13.11.09

Where Alfred Nobel wrote his testament


The Swedish Club in Paris (Cercle Suédois, Svenska Klubben) is since 1936 situated on rue de Rivoli, just in front of and with a view of the Tuileries Gardens (see previous posts). The club was founded in 1891 - on a different address. Those days it was a Swedish-Norwegian club; the two countries formed a Union between 1814 and 1905. The Norwegians later had their own premises, but today the Swedish and the Norwegian clubs share again the same facilities.


It’s a very nice place and location with its restaurant and bar, open to anybody and of course used for a lot of events. I was there the other night – for wine tasting and took a few photos – before the tasting started!
Alfred Nobel (1833 – 1896) was one of the first club members and the desk on which he actually wrote his testament in 1895 has been saved. (Born in Stockholm, he lived in Paris for some 20 years, died in San Remo.) The desk can thus still be seen with a facsimile of the hand-written document. As you may know, the Nobel Prizes are attributed by different Swedish academies and institutions, with the exception of the Peace Prize, which is attributed by a committee of members of the Norwegian parliament. This is explained by the fact that Sweden and Norway formed a Union when Nobel wrote his testament.

I wish you a nice weekend ... and a nice week! I’m off to Sweden again for a little bit more than a week.

142 comments:

Zhang Chunhong said...

H, Peter, j'occupe le sofa chez toi!

Zhang Chunhong said...

"le sofa" est une expression d'Internet chinoise pour dire la place du premier commentaire. Ceux qui arrivent après ne peuvent occuper que des tabourets. Evidemment, le sofa est plus confortable que les tabourets.

Zhang Chunhong said...

Merci à Peter de me faire connaître Alfred Nobel. Je ne savais pas qu'il était Suédois. Quelle honte! Alfred Nobel, qui était si généreux, est une vrai personnalité admirable!

Zhang Chunhong said...

Hi, Peter, est-ce que tu as assez de témoignages? Je dors sur le sofa maintenant. Ne viens pas me déranger stp. Bon dodo à moi.

Parisbreakfasts said...

Your posts make me smile...
I went to the Swedish cafe in the Marais last trip..but who know there was a Swedish club too..
Very grand and BRAVO for M. Nobel!
merci encore
carolg

Thérèse said...

So the Sweden don't have their say about the Peace Prize? I learnt something one more time, in fact every week here...
Have a nice stay in Sweden.

from cali said...

Another informative post. I was not aware of this club nor the info about the Peace Prize.

The rooms look very warm and inviting.

Enjoy your time in Sweden.

alice said...

Quel bel endroit! Bon, Alfred ne s'est pas toujours montré sous un jour aussi sympathique mais ce n'est pas ce qu'on retient de lui...!
Bon séjour suédois, Peter, prends bien soin de toi.

Rakesh Vanamali said...

Now, thats some wonderful piece of history in pictures! Thanks for this marvelous illustration!

Have a good trip!

claude said...

On ne se refuse rien au Swedish Club ! Rue de Rivoli, en plus !
Non je plaisante ! C'est un post très intéressant.
J'espère que tout va bien en Suède.
A bientôt !

hpy said...

Je crois que j'y suis allée une fois ou deux mais personne ne m'y a parlé de ce sacré Alfred qui a fait un testament beaucoup plus long que ne le serait le mien. Il faut dire qu'il avait plus à léguer que moi.... mais je ne suis pas malheureuse pour autant.

Cezar and Léia said...

Beautiful pictures, this place looks very impressive.I also liked a lot the Nobel's story because I didn't know it!Very interesting, thanks for all information!
Have a safe trip!
Léia :)

Adam said...

Very interesting, and nice, welcoming pictures of a little-known establishment.

Is it expensive to eat and drink there, and is the food Swedish?

Anonymous said...

I like this post and the handwriting a lot.

Have a nice trip home and back, Peter.

Bagman and Butler said...

