France-Germany 1870-1871. War, Commune, Memories

A new look at a little-known conflict: the Franco-German War of 1870-1871.

Every day from 10am to 6pm
From Thursday 13 April 2017
to Sunday 30 July 2017

Visit the exhibition website See the exhibition's playlist on YouTube Téléchargez le dossier de presse

The Franco-German War of 1870-1871 marked a decisive turning point in Europe. The "terrible year" described by Victor Hugo led to civil war - the Paris Commune - which was all the crueller for taking place right in front of the German occupying forces. There are many traces left in art, literature and the urban environment by the witnesses of the war, such as La Défense business district in the west of Paris, or the Strasse der Pariser Kommune in Berlin.

Over 300 objects, including an exceptional set of photographs from that period, will provide a new perspective on this little-known conflict, which nonetheless gave us major innovations in combat and communication techniques (anti-aircraft guns, micro-photography dispatches, balloons...).