Tragically, on this very Boulevard Abdenbi Guemiah, a young life was cut short, revealing a darker side of Nanterre’s history. Abdenbi Guemiah, a 19-year-old resident of the Cité Gutenberg, a temporary housing project known as “la cité blanche,” was tragically shot on October 23, 1982. Boulevard Abdenbi Guemiah now bears his name, a permanent reminder of the incident and the conditions that led to it. The Cité Gutenberg, built in 1971 and demolished in 1985, housed many immigrant families relocated from the shantytowns of Nanterre. The shooter, a resident of the neighboring residential area, claimed the living conditions near the cité were “unbearable.” This tragic event brought to light the deplorable living conditions of nearly a thousand immigrants in these temporary housing projects. Abdenbi Guemiah’s death sparked a national outcry. It exposed the harsh realities faced by immigrant families. It also marked a turning point in French politics, with young people from immigrant backgrounds entering the political arena. Boulevard Abdenbi Guemiah stands not only as a thoroughfare but as a memorial to a life lost and a symbol of the fight for social justice and equality.
Église Notre-Dame de l’Air
Beneath what appears to be a simple stone and wood structure lies a history interwoven with faith aviation and community.