Here we are at Avenue du Colonel-Henri-Rol-Tanguy. This avenue is a tribute to a key figure in Parisian history. It’s a short street but packed with significance.
Avenue du Colonel-Henri-Rol-Tanguy is located in the 14th arrondissement. It sits in the Montparnasse and Petit-Montrouge quarters. The avenue is near the Denfert-Rochereau metro station. Lines 4 and 6 serve this station.
Did you know that this avenue is remarkably short? It is only 75 meters long. It almost seems as wide as it is long. Despite its size, it has its own unique charm. Only two buildings have addresses on this avenue. These are the buildings of the administration of the Carrières de Paris and the Musée de la Résistance. Each building has two street numbers to justify calling it an avenue. Numbers 2 and 4 face numbers 1 and 3.
Avenue du Colonel-Henri-Rol-Tanguy got its name in 2004. It honors Henri Rol-Tanguy. He was a communist resistance fighter. He led the Parisian insurrection during the liberation of Paris in August 1944. His command post was in the catacombs under Place Denfert-Rochereau. The naming commemorated the sixtieth anniversary of Paris’s liberation.
Previously, this area was part of Place Denfert-Rochereau. It was located between the two Ledoux pavilions. In the Ancien Régime, this was the “Barrière d’Enfer”.
Colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy’s headquarters were located here. From this location, he issued orders for the Parisian uprising.
Several notable sites are near Avenue du Colonel-Henri-Rol-Tanguy. There is a plaque dedicated to the avenue itself. You can also see an ÉEdicule Guimard at the Denfert-Rochereau metro station. The Lion of Belfort stands proudly on the adjacent square. The entrance to the Paris catacombs is also here. The metro station entrance at number 4 is another ÉEdicule Guimard.
The Musée de la Libération de Paris is at number 4. It is also known as the Musée du Général Leclerc and the Musée Jean-Moulin. It opened on the 75th anniversary of Paris’s liberation.
Henri Rol-Tanguy was born in 1908 and died in 2002. He was a prominent figure in the French Resistance during World War II. He joined the International Brigades during the Spanish Civil War. He later commanded the French Forces of the Interior. Rol-Tanguy signed the act of surrender with General Leclerc. He added his wartime pseudonym to his name.
Avenue du Colonel-Henri-Rol-Tanguy is more than just a street. It is a symbol of resistance. It is a tribute to a leader. It is a reminder of a pivotal moment in Paris’s history.