.gif)
Bir-Hakeim (Paris Metro)
Encyclopedia
Bir-Hakeim is an elevated station
of the Paris Métro
serving line 6
in the Boulevard de Grenelle in the 15th arrondissement. It is situated on the left bank of the Bir-Hakeim bridge
over the Seine
.
The station is above the RER C
line; the station Champ de Mars - Tour Eiffel is within walking distance.
on 24 April 1906, when it was extended from Passy
to Place d'Italie
. On 14 October 1907 Line 2 South was incorporated into Line 5
. It was incorporated into line 6 on 12 October 1942. The station was called Quai de Grenelle until 1949, when it was renamed to commemorate the Battle of Bir Hakeim
. A commemorative panel is situated at the entrance of the platform for trains traveling towards Nation
. The station was the location of the Barrière de la Cunette, a gate built for the collection of taxation as part of the Wall of the Farmers-General
; the gate was built between 1784 and 1788 and demolished in the nineteenth century.
; the signs on the station walls say "Bir-Hakeim — Tour Eiffel".
Near the station is the site of the former Vélodrome d'hiver
(Winter Velodrome or "Vel' d'Hiv"), which was famous for its cycling competitions but infamous as having been the first place of detention
for thousands of Paris
ian Jews
who were rounded up by the police on 16 and 17 July 1942 before their deportation
to concentration camps. The velodrome was destroyed in 1960 in the course of work done on the bank of the Seine (Front de Seine
). A commemorative monument has been raised near the south side of the station, above the tracks of the RER C
.
In the film Last Tango in Paris
, Maria Schneider
's character has an argument which leads to a physical altercation with her boyfriend in the Bir-Hakeim station.
Metro station
A metro station or subway station is a railway station for a rapid transit system, often known by names such as "metro", "underground" and "subway". It is often underground or elevated. At crossings of metro lines, they are multi-level....
of the Paris Métro
Paris Métro
The Paris Métro or Métropolitain is the rapid transit metro system in Paris, France. It has become a symbol of the city, noted for its density within the city limits and its uniform architecture influenced by Art Nouveau. The network's sixteen lines are mostly underground and run to 214 km ...
serving line 6
Paris Metro Line 6
Line 6 is one of the sixteen lines of the Paris Métro rapid transit system. Following a semi-circular route around the southern half of the city above boulevards formed by ancient city walls , it runs from Charles de Gaulle – Étoile in the west and Nation in the east.Opened between 1900 and 1906...
in the Boulevard de Grenelle in the 15th arrondissement. It is situated on the left bank of the Bir-Hakeim bridge
Pont de Bir-Hakeim
The pont de Bir-Hakeim, formerly the pont de Passy, is a bridge that crosses the Seine River in Paris, France. It connects the city's 15th and 16th arrondissements, and passes through the île aux Cygnes....
over the Seine
Seine
The Seine is a -long river and an important commercial waterway within the Paris Basin in the north of France. It rises at Saint-Seine near Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plateau, flowing through Paris and into the English Channel at Le Havre . It is navigable by ocean-going vessels...
.
The station is above the RER C
RER C
The RER C is one of the five lines in the RER rapid transit system serving :Paris, France. It is operated by SNCF.The line runs from the northwestern terminuses Pontoise , Versailles – Rive Gauche and Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines to the southeastern terminuses Massy-Palaiseau , Dourdan-la-Forêt , ...
line; the station Champ de Mars - Tour Eiffel is within walking distance.
History
The station opened as part of the former Line 2 SouthParis Metro Line 6
Line 6 is one of the sixteen lines of the Paris Métro rapid transit system. Following a semi-circular route around the southern half of the city above boulevards formed by ancient city walls , it runs from Charles de Gaulle – Étoile in the west and Nation in the east.Opened between 1900 and 1906...
on 24 April 1906, when it was extended from Passy
Passy (Paris Metro)
Passy is a rapid transit station on Line 6 of the Paris Métro in the 16th arrondissement of the city. It is elevated at its eastern end, while its western end is in the mouth of a tunnel.-Location:...
to Place d'Italie
Place d'Italie (Paris Metro)
Place d'Italie is a rapid transit station of the Paris Métro located in the heart of the 13th arrondissement of Paris, at the Place d'Italie. It is the terminus of Line 5 and is also served by Line 6 and Line 7.-History:...
