Paris Holds the Key to the Past

Ahh, the Eiffel Tower. One of the world’s most well-known landmarks and a symbol of France to foreigners across the globe. Do those people know of the daring feats daredevils have tried to perform off the 1063′ structure? Do they know that the French originally detested the structure and there was even a petition against its construction? Do they know that it was key part in capturing a spy during World War I? Probably not. This week we will be diving into these three stories as part of a four week series on French architecture. Looking ahead, week ten will focus on the “so what?” question people ask when confronted with historical information.

First up, we are going to talk about the now-called “death jump” off of the Tower in the name of science. In February 1912, Franz Reichelt gained his spot in history when he tested his homemade parachute by jumping off the first platform (172 feet above the ground) of the Eiffel Tower. He gained permission and also a large media following for the day of his jump. The first time he ventured to the platform, he was overcome by fear and returned to the ground. Reichelt returned to the platform again after being goaded by his manager to continue with the jump, but still he hesitated as he stood on the railing. Franz did eventually jump, but he did not survive. The crowd held up his destroyed contraption and measured the indentation his body made with the ground. The video below is an actual recording of the jump. It does not show his body, but you do see him hit the ground from afar, so be warned.

The Eiffel Tower was finished on March 31, 1889 and was the masterpiece of Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel, also known for his work on interior structure of the Statue of Liberty. He was commissioned by the French government to create the structure for the 1889 World’s Fair. After 20 years, the Tower would be handed back over to the government and deconstructed for scrap metal. Eiffel saved his masterpiece by inserting an antenna onto the top and showed its usefulness through communication, mostly through tests with telegraphs. Currently, the structure houses over 120 antennae that broadcast radio and TV signals across the globe. With all of the useful aspects of such a structure, one would think the French would love it. Sadly, that wasn’t the case. Many Parisians were worried it would interfere with their already beautiful atmosphere and skyline. 300 prominent artists and intellectuals published a petition on Valentine’s Day of 1877, but were unsuccessful in stopping the construction.

During World War I, the Eiffel Tower was used to intercept enemy signals to and from Berlin and assisted in the capture of Mata Hari. Earlier in the war, the intercepted signals helped the French land a surprise blow to the German troops in the Battle of the Marne. Mata Hari was an Indian temple dancer and made her rounds through Europe’s capitals. During the 1910s, she became close to several German officers and was considered suspicious by the French government. They tried to use her against the Germans and sent her into Spain to bring back confidential German plans and other news. The French, however, were highly suspicious of her and the chances of her being a double agent. A coded message was intercepted by the Eiffel Tower and was found to contain information about Mata Hari under her German spy name. She was arrested and charged for being a double agent in 1917. The second link below is an eyewitness account of her execution.

Next week, we will be exploring some of the darker stories behind the Palace of Versailles. I know these stories aren’t quite as dark as the past five weeks, but are worth discussing all the same. We may know things a certain way in our culture, but they have a different undertones than what we might expect. Thanks for reading!

Links:

http://www.history.com/news/10-things-you-may-not-know-about-the-eiffel-tower

http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/matahari.htm