The Paris Archives building in the nineteenth arrondissement features a towering facade of dark, perforated metal panels that filter sunlight into the stacks. It houses centuries of municipal records, including the original birth, marriage, and death certificates of famous Parisians and common citizens alike. During the Second World War, administrators scrambled to hide these sensitive documents from occupying forces. Archivists successfully funneled thousands of crates into the countryside, saving the city's paper identity from being destroyed or shipped out of France.
Paris Archives
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