The Palais de Chaillot, is located on the Place du Throcadéro in the 16^th arrondoussment[1] in Paris, France. Construction of the Palais de Chaillot started in 1937, and was built to hold Universal Exhibition, or International Exhibition[2], however, before it was the Palais Chaillot known today, another building stood in its place. From 1920-1934, the location was home to the Théâtre National Populaire[3]. The Palais de Chaillot has two different wings, with different uses; in the east wing, there is the Cité de l'Architecture et du Patrimoine, along with the Musée national des Monuments François and the Théâtre national de Chaillot[4]. The southern wing holds the Musée national de la Marine and Musée de l'Homme[5].

During the Nazi Occupation of World War Two, Hitler used the balcony facing the Eiffel Tower to deliver a speech to the people of France[6]. This image then became an iconic image of World War Two. Shortly after the end of the war, the Palais de Chaillot was used by the United Nations General Assembly from 1946-1952[7]. In 1973, the Palais de Chaillot went under re-construction again, being reopened as the Théâtre National de Chaillot[8], with the different wings of the buildings now being home to different museums.

[1] "Palais de Chaillot." Paris. 2015. https://en.parisinfo.com/paris-museum-monument/ 118358/ Palais-de-Chaillot

[2] Ibid

[3] Hartnoll, Phyllis, and Peter Found. "Chaillot, Palais de." In The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre. :

Oxford University Press, 1996. http://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780192825742.

001.0001/acref-9780192825742-e-582.

[4] "Palais de Chaillot." Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia. 18 October, 2018. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki

/Palais_de_Chaillot

[5] Ibid.

[6] Ibid.

[7] Hartnoll, "Chaillot, Palais de".

[8] Ibid.

This destination is the 4th stop on the Nazi-Occupied Paris: Entertainment Tour.

Prior to, and during the Second World War, Hitler gave many speeches, including one in Paris, France on June 23, 1940[1]. This speech was given on the balcony of the Palais de Chaillot, with the Eiffel Tower in the background, which then became a staple image of World War Two[2]. This falls under the political part of our tour, as even though the Nazi-occupation was already a political move, the speeches Hitler made were usually political messages to the countries he was visiting at the time[3]. The Palais de Chaillot did have different exhibits happening during this time, including the Cité de l'Architecture et du Patrimoine, along with the Musée national des Monuments François and the Théâtre national de Chaillot[4] in the east wing, and the Musée national de la Marine and Musée de l'Homme in the southern wing[5]. The Palais de Chaillot today is still home to some of the same museums, he Cité de l'architecture et du patrimoine, the Musée national de la Marine and the Musée de l'Homme, however, the Musée national de la Marine is closed due to construction until 2021[6]. With the different museums being a form of entertainment not just for the Parisian people, but for the Nazis as well. The speech Hitler made on the balcony allowed the Palais de Chaillot to become a staple image of World War Two, allowing this location to become a popular tourist location for those with an interest in the Second World War.

[1] Hitler, Adolf, and Norman Hepburn Baynes. The Speeches of Adolf Hitler: April 1922 – August 1939. H. Fertig,

1969.

[2] "Palais de Chaillot." . https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palais_de_Chaillot

[3] Hitler, The Speeches of Adolf Hitler: April 1922 – August 1939.

[4] "Palais de Chaillot." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki /Palais_de_Chaillot

[5] Ibid.

[6] "Palais de Chaillot." https://en.parisinfo.com/paris-museum-monument/ 118358/ Palais-de-Chaillot.

Resources

Hartnoll, Phyllis, and Peter Found. "Chaillot, Palais de." In The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre. : Oxford University Press,, 1996. http://www.oxfordreference.com/view/ 10.1093/acref/9780192825742.001.0001/acref-9780192825742-e-582.

Hitler, Adolf, and Norman Hepburn Baynes. The Speeches of Adolf Hitler: April 1922 – August 1939. H. Fertig, 1969.

"Palais de Chaillot." Paris. 2015. https://en.parisinfo.com/paris-museum-monument/ 118358/Palais-de-Chaillot

"Palais de Chaillot." Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia. 18 October, 2018. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palais_de_Chaillot