An Estate With History - The Marshall Plan

Hôtel de Talleyrand

One of the venues where a gave my presentation a couple of times was a building once owned by the Rothchild family, that was then used by the German Gestapo headquarters during the occupation of Paris, and then which housed the offices of General George Marshall after World War II where the reconstruction plan for Europe was developed. The background narrative for Hotel Talleyrand from the World Monuments Fund describes the building as: Located at the heart of Paris near the Place de la Concorde, the Hôtel de Talleyrand is among the most important historic European buildings under the stewardship of the U.S. Department of State. This former grand residence was the site of the administration of 
the Marshall Plan, when the building was purchased by the U.S.

Engraved commemorative

government after World War II. Built between 1767 and 1769, the Hôtel de Talleyrand was designed by Ange-Jacques Gabriel and its interiors were designed by Jean-François-Thérèse Chalgrin, one of the most prominent architects in eighteenth-century France. The building is an exceptional example of architecture of the French Enlightenment, whose neoclassical interiors were only slightly altered during the time the Rothchild family occupied the building. Initially built for Compte de Saint-Florentin, Duc de la Vrillière, the structure was 

Bullet damage across the street

subsequently purchased in 1812 by Maurice de Talleyrand Perigord who used the site to receive heads of state and international dignitaries, marking the beginning of its lengthy history as a site of diplomatic activity. Following Talleyrand’s death, the residence was purchased by Baron James-Mayer de Rothschild and remained in the possession of his family until 1947, when it was purchased by the U.S. government. To this day, the building is used for receiving guests at diplomatic meetings, receptions, conferences, and cultural events.

General George Marshall

My hosts from the embassy gave me interesting other pieces of information about the building: it was purchased by the U.S. Government and is utilized by the Embassy for various official functions (examples being my presentation and a press briefing); there was a firefight at the site when the Allies retook Paris - bullet marks can be seen on the building wall to the north across the street; and there is a nice display of information inside about General Marshall and the reconstruction plan - his Nobel Prize medal is a part of the display.