- Hôtel Lutetia
The Hôtel Lutetia, located in the
St. Germain des Prés area of the 6th Arrondissement ofParis , is one of the best-knownhotel s on theLeft Bank . It is noted for its architecture and its historical role during theGerman occupation of France in World War II .The Lutetia was built in 1910, and is considered one of the first major
Art Deco buildings in Paris, even though the heyday of Art Deco did not really begin until the following decade. It was founded by theBon Marché department store, which sits opposite it facingSquare Boucicaut . The Lutetia is located at the intersection of Boulevard Raspail and rue de Sèvres, adjacent to the Sèvres-Babylone Métro station.Famous guests over the years have included
Pablo Picasso ,Charles de Gaulle ,André Gide , andJosephine Baker .World War II
The war began in September 1939, and numerous refugees fled to Paris from conflict areas and places occupied by German forces. The Lutetia attempted to accommodate as many as possible. Because of its reputation, it was filled with a number of displaced artists and musicians. However, the French government evacuated Paris beginning
June 14 ,1940 , France surrendered onJune 25 , and the Germans entered and occupied the city. A number of the Lutetia's residents escaped; others were captured by the Germans. The hotel itself was requisitioned by the occupation forces, and used to house, feed, and entertain the officers in command of the occupation.When Paris was liberated in August 1944, the hotel was abandoned by German troops, and taken over by French and American forces. From then until after the end of the war, it was used as a
repatriation center for prisoners of war,displaced persons , and returnees from the Germanconcentration camps .Recent history
As Paris returned to normalcy, the Lutetia was restored to its previous state as a luxury hotel. It was acquired by the
Taittinger family in 1955. In the late 1980s, designerSonia Rykiel opened a boutique in the building, and supervised a major redesign intended to restore the Art Deco splendor of earlier decades. The hotel is presently part of the Concorde Hotels & Resorts Group, which includes theHôtel de Crillon .Access
Bibliography
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Pierre Assouline : Lutetia, Paris : Gallimard, 2005 (ISBN 2-07-077146-6)External links
* [http://www.lutetia-paris.com/ Hotel Lutetia] (Hotel website)
* [http://www.concorde-hotels.com Concorde Hotels & Resort] (Brand website)
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