Paris aristocratic district In 1240, the
Knights Templar built a fortified church just outside the walls of Paris, in the northern part of the Marais. Later on, The
Temple (also known as the Temple Quarter) had many religious institutions built nearby. These include: the
convents des Blancs-Manteaux, de Sainte-Croix-de-la-Bretonnerie and des Carmes-Billettes, as well as the church of . During the mid-13th century,
Charles I of Anjou, King of Naples and Sicily, and brother of King
Louis IX of France built his residence near the current n°7 rue de Sévigné. In 1361, King
Charles V built a mansion known as the
Hôtel Saint-Pol, in which the
Royal Court settled during his reign (as well as his son's). From that time to the 17th century and especially after the Royal Square (
Place Royale, current
place des Vosges) was designed under King
Henri IV of France in 1605, the Marais was the favoured place of residence of the French nobility. Among the many urban mansions—
hôtels particuliers, in French—they built there were the
Hôtel de Sens, the
Hôtel de Sully, the
Hôtel de Beauvais, the
Hôtel Carnavalet, the
Hôtel de Guénégaud and the
Hôtel de Soubise. During the late 18th century, the district was no longer considered the most fashionable district by the nobility, yet it still kept its reputation of being an aristocratic area. By that time, only minor nobles and a few higher ranking nobles, such as the
Prince de Soubise, lived there. The
Place des Vosges remained a place for nobles to meet. The district fell into disrepair after the
French Revolution and was then abandoned by the nobility completely. It was to remain unfashionable until the late 20th century.
Jewish community After the French Revolution, the district was no longer the aristocratic district it had been during the 17th and 18th centuries. Because of this, the district became a popular and active commercial area, hosting one of Paris' main Jewish communities. At the end of the 19th century and during the first half of the 20th, the district around the
rue des Rosiers, referred to as the "
Pletzl", welcomed many Eastern European Jews (
Ashkenazi) who reinforced the district's clothing specialization. During World War II the Jewish community was targeted by the
Nazis who were occupying France. As of today, the rue des Rosiers remains a major center of the Paris Jewish community, which has made a comeback since the 1990s. Public notices announce Jewish events, bookshops specialize in Jewish books, and numerous restaurants and other outlets sell
kosher food. The
synagogue on 10 rue Pavée is adjacent to the rue des Rosiers. It was designed in 1913 by Art Nouveau architect
Hector Guimard, who designed many
Paris Metro stations. The Marais houses the
Museum of Jewish Art and History, the largest French museum of Jewish art and history. The museum conveys the extensive history and culture of Jews in Europe and North Africa from the Middle Ages to the 20th century. Cnaan Lipshiz of
Times of Israel wrote that in previous eras the district was "the beating heart of French Jewry". In 1982, Palestinian extremists murdered six people and injured 22 at a Jewish restaurant in the Marais,
Chez Jo Goldenberg, an attack which evidenced ties to the
Abu Nidal Organization. By 2019 much Jewish business activity left The Marais, and it had fewer Jewish residents.
Post-war rehabilitation By the 1950s, the district had become a working-class area and most of its architectural masterpieces were in a state of neglect. In 1964, General de Gaulle's Culture Minister,
Andre Malraux, made the Marais the first
secteur sauvegardé (literally translated as
safeguarded sector). That was meant to protect and conserve places deemed to be of special cultural significance. In the following decades, the government and the city led an active restoration and
Rehabilitation Policy. The main
hôtels particuliers have since been restored and turned into museums: the
Hôtel Salé hosts the Picasso Museum, the
Hôtel Carnavalet the Paris Historical Museum, the Hôtel Donon the
Cognacq-Jay Museum, and the
Hôtel de Saint-Aignan hosts the
Musée d'Art et d'Histoire du Judaïsme. The site of Beaubourg, the western part of Marais, was chosen for the
Centre Georges Pompidou, France's national Museum of Modern Art, which is widely considered one of the world's most important cultural institutions. The building was completed in 1977 with advanced modern architectural features by
Renzo Piano and
Richard Rogers.
Present day The Marais is now one of Paris' most frequented localities for art galleries. Following its restoration, the Marais has now become a popular and culture-defining district, home to many upscale restaurants, museums, fashion houses, and galleries. The Marais is also known for its Chinese community, which first formed during
World War I. At that time, France needed workers on the home front to perform the duties previously filled by men who were now soldiers on the front lines. China sent a few thousand of its citizens, on the condition that they would not actually take part in the war. Following the 1918 Allied victory, some of them stayed in Paris, living around the current rue au Maire. Today, most work in jewellery and leather-related products. The Marais' Chinese community has mainly settled in the north of the district, particularly in the vicinity of
Place de la République. Next to it, on the Rue du Temple, is the Chinese Church of Paris. Other features of the neighborhood include the
Musée Picasso, the house of
Nicolas Flamel, the
Musée Cognacq-Jay, and the
Musée Carnavalet. ==LGBT culture==