Elephant of the Bastille
The elephant of the Bastille was a 1813-1846 existing landmarks of Paris.
Napoleon Bonaparte wanted to be first in place of the demolished Bastille build his triumphal arch, 1806, but they decided on the present location in the center of the Place de l' Etoile.
The foundation for a fountain in the Place de la Bastille was laid on December 2, 1808 by Interior Minister Cretet. The Emperor then expressed in a letter to Cretet from December 21, 1808 very definite ideas about the look of those monumental statue of an elephant, which should be at the center of the water surface. By decree of February 9, 1810 finally ordered the emperor to Pour on the court a monumental fountain in the form of a bronze elephant. As an architect Jean -Antoine Alavoin (1777-1834) was appointed. The metal should come from the conquered cannons of the Spanish insurgents. The elephant should squirt water from his trunk and carry as a lookout tower like a saddle. At the personal request of the emperor he was also standing in the middle of a larger, circular water surface. A similar project had already in 1758 under Louis XV. passed.
However, provided for by the end of 1811 unveiling of the finished statue, there was not. The sculptor Pierre -Charles Bridan first had a model made of wood and plaster create ( " 50 feet long and 45 high"). This was situated at the edge of the square and was from 1814 to 1846 the real elephant the Bastille Square.
After the fall of Napoleon, the Minister of the Interior ordered on July 4, 1815, the suspension of work on the monument. The restoration had other plans for the Place de la Bastille, the Place Saint -Antoine was called now. Among other things, a statue group of the abduction of Europa by Jupiter as a bull or a statue of Louis XVIII. as a patron of the arts and industries considered. Even the elephant was considered again. Meanwhile, the plaster elephant still dominated the east side of the square, as in the area of today's Opéra Bastille. He was mentioned in guidebooks, Franz Grillparzer in travel diaries, in Honoré de Balzac, and he also appeared in Heinrich Heine twice. Regardless of individual voices that advocated the maintenance of the project, instead the establishment of the July Column was decided and this unveiled on 28 July 1840.
The since 1814 on the edge of the square standing plaster elephant survived for some time. Of the residents however, he was less valued because he was allegedly lichtscheuem rabble as shelter.
On June 19th 1846, the prefect of Paris ordered the demolition of dilapidated and inhabited by numerous rats plaster elephant. By September so that disappeared a symbol of Paris. Victor Hugo sat him in 1862 a literary monument and made him the place of residence of the heroic street urchin Gavroche and the scene of one of the scenes of his novel Les Misérables ( 4th part, Book 6 ).
Heinrich Heine on the discussions at the Bastille Elephant
" Paris, July 29, 1842 the municipal council of Paris has decided the elephant model that stands on the Place de la Bastille, not to destroy, as you initially intended, but to use a cast iron in bronze and the product derived Monument at the entrance of the Barrière du establish Trone. About this Munizipalbeschluß the people of the Faubourg Saint- Antoine and Saint -Marceau speaks almost as much as the higher classes on the regency question. that colossal elephant of gypsum, which was already set in imperial times, would later serve as a model of the monument, that you remembered the July Revolution to devote to the Bastillenplatze. since then was one other sense, and was built for the glory of that glorious event of the great Julius column. But the Fort evacuation of the elephant aroused great concern. It was namely among the people of the sinister rumor of an immense number of rats that had taken root in the interior of the elephant, and it was to be feared that, if you settle tear the large gypsum beast, a legion of small, but very dangerous fiends would come to the fore, which extends over the Faubourg Saint- Antoine and Saint -Marceau would spread. All petticoats trembled at the thought of such a danger, and even the men took an uncanny fear of invasion of those long-tailed guests. There were the magistrates made the most humble ideas, and as a result thereof adjourned to the tearing down of the large plaster elephant which since many years at the Bastillenplatze have remained calm. Strange country! Where, despite the general destructiveness nevertheless get some things, because you generally worse things fears that could take its place! How much they would prefer the Louis Philippe tear down this great wise elephant, but they are afraid of Se. Majesty the King sovereign rats, the thousand-headed monster that would come then to the government, and even the noble and spiritual enemies of the bourgeoisie, who are not just looking to get struck with blindness the Julius throne, for this reason; only the very Limited, the players and cheaters among the aristocrats and clerics, are pessimists and speculate on the Republic, or rather to the chaos that is likely to occur immediately after the Republic " ( Heinrich Heine. essays II over France Part 2. : Lutetia, Section L)