Paris: "A City of Ideas"

Please join us in a one-hour Zoom presentation:   “Paris Goods: Luxury Retailing and the Emergence of les Grands Magasins” with Roger Mummert and the Alliance Française April 9 at 4pm EDT Register: https://www.afusa.org/community/event-rsvp/?event_id=91 Explore luxury retailing in Paris beginning with Medieval times, when travelers sought les articles de Paris , the superior goods produced there b...

D-Day was a colossal event in human history. On June 6, 1944, Allied forces landed on the beaches of Normandy and began to turn the tide against Nazi aggression and tyranny. Understanding this epic event requires that we revisit the narratives of "American Exceptionalism" and "Eternal France" and examine the role of nationalism in the development of modern Europe.  Part 1: &quo...

"Bourgeois” by definition means middle class. And while most French citizens are middle class, you would be hard-pressed to find anyone who wants to be called bourgeois. “Quelle horreur!”  Indeed, in France, “bourgeois” has a complicated biography. We explore that in this series.   This podcast was created by Roger Mummert for www.theparisproject.net.  

Walter Benjamin (1892-1940) was a native of Berlin, but he had deep roots in Paris. In his essay, "A Berlin Chronicle" from Reflections, he reminisces about the role played by people in his life, from childhood on. Here, while seated in the Café Deux Magots in St-Germain-des-Prés, he has a revelation--an illumination, in his words--that encapsulates the way so many feel about Paris as a...

We venerate Mark Twain as a foundational American novelist, but for much of his career he paid his bills by traveling the world, writing of his adventures and recounting them from the stage. In fact, Twain spent 12 years abroad--including nearly two years living in Paris. This is Part 1 of  the "Mark Twain and France" series, in which we explore Twain's first encounter with Paris as...

The area surrounding Notre Dame Cathedral is being reimagined, as part of the vast greening of Paris. In a few years, the 12 million people who visit the cathedral annually will encounter a surrounding space that is far greener, cooler and more amenable to social interactions. It may also be more Parisian. See how the landscape architects of Bureau Bas Smets plan to bring Parisians back to the Ile...

Bohemianism is a grandmere to many "isms"  inspired by the original Bohemians of Paris . The list of “Bohemainism-isms” is long, but here are a choice few. This is Part V of "Bohemianism," a podcast from theparisproject.net.  This podcast was created by Roger Mummert for www.theparisproject.net.  

In 1851, Henri Murger published "Scenes de la Vie de Bohème," portraying the Bohemian life of four artists in the Quartier Latin. Some say the book defined the colorful ways of Bohemianism; others say is merely "marked" or even mocked what was a serious social and political rejection of bourgeois values and comforts. The book remains widely read, and the argument endures, as we...

"The Most Bohemian Bohemian" is Part 3 of "Bohemianism," a podcast series from theparisproject.net.  A countdown from 10 to 1 of the most colorful and influential Bohemians from la Bohème Galante, the first generations of Bohemians in Paris.  This podcast was created by Roger Mummert for www.theparisproject.net.  

While the idea of Bohemianism may seem eternal, the founding of Bohemianism in Paris can be traced to 1830 when a small group of young writers and artists formed a circle they called le Petit Cénacle. They believed that life should be lived for art—and art never should be employed toward bourgeois conventions and comforts. The Bohemians of le Petite Cénacle became infamous for their drunken revelr...

bohemianism Living a life of l’art pour l’art, flaunting conventions, embracing poverty and rejecting bourgeois values and comforts. Part 1 Walking a Lobster: Birth of la Bohème  In the 1830s, the poet Gerard de Nerval attached a blue silk leash to his pet lobster Thibault and walked him through the gardens of the Palais Royal. It is difficult today to appreciate the significance of this gesture....

Paris is in the midst of a massive transformation  to become one of the greenest cities in Europe. The city sees this greening plan as part of a historic continuum, but critics say this is greenwashing. The Paris greening plan is ambitious and admirable--but history and language matter. Let's not admire a tree and call it a forest.  This podcast was created by Roger Mummert for www.theparispr...

Today's greening plan is not the first effort to make Paris a green city. Here are notable greening moments from Catherine de Medici to Georges-Eugene Haussmann.  This podcast was created by Roger Mummert for www.theparisproject.net.  

Many of the records of the massive renovation of Paris (1853-1870) were lost in the 1871 fire  that destroyed l'Hotel de Ville. Fortunately, Georges-Eugene Haussmann and several other key people on his renovation team left behind their memoirs. Here is a brief sampler.  This podcast was created by Roger Mummert for www.theparisproject.net.  

The Champ-de-Mars by the Eiffel Tower, which was created for military drills, is today a battleground for city planners vs. tree advocates. In a city that, for centuries, was built with boulevards and vistas that project  la gloire de France for visitors, Parisians ask: Is our city to be looked at--or lived in?    This podcast was created by Roger Mummert for www.theparisproject.net.  

As the city of Paris evolved into modernity, the removal of human waste was key to that transition. Today, repurposing waste products plays a significant role in realizing a greener Paris.  And urine is key to it.  Podcast by Roger Mummert www.theparisproject.net This podcast was created by Roger Mummert for www.theparisproject.net.  

Paris is undergoing what may be the most comprehensive transformation since the Haussmann renovation in the 19th century. This time, 2 million Parisians, and not just an emperor and his agent, have a hand in determining how life in Paris can be enhanced and enjoyed in a sustainable green city. Podcast by Roger Mummert www.theparisproject.net This podcast was created by Roger Mummert for www.thepar...

Laïcité has roots in France going back to the Edict of Nantes in 1598, which granted freedom of religion (or at least tolerance) to French Protestants. And since that time, this French concept of secularism has been hotly debated.  This podcast is part of "Paris: A City of Ideas," a series created and narrated by Roger Mummert (rogermum@aol.com) For more information: www.theparisproject....

In the 19th century, public education in France  was made mandatory and secular. The Catholic Church, which  previously had controlled and administered education, viewed this as a hostile act of anti-clericism. They faced off against the proponents of secularism in what was known as "The Conflict of the Two Frances." Today, more than ever, schools are battleground over secularism, religi...

For four centuries, laïcité has been a guiding principle of life in Paris and throughout France. Yet is remains a hot-button issue today, as France struggles to define a national character while fulfilling the aspirations of the Republic. Does secularism even have a place in a country and an interconnected world undergoing vast demographic and cultural transitions?  This podcast is part of "P...

Laïcité is a distinctly French concept of secularism. It ensures the free expression of religion by banishing religion and its symbols from the public sphere.   This podcast is part of "Paris: A City of Ideas," a series created and narrated by Roger Mummert (rogermum@aol.com). For more information: www.theparisproject.net  This podcast was created by Roger Mummert for www.theparisproject...