Historique site
On 22nd November 1890, Charles de Gaulle was born in the house of
Jules-Emile and Julia Maillot, his grandparents, at 9, rue Princesse
in Lille.
His Birthplace was the venue for family gatherings and the young Charles
de Gaulle spent holidays there. The house remained in the family until
1948. In 1967, the house was acquired by an association of friends
of Charles de Gaulle and then bequeathed to the Institut Charles de
Gaulle. In 1990, the Birthplace was listed as a historic monument
and it is now owned by the Fondation Charles de Gaulle.
Since 1983, the birthplace has been open to the public, thanks to
a national fundraising programme to finance its restoration.
Since 1995, the renovation work carried out, along with the acquisition
of numerous pieces of furniture and the display of family mementos
and personal effects, plunges the visitor into the ambience of life
at the time of Charles de Gaulle's birth.
The presentation of his grandparents' day-to-day environment evokes
life in the North at the end of the 19th century and, in particular,
the traditions and customs of a typical bourgeois family in that era.
Each of the rooms in the house serves as a pretext for evoking an
episode from Charles de Gaulle's youth. In June 2005, four linking
rooms will be added to the visit itinerary. Their focus will be on
the social and family environment, De Gaulle's personality during
his youth and Lille at the end of the 19th century : families and
heritage, upbringing and education.
The Birthplace is part of Lille's heritage. It offers the opportunity
of visiting a town house typical of the industrial bourgeoisie of
the North of France in the 19th century. |
A cultural média tool
As a cultural media tool, Charles de Gaulle's Birthplace positions itself
at the very heart of a reflection on History, Remembrance and Heritage,
highlighted by the contribution of digital technologies and a multilingual
approach, encouraging interactivity, exchanges and dialogue.
The redevelopment programme is focused around three major themes :
The presentation of the remembrance of Charles de Gaulle, centred around
his birth and early life and based on highlighting the home by means of
scenes integrating family, historical and sociological dimensions.
The implementation of a multimedia resources centre tailored to the needs
and expectations of local, regional and European users.
The creation of temporary exhibition venues with an annual exhibition programme
linked to themes developed by the cultural centre and in partnership with
other museums and cultural entities.
In its roles as a place of remembrance and as a cultural media tool for
a major figure in contemporary European history, the Birthplace is involved
in co-operation and networking with other cultural institutions, in order
to promote and strengthen links between national and European places of
remembrance.
First phase : the «History Factory» (2002-2004)
The former tulle factory belonging to Jules-Emile
Maillot, Charles de Gaulle's maternal grandfather, is now reborn as a "history
production" plant, a living history crucible.
In fact, with priority being placed on designing new areas for receiving
the public, in 1999, the Fondation Charles de Gaulle therefore purchased
a building at the back of the courtyard with a view to extending the Birthplace.
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The History Factory comprises:
A reception area Four interactive terminals, "Totems", are available
for the public to gain a better understanding of :
o Birthplace activities.
o "Chemins de Mémoire" - Remembrance and Tourism Itineraries in
the Nord-Pas de Calais region.
o Fondation Charles de Gaulle.
o Networking the 20th century history and remembrance sites.
A permanent exhibition
A chronological fresco, split into three stages, retracing Charles
de Gaulle's life:
o 1890 1940 Birth of a great man
o 1940 1946 Resistance Member, Liberator
o 1958 1970 Statesman
A multimedia resources centre
Providing visitors with eleven computers and a library. It offers
access to all the information and data (texts, images, audio and
video recordings) relating to Charles de Gaulle, his history, his
works and, in the long term, the history of the district in the
19th century.
The resources centre will be networked with other remembrance and
history sites in the context of the "Chemins de Mémoire" Remembrance
Itineraries initiative instigated by the Ministry of Defence. Within
its own document base, and in the context of teaching projects and
themed exhibitions, the resources centre also offers exclusive archives,
only consultable on site.
Forum
Both an audiovisual theatre and a lecture theatre, this area has
seating capacity for 50 visitors (expandable to 90 visitors).
Teaching area
On the first floor mezzanine, young visitors (6-11 years old) have
their own dedicated play area. This area is equipped with three
computers, furniture and teaching materials adapted for children
and conducive not only to discovering the History of the 20th century
but also geography and community life.
maison.natale@charles-de-gaulle.org
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Second phase : development of the family home (2004-2005)
This second phase involves the development
of the family home as a museum and the creation of temporary exhibition
areas covering both floors in the right wing.
A lift will be available to enable visitors with limited mobility to circulate
freely throughout the developed areas.
Based on prior historical research, the family home rooms restoration
project will result in the creation of a new visit itinerary aimed at
highlighting the restored existing rooms in their historical setting by
way of the creation of four period-linking rooms :
The first linking room will be devoted to the Lille environment between
1870 and 1914 by :
o Evoking Lille's urban development and city architecture at the end of
the 19th century and at the beginning of the 20th century (graphics and
photographs).
o Creating awareness of Lille's social life around the 1900's (audiovisual
presentation).
o Telling the story of the district, the rue Princesse and the Birthplace
from its ori- gins to the present day (interactive terminal).
The second linking room will recall the young Charles de Gaulle's heritage
by a genealogical and cultural approach based on three appreciation levels
and three scenographic presentations .
As for the third linking room, it will reveal a biographical and human
approach to Charles de Gaulle, the young man, his personality, his upbringing
and the dawning of his vocation between 1900 and 1912. A scale model on
the floor will guide the visitor through three major stages of his life.
The A linking room is autonomous and independent of the 3 other linking
rooms. It is devoted entirely to Charles de Gaulle’s passions from his
earliest childhood: reading and writing. retour
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