Who was Charles Michels, the man who gave his name to the line 10 station in the 15th arrondissement?

Published by Margot de Sortiraparis · Published on December 31, 2023 at 05:50 p.m.
Located under Place Charles-Michels and Avenue Emile Zola in the 15th arrondissement, the eponymous metro station is particularly well known to those who take line 10 to Boulogne-Billancourt (its terminus) or Gare d'Austerlitz (its other terminus).

In service since July 13, 1913, the station was initially served by line 8, until 1937, when line 10 finally passed through, following the reorganization of lines 8, 10 and the former line 14 (according to Wikipedia). Originally, the station was named Beaugrenelle, due to its location beneath theformer Place Beaugrenelle (which later gave its name to the present-day shopping mall on the same site). In 1945, the station was renamed Charles Michels, along with Place Beaugrenelle, which was also renamed on July 14, 1945.

Many of us know his name, but few know who Charles Michels (1903-1941) really was. Born in Paris on March 6, 1903, Charles Michels was a trade unionist and Communist activist, who was elected deputy for the 15th arrondissement of Paris from May 1936 to June 1940. Although the French Communist Party (PCF) was dissolved in September 1939, Charles Michels continued his involvement with the Confédération générale du travail unitaire (CGTU).

Qui était Charles Michels, l'homme qui a donné son nom à la station de la ligne 10 dans le 15e ?Qui était Charles Michels, l'homme qui a donné son nom à la station de la ligne 10 dans le 15e ?Qui était Charles Michels, l'homme qui a donné son nom à la station de la ligne 10 dans le 15e ?Qui était Charles Michels, l'homme qui a donné son nom à la station de la ligne 10 dans le 15e ?

In October 1940, he was arrested and interned at Aincourt (95), Fontevrault and Clairvaux. Finally, in May 1941, he arrived at the Choisel camp in Châteaubriant: it was here that on October 22, 1941, he was shot, one of the 48 executed at Châteaubriant in reprisal for the attempt on the life of Karl Hotz, head of the Nantes Kommandantur. Guy Môquet, the youngest victim of this shooting, was also among those shot, and a metro station on line 13 was named posthumously in his honor.

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Dates and Opening Time
From December 31, 2023 to December 31, 2027

× Approximate opening times: to confirm opening times, please contact the establishment.

    Location

    Place Charles Michels
    75015 Paris 15

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