Jean Paul Sartre (1905-1980) and Simone de Beauvoir (1908-1986), two of the most influential French intellectuals of the 20th century, met in 1929 while preparing for the entrance exams to the prestigious École Normale Supérieure teachers' school.
Sartre came in first place and de Beauvoir came in second, but it was de Beauvoir who set a record by becoming the youngest person ever to pass the difficult exam. Thus began a lifelong friendship, one that shaped not only 20th-century philosophy but also Saint Germain area (Saint Germain), which became the couple's spiritual home.
After completing their studies and working as teachers in various cities in France, the two returned to Paris, where Sartre continued to teach. Both lived in small rooms in modest hotels in the Latin Quarter and wrote. Sartre's first novel, La Nausée, was published in 1938, in which he attacked bourgeois society in France and presented the philosophy of individual freedom, with which he became identified.
During World War II, Sartre was taken prisoner and when he returned to Paris in 1941, he completely gave up his academic career and devoted himself to writing. De Beauvoir became famous as a writer in 1954 following her book “Les Mandarins,” which won the prestigious Goncourt Prize.
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Beginning at the end of World War II, Sartre and Beauvoir became the “Saint-Germain aristocracy” and could be found working and debating in the neighborhood’s cafes, demonstrating with the communist movement they supported, and changing the way people thought about marriage, life, sex, love, war, and feminism.
The couple's philosophy was enthusiastically embraced by the younger generation, who wanted to put the horrors of the past behind them and saw Beauvoir and Sartre as role models. And so what began as a philosophical discussion became an entire bohemian way of life as young Parisians began to rebel against their parents and sit for hours in cafes debating the principles of existentialism.
Both Sartre and Beauvoir moved to Montparnasse, each living in an apartment overlooking a different end of the district's famous cemetery. Although they ended their romantic relationship, their intellectual bond and friendship endured to the end. They wrote, worked, and spent time together until Sartre's death in 1980. Beauvoir died six years later and was buried beside him in Montparnasse Cemetery.
Louisiana Hotel
Start your trip at the Saint Michel metro and head towards Rue Saint Andre des Arts, which leads to Rue Buci. At Rue de Seine, turn left and go to number 56. There you will find the Hotel Louisiane, where Sartre and Beauvoir lived for 3 years starting in 1943. Beauvoir later wrote, “I have never lived in a place that has so fulfilled my dreams. I would have been happy to stay here for the rest of my life.”
The cafes of Sartre and Beauvoir
Retrace your steps to Rue Buci and turn right on Boulevard Saint Germain, until you reach the famous Deux Magots cafe, which has become a kind of “headquarters” of the existentialist movement since Sartre decided to turn the cafe into an “office” where he works. You are also welcome to continue a little further on Boulevard Saint Germain until you reach number 172 where you will find Café de Flore, which was a favorite of both Sartre and Beauvoir.
In this place they sat, ate, drank and turned it into an intellectual magnet, and as such it is still considered to this day (perhaps not rightly so). The prosaic reason why Beauvoir and Sartre loved this café is because the heating was always working, which could not be said of the small rooms in which the couple lived during the 40s.
The house where Sartre lived with his mother
Head to the northern end of the Place Saint-Germain to 42 Rue Bonaparte and you will find the house where Sartre lived with his mother for many years. This apartment was twice attacked by those who wanted to silence the philosopher's political views, but this did not stop him from continuing to spread his teachings.
The house where Simone de Beauvoir was born
Return to Boulevard Saint-Germain and turn onto Rue Rennes. Then turn left on Boulevard Raspail towards Boulevard Montparnasse and arrive at number 103, where Simone de Beauvoir was born and spent her childhood.
The apartment purchased by Simone de Beauvoir
Continue on Boulevard Raspail and turn right onto Rue Schoelcher. After the success of her book “The Mandarins,” de Beauvoir was able to buy an apartment here at number 11bis, where she spent the last 33 years of her life.
The tomb of Sartre and Beauvoir in Montparnasse
Continue south and turn right on Rue Froidevaux. Enter the Montparnasse Cemetery and at the end of the street walk north until you reach the shared grave of Sartre and Beauvoir.
Two more important cafes of Sartre
Go out onto Avenue Edgar Quinet and go to number 29. This is where Sartre lived in his last years. From here he walked almost every day to Simone de Beauvoir's apartment and occasionally stopped at the Cafe de la Liberté, which is located at 1 Rue Gaîté.
Cross the Place Delambre and turn right on Rue Delambre. Go to the Le Dome cafe, located at 108 Boulevard Montparnasse, where Beauvoir and Sartre used to sit in the early years of their relationship. Stop for a coffee. You've finished the route.
The year was 1993, and we sat down at Café de Mago just for Simone and Jean-Paul 🙂 We ordered cakes and coffee, and the chocolate cake had a really sour taste. I called the waiter and commented. Within half a minute, a hunched shift manager in a tailcoat appeared in front of me, expressed astonishment at my comment, and firmly announced that the cake was made this morning with fresh cream and that "it can't be."
I insisted and then he turned and walked away for a second, and returned to my amazement with a fork in his hand, took a bite of my cake and solemnly informed me “Enough” the cake is fine. Yes, you read that right, he tasted the cake and told me it was fine you can keep eating!!! (At least he didn’t use my fork)
I firmly asked him to take it and he did. We weren't charged for the garden either.
Somehow, years have passed and any mention of this cafe can't help but remind me of the chilling incident. By the way, I sat there four years ago and I can report that all the cakes are fine 🙂
So to Simon and Jean-Paul... I forgave
Great article. I would add that the couple also lived at the Mistral Hotel, from 1937 to 1939. Each of them had a separate room there. Simone mentioned the hotel several times in her book. She had a room facing the courtyard and he had a room facing the street. The hotel is not far from their grave.
HOTEL MISTRAL
I stayed at the hotel twice before finding the apartment rental system and it was very nice.
A lovely article that follows the great philosophers of the 20th century, Simone de Beauvais is the role model for every feminist even today (mine at least). But her last name is de Beauvais and there are many mistakes in the article and it says Beauvais.
Just great!