“Who was Léo Lagrange?” some of you might wonder as we stand here on Rue Léo Lagrange. This street in Paris is named after a French Socialist. He was a member of the SFIO.
Rue Léo Lagrange is located in the Sorbonne quarter. This is in the 5th arrondissement of Paris. The street is served by line 10 at the Maubert-Mutualité station.
The street was named after Joseph-Louis Lagrange in 1890. He was a French mathematician. The street was created in 1887. It extended Rue Monge to Quai de Montebello. This creation led to the disappearance of several streets. These included Rue des Lavandières-Place-Maubert and Rue Jacinthe. Also gone was part of Rue de la Bûcherie. This part was between Rue du Fouarre and Rue Saint-Julien-le-Pauvre.
Rue du Fouarre and part of Rue Galande were straightened and widened. The resulting thoroughfare took the name Rue Léo Lagrange.
During World War I on April 13 1918 a shell exploded at number 10 Rue Léo Lagrange. It was launched by the Grosse Bertha.
At number 9, you can see one of the first Parisian buildings with bow-windows. Number 10 marks the intersection with Rue du Fouarre. Here, a History of Paris panel pays homage to Dante. He was an Italian writer. He celebrated the “vico degli strami” in his writings. This translates to “street of fodder.” The street’s name comes from hay bales used as seats by students. Rue Dante is nearby.
René Goscinny and his family lived at number 12 in 1912. His maternal grandfather Lazare Abraham Beresniak ran a printing business there.
Maurice Ravel lived at number 15 from August 1896 to 1898. He lived there with his parents and brother. A commemorative plaque was placed on the building’s facade in 2022. This was initiated by the co-ownership syndicate.
The philosopher Jacques Derrida rented a room at number 17 in 1951. He was preparing for the École Normale Supérieure entrance exam. The writer Marc Lambron also lived here in the early 2000s.
Léo Lagrange was born in 1900. He was a young socialist deputy from the Nord. He was a pioneer in thinking about leisure time. In 1936, he became the first Under-Secretary of State for Sports and the organization of leisure. This was in the government that emerged from the Popular Front. He supported the rise of paid holidays youth hostels and mass sports. He was the only deputy to commit to combat. He was killed on the front on June 9 1940. The Federation bearing his name was created in 1950 by Pierre Mauroy. Léo Lagrange made a significant impact.
Now as we continue our walk along Rue Léo Lagrange, remember the man and the history.