Salomon Bédarrides (1809–1886) was a French

lawyer A lawyer is a person who practices law. The role of a lawyer varies greatly across different legal jurisdictions. A lawyer can be classified as an advocate, attorney, barrister, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, counselor, solic ...

and

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...

. He served as the

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

Aix-en-Provence Aix-en-Provence (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Ais de Provença in classical norm, or in Mistralian norm, ; la, Aquae Sextiae), or simply Aix ( medieval Occitan: ''Aics''), is a city and commune in southern France, about north of Marseille. ...

from 1877 to 1884.

Biography

Early life

Salomon Bédarrides was born in a

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

family on 18 February 1809 in Aix-en-Provence.Les Rues d'Aix
/ref> His brother, Jassuda Bédarrides (1804-1882), served as the mayor of Aix from 1858 to 1859.

Career

He started his career as a lawyer in Aix. A supporter of the Republic, he decided to follow in his brother's footsteps and embark upon a career in politics. He was left-wing, and a

Freemason Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...

. He was elected to the town council in 1870. He served as the mayor of Aix-en-Provence from 1877 to 1884. As such, he was the second Jewish Mayor of this city, the first being his brother. One of his first decisions, taken on 8 November 1876, was to rename the

Cours Mirabeau The Cours Mirabeau is a wide thoroughfare in Aix-en-Provence, France. Overview 440 meters long and 42 meters wide, the Cours Mirabeau is one of the most popular and lively places in the town. It is lined with many cafés, one of the most famous ...

as such. He reduced the debt the town has incurred and purchased more books for the public library. He commissioned the destruction of the ''Rue des Cardeurs'' and vowed to improve the lives of the poor in the town. He also commissioned the construction of the Lycée Mignet, a secondary school. He received the Knighthood of the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon, ...

on 12 August 1880.

Personal life

He resided at number 9 on the ''rue Beauvezet'' in Aix.

Death

He died on 29 September 1886 in Aix-en-Provence.

Legacy

The Rue Bédarrides in Aix-en-Provence is named in his honour and his brother's.Google Maps
/ref>

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bedarrides, Salomon 1809 births 1886 deaths Mayors of Aix-en-Provence Jewish mayors 19th-century French lawyers Knights of the Legion of Honour Jewish French politicians French Freemasons