Curious about the guillotine? There is a museum in Paris with an actual blade
The guillotine is an infamous tool of execution that has been used throughout history to punish criminals, political dissidents, and other enemies of the state. Its history as a form of capital punishment stretches back centuries, with its use in France during the French Revolution being particularly notorious
History of the Guillotine
French physician Joseph-Ignace Guillotin, ironically an opponent of the death penalty, encouraged the French government to use the contraption, at the time called a louisette, as a more humane form of capital punishment. Prior to the louisette, members of the nobility would be beheaded, which were carried out by sword or axe and often took more than one strike to fully remove the head.
Commoners were hanged, burned at the stake, or taken to the breaking wheel, which involved breaking of bones and prior to beheading or being thrown into a fire. All of these methods had the condemned staying conscious for minutes or even days while struggling and being tortured.
The first person to die by the guillotine was Nicolas Jacques Pelletier, a criminal convicted of committing a murder in the midst of a robbery. His execution was carried out in April 1792.
The guillotine allowed for one method of execution for all French citizens, regardless of class, allowing for the impression of equality (one of the 3 principles of the French Revolution) among citizens. However, the initial crowds who had gathered to watch the executions via guillotine were disappointed in how sterile the execution was and wanted more entertainment.
Guillotine and the French Revolution
The guillotine is most closely associated with the French Revolution, May 1789 to November 1799. The first person to die by guillotine was Louis Collenot d’Angremont, beheaded for his loyalty to the King and Queen, in August 1792.
Members of noble families and those loyal to the royals were the first executed. The bloodiest period, known as the Reign of Terror (1793-1794), had roughly 17,000 French citizens executed by guillotine, including King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette.
The guillotine was moved from place to place during the 10 years, mainly stationed at the Place de la Revolution (currently the Place de la Concorde). It was moved to the Place de la Bastile and the Place de la Nation. The executions were considered an attraction where spectators would gather to watch the condemned meet their fate and vendors would sell programs listing the names of those scheduled to die.
Eventually the tide turned and the leaders of the revolution, including Georges Danton, Saint-Just, ad Maximilien Robespierre, were executed by guillotine.
Musée de la préfecture de police
The Police Museum houses an actual guillotine blade. The museum is located in a functioning police station, so it can be easily missed. Visitors are first granted access to the station and then take an elevator to the museum. There is no cost for entry and reservations are required (we were granted access without a reservation but thankfully arrived when another visitor had made a reservation).
The museum, underwhelming compared to the other Parisian museums, highlights the history of policing in Paris, with uniforms worn and weapons used over the centuries and details of the more notorious crimes as well as the evolving techniques of and forensics used in police investigations.
Many of the museum labels are in French, which may prove challenging for those visitors who do not. speak French or are not on a guided tour.
The actual blade was not more than a foot wide, which makes sense considering the area of the neck for which it was designed. The smaller than expected size was a bit surprising. Likely the history of the blade is larger than the actual blade.
Details for the Museum
The museum is located in the 5th arrondissement, just outside of the Latin Quarter and between Notre Dame and the Pantheon. The address is 4 Rue de la Montagne Ste Geneviève, 75005 and the hours are 9:30-5:00 (Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday); 9:30-7:00 (Thursday); and 10:30-5:30 (Saturday). The museum is closed Sunday and Monday.
The website is www.prefecture-police-paris.interieur.gouv.fr
As a side note, one of the best places for croissants is around the corner – La Maison d’Isabelle. We walked to the bakery after leaving the museum and on the way back to the Metro. The address is 47ter Bd Saint-Germain.
The Final Days of the Guillotine
The last public execution was in 1939, Eugen Weidmann, who was convicted of 6 murders. There were issues with the contraption malfunctioning due to improper assembly and spectators recording the events. Eventually, the French government ordered that all executions be held in private. Prior to the death penalty being abolished in 1981, the last criminals were executed by guillotine in 1977.
In conclusion, although the guillotine and other beheading devices was used by many European countries as a form of capital punishment, it is most closely associated with France and the French Revolution. And a visitor to the Police Museum in the 5th arrondissement can see a macabre relic from that time in history.