I learn so much from your blogs, Peter. Each one is a feast for the eyes and the mind. Your blog is like a free subscription to National Geographic only better.

SusuPetal said...

Good that you took the photos before wine tasting :)

Have a nice time in Sweden, see you!

Starman said...

It looks expensive. Is it? Bon weekend, mon ami.

Virginia said...

So now I see inside at last! I remember we walked past it many times last November. How lucky you are to have such a nice place to go and be with friends. Interesting text as always Peter. Have a safe and good trip home to Sweden. Hope all is well.
Bon weekend and week!
V

Jilly said...

What a fascinating post, Peter. Wonderful to see that original document and this beautiful club. I didn't know Nobel died in San Remo, just along from me - 40 minutes. I wonder if they have a memorial to him there?

Kate said...

We learn so much from blogging~! Happy to get all this information, Peter. The Peace Prize created quite a stir worldwide this year!``

Nisha said...

I love the way Paris as a place keeps up with the history and then you as an individual show them all to us.

I now know much more of it than before.

It must have been a knowledgeable and fulfilling journey for you as well.

Ruth said...

It is a beautiful space, inside and out. I like your collage of Nobel winners too.

Olivier said...

toujours autant de precision dans tes posts, sincerement je sais pas comment tu fais pour avoir le temps de tout visiter et faire toutes ces recherches

Marie-Noyale said...

Encore un bel endroit que je decouvre grace a toi.
Bonne semaine, en esperant que tout va bien en Suede.

Shionge said...

Thanks for the history lesson Peter :) I bet it is cold right now so take care.

James said...

That looks like a great place!

Leena said...

A fine post again, Peter, thanks for it.
And good time in Sweden!
Greetings Leena

Shammickite said...

I have not been here to read your blog for a couple of weeks, and now I see you are off to Sweden again. Have a safe trip, Peter.
Meanwhile, I have learned a lot from your posts, I didn't know anything about Alfred Nobel, thank you for educating me!
Your pictures of the different neighbourhoods of Paris are lovely, you have a great eye for capturing the essence of the city.

amatamari© said...

Is a place so charming ...
I did not know the whole story, very interesting: thanks, as always a wonderful post!

Have a good trip!
:-)

Owen said...

Have been by there many a time, but never knew this place existed... that's what I love about Paris, surprises everywhere.

And that's what I love about blogging too, our educations get completed here in the blogoversity in odd and mysterious, yet wonderful ways... safe travelling Peter.

hpy said...

Je n'avais pas fait attention à ta dernière ligne et commançais à me faire du souci pour toi. Mais je vois que tout va bien.

Nathalie said...

Contrairement à Zhang je n'ai pas le sofa, plutot le dernier tabouret au bout de la rangée, et encore lucky qu'il en reste un pour moi. Vraiment intéressant ce billet sur Alfred Nobel et le Swedish Club.

Tu participes à beaucoup de leurs activités? Tu es Suédois "of note" maintenant avec ton blog!

Très amicales pensées pour ce nouveau voyage à Göteborg.

T

Nathalie said...

Je suppose que symboliquement c'est une belle réussite que la Norvège et la Suède partagent le même club à Paris. Ces deux pays n'ont pas toujours été "amis", si je ne me trompe?

GMG said...

I've seen it several times but never entered. Great to see the inside!!
Have a nice trip!!

Catherine said...

j'ai entendu dire que la femme de M Nobe était partie avec un mathématicien et que c'est pour cela qu'il n'y apas de prix nobel ne maths... c'est vrai ?

Mona said...

wow! those are some great pictures of royal settings! Love them! :)

Anonymous said...

Interesting and informative post - thank you. Enjoy your week!

Polly said...

Thanks for the interior views, I've walked past many times but have never been inside. Peut-être au printemps prochain

Anonymous said...

It was extremely interesting for me to read the article. Thanx for it. I like such topics and anything connected to this matter. I would like to read more soon.

Anonymous said...

