Historial Charles de Gaulle

The Historial Charles de Gaulle is an invisible museum buried twelve meters beneath the ground of the Hôtel National des Invalides. Its architects designed this subterranean space to avoid disturbing the seventeenth century military architecture above. During the excavation for the site, workers unearthed the remains of a German bunker dating to the occupation of Paris during the Second World War. This bunker was dismantled to ensure the structural integrity of the historic buildings surrounding the courtyard. The museum now serves as an immersive, high-tech memorial to the man who led the Free French Forces and later founded the Fifth Republic.