Monument des Droits de l'Homme in Paris
This very little known monument in Paris is dedicated to the rights of man and citizen, and the human rights Monument des Droits de l'Homme that is based on an old temple, is located within the Champ de Mars park close to the Eiffel Tower, yet many refer to this as a Masonic monument.
About Monument des Droits de l'Homme
The Monument des Droites de l'Homme, basically translates in English to the Monument of the Rights of Man, and this is a human rights monument, which was based on an old Egyptian temple with two obelisks at the front of it, although the full title is now the Monument des Droits de l'Homme et du Citoyen.
This monument in Paris was designed by the Czech sculptor Ivan Theimer and actually looks a lot older than it really is, as this very little known human rights monument was inaugurated in 1989 and was only put in place within the Champ de Mars park in Paris on the 200th anniversary of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen, which was drawn up at Chateaux Versailles in 1789 and was a fundamental part of the French Revolution.
Referred to by many as a Masonic monument in Paris, you will find that the Monument des Droits de l'Homme has several different references to Freemasons including a triangle with three points that is is located on the side that faces towards the central part of the Champ de Mars gardens.
Also on this same side you can see two obelisks, which are located on either side of the inscription above the triangle, which reads 1789 Declaration Des Droits De L'Homme Et Du Citoyen 1989, and these obelisks have numerous different symbols, texts and inscriptions engraved on them including the declaration of human rights, along with some very small statue sculptures recessed at the base of these.
In addition to this, as you are looking at the temple of the Monument des Droits de l'Homme from the Champ de Mars side you will see two bronze statues on plinths, and the one to the left is a women with a young child only wearing a hat, yet on the right there is a bronze statue of a man wearing a robe or toga, plus there is also a bronze cauldron on this side as well.
Yet this monument designed in recognition of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen also has many other features on different sides as you walk round, and you will be able to discover stone reliefs along with six squares further down that depict different cities. On the South West facing side a couple of these include famous places such as Amsterdam and Luxembourg, yet on the opposite site there are different cities listed including Paris.
On the fourth side of the Monument des Droits de l'Homme that faces the Rue de Belgrade, you can see two columns, which are located either side of a bronze door that also has an inscription on it, and in front there is a bronze cauldron, and these face in a North East direction.
Visiting Monument des Droits de l'Homme
This unusual human rights monument based on an old temple looks far, far older than it really is, yet as you have probably already gathered by now, it is located within the Champ de Mars park in the 7th Arrondissement, and is a very little known monument in Paris, which is actually situated close to a traditional puppet theatre called the Les Marionnettes du Champ de Mars, yet is still well worth a few minutes of your time to discover it.
If you are walking from the Eiffel Tower towards the Wall For Peace and the Ecole Militaire, you will find the Monument des Droits de l'Homme on the left hand side about two thirds of the way down the park tucked in between lots of trees, with benches at the sides where you can sit down and relax for while.
And when it comes to getting to this monument, there are numerous different forms of public transport in Paris that will get you close, especially due to its proximity with the River Seine and the Eiffel Tower.
The nearest Metro station is called the Ecole Militaire stop serving line 8, yet if you are travelling by train on the RER, you would need the Champ de Mars - Tour Eiffel stop that serves the RER C line. This is also within walking distance of Bir-Hakeim Metro station, which serves the Metro Line 6.
Alternatively the Bus Lines 28, 42, 69, 80, 82, 87 and 92 will get you close by, plus there is the Batobus, which is the water bus that travels up and down the River Seine and they have a docking station located in between the Pont d'Iena and the Bateaux Parisiens River Seine cruises boats.