It was rather interesting for me to read the post. Thanx for it. I like such themes and anything that is connected to them. I definitely want to read more on that blog soon.

krystyna said...

My best wishes to you Peter!
I'm sorry that I didn't visit you,
I feel sick, and must be far from computer.

Thanks for beautiful and interesting post!

Anonymous said...

Who knows where to download XRumer 5.0 Palladium?
Help, please. All recommend this program to effectively advertise on the Internet, this is the best program!

PeterParis said...

Zhang:
Tu es la très bien venue, surtout comme je ne te vois pas souvent ici ! Content que tu as pu apprendre quelque chose, comme moi (le sofa…) ! :-)

ParisBreakfasts:
A Swedish café in the Marais... I didn't know! :-)

Thérèse:
No, the Peace Prize is decided by the Norwegians only! :-)

PeterParis said...

From Cali:
Happy that you learnt something! :-)

Alice:
Ce n'est peut-être pas sympathique d'inventer le dynamite ... sans doute une raison pourquoi il a voulu compenser par cette donation et le prix de la Paix? :-)

Rakesh:
Sincere thanks! :-)

PeterParis said...

Claude:
C'est vrai que le club est bien installé! :-)

hpy:
Le bonheur ne se mesure pas en fortune! ? :-)

Léia:
We all know about the Nobel Prize, but perhaps not so much about him! Thanks for your kind words! :-)

PeterParis said...

Adam:
The food is basically Swedish of course, but not that expensive ... especially if you are a member! :-)

Abraham:
Of course interested in the hand writing! :-)

Bagman and Butler:
Yes, there is no charge involved here! :-)

PeterParis said...

SusuPetal:
:-))

Starman:
Bot too expensive, as said above, especially if you are a member! :-)

Virginia:
Of course we tried to stay as "French" as possible during your visit; no real reason to go to the Swedish Club! :-)

PeterParis said...

Jilly:
Maybe you can find out about SanRemo? :-)

Kate:
Yes, the nomination of Obama has been wideley discussed! :-)

Nisha:
A lot of history in Paris, not only French! :-)

PeterParis said...

Ruth:
Basically some Peace and Literature prize winners (+ Marie Curie), more well known than the others! :-)

Olivier:
Il faut être à la retraite! :-)

Marie-Noyale:
Merci! :-)

PeterParis said...

Shionge:
A bit more chilly than in Paris ... and especially than in Singapore! :-)

James:
It is! :-)

Leena:
Thanks!! :-)

PeterParis said...

Shammickite:
Thanks for all these nice words! :-)

Amatamari:
I often say it, but we learn every day, especially if we are blogging! :-)

Owen:
Still a lot to discover! :-)

PeterParis said...

hpy:
Tout va bien, merci! :-)

Nathalie:
Toujours une place pour toi!
Je suppose que tu peux comparer l'ambiance entre la Suède et la Norvège avec les relations France / Belgique! (A last war ended 1814.) (:-)

GMG:
Maybe we can go inside next time you are in Paris? :-)

PeterParis said...

Catherine:
Nobel n’était jamais marié, mais il a eu des amours… Je ne connais pas cette histoire, mais je sais que Bertha von Suttner a été sa secrétaire pendant une courte période, qu’ils sont restés en contact toute leur vie. Elle était mariée à un ingénieur, est devenue une grande pacifiste et son influence a surement joué dans la décision de créer le Prix de la Paix (qu’elle a obtenu en 1905).

Mona:
So you are impressed! :-)

Denise:
Sincere thanks! :-)

PeterParis said...

Polly:
Pourquoi pas! :-)

Anonymous:
So I hope you will be back! :-)

Krystyna:
Hope you will soon feel better, dear friend! :-)

PeterParis said...

Anonymous:
I don't know anything about this! Sorry! :-)

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PeterParis said...

I have deleted a number of comments which obviously came from an unfriendly source. I don't normally censor!

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