Did you know that Rue de Wagram honors a significant victory? It commemorates Napoleon I’s triumph over the Austrians at the Battle of Wagram in 1809. This bustling road is more than just a street. It is a historical marker etched into the very fabric of Lille.
Rue de Wagram is one of twelve broad radial roads. These roads fan out from the Arc de Triomphe. This area was once known as the Square of the Star. Later, it was renamed Place Charles de Gaulle in 1970. The road’s origins trace back to January 16, 1789. That’s when a section of the Farmers’ tax wall was completed. It stretched between the Etoile and Roule customs posts.
In 1864, during the Second Empire, it officially became Rue de Wagram. This change honored Napoleon’s victory. However, the story of Rue de Wagram extends beyond military victories. It is intertwined with the history of the Left in France.
At numbers 37 and 39 stands the Salle Wagram. This venue witnessed key meetings. Before becoming a significant hall, the site housed a “guingette”. This open-air cafe was run by a Napoleonic war veteran since 1812. It was a simple spot outside the city walls. Its cheap wine made it popular. Under the restoration, it evolved into a dance hall called the Bal Dourlans.
In 1865, architect Fleuret designed a new covered hall. It featured two rings of seats. By 1899, the hall was bequeathed to one of the five academies within the Institut de France. They continued its operation. It became a dance hall, concert hall, exhibition space, and venue for political gatherings.
The Salle Wagram played host to the Fifth Congress of the Second Socialist International in 1900. This led to the establishment of a permanent international committee. The Second Congress of French Socialist organizations followed. Jules Guesde, Jean Allemane, Jean Jaurès and Aristide Briand were all present.
In 1910, Vera Figner presided over a fund-raising concert at the Salle Wagram. This event supported Russian revolutionaries escaping from prison. Attendees included Lenin and Maxime Gorky. However, Lenin avoided Gorky. He wished to avoid a political argument.
Before leaving Paris, Lenin attended an event at the Salle Wagram in 1912. It honored the centenary of Alexander Herzen’s birth. Herzen was the founder of Russian socialism.
On the third anniversary of the Russian Revolution in 1920, a celebration meeting occurred at the Salle Wagram. Attendees included Pierre Monatte, Caroline Rémy, and Boris Souvarine. André Malraux attended at least two meetings organized by the Communist Party. One supported Ernst Thälmann, the jailed leader of the German Communist Party. In 1935, Malraux spoke at the second anniversary of Dmitrov’s acquittal.
In 1936, upon returning from Spain, Malraux received huge applause at the Salle Wagram. He spoke at the first major solidarity meeting with Republican Spain.
During the Second World War, three resistance fighters attempted to bomb an exhibition. André Kirschen, Karl Schoenhaar, and Georges Tondelier were arrested. They faced torture. The two older men were executed. Kirschen, due to his youth, received a ten-year prison sentence. He was deported to Germany but survived.
After the war, the Salle Wagram hosted a meeting for “Peoples oppressed by the Bolsheviks”. A counter demonstration by communists was attacked by the police. There was one death and 300 wounded. The Salle Wagram became a major Paris jazz venue. Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and Django Reinhardt all played there. Sidney Bechet performed his last concert there in 1958.
In 1950, a communist meeting supported the Vietnam liberation movement. Its speaker was Léo Figuères, a resistance fighter. The Algerian liberation movement held huge meetings there. They protested police violence.
The Algerian war for independence saw a joint protest meeting. The meeting called on the government to stop sending military reinforcements to Algeria. Rue de Wagram has witnessed political rallies, concerts, and moments of resistance. Today, as you walk along Rue de Wagram, remember its layered history. Napoleon’s victory, socialist meetings, and wartime resistance all contribute to its unique story. It is a street where history truly comes alive.