“Who was Charles Schmidt?” That is probably the first question that comes to mind when you find yourself on Rue Charles Schmidt in Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine. Rue Charles Schmidt is a public road in Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine. It is located in the department of Seine-Saint-Denis. This street stretches about 600 meters. It also has a width of 16 meters.
The street runs from avenue Gabriel-Péri to rue du Docteur-Babinski and rue Jean-Henri-Fabre. It ends at the boulevard périphérique. There, it continues as avenue de la Porte-de-Montmartre in the 18th arrondissement of Paris. At its northern end is the Garibaldi metro station. It is at the corner of avenue Gabriel-Péri. Rue Louis-Blanc extends from there.
The street was formerly named rue de Montmartre. This was after the old commune it led to. The current name honors Charles Schmidt. He was a local resistance fighter. Schmidt was executed as a hostage at Mont-Valérien. His name is inscribed on the Resistance and Deportation monument. This monument is at the Saint-Ouen municipal cemetery.
At the northern end of Rue Charles Schmidt stands the Église Notre-Dame-du-Rosaire de Saint-Ouen. It is a notable landmark. So, when you walk along Rue Charles Schmidt take a moment to remember Charles Schmidt. Also remember the countless others who fought for freedom during World War II. They should never be forgotten.