The private Collection Louis de France deals with historical sources mainly with from the history of the French Ancien Régime under the reign of the Bourbon kings of France and Navarre. It highlights the steady rise and abrupt decline of the houses of Valois and Bourbon from the Capetian dynasty which ruled and determined the policies of France, from 987-1789 (as a constitutional monarchy until 1792) and certainly had a major influence on the history of Europe and the rest of the world. It tries not to put the focus solely on the respective monarchs and their families but also takes into account individuals, various offices and operations, the court life of Versailles, historical facts and the more than thousand-year-long monarchy of France overall.
Completing the collection is a post-revolutionary section, dealing with the era after the fall of the first French Emperor Napoléon I, the restoration of the Bourbons to the throne of France in the years 1814-15 and 1830, and the last King of the French the so-called « Roi Citoyen » (citizen King) Louis-Philippe I from the house d'Orléans, ending with his removal from the throne in 1848 when France's monarchy ended for good.
IMPORTANT NOTE: We are working to gradually offer the content of our German website, which is also not yet complete, also in English. We kindly ask for your understanding that this will take some time. On each completed German exhibition page, you will find a brief description of the corresponding document in English language. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us by email.
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Am 22.4.1370 wird in Paris unter Charles V. der Grundstein der Bastille gelegt. Die Festung ist Teil der Stadtbefestigung gegen die Angriffe der Engländer im Hundertjährigen Krieg.
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The Château de Saint-Cloud was a royal, later imperial, residence. During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, it was hit by artillery shells and burned down. Despite the well-preserved building shell, the remaining ruins were finally demolished in 1891.
However, for several years now, efforts have been made to reconstruct the Château de Saint-Cloud.
In the turmoil of the French Revolution, it was not always certain that the royal residences would be preserved after the abolition of the monarchy. The collections and furnishings were liquidated and some were auctioned off. On May 5, 1794, the National Convention decided by Decree No. 2346 (LdF LP-0064) that the residences be preserved at the expense of the Republic "to serve the pleasures of the people."
On June 12, 1672, Louis XIV crossed the Rhine at Lobith, thus beginning an expansive war of conquest against the United Netherlands, the Dutch War, which would last until 1678.
On April 1, 1672, a 'lettre de cachet' (LdF ms BR-0032) was drawn up in Versailles with marching orders for eight companies of the régiment Suisse de Salis, which were to join the Prince of Condé at Sedan on May 2 and receive further orders there.
The American War of Independence began in 1775 between the British colonies of North America and the British colonial power. Only with the active intervention of France from 1778 onwards the conflict was decided in favor of the colonists. With the entry of the french Navy into the war, the fighting increasingly shifted to the sea. A fragment of a private letter (LdF ms BR-0084) has been preserved from this period, reporting on a naval battle.
Neben der wissenschaftlichen Auswertung aller Dokumente der Collection Louis de France liegt ein großer Augenmerk auf der bestmöglichen Konservierung und Erhaltung der Handschriften, Drucke und Objekte für die Nachwelt. Denn vor allem die sprichwörtlich bekannte 'Geduldigkeit' von Papier – und teilweise auch Pergament – trifft leider nicht auf dessen physikalische Widerstandsfähigkeit zu.