Isn’t it intriguing how a street’s name can echo through time? Today, we find ourselves on Rue Baudin. It is a place where echoes of the past resonate.
Rue Baudin, like many Parisian streets, carries a story. Several places throughout France lay claim to a street named Baudin. Here in Paris, the Rue Baudin that once existed in the 9th arrondissement is no more. It has been renamed Rue Pierre-Semard. Another Rue Baudin in the 11th arrondissement was renamed Rue Alphonse-Baudin.
But who was Baudin? Why name a street after him? The most prominent Baudin was Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Baudin. He was a French physician and deputy. He died on a barricade in 1851.
Born in 1811, Baudin studied medicine. Later, he served as a medical officer in Algeria. In 1849, he was elected as a deputy. He joined the resistance against Louis Napoleon Bonaparte’s coup in 1851.
During the coup, workers erected a barricade. Baudin stood on it, flag in hand. He was killed. His death turned him into a martyr for freedom. Republicans gathered at his grave.
In 1978, Paris honored him. They named a street in the 11th arrondissement Rue Alphonse Baudin. So, while the original Rue Baudin has vanished. Its spirit lives on in the renamed streets. They remind us of a doctor. A deputy. A man who died for his beliefs.
Even the former Rue Baudin, now Rue Pierre-Semard has its own tale. Until 1944, it bore the name of Amiral Charles Louis Baudin. Later, it was renamed in memory of Pierre Semard. He was a hero of the railway workers’ resistance during World War II. Number 19 was the head office of the railway workers’ federation.
Interestingly, this area has served as a film set. In 2016, the street transformed for the film “Chocolat”. The movie tells the story of Raphaël Padilla. He was the first black artist on the French stage.
Shops of yesteryear sprung up for the film. There was a cooper, a milliner, and a wood and coal merchant. Even a wine merchant found its place under the bridge’s arch. The film created a vibrant snapshot of a bygone era.
Rue Baudin and its namesakes are more than just addresses. They are threads woven into the city’s rich tapestry. They remind us of the past. They inspire us to remember the people who shaped Paris. Take a moment to reflect on the stories beneath your feet.