Haussmannian apartment, prestige in its purest form

Haussmann buildings: a hygienic origin

It is sometimes forgotten, but before being the showcase of French elegance, the Haussmannian building and apartment were born out of a strong desire on the part of the public authorities to clean up the capital. In the middle of the 19th century, Paris was a city without trees, without running water and without a sewer system. From 1832 to 1849, 45,000 Parisians died of cholera, due to the unsanitary conditions of the city. The buildings are dirty, damp, and some neighborhoods look more like slums, full of manure and mud. The narrow streets of Paris favor barricades, disease, untimely revolts and crimes.

To remedy the situation, in 1853, Napoleon III appointed Baron Georges Eugène Haussmann, Prefect of the Seine. The latter then began, for 17 years, large-scale work to modernize the capital. Some Parisian districts are being rebuilt, others restructured. The narrow and dark streets give way to wide airy boulevards, decorated with green spaces and squares. The Buttes-Chaumont and so many other parks are designed to allow noble and less noble populations to breathe without having to leave the capital. The facades of buildings now line up on the street front. During this period, mainly in the 7th, 8th, 9th, 16th and 17th arrondissements, Haussmann buildings were created. The buildings have all to the sewer, which for the time is a great progress.

The Haussmannian apartment also reflects a certain idea of ​​French society. So they always organize themselves the same way. The 2nd floor is reserved for nobles or wealthy populations, with a long balcony. The 3rd and 4th floors belong to the petty bourgeoisie, sometimes tenants. The 5th floor, if it also has a long balcony for the sake of balance in the facade of the building, is intended more for modest households. As for the top floors, these are most often maids' rooms, reserved for servants who share a bathroom.