UNIVERSITÉ PARIS 1 PANTHÉON-SORBONNE CENTRE DE RECHERCHE HiCSA (Histoire culturelle et sociale de l’art - EA 4100) DISCUSSING HERITAGE AND MUSEUMS: CROSSING PATHS OF FRANCE AND SERBIA Choice of Articles from the Summer School of Museology Proceedings Editors Dominique Poulot and Isidora Stanković HERITAGIZATION OF THE MARAIS DISTRICT IN PARIS: ACTORS AND CHALLENGES ISIDORA STANKOVIĆ Electronic reference Isidora Stanković, « Heritagization of the Marais District in Paris: Actors and Challenges », in Dominique Poulot and Isidora Stanković (Eds.), Discussing Heritage and Museums: Crossing Paths of France and Serbia, Choice of Articles from the Summer School of Museology Proceedings, Paris, Website of HiCSA, online October 2017, p. 80-99. HERITAGIZATION OF THE MARAIS DISTRICT IN PARIS: ACTORS AND CHALLENGES ISIDORA STANKOVIĆ Ph.D Candidate Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University / University of Belgrade Biography: Isidora Stanković is a Ph.D Candidate of Art History (specialization: Heritage Studies and Museology) in the joint supervision between the Faculty of Philosophy, Univer- sity of Belgrade and the Doctoral School of Art History, Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University. She finished her Bachelor studies of Art History and obtained her Master’s degree within the Seminar for Museology and Heritology founded at the Depart- ment of Art History of the Faculty of Philosophy in Belgrade. For several years she has been enrolled as a teaching assistant in courses of the aforementioned Seminar. From January 2016 to April 2017, she worked at the Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne Uni- versity as a research associate on the Horizon 2020 European project “Cultural Base. Social Platform on Cultural Heritage and European Identities”. Areas of her research include cultural heritage, lieux de mémoire, collective and cultural memory. Summary: Heritagization of the Marais district in Paris: Actors and Challenges The Marais district in Paris is important in the patrimonial sense for two reasons. The first one is existence of numerous monuments and historical remains at this location. The second and probably even more important reason, which is making all of these traces of the past “part of the present”, is the engagement of numerous associations, institutions and communities in the preservation of certain elements of its past. This paper thus analyzes some of the actors that are defining, using, reinterpreting and transmitting the heritage of the Marais. At the beginning, some of the historical aspects of the district are accented focusing on the remains that could be found in the Marais today and events that influenced its appearance. Her- itagization of certain parts of the district, carried out by various actors, is outlined in the second part of the paper, namely, the work of different associations related to the protection, valorization and raising awareness for the Marais’ heritage, policies that affected the legal protection of the district, institutions that create different programs about it and communities whose part of the identity is the district itself and which are involved in the transmission of the memories related to it in their everyday life. /80 ISIDORA STANKOVIĆ Résumé : La patrimonialisation du quartier du Marais à Paris : acteurs et enjeux Il y a deux raisons qui font du Marais un quartier de Paris important en terme de patrimoine. La première est la présence de nombreux monuments et vestiges his- toriques dans ce quartier. La seconde raison, probablement plus importante, qui fait de ces traces du passé une « part de présent », est l’engagement de nombreuses associations, institutions, ainsi que de communautés dans la préservation de cer- tains éléments de son passé. Cet article se propose donc d’analyser les acteurs qui définissent, utilisent, réinterprètent et transmettent le patrimoine du Marais. Dans un premier temps, il s’agit de mettre en relief quelques aspects historiques du quartier, soulignant les vestiges que l’on peut trouver dans le Marais aujourd’hui et les événements qui influencèrent l’apparence du quartier. Puis, la patrimoniali- sation de certaines parties du Marais, effectuée par les acteurs variés, est abordée dans la deuxième partie, avec notamment l’activité de différentes associations sur la préservation, la valorisation et la sensibilisation au patrimoine du Marais, mais aussi la politique qui a influencé la protection légale du quartier, les institutions qui y organisent des programmes variés, ainsi que les communautés dont l’identité est le quartier lui-même et qui sont investies dans la transmission des souvenirs sur le Marais dans leur vie quotidienne. /81 HERITAGIZATION OF THE MARAIS DISTRICT IN PARIS HERITAGIZATION OF THE MARAIS DISTRICT IN PARIS: ACTORS AND CHALLENGES “Heritage wasn’t only about the past – though it was too – it also wasn’t just about material things – though it is that as well – heritage was a process of engagement, an act of communication and an act of making meaning in and for the present”. 