How does a doctor become a martyr for liberty? The Baudin Plaque marks a spot of profound historical weight. It commemorates Alphonse Baudin a physician and representative of the people. Baudin was born in 1801 and died in Paris in 1851. He became a symbol of resistance against Louis Napoleon Bonaparte’s coup.
Baudin’s journey began in Nantua. He studied medicine in Lyon and later at the Val de Grace school. He distinguished himself during the cholera epidemic of 1832. Baudin’s early affiliations included neo-Babouvists and Saint-Simonian doctrines. These cost him his position. He was assigned to a military hospital in Toulon. Later he served with the Zouaves in Algeria. There he met Eugene Cavaignac.
Returning to Paris Baudin established a practice on Rue des Martyrs. With limited resources he became known as the doctor of the poor. Yet he also treated prominent republicans. These included Michelet, Quinet and Lamennais. Baudin was a Freemason. He was involved in secret republican and socialist societies. He lived among workers in the Faubourg Poissonnière. He often engaged with typographers lithographers and cardboard makers around Place du Caire.
After the February Revolution Baudin presided over the Club de l’Avenir. Briefly arrested in 1848 he later declined a ministerial position. In 1849 he was elected to the Legislative Assembly. He vigorously opposed the policies of the right wing and the Élysée. Victor Hugo noted Baudin’s hesitant speech but energetic substance. Hugo described him as a man of average height with a robust build.
On December 3 1851 Baudin and other deputies tried to rally the Faubourg Saint-Antoine. They disarmed two posts. They erected a barricade at the corner of Rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine and Rue Sainte-Marguerite. Now it is Rue Trousseau. Baudin stood on an omnibus. As soldiers approached Schoelcher tried to reason with them. A defender fired killing a conscript. Soldiers retaliated. Baudin was struck by three bullets. One entered his right eye and penetrated his brain. He died after half an hour.
Baudin’s famous last words are “You will see how one dies for twenty-five francs.” This was in response to hecklers who mocked the deputies’ daily allowance. Victor Hugo places this exchange shortly after the barricade’s completion. Despite Baudin’s sacrifice the Faubourg Saint-Antoine remained unmoved. Deputies dispersed.
Baudin’s body was given to his brother. He was buried discreetly in Montmartre Cemetery. His tomb became a site of democratic pilgrimage. Gambetta’s advocacy in 1868 cemented Baudin’s image in popular memory. Schoolbooks of the Third Republic further elevated his status. A statue was erected on Avenue Ledru-Rollin in 1901. The Germans melted it down during the Second World War. Today only this Baudin Plaque remains. It is a reminder of his sacrifice for republican ideals.