Grand Synagogue of Paris

The Grand Synagogue of Paris, often called the Synagogue de la Victoire, stands as a architectural display of the integration of the Jewish community into nineteenth century French society. Its location on the Rue de la Victoire was not the community's first choice for a site. Jewish leaders initially petitioned to have the main entrance face the prominent Rue Saint-Georges, which would have placed it in direct view of several major Catholic churches. Empress Eugenie, the wife of Napoleon the Third, intervened to block this placement, forcing the architects to orient the building toward the much narrower and less visible Rue de la Victoire.