The Embassy of France in Algiers () is France's diplomatic mission to

Algeria Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, the northeast by Tunisia; to Algeria–Libya border, the east by Libya; to Alger ...

. Since the country’s independence in 1962, its

Chancery Chancery may refer to: Offices and administration * Court of Chancery, the chief court of equity in England and Wales until 1873 ** Equity (law), also called chancery, the body of jurisprudence originating in the Court of Chancery ** Courts of e ...

has been located in the Peltzer Park () neighborhood of Hydra, a suburb of

Algiers Algiers is the capital city of Algeria as well as the capital of the Algiers Province; it extends over many Communes of Algeria, communes without having its own separate governing body. With 2,988,145 residents in 2008Census 14 April 2008: Offi ...

History

The compound's main building, known as the ("Castle of Hydra"), was originally built in the late 18th century for Ali Agha, a Turkish general and hed of the

Dey Dey (, from ) was the title given to the rulers of the regencies of Algiers, Tripolitania,Bertarelli (1929), p. 203. and Tunis under the Ottoman Empire from 1671 onwards. Twenty-nine ''deys'' held office from the establishment of the deylicate ...

's cavalry. It was later the home of a British physician, Dr Bowen, in the 1820s; of the latter's son-in-law, Consul of Sweden and Norway John Frédérik Schultze; and from 1902, of Serge Peltzer, a Russian national of Dutch descent. Much of the property was divided into individual lots in the 1920s, when it was linked to Algiers by a new bridge over the Wadi Knis river. In 1942, it was acquired from the Peltzer family by the City of Algiers, and became the residence of the 10th Military Region of the French African Army. In 1943, it was used by the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...

for its ambulance service. In 1955, it became the headquarters of France's 10th Parachute Division led by

Jacques Massu Jacques Émile Massu (; 5 May 1908 – 26 October 2002) was a French general who fought in World War II, the First Indochina War, the Algerian War and the Suez Crisis. He led French troops in the Battle of Algiers, first supporting and later ...

. Upon Algerian independence in 1962, it was repurposed as the French embassy, and Ambassador

Georges Gorse Georges Gorse (; 15 February 1915 – 17 March 2002) was a French politician and diplomat. Born in Cahors, he qualified in 1939 as a professor at the University of Cairo. During World War II he joined Charles de Gaulle and the Free French as ...

promptly undertook a comprehensive renovation of the building. In 1963, the residence of the ambassador was established in the Villa des Oliviers. The

Consulate-general A consul is an official representative of a government who resides in a foreign country to assist and protect citizens of the consul's country, and to promote and facilitate commercial and diplomatic relations between the two countries. A consu ...

was relocated to the Peltzer Park compound in 1994 during the

Algerian Civil War The Algerian Civil War (), known in Algeria as the Black Decade (, ), was a civil war fought between the Algerian government and various Islamist rebel groups from 11 January 1992 (following a 1992 Algerian coup d'état, coup negating an Islami ...

Ambassadors

Notes

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

Algeria–France relations {{France-gov-stub

History

Ambassadors

See also

Notes