Avenue Bugeaud renamed: why certain places in Paris change their names

Monday October 14, at 2:45 p.m., residents of Avenue Bugeaud in the 16th arrondissement of Paris will officially change their address. The Paris town hall has in fact decided to rename this road, following an announcement made in November 2023 by Anne Hidalgo, due to the “eminently harmful role” played by the marshal.

In Algeria, in the years 1830-1840, it was “guilty of what would today be considered war crimes”, underlined the town hall. Governor General of Algeria during the colonial period, Marshal Thomas Robert Bugeaud played an important role in the repression of Algerian resistance movements.

The avenue will now bear the name of the resistance fighter Hubert Germain, who notably participated in the landing in Provence. Through this change, Paris explained that it wanted “pay a final tribute to the last survivor of the Companions of the Liberation”, died in 2021 at age 101.

This “debaptization” is quite restrictive for residents, who will have to make changes to their identity papers and their registration card. To remedy these inconveniences, the city has promised to support them in their efforts. “The link will thus be made with the post office to set up double addressing for several months”, she specifies.

The city of Paris has already carried out such “debaptizations” in the past, even if the latter only concern “exceptional cases”, underlines the municipality.

► Rue Richepance

In 2002, Bertrand Delanoë, then mayor of Paris, renamed rue Richepance to rue du Chevalier-de-Saint-George. General Antoine Richepance was sent by Napoleon in 1802 to reestablish slavery by force in Guadeloupe.

The street thus became that of the Chevalier de Saint-George, French composer, fencer and musician born a slave in Guadeloupe.

► Rue Alexis-Carrel

The same year, rue Alexis-Carrel was renamed rue Jean-Pierre-Bloch. A doctor, Alexis Carrel received the Nobel Prize in Physiology for his contribution to vascular surgery. But he subsequently promoted the theories of eugenics and supported Nazi ideology.

He was therefore replaced by Jean-Pierre Bloch. This former minister of General de Gaulle was a great resistance fighter and one of the founders of Licra.

► Le square Willette

In 2004, it was still under the mandate of Bertrand Delanoë that it was decided to change the name of Square Willette, which until then bore the name of Adolphe Willette, a painter and designer, known for his anti-Semitic commitment.

The place had been renamed after Louise Michel, a major figure in the Paris Commune.

“In Paris, finally, a square on the Butte Montmartre will bear the name of the heroine of the Commune », welcomed Daniel Vaillant, then mayor of the 18th arrondissement of Paris, at the inauguration.

► Vincent-d’Indy college

In 2013, in the 12th arrondissement, the Vincent-d’Indy college was renamed the Germaine-Tillion college. Vincent d’Indy was part of the League of the French Fatherland, a league opposing the review of the Dreyfus trial.

The college therefore took the name of Germaine Tillion, a resistance fighter deported in October 1943 to Ravensbrück.

► And soon, the Abbé-Pierre garden

A future renaming is already planned in Paris. It should concern the Abbé-Pierre-Grands Moulins garden, located in the 13th arrondissement.

After the new revelations about the sexual violence committed by the priest, many municipalities announced their intention to remove his name from their public spaces. This is also the case in the capital. On September 16, Patrick Bloche, first deputy mayor of Paris, assured that the process was underway: “We are in contact with the Emmaüs Foundation. We are obviously going to name this garden. »