Why is this street named Rue Pierre Semard? Let’s find out. This street in Lyon is more than just a road. It’s a tribute to a man who stood for the working class.
Rue Pierre Semard loops east of Rue de Gerland. It starts facing the Richardson warehouse. The street curves south along the railway line. Then, it bends west. It runs back to Rue de Gerland. The last part, after Rue Massimi, is named after Abraham Bloch.
Pierre Semard was born in 1887. He died in 1942 in prison. Semard was a railway worker. He was also a trade unionist. He became a key figure in the labor movement. He was the general secretary of the CGT railway union. Later, he led the CGTU confederation. Semard served on the board of the SNCF. In the 1920s, he was the general secretary of the French Communist Party. He was an influential member of the Communist International.
His life ended tragically. He was removed from leadership positions. During the war, he was imprisoned. The occupier executed him. After his death, he became a symbol. This street near Gare de la Guillotière honors him. Semard visited Lyon several times. He attended CGT and PC congresses.
The north side of Rue Pierre Semard runs along the railway wall. It opens to the entrance of Gare de la Guillotière. After the curve, catenaries overhang the east side. On the south side, a large plot was demolished. Only a gate with an obelisk head remains. Folliet workshops used to be a long white building. In 2017, they were demolished. A large concrete building is now under construction.
Near Passage Faugier, a small building faces a massive administrative building. The next section has smaller buildings. There are workshops on large plots. Number 64 is a modern factory. It features beautiful stones and three glazed strips. Its side continues, followed by a wall. The cemetery wall extends from it. The street seems to end at the cemetery gate.
The street ends at the SNCF land. It stretches to Rue Croix Barret. You can see a round warehouse. The wall continues with long buildings. There is a large old gate. The street slopes down to the railway workers’ canteen. It occupies the corner of Rue Massimi.
The railway center was built from the 1850s. It sparked industrialization and urbanization in La Mouche and Gerland. The Ateliers la Mouche association protects this heritage.
Rue Pierre Semard opened in the late 19th century. It complements the railway developments. The street follows the tracks. This creates the bend near the large round hangars.
In 2020, criminals blocked a van leaving the Banque de France reserves. They stole nine million euros. The SNCF occupies the east and south sides of the street. This includes Gare de la Guillotière. The post office has a distribution center here. Bike-riding mail carriers enliven the street. Folliet roasters produce the famous Ras d’Amhara coffee. The city has police and urban travel offices here. A penitentiary training center is also located here.
If you walk a few meters toward the round warehouses, you’ll find a plaque. It commemorates Pierre Semard. The plaque says he was shot at Mont Valérien. Three railway workers killed at the same time share the tribute. A second plaque honors five deported railway workers who died in Nazi prisons. A third plaque honors twenty SNCF agents who died for France between 1939 and 1945.
So, as you walk along Rue Pierre Semard, remember the man. Remember his dedication to workers’ rights. Remember the history embedded in these stones. It is a legacy that continues to shape Lyon today.