What is the origin of La Défense?

When we talk about ‘La Défense’, we immediately think of its glass towers, the Grande Arche or the bustling offices. But long before it became a business district, La Défense was first and foremost... a statue. A work of stone and bronze by Louis-Ernest Barrias, erected in 1883 to honour Paris' resistance during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871.

Photo: Amandine Goetz (Statue ‘The Defence of Paris’)

A sculpture born out of a forgotten war

At the end of the 19th century, France was struggling to recover from its defeat by Prussia. The siege of Paris, which lasted more than four months, left a lasting impression: famine, bombings, fierce fighting at the gates of the capital.

In 1879, the General Council of the Seine launched a competition to create a commemorative monument. Among the many renowned sculptors who participated (including Rodin and Bartholdi), Louis-Ernest Barrias was chosen.

His work, entitled La Défense de Paris (The Defence of Paris), was unveiled in October 1883 in Courbevoie, at the strategic location where the fighting was most intense.

Photo: Amandine Goetz (Statue ‘The Defence of Paris’)

Three figures for a collective memory

The sculpted group is a powerful scene, both realistic and symbolic:

• A woman in uniform, an allegory of the city of Paris, stands proudly, leaning on a cannon while holding a flag. Her face is serious but determined.
• A young mobile guard, eyes downcast, reloads his Chassepot rifle: an image of duty and sacrifice.
• A young girl prostrate at their feet represents the suffering of civilians and innocence crushed by war.

Barrias successfully combines the academic language of the time (allegories, symbols) with sincere emotion that goes beyond a simple military tribute.

Photo: Amandine Goetz (Statue ‘The Defence of Paris’)

Photo: Amandine Goetz (Statue ‘The Defence of Paris’)

Photo: Amandine Goetz (Statue ‘The Defence of Paris’)

A statue that names a neighbourhood

It was this work that gave the neighbourhood its name: the statue is located at the La Défense roundabout... hence the neighbourhood's current name. A tribute that became a place name.

Over the decades, the monument has been moved, stored and then restored. It now stands at the foot of the La Défense esplanade, surrounded by passers-by, often ignored by the hurried crowds.

Photo: Amandine Goetz (Statue ‘The Defence of Paris’)

Why should we (re)discover this statue?

• Because it is the symbolic starting point of a modern neighbourhood.
• Because it tells a forgotten page of history: the war of 1870, much less well known than that of 1914.
• Because it embodies a combative, dignified and united Paris, beyond the tourist clichés.

Practical information

The Defence of Paris – Louis-Ernest Barrias (1883)
Location: Esplanade Charles-de-Gaulle, Courbevoie (near the Takis basin)
Access: Metro/RER ‘La Défense – Grande Arche’
Visible 24 hours a day, free of charge

This statue reminds us that public art is not merely decorative: it is a bearer of memory. In La Défense, amid concrete and glass, a sculpture still watches over the honour of Paris.

Featured image: wikipedia.org