Hidden from the Parisian bustle stands Rue Roger Salomon. It’s a street that whispers stories of a grander past. A past intertwined with the Rothschild family’s opulent Hotel Salomon de Rothschild. This magnificent hotel once stood at 11 rue Berryer. It was near Rue Roger Salomon and it’s where Adèle von Rothschild lived. Adèle was the eldest daughter of Mayer Carl von Rothschild. She married her cousin Salomon James. After his death she largely withdrew from society. She and her daughter lived in the lavish hotel that Adèle had constructed.
The hotel was more than just a residence. It was a testament to Adèle’s wealth and her devotion to Jewish art. Her collection was housed within its walls. She inherited many pieces from her father and father-in-law. The smoking room became a cabinet of curiosities a tribute to her late husband. The Hotel Salomon de Rothschild was not only a place of beauty. It was also the scene of a tragic event. On May 6 1932 French President Paul Doumer was assassinated there. He was at a book fair when a Russian emigre opened fire. The president died the next morning.
Adèle’s legacy lives on. Upon her death in 1922 she bequeathed the hotel to the French state. It was to become a museum for the arts. It would be used by artists and academics. It was intended to be named the Fondation Salomon de Rothschild. Today the building houses various cultural organizations. The Centre national de la photographie is one example. The hotel’s garden is open to the public. You can almost imagine Adèle walking the grounds. You can picture her surrounded by her treasured Jewish art. You can sense the weight of history. It’s a reminder of the opulence and tragedy that once unfolded on this very spot.
It’s a story that Rue Roger Salomon whispers. It’s a story of a family a legacy and a city’s dramatic past. A past that intertwines with the street’s quiet present.