History
article | Reading time5 min
Léon Gambetta epitomised the republican ideal in the 19th century. A popular and charismatic figure, his legend continues to grow even after his death.
Republican Hero
A spontaneous outpouring of enthusiasm
Léon Gambetta’s death sent shockwaves through public opinion, particularly as no one had seen it coming. The statesman’s body was laid in state on 1 January 1883 at the Maison des Jardies. Prominent figures such as Georges Clemenceau, Félix Faure and Jules Ferry, as well as the painters Ernest Meissonnier and Léon Bonnat, came in turn to pay their last respects to the great man.
The post-mortem examination took place the following day and gave rise to a strange ritual. Some of Gambetta’s organs were taken away by admirers; for instance, his heart was collected by Paul Bert and kept at the Maison des Jardies before being transferred to the Panthéon on 11 November 1920.
Then came the public tribute. From 3 January onwards, four thousand people made their way to Les Jardies and laid mountains of flowers there. On 4 and 5 January, Gambetta’s coffin was transferred to the Palais Bourbon, where it was visited by more than one hundred and fifty thousand people. Finally, on 6 January, a huge procession accompanied the body to Père-Lachaise Cemetery, in a Paris in mourning. Gambetta’s state funeral was a magnificent affair and would leave a lasting impression on the French people. Shortly afterwards, his remains were transferred to Nice to the family vault, in accordance with his father’s wishes.
© Archives départementales des Hauts-de-Seine
The ‘Saint of the Republic’
In the decades that followed, the memory of Gambetta remained vivid and even grew stronger as the confrontation with Germany loomed. Monuments erected in Gambetta’s honour multiplied, and the ‘pilgrimage’ to Les Jardies became a must for any true republican. His cult also manifested itself in popular culture, in the many items bearing his likeness: stamps, medals, cutlery, and so on.
But the celebration of Gambetta reached its peak in 1920, during the ceremony marking the transfer of the body of the Unknown Soldier beneaththe Arc de Triomphe and that of Gambetta’s heart to the Panthéon. The martyr and the saint of the Republic were thus symbolically reunited during a magnificent procession.
© Gallica - BnF
Falling into oblivion
After the Second World War, however, the cult surrounding the republican hero began to fade. The Maison des Jardies was left partly derelict, whilst Gambetta lost the place of honour he had occupied in school curricula. ‘Léon Gambetta’ became the name of a street or boulevard, meaning very little to the passer-by.
There is, however, much to be gained from studying such a man, who was remarkable in many ways. Now restored, the Maison des Jardies offers visitors the chance to rediscover Léon Gambetta. Throughout the tour, everyday objects and mementoes reveal the personality of the man who was the pioneer and founder of the Third Republic.
© Archives départementales des Hauts-de-Seine
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