Charles Michels: origin of the name and station history
Served by: metro line 10.
Why this name?
The station was first called Beaugrenelle, after the former square of the same name, in a district that recalls the former village of Grenelle. It was renamed Charles Michels, at the same time as the square, in tribute to Charles Michels (1903-1941), Communist deputy for the 15th arrondissement, taken hostage and shot during the Occupation. It is the second of the eight stations on the network renamed after the war in honour of Resistance fighters, after Trinité - d'Estienne d'Orves. It opened as the western terminus of the first section of line 8, from Opéra, before moving to line 10.
Anecdote
After the bombing of the Citroën factories, which damaged the tunnel between Chardon-Lagache and Mirabeau, it temporarily became a terminus again. Built at ground level, it lost its metal cladding in 2008 and was fully renovated in 2009. Its two entrances have Dervaux-style railings and lamp-posts from the 1930s, and the Beaugrenelle shopping centre is close by.
Around Charles Michels
- Parc André-Citroën, 1150 m away — A contemporary park on the banks of the Seine, laid out on the former Citroën factory site, with a tethered balloon.
- Île aux Cygnes, 600 m away — A narrow artificial island on the Seine, offering a peaceful walk and a replica of the Statue of Liberty.
- Rue Saint-Charles, 400 m away — A lively shopping street in the 15th arrondissement, valued for its local shops.