1 Laurajane Smith The Marais district represents one of the Parisian districts consisting of the parts of the 3rd and the 4th arrondissement 2. It is one of the first places from which the city of Paris started to develop in the Middle Ages. Furthermore, it is the district that was one of the most prestigious places to live in when several kings of France resided there alongside with numerous officials and aristocrats who built luxurious and famous residences. Yet, there were times when it was one of the poorest areas inhabited by merchants, artisans and immigrants who lived in overpopulated apartments without sewerage system. Marais is one of the first Parisian Jewish districts as well and one of the most famous gay districts in the world. It is also one of the two Parisian secteurs sauvegardés – protected sectors – declared by the 1962 “Malraux law” and one of the districts of Paris that was later on highly influenced by gentrification during its renovation. Still, what makes the Marais so important in the patrimonial sense? The first reason is the existence of numerous monuments and historical remains. The second and probably more important, is the engagement of numerous asso- ciations, institutions and communities in the preservation of certain elements of the Marais’ heritage. All of them are developing different definitions of the district’s heritage and memories and they constantly reinterpret the past. The aim of this paper is to analyze heritagization of some parts of the Marais, perpetrated by different actors who are defining, using, (re)interpreting and transmitting its past. Some historical aspects of the district will be pointed out at the beginning focusing on the remains that could be found in the Marais today and events that influenced its appearance. The heritagization of the district, carried out by various actors, will be outlined in the second part: the work of different associations related to the protection, valorization and raising awareness for the Marais’ heritage, policies that affected the legal protection of the district, institutions that create different programs about it and communi- ties whose part of the identity is the district itself and which are involved in the transmission of the memories related to it in their everyday life. 1 Laurajane Smith, Uses of Heritage (New York: Routledge, 2006), 1. 2 City of Paris is divided into 20 administrative districts – arrondissements. /82 ISIDORA STANKOVIĆ Important Phases of the Marais’ History that Affected its Appearance One of the most important characteristics of the Marais are numerous remains that testify about diverse cultural aspects of the district’s past. These are the remains that inspired numerous associations and institutions to act for their preservation, valorization and protection. However, before presenting ini- tiatives for the protection of the Marais’ past, let’s reveal some crucial parts of its history. Significant development of this part of the city started in the 12th century with establishing of different marketplaces in its proximity which influenced the increase of its population. At the end of the 12th century the creation of the Wall of Philip Augustus started in order to protect the citizens. 3 This is the eldest protective wall in Paris whose remains could be found in the Marais even today. Successively, various urban enlargements affected this part of the city. Initially, they were focused around two churches, later parishes (Saint Paul and Saint Gervais), which represented the centers of small towns inside the Wall, inhabited by traders, artisans and professionals in agriculture and textile industry. Other abbeys consisted of numerous hôtels where prelates lived were established soon afterwards. From the 13th century onwards, princes started to inhabit the parts of today’s Marais, and to build their hôtels, especially after the king Charles V moved there during the seventh decade of the 14th century. Together with the king, court officials and aristocracy came, which all affected urbanization of the area. Until the relocation of the court in Versailles, other French kings resided longer or shorter in Paris. 4 Until the second half of the 16th century they were living in the Marais. However, aristocracy remained in the district after the kings moved to the Louvre, and they continued to build their luxurious residences. Thus, the biggest parts of the hôtels preserved in the district until today dates from the period of the 16th, 17th and the beginning of the 18th century. 5 However, other classes lived in the Marais as well – within 3 Simone Roux, “Paris à l’époque médiévale (du XIIe au XVe siècle),” in Vivre et survivre dans le Marais. Au cœur de Paris du Moyen Âge à nos jours, ed. Jean-Pierre Azéma (Paris: Édition Le Manuscrit, 2005), 20; Boris Bove, “Vies du quartier autour de Saint-Gervais vers 1300,” in Vivre et survivre dans le Marais. Au cœur de Paris du Moyen Âge à nos jours, ed. Jean-Pierre Azéma (Paris: Édition Le Manuscrit, 2005), 82-86.