from August 19th .

10. A barricade constructed at the entrance to the Prefecture of Police, Boulevard du Palais.

It was at the Prefecture of Police that von Choltitz signed the surrender agreement on August 25th.

11. General Leclerc leaving the Prefecture of Police for his command post at Montparnasse with General von Choltitz as his prisoner, Maurice Kriegel-Valrimont of the COMAC and Jacques Chaban-Delmas.

6/6 – The forecourt of Notre-Dame de Paris A forecourt is the open space in front of a church facade. The forecourt of Notre-Dame was created during the works by Haussmann. Outlines can be seen of the old streets and the site of one of the preceding cathedrals, still visible, dating back to the 12th century. General de Gaulle’s parade on August 26th ended on the forecourt of Notre-Dame.

12. General de Gaulle and General Leclerc in front of Notre-Dame, August

26th 1944.

Two steps further...

Carnavalet Museum, 16 Rue des Francs-Bourgeois Visit the exhibition "Paris freed, Paris photographed, Paris exhibited" (until February 8th). Behind this somewhat mysterious name is hidden one of the capital’s most genuinely Parisian museums. The oldest of the municipal museums tells the story of Paris from a bygone era (a prehistoric dugout canoe dating from 4600 BC) to the present day, in all its immense variety. Although it is essentially a history museum, the musée Carnavalet is nevertheless an art gallery exhibiting mostly original works in keeping with the spirit of the genius of Paris. For the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the Liberation of Paris, the Carnavalet Museum presents the exhibition "Paris freed, Paris photographed, Paris exhibited". "Paris freed, Paris photographed, Paris exhibited" looks back on an exhibition inaugurated in 1944 using photographs by Robert Doisneau, René Zuber and Jean Séeberger, with context given by prints, films of the era, videos of interviews with witnesses of the Liberation, books published at the time and various objects testifying to the commitment of the Parisian members of the Resistance to their cause… This previously unseen collection of varied testimonies helps us to understand

the production of images in wartime. In a face-to-face where photographs and films “respond” to each other, the exhibition route shows how individual and collective memories have been built on images which, over time, have been subject to varied interpretations. An audio-visual installation by the artist Stéphane Thidet illustrates the complex connection which binds us to photographs, and doctor and geneticist Axel Kahn explains how our brain memorises them. De 10h à 18 du mardi au dimanche. Fermé les lundis et les jours fériés. Tarifs : de 4 à 8 €

Take the Rue du Cloître-Notre-Dame then cross towards the Île Saint-Louis. Continue on the left on the Rue Jean du Bellay and cross the Louis-Philippe Bridge. Continue on the Rue du Pont Louis-Philippe then turn right on the Rue François-Miron. Continue on the Rue Saint-Antoine then turn left on the Rue de Sévigné, opposite the church Saint-Paul-Saint-Louis. Turn left on the Rue des Francs-Bourgeois. See the destination on Google map.

Credits 1. Gandner Coll., Musée Général Leclerc/Musée Jean Moulin, Paris Musées 2. Leclerc Coll.. Musée Général Leclerc/Musée Jean Moulin, Paris Musées 3. Delacroix Coll., Musée Général Leclerc/Musée Jean Moulin, Paris Musées 4. Leclerc Coll., Musée Général Leclerc/Musée Jean Moulin, Paris Musées 5. Gandner Coll., Musée Général Leclerc/Musée Jean Moulin, Paris Musées 6. Gandner Coll., Musée Général Leclerc/Musée Jean Moulin, Paris Musées 7. Gandner Coll., Musée Général Leclerc/Musée Jean Moulin, Paris Musées 8. Gandner Coll., Musée Général Leclerc/Musée Jean Moulin 9. © Daniel Citerne handed over by Maurice Citerne, Mairie de Paris 10. Gandner Coll., Musée Général Leclerc/Musée Jean Moulin, Paris Musées 11. Memory and Cultural Affairs Department of the Prefecture of Police 12. © Agence LAPI / Musée Carnavalet / Roger-Viollet