. On 14 October 1907 Line 2 South was incorporated into Line 5
Paris Metro Line 5
Paris Métro Line 5 is one of the 16 metro lines built in Paris, France. It crosses the east of Paris from Bobigny to Place d'Italie. It is the eighth busiest line on the network....
. It was incorporated into line 6 on 12 October 1942. The station was called Quai de Grenelle until 1949, when it was renamed to commemorate the Battle of Bir Hakeim
Battle of Bir Hakeim
Bir Hakeim is a remote oasis in the Libyan desert, and the former site of a Turkish fort. During the Battle of Gazala, the 1st Free French Division of General Marie Pierre Kœnig defended the site from 26 May-11 June 1942 against attacking German and Italian forces directed by Lieutenant-General ...
. A commemorative panel is situated at the entrance of the platform for trains traveling towards Nation
Nation (Paris Metro and RER)
Nation is a station of the Paris Métro and of Île-de-France's regional high-speed RER. It serves lines 1, 2, 6 and 9 of the Paris Métro and line A of the RER....
. The station was the location of the Barrière de la Cunette, a gate built for the collection of taxation as part of the Wall of the Farmers-General
Wall of the Farmers-General
The Wall of the Farmers-General was built between 1784 and 1791 by the Ferme générale, the corporation of tax farmers. It was one of the several city walls of Paris built between the early Middle Ages to the mid 19th century. It was 24 kilometers long and roughly followed the route now occupied by...
; the gate was built between 1784 and 1788 and demolished in the nineteenth century.
Places of Interest
It is the station closest to the Eiffel TowerEiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower is a puddle iron lattice tower located on the Champ de Mars in Paris. Built in 1889, it has become both a global icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world...
; the signs on the station walls say "Bir-Hakeim — Tour Eiffel".
Near the station is the site of the former Vélodrome d'hiver
Vélodrome d'hiver
The Vélodrome d'Hiver , colloquially Vel' d'Hiv, was an indoor bicycle racing cycle track and stadium on rue Nélaton, not far from the Eiffel Tower in Paris. As well as track cycling, it was used for ice hockey, wrestling, boxing, roller-skating, circuses, spectaculars, and demonstrations...
(Winter Velodrome or "Vel' d'Hiv"), which was famous for its cycling competitions but infamous as having been the first place of detention
Detention (imprisonment)
Detention is the process when a state, government or citizen lawfully holds a person by removing their freedom of liberty at that time. This can be due to criminal charges being raised against the individual as part of a prosecution or to protect a person or property...
for thousands of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
ian Jews
History of the Jews in France
The history of the Jews of France dates back over 2,000 years. In the early Middle Ages, France was a center of Jewish learning, but persecution increased as the Middle Ages wore on...
who were rounded up by the police on 16 and 17 July 1942 before their deportation
Deportation
Deportation means the expulsion of a person or group of people from a place or country. Today it often refers to the expulsion of foreign nationals whereas the expulsion of nationals is called banishment, exile, or penal transportation...
to concentration camps. The velodrome was destroyed in 1960 in the course of work done on the bank of the Seine (Front de Seine
Front de Seine
Front de Seine is a district in Paris, France, located along the river Seine in the 15th arrondissement right at the South of the Eiffel Tower...
). A commemorative monument has been raised near the south side of the station, above the tracks of the RER C
RER C
The RER C is one of the five lines in the RER rapid transit system serving :Paris, France. It is operated by SNCF.The line runs from the northwestern terminuses Pontoise , Versailles – Rive Gauche and Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines to the southeastern terminuses Massy-Palaiseau , Dourdan-la-Forêt , ...
.
In the film Last Tango in Paris
Last Tango in Paris
Last Tango in Paris is a 1972 Italian romantic drama film directed by Bernardo Bertolucci which portrays a recent American widower who takes up an anonymous sexual relationship with a young, soon-to-be-married Parisian woman...
, Maria Schneider
Maria Schneider (actress)
Maria Schneider was a French actress. She was best known for playing Jeanne, opposite Marlon Brando, in the 1972 film Last Tango in Paris.-Career:...
's character has an argument which leads to a physical altercation with her boyfriend in the Bir-Hakeim station.