A question for you. What do paleontology, silk trading and wartime resistance have in common? The answer lies here on Rue Cuvier. This long street cuts through the Brotteaux district. It runs east from Quai Sarrail to Boulevard des Brotteaux. There is also a small extension to Rue Récamier.
Rue Cuvier is named for Georges Cuvier. He was born in 1769 and died in 1832. Cuvier was a great scientist. He advanced anatomy and geology. More importantly he founded paleontology. Cuvier established a system for classifying animals. This system was based on his law of subordination. He received many titles and honors. These included academician and Grand Officer of the Legion of Honor. He even has a lunar cirque named after him. Stendhal gave him the nickname “mammoth”. This was due to his discoveries. His bust sits at the corner of Place d’Helvétie and Rue Lieutenant Colonel Prévost.
Before 1855, this street was called Rue d’Orléans. Rue Cuvier was laid out as part of the Morand plan. It was extended during the 19th century. The street was developed from the Rhône eastward. Many buildings have been reconstructed over time.
The first section of Rue Cuvier features aligned facades. These buildings typically have five or six floors. They were mostly built in the 19th century. Their decoration is simple. One building dates back to 1881. Some buildings are from the 20th century. One dates to 1940. Note the beautiful wooden door at number 2. Several door knockers feature hands. Some balconies project outward.
After Rue de Créqui, 20th-century buildings become more common. Some are very recent. Others date from the 1940s. The alignment is less consistent here. Some buildings are set back with small gardens. On the south side, three blocks feature low, long buildings. These are one to three stories high. Two thirteen-story concrete towers stand further back. After Rue Viricel, the 19th-century facades return. These are simpler and shorter. They range from three to five stories.
At number 156, a courtyard remains. It shows the original character of the area. There were workshops and one-story houses built around it. Look for a curious figure. It is in bas-relief. It seems to be crouching between two windows. Find it at the northwest corner of Rue Ney. Finally, number 183 stands out. It is dated 1927. It has large windows.
Jean André Malmazet once lived on Rue Cuvier. He was born in Lyon in 1809. He lived at number 4. He died in 1875. Malmazet was a silk merchant. He lived in New York. He was a naturalist. He corresponded with the Linnean Society of Lyon.
In 1889, Joseph Vacher worked at the Manhès paper mill. Vacher was a serial killer. He was known as the “killer of shepherds”.
Régine Gattegno was born in Lyon in 1923. She helped save Jewish children. She worked with the Jewish Scouts of France. Gattegno was arrested on Rue Sainte Catherine. Her name is on the memorial plaque there. She died in Sobibor in 1943. She lived at number 133.
Three plaques commemorate residents who died in 1944. They died for acts of resistance. Jules Amouroux and Jeanine Sontag were among them. Sontag was murdered in Saint Genis Laval. Amouroux was a deputy departmental head. He worked for the United Resistance Movements. He was arrested on December 14, 1943. He was deported to Buchenwald. He died there on December 4, 1944. Another plaque at number 85 marks a meeting place. Hélène and André Roure met here from 1941 to 1944. Marie Baumer died in Ravensbruck. Louis Baumer died in Neuengamme. Rémy Marti was shot in La Mulatière. They all died for France. They were killed by the Nazi occupiers. They had established a false paper traffic.
Today Rue Cuvier is a commercial street. There are many shops and services here. You can admire paintings in the windows. Visit the frame maker and the Galerie des Brotteaux. You can learn to paint. Anne Gesler restores paintings. The Petite Académie teaches sculpture and theater.
So, as you wander down Rue Cuvier, remember its layers. Science, commerce, art and resistance all intertwine here. It is a street of everyday life. It is a testament to Lyon’s rich history.