A BRIEF ABOUT HAUSSMANN

Haussmann lived from lived 27 March 1809 11 January 1891. The son of a well off

merchant family, Haussmann attended a university to study law and music. After his

graduation he was able to rapidly advance through the civil service which now

promoted based on ability and was no longer reserved for the nobility as it was before

the French revolution.

Haussmanns big break was when he came to the attention of emperor Louis Napoleon

III in 1853. At this time Napoleon III was loo king for for someone to undertake his
grand vision to rebuild Paris as a modern capital that was worthy of France. Napoleon

found an eager ally in Haussmann and appointed him the prefect of Seine (Of which

Paris is a part) in 1853. The two made an efficie nt team and worked in close

collaboration on the project. Haussmann was unswervingly loyal to Napoleon, and

Napoleon protected Haussmann from his adversaries.

While Haussmann proved to be very enthusiastic and a capable administrator, it is

important to note that he never actually had any experience as an architect or an urban

planner, which would result in some of his plans not working out quite as intended.

It is also interesting to point out that while he was commonly referred to as Baron

Haussmann he was never officially a Baron it was more of an assumed nickname.

Haussmannization in the Context of the History of Paris

From 1800 to 1850 the population of Paris doubled to become over one million. This
rapid growth put great strain on Pariss infrastru cture and resulted in a massive
overcrowding problem. In 1850 the majority of Paris was still the medieval style of
unplanned narrow winding streets as seen in the picture to the right. These streets
featured open gutters for carrying sewage that were bree ding grounds for disease.
These unplanned streets were narrow, often had confusing layouts and were not
efficient for commerce and traffic.
 There were also political reasons for the renovation. From 1790 to 1850 France had
transitioned between Royal dynasties, Republics, and Empires six different times! At
this point revolutions seemed to be the fate of every French Government a fate that
Emperor Napoleon III was keen to avoid. Paris was the focal point of revolutionary
movements and by this point Parisian barricades had become synonymous with
revolution. Napoleon III realized that the narrow streets of Paris were easy to
barricade and the winding disorganized layout made it difficult for troops to quell
rebellions quickly. Therefore it was hoped that by wit h the new layout providing
quick access for troops and broad streets discouraging barricades, future revolutions
could be avoided.
Napoleon had a great interest in modern technology, architecture and city planing.
He became inspired to remake Paris into a modern city after seeing London which
had been rebuilt in a massive project after the great fire in 1666. Napoleon was
determined to remake Paris into a great modern capital worthy of the empire.

THE PLAN
Haussmann embarked on on a radical project of urb an design to rebuild Paris as a
modern city. The project included
A greatly expanded sewer system.
The construction of wide boulevards.
Gas lighting for the streets.
The formulation of public building regulations.
Theconstruction of monuments.
An updated and uniform facade for the citys buildings.
A reorganized and symmetrical road system.
The construction of new parks.
The division of Paris into arrondissements (Districts) and the expansion of the citys
limits.
The extent of the construction can be seen in these pictures of the Avenue de Lopera
both during the construction and in modern times
 A picture taken during the construction of the Avenue de Lopera.
The above photo taken during the construction of the Avenue de Lopera is an
example of the demolition that accompanied the widening of the boulevards. The
buildings in the foreground will all be removed to make room for a wide boulevard
leading to the Opera seen in the background. The photo bellow shows the
modern Avenue de Lopera from the same perspective. Note the buildings on the side
are typical of the neoclassical style employed during the project.

The modern Avenue de Lopera

While both Napoleon III and Haussmann wanted t o modernize Paris at the same time
they were adherents of a more classical style of architecture. This led to the projects
buildings being constructed in a neoclassical style. The neoclassical style was a
unifying theme used in everything from the facades of apartment buildings to the
construction of major Parisian landmarks. One such landmark constructed during this
time was the Palais Garnier opera seen below. There is a story that Napoleon III, the
Empress, and Haussmann were inspecting the building when the skeptical Empress
asked the architect: But Monsier, what style is it? To which he replied Why
Madame the style is Napoleon III!. The building does indeed typify the very opulent
neoclassical style so loved by Napoleon III which can be observed i n the picture of
the Operas interior bellow.

Interior of Palais Garnier Roads

ROADS
An example of the symmetrical layout employed by Haussmann. The main boulevards
are connected by smaller diagonal streets.
One of the most important aspects of the plan was the renovation of Pariss main
roads. Haussmann brought symmetry to the city. The new roads were laid out in a
grid running east to west, north to south with diagonal connections radiating out.
Perhaps most importantly the wide ave nues would be hard to barricade and allow fast
access for troops while also improving commerce. The construction of new roads and
the widening of streets would require the expropriation and demolition of many
buildings.
 An example of the wide tree lined boulevards constructed by Haussmann.
The change in the layout of Pariss streets can be observed from the maps below. The
first map is of Pre-Haussmann Paris. While there are some main streets running more
or less straight through the city, for the most part it is chaotic and unplanned. The
second shows the much more orderly layout of modern Paris, the streets outlined in
red are the main boulevards constructed by Haussmann.
 Modern Paris, the main boulevards added by Haussmann are outlined in red.

Sewers
The Pre-Haussmann sewers had been built by a man named Bruneseau in 1805.
Bruneseaus underground system intermixed sanitary and unsanitary water. During
the 1800s Germ theory came to replace the earlier Miasma theory of disease, and
brought new ideas about sanitation and disease prevention. Haussmann engineered a
new underground sewer system that separated drinking water and waste. His sewer
used iron piping and new digging techniques made possible by the Industrial
Revolution. By 1878 the sewer system had expanded to 360 miles. The new sewers
also provided a source of tourism. Almost imm ediately after their completion tours
of the Parisian sewers became a popular attraction.
 A engraving of a tour of the Parisian sewer in 1867.
Facade of Buildings

A building in the typical neoclassical style employed by Haussmann.

Haussmann and Napoleon III wanted the buildings of Paris to share a unifying
theme. The city was rebuilt with a neoclassical facade that has is still typical of Paris
today. The widening of the streets allowed for extra height to be added to the
buildings increasing living space. Typically five stories these buildings would feature
elaborate balconies. In contrast to todays buildings the cheaper apartments would be
high up while the more desirable rooms were o n the lower floors, this is primarily
due to the absence of elevators. The ground floor would usually be reserved for shops
or other businesses. In many ways these buildings were precursors to the
prefabricated buildings of today. While the outside facade is fancy, Haussmann
employed cost saving measures beneath the exterior, and since all the buildings were
made in the same style they were able to be built much more cheaply.
An idea of the atmosphere in remodled Paris can be observed from the picture bellow
Paris Street Rainy Day by Gustave Caillebotte

Gustave Caillebotte-Paris Street;Rainy Day 1877

The scene painted here is very different from the crowded narrow streets of pre -
Haussmann Paris. The buildings are in the neoclasical style and provide a sense of
uniformity and order. It also depicts the new Paris as a city for the prosperous
bourgeoisie as they are seen here strolling about the wide boulevard with plenty of
affluent ground level stores to window shop from. Also of note is the new gas lamp
in the center of the painting, enabling the citizens to walk the street at night.
End of career & legacy
Haussmann essentially remade Paris into what what it is today, but he is not without
controversy. There was and still is debate whether he was the man who
destroyed old Paris, or the man who created new Paris. The project destroyed some
20,000 buildings and erected 30,000 new ones. In all an estimated 60% of Pariss
buildings were rebuilt or transformed. The project was required a huge expenditure
and was massively over budget at over 2.5 billion francs. Haussmanns career ended
January 5, 1870, when Napoleon III used him as a scapegoat for the projects budget.
Many Parisians had a negative outlook on the project citing concerns over never
ending construction, debt, and distrust in initial budgeting. The large scope of the
project led to the terms Haussmannomania & Haussmannization entering the
Parisian vernacular to describe the construction craze. While there were many
negative aspects to the project it did lead to so me marked improvements in Paris,
disease lessoned, trafic improved, and the quality of life for Parisians improved.
Haussmann would die of Tuberculosis in 1891.