4th arrondissement of Paris

4th arrondissement of Paris
French municipal arrondissement
Notre-Dame, on the Île de la Cité in the 4th arrondissement.
Paris and its closest suburbs
Country	France
Region	Île-de-France
Department	Paris
Commune	Paris
Government
• Mayor	Christophe Girard
Area
• Total	1.60 km2 (0.62 sq mi)
Population (8 March 1999 census)
• Total	30,675
• Estimate (2005)	28,600
• Density	19,000/km2 (50,000/sq mi)
^[p] Population sans doubles comptes: single count of residents of multiple communes (e.g. students and military personnel).

The 20 arrondissements of Paris
17th 18th 19th   8th 9th 10th 11th 20th 16th 2nd 3rd 1st 4th 12th River Seine   7th 6th 5th 13th 15th 14th

The 4th arrondissement of Paris (also known as "arrondissement de l'Hôtel-de-Ville") is one of the 20 arrondissements (administrative districts) of the capital city of France.

Situated on the Right Bank of the River Seine, it is bordered to the west by the 1st arrondissement; to the north by the 3rd, to the east by the 11th and 12th, and to the south by the Seine and the 5th.

The 4th arrondissement contains the Renaissance-era Paris City Hall. It also contains the Renaissance square of Place des Vosges, the overtly modern Pompidou Centre and the lively southern part of the medieval district of Le Marais, which today is known for being the gay district of Paris (while the more quiet northern part of Le Marais is contained inside the 3rd arrondissement). The eastern parts of the Île de la Cité (including Notre-Dame de Paris) as well as the Île Saint-Louis are also included within the 4th arrondissement.

The 4th arrondissement is known for its little streets, cafés, and shops but is often regarded by Parisians as expensive and congested. It is desirable for those insisting on old buildings and multi-cultural exposure.

Geography

With a land area of 1.601 km² (0.618 sq.miles, or 396 acres), the 4th arrondissement is the third smallest arrondissement in the city.

Demographics

The peak of population of the 4th arrondissement actually occurred before 1861, though the arrondissement has existed in its current shape only since the re-organization of Paris in 1860. In 1999, the population was 30,675, while the arrondissement hosted 41,424 jobs.

Historical population

Year (of French censuses)	Population	Density (inh. per km²)
1861 (peak of population)¹	108,520	67,783
1872	95,003	59,377
1954	70,944	41,638
1962	61,670	38,520
1968	54,029	33,747
1975	40,466	25,275
1982	33,990	21,230
1990	32,226	20,129
1999	30,675	19,160
2009	28,192	17,620

¹The peak of population actually occurred before 1861, but the
arrondissement was created in 1860, so we do not have figures before 1861.

Immigration

Place of birth of residents of the 4th arrondissement in 1999 Born in Metropolitan France Born outside Metropolitan France 78.1% 21.9% Born in Overseas France Born in foreign countries with French citizenship at birth¹ EU-15 immigrants² Non-EU-15 immigrants 0.7% 4.8% 5.6% 10.8% ¹This group is made up largely of former French settlers, such as pieds-noirs in Northwest Africa, followed by former colonial citizens who had French citizenship at birth (such as was often the case for the native elite in French colonies), and to a lesser extent foreign-born children of French expatriates. Note that a foreign country is understood as a country not part of France in 1999, so a person born for example in 1950 in Algeria, when Algeria was an integral part of France, is nonetheless listed as a person born in a foreign country in French statistics. ²An immigrant is a person born in a foreign country not having French citizenship at birth. Note that an immigrant may have acquired French citizenship since moving to France, but is still considered an immigrant in French statistics. On the other hand, persons born in France with foreign citizenship (the children of immigrants) are not listed as immigrants.

History

Robert de Vaugondy's map of Paris (4th arrondissement) - 1760

The Île de la Cité has been inhabited since the 1st century BC, when it was occupied by the Parisii tribe of the Gauls. The Right Bank was first settled in the early Middle Ages (exactly: In the 5th century). Since the end of the 19th century, le Marais has been populated by a significant Jewish population, the Rue des Rosiers being at the heart of its community, with a handful of kosher restaurants. Since the 1990s, gay culture has made an impact on the arrondissement, opening a number of bars and cafés in the area by the town hall.

Map

Map of the 4th arrondissement

Cityscape

Places of interest in the arrondissement

Saint-Jacques Tower circa 1867

• Bazar de l'Hôtel de Ville department store
• Berthillon
• Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal
• Centre Georges Pompidou
• Hôtel-Dieu hospital
• Hôtel de Sens
• Hôtel de Sully, on the site of a former orangery
• Hôtel de Ville
• Le Marais
• Rue des Rosiers
• Lycée Charlemagne
• Marché aux fleurs, Place Louis Lépine
• Musée de l'Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris
• Musée Boleslas Biegas, Musée Adam Mickiewicz, and Salon Frédéric Chopin
• Musée de la Magie
• Notre-Dame de Paris
• Pavillon de l'Arsenal
• Prefecture of Police
• Saint-Jacques Tower
• St-Gervais-et-St-Protais Church
• Saint-Louis-en-l'Île Church
• Salle des Traditions de la Garde Républicaine
• Former Temple, fortress and later prison
• Temple du Marais

Main streets and squares

• Place de la Bastille (shared with the 11th and 12th arrondissements), including the July Column (Colonne de juillet)
• Place de l'Hôtel de Ville, formerly Place de Grève
• Place des Vosges (shared with the 3rd arrondissement)
• Place du Chatelet (shared with the 1st arrondissement)
• Place Saint-Gervais, outside the doors of the St-Gervais-et-St-Protais Church
• Rue de Rivoli (shared with the 1st arrondissement)
• Square Barye

External links

• The official guide, partner of the Paris Tourist office
• 4th arrondissement travel guide from Wikivoyage
• Site of the Mayor of the 4th arrondissement (in French)
• L'Indépendant du 4e Posts in English by an inhabitants of the 4th arrondissement since 2008 : dailylife, history, heritage,...
• News on Marais in Paris