Forgotten but not gone. Here at Square Pierre-Jean de Béranger, we celebrate a songwriter whose verses once echoed through France.
Pierre-Jean de Béranger, born in 1780, became the 19th century’s most influential French songwriter. He spent his early years witnessing history unfold, including the storming of the Bastille. Béranger’s grandfather, a tailor, raised him in the Faubourg Saint-Antoine.
Béranger’s journey wasn’t always smooth. His patriotic songs initially found favor under Napoleon and Louis XVIII. By 1821, however, his lyrics took aim at the Bourbons. This led to his imprisonment in the Sainte-Pélagie prison. Though released after three months, his popularity soared.
In the mid-1820s, Béranger resided on Rue des Martyrs. He participated in Jacques-Antoine Manuel’s funeral, his friend, who was buried at Père Lachaise cemetery. Béranger himself would later be buried there. Manuel, a deputy, had been expelled from the National Assembly for opposing the Bourbon’s intervention in Spain.
In 1828, Béranger faced imprisonment again for his anti-Bourbon songs. This time, he spent nine months in La Force prison. His music fueled the widespread support for the July Revolution of 1830.
From 1833 to 1835, Béranger lived in an attic room on Rue Raynouard. Later, from 1841 to 1848, he resided in another flat on Rue Vineuse. He embraced his humble origins, even writing about his “low” status in his 1847 poem “Villain”.
Considered France’s “national poet,” Béranger’s songs cleverly criticized the Bourbons, appealing to liberals, republicans, Bonapartists, and socialists. Under the Second Empire, some criticized him for contributing to the Napoleonic myth that allowed Louis-Napoleon to seize power.
Béranger passed away in 1857. He died in a top-floor flat on Rue Vendôme, which was renamed Rue Béranger in 1864 in his honor. The building, once the Hotel de la Haye, now houses the Pierre-Jean-de-Béranger Secondary School. Nearby stands the Béranger Primary School.
The legacy of Pierre-Jean de Béranger lives on. His songs helped shape French culture and politics. This square serves as a reminder of his influence. It’s a space to reflect on the power of words. It’s a space to reflect on the courage of those who dare to speak truth to power. It’s a small tribute to a giant of French song.