Bir-Hakeim () is an elevated

station Station may refer to: Agriculture * Station (Australian agriculture), a large Australian landholding used for livestock production * Station (New Zealand agriculture), a large New Zealand farm used for grazing by sheep and cattle ** Cattle statio ...

of the Paris Métro serving line 6 in the ''Boulevard de Grenelle'' in the

15th arrondissement 15 (fifteen) is the natural number following 14 and preceding 16. Mathematics 15 is: * A composite number, and the sixth semiprime; its proper divisors being , and . * A deficient number, a smooth number, a lucky number, a pernicious num ...

. It is situated on the left bank of the Bir-Hakeim bridge over the

Seine ) , mouth_location = Le Havre/Honfleur , mouth_coordinates = , mouth_elevation = , progression = , river_system = Seine basin , basin_size = , tributaries_left = Yonne, Loing, Eure, Risle , tributarie ...

. The name of both the bridge and the station commemorates the World War II battle of Bir Hakeim. The station is above the RER C line; the station Champ de Mars - Tour Eiffel is within walking distance.

History

The station opened as part of the former Line 2 South on 24 April 1906, when it was extended from

Passy Passy () is an area of Paris, France, located in the 16th arrondissement, on the Right Bank. It is home to many of the city's wealthiest residents. Passy was a commune on the outskirts of Paris. In 1658, hot springs were discovered around whic ...

Place d'Italie The Place d'Italie (; en, Italy Square) is a public space in the 13th arrondissement of Paris. The square has an average dimension somewhat less than 200 meters in extent (comprising about 30,000 m²), and the following streets meet there: *Boule ...

. On 14 October 1907 ''Line 2 South'' was incorporated into Line 5. It was incorporated into line 6 on 12 October 1942. The station was called ''Quai de Grenelle'' until 1949, when it was renamed to commemorate the battle of Bir Hakeim. A commemorative panel is situated at the entrance of the platform for trains traveling towards Nation. The station was the location of the ''Barrière de la Cunette'', a gate built for the collection of taxation as part of the Wall of the Farmers-General; the gate was built between 1784 and 1788 and demolished in the nineteenth century.

Places of interest

It is the station closest to the Eiffel Tower; the signs on the station walls say "Bir-Hakeim — Tour Eiffel". Near the station is the site of the former Vélodrome d'hiver (Winter Velodrome or "Vel' d'Hiv"), which was famous for its cycling competitions but became infamous as the first place of detention for thousands of Parisian Jews who were rounded up by the police on 16 and 17 July 1942 before their deportation to Nazi concentration camps. The velodrome was destroyed in 1960 in the course of work done on the bank of the Seine (

Front de Seine Front de Seine is a development in the district of Beaugrenelle in Paris, France, located along the river Seine in the 15th arrondissement at the south of the Eiffel Tower. It is, with the 13th arrondissement, one of the few districts in th ...

). A commemorative monument has been raised near the south side of the station, above the tracks of the RER C. In the film '' Last Tango in Paris'', Maria Schneider's character has an argument which leads to a physical altercation with her boyfriend in the ''Bir-Hakeim'' station.

Station layout

Gallery

File:Bir-Hakeim Paris Metro Station 1.JPG, Line 6 platforms at Bir-Hakeim File:Bir-Hakeim Paris Metro Station 2.JPG, MP 73 rolling stock on Line 6 at Bir-Hakeim

Notes

References

*Roland, Gérard (2003). ''Stations de métro. D’Abbesses à Wagram.'' Éditions Bonneton. {{DEFAULTSORT:Bir-Hakeim (Paris Metro) Paris Métro stations in the 15th arrondissement of Paris Railway stations in France opened in